Angel Award
John Vitale
As current owner of Bridgeview Yacht Club and co-owner of Jordan Lobster Farms, John has created an extremely successful career within the restaurant and hospitality industries. Opening Paddy Mcgees in 1985, and the Coyote Grill in 1990, he then became an owner at Jordan Lobster Farms in 1995. After opening up Bridgeview Yacht Club in 1998, John would go on to open Barnum Landing Shopping Center in 2012, and the Channel Club apartments in 2019. He is a former board member of Long Beach Hospital and South Nassau Community Hospital. Originally from the Bronx, John grew up in Elmont as one of nine children to Anthony and Marie Vitale.
A resident of East Atlantic Beach for 40 years, John now splits his time between our barrier beach island and Boca Raton, Florida, with his long-time partner Donna Marie. He has three children Mia, Dylan and Flynn, a daughter-in- law Leah, and three grandchildren Ryder John, Remy Marie, and Jesse Patrick.
The Long Beach Christmas Angel proudly honors John for delivering decades of stellar service and beautiful memories to our beach community. His sustained generosity of spirit has made it possible for us to host our annual fundraising event at Bridgeview Yacht Club. We applaud John for creating an event space that has blessed the surrounding communities with so many special celebrations.
Team Impact Award
The Barbara Mullaney Team
Barbara Mullaney, a Bronx native, spent her childhood summers in Long Beach and would eventually move here, years later, with her daughters. After years of working in the service industry along with owning a couple of restaurants, Barbara transitioned her career to real estate in 2002. As her business grew, The Barbara Mullaney Team formed in 2016 with close friends, Mary O’Donnell and Tracey Johnson and has since expanded to a team of 10 women including Peggy Connery and Katy Connery (her two daughters), Alison Clements, Louie Ann Murphy, Lauren Toscano, Amy King and Alice O’Connor.
Barbara’s personal values and deep ties to our community have always translated into her profession as a real estate advisor and team leader. She works honestly, fairly and always in the best interests of the clients she serves. Her principles of integrity, trustworthiness and ethics is what she emphasizes and passes on to each team member as they navigate their own careers. Most importantly, Barbara’s innate generosity to help anyone in need is instilled in the foundation of this group. Barbara personally contributes to local charities and foundations that directly help our community such as the Long Beach Christmas Angel, The Michael Diamond Foundation, The Michelle O’Neill Foundation, The Jamie Whelan Foundation and many more. In 2020, Barbara was awarded a Humanitarian Award in recognition of her altruism.
For the past 8 years, The Barbara Mullaney Team has become a vehicle to keep extending this generosity and love for Long Beach. As a team of locals, each woman has their own unique connection to our community and truly care about their fellow residents. In 2021, the team hosted the first annual Bike-a-thon Fundraiser for the Long Beach Soup Kitchen and has since raised over $12,000. Every year, the team also hosts guest bartending events benefiting different local causes. These events have raised money for the Long Beach Reach and for the past two years, they have raised over $7,000 for the Long Beach High School Food Pantry and Sunshine Club.
Just recently, the team participated in the guest bartending event for the Long Beach Kiwanis Club. To date, they have fundraised and contributed over $75,000 to these local organizations close to their hearts. Their impact on the community is far reaching.
Moving forward The Barbara Mullaney Team will continue to hold themselves to the highest standard in the real estate profession while always embracing and giving back to the community we all adore.
Health and Wellness Award
Core 95
In 2019, Shannon Taylor Williams and Kelly Martinsen founded Core 95, after discussing the need for a wellness business in Long Beach built with a focus on strength, stretching, sweat, and feeling good. They are quite an impressive duo. Kelly, an avid surfer, is a former Clinical Science liaison in research at Celgene Corp and author of the book A Year of Inspired Living. Shannon is a R.N. at St. Francis while simultaneously studying to become a nurse practitioner. They both proudly describe themselves as co-owners and ‘sweat and smile’ consultants for Core 95.
