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BSM02022017

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP FEBRUARY 3 - FEBRUARY 9, 2017 33 26 DECEMBER 8, 2016 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM Success profi le: Tom Rudzewick, Maspeth Federal Savings CEO St. Maarten R & R Vacation vschneps@ gmail.com Banking for Tom Rudzewick is a family a air. His father, Ken, started at Maspeth Federal Savings Bank as a teller when he was 19 years old (his mom worked there, too) and rose through the ranks to be CEO and president. Now, his son Tom leads the bank and Tom’s brother, Glenn,heads the lending division. Maspeth is proud of its namesake bank, and the bank is so grateful to its depositors and clients they even celebrate an annual “Smile on Maspeth Day.” For‹70 years, the bank—founded by a local liquor store owner—has grown but never lost sight of its roots. This has served the bank well. I met recently with Tom, who was appointed CEO and took the mantle from his well-known and respected dad, Ken. “I learned everything I know from my dad, coming to work with him as a child and always feeling my destiny was with the bank, too,” he said with a broad smile. He’s a man at ease in his windowed o” ce overlooking busy Grand Avenue in Maspeth. “We like to compare ourselves to the rabbit and the hare. We are slow but steady in our growth and that has served us well during down cycles,” he shared. I remember the photos of Ken dressed in full American revolutionary costume as he led the Memorial Day Parade in Maspeth, one of the largest in the city. “My dad,” Tom recalled with nostalgia in his voice, “believed in our bank being active in the community. In fact, my grandmother marched in the parade, and that tradition has continued.” Sadly, Tom lost his sister, Jill, a™ er a seven-year battle with breast‹cancer, but he turned his pain into a passion to help others. The bank organizes and sends hundreds of employees to participate in the Middle Village Relay for Life. Jill lives on through their work, helping many in their struggle. Although the bank donates money to many causes, its strength has been its mission to give back through volunteering with many groups in the communities it serves. Tom’s chief operating o” cer, David Daraio, serves as the president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, keeping the pulse of the community and businesses serving it. “As a community bank, I take seriously my role to be part of the community. We have fi ve branches in Queens and Nassau County and o er online banking, extending our footprint,” Tom explained. He talked with pride about the renovations at the branches that now o er free co ee, a children’s coloring station and free Wi-Fi. There are also expansion plans for the next several years. Tom lives the Maspeth Savings Bank’s motto that says, “We treat you like family.” The CEO is married and is the proud father of son Nicholas, who is a passionate hockey player. Keeping to his belief in getting involved, Tom Rudzewick volunteers and heads his son’s league. It’s all part of his philosophy of giving back. With the new Trump administration coming into o” ce, Rudzewick expects, optimistically, to continue his lobbying for changes in the regulatory procedures in place now that restrict the bank’s ability to lend. “We are well positioned to help the new immigrant groups fulfi ll their dream of home ownership just like my grandfather did decades ago,” he explained. Hearing his success story, I believe he will prevail and build success for others, too! With the 70th anniversary of the bank, long a champion of the community, its slow but steady growth is sure to serve it well into the future because it keeps drawing depositors from childhood to old age, and it does business the old-fashioned way, caring for its clients! Victoria’s Secrets Victoria SCHNEPS-YUNIS tweet me @vschneps Maspeth Federal Savings Bank is a family a air; here's Tom, Glenn and Ken Rudzewick at a recent volunteer event. Tom (left) took the CEO mantle from his father, Ken. For hundreds of years, the Dutch and French have shared St. Maarten, an island snuggled between St. Barth and Anguilla, just east of St. Thomas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and only a 3 1/2 hour fl ight from JFK, making it an easy getaway.I had visited St. Maarten over 20 years ago and I was startled to see it that not much had changed. The 21-mile Dutch side has multiple story buildings closely constructed with cruise ships coming into the busy shopping town of Philipsburg. The 33 1/2-mile French side has only two-story buildings with more vegetation and tinier towns. Both have multiple beaches. There are several casinos on the Dutch side and many restaurants. Interestingly, there is nothing but the two countries’ fl ags, on a gentle hill, to separate the independent nations, and goods travel freely between them. I landed on the Dutch side at the new Princess Juliana International Airport on a smooth JetBlue fl ight with friendly, helpful sta . I went directly to the French side where I stayed with my friend at a villa on the Caribbean Sea. Being a beach lover, I had fond memories of my time on Orient Beach on the French side and it was where I returned to and spent my days while on the short but sweet getaway. There are multiple “beach clubs” along the so , white, sandy Orient Beach (that is famous for its nude beach). I chose Coco Beach Club, whose owner will not rent her 150 so blue lounges and umbrellas to cruise ship visitors. It’s been owned for over 20 years by Sophie, a single mom who has brought top fl ight chefs to her little piece of heaven on earth and o ers breakfast, lunch and dinner served on the beach. The thin-crusted, crispy vegetable pizzas that we ate for lunch each day were the best I ever had! After a picture-perfect day of swimming, sunning and shopping from vendors walking the beach with hand-cra ed items, we were o for dinner and the casinos. Each night we ate at restaurants on both sides of the island. One, Mario Bistro, is in the charming square on the lagoon in Porto Cupecoy. Walking into the square reminded me of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, but a smaller version (and no pigeons). Mario had recently moved his fi ne Italian food to this location. My friend shared with me that it was necessary to make a reservation weeks before you were to arrive to assure a seat. But then there were only 50 seats. Now, there is indoor and outdoor seating and we had no problem getting a table. With Mario still in the kitchen, the food is superb. I loved the thick, rich gazpacho and a sumptuous baked pistachio-crusted mahi-mahi. Fresh fi sh was done simply and superbly. Since I came for the beach, we had dinner at two restaurants where I could hear the lapping of the waves as we ate at candlelit tables set on the beach. Mezza Luna and Beaches fi t the bill with menus serving fi sh of all kinds, and the lamb chops were a big portion ordered from the grill menu. My favorite memory was my visit to La Samanna, an exquisite hotel nestled on the white sands of Baie Longue on the French side. It was always the best quiet, luxury getaway on the island, and a er having dinner there this week, it lives up to its reputation for fi ne food and service. Fortunately, some things never change. Oh, yes. I almost forgot. I had the crispiest croissant and breakfast at La Croissanterie on the marina in Marigot. The food and atmosphere of the island is a perfect peaceful getaway calling for a return. I hope to! Mezza Luna o ered pasta, sh and grilled meats on the beach. In the evening, I ate with the stars. Sophie, the owner of Coco Beach Club on Orient Beach, presents sh ready for grilling. The coconut man enlivened the beach scene. Luxurious La Samanna, unchanged for decades.


BSM02022017
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