For the first 9 months of Core 95’s inception, they were flourishing as they established a loyal clientele. Then in March of 2020, gyms were forced to close. The reality that a wellness space was one of the last business categories to reopen was soul-crushing to both of them. Core 95 adapted to the restrictions by utilizing various modalities including free classes on the beach and Zoom classes. To add to their challenges, when the state finally lifted restrictions, they learned they would have to find a new location. Core 95 would have to start all over in a new space, investing once again in a rebuild - after having no cash flow for months. Operating from a mindset of “scared money never wins”, they decided to take the risk and invest in their vision once again. The community is so glad they did!
Clients at Core 95 routinely thank Kelly and Shannon for creating a business that brings clarity of mind, body and soul; it is a source of physical and mental wellness that lifts up your spirit and energy level. You leave feeling better than the day before, every day. Grateful for their success, Kelly and Shannon do for the community what Core 95 does for their clients; they leave it better than the day before by hosting food drives, toy drives, and various high school sports teams with free workouts and team-building nights. During October, they also host a special Breast Cancer Survivor Day. They truly have created a business that leaves everyone sweaty and smiling.
Civic Guardianship Award
Police Officer Joseph Brand III
Police Officer Joseph Brand III, the son of Patricia and Joseph Brand II, was born and raised in Long Beach. He attended Long Beach Catholic Regional School before and went on to attend Long Beach High School. He graduated in 2012 and went on to study Criminology at SUNY Cortland in upstate NY, earning his bachelor’s degree in 2016. Joe played 4 years of lacrosse for the Cortland Men’s Lacrosse Team, and served as team captain for 2 of those years.
In 2017 Joe was hired by the NYPD, and after training at the Police Academy for 6 months, he was assigned to the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway where he served as a NYPD officer for six years. On March 1st 2023, Joe was hired by the Long Beach Police Department to serve his hometown. Joe models his police career after his grandfather, Joseph Brand - a man he greatly admires. Mr. Brand is now a retired detective who served the Nassau County Police Department for over 30 years.
In the Summer of 2023, Joe married his wife Caitlyn Quinn. Caitlyn is a nurse at LIJ Northwell Hospital where she worked in the ICU at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic and is now assigned to the Interventional Radiology Department. The Brands are very proud to be living in Long Beach and are very dedicated to their careers serving others.
Police Officer Kiernan Reinhard
Kiernan Reinhard grew up in Long Beach and has lived there his entire life. He attended Long Beach Catholic Regional School and graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School in 2017. He went on to study at Loyola University in Maryland where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration; Information Systems.
His father Kevin, recently retired as a federal agent for the United States Government. Kiernan’s brother Theodore serves as a Nassau County Police Fire Marshal, and is a Chief in the Long Beach Fire Department and Kiernan’s mother Mary, was a Kindergarten teacher in Valley Stream for over 25 years. Service runs in the family.
Kiernan was a City of Long Beach ocean lifeguard, serving on the patrol from 2015-2020. Then In December of 2020, he was hired by the Long Beach Police Department, becoming one of the youngest hires in the history of its police force.
Kiernan was just recently elected to the Long Beach PBA Board, where he will serve as a delegate.
Police Officer Brian Vais
Brian was hired by the MTA Police department in January of 2017. He served for three years, until he was hired by the City of Long Beach Police Department in November of 2020. Brian feels a deep appreciation to be able to now serve in the community he has always loved.
A lifelong member of the community, he attended Blackheath pre-K, followed by East Elementary School, then Long Beach Middle school, eventually becoming part of Long Beach High School Class of 2009. He attended Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina where he earned his bachelor's degree. Prior to serving the City of Long Beach as an officer, Brian was saving lives as part of the City of Long Beach Lifeguard Patrol from 2007-2014.
Brian’s father, Joe Vais, retired from the NYPD as a Sergeant and his uncle Peter Taormina was a NYPD 1st Grade detective. His mother Michele Vais retired from East Elementary School, after serving the local students as a kindergarten teacher. Brian’s wonderful wife, Olivia Vais, is a pediatric occupational therapist, often working with local Long Beach children. Brian and Oliva are so excited to be expecting their first child in February of 2024.