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Thanks…..Giving

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I always look forward to this time of year, and believe it or not, it starts with Halloween. While each season brings us something different, I think the joy and anticipation of the holidays make this time of the year a little more special. It all begins with the fun on that ghoulish Halloween evening where we enjoy watching kids dress up as their favorite characters, filling their bags with candy as they “trick or treat” their way around the neighborhood. I remember those days dressing up in costume myself, coming home with enough candy to feed a small country, much to my dentist’s delight. As I’ve grown older, that exuberance has evolved into a satisfaction I see in others having on this fun-filled evening.

A few weeks later, we go from ghosts and goblins to pilgrims and turkeys. We welcome a season of thanksgiving and seem to rekindle more vital compassion for others. It is a time of year when our greatest joy comes from giving more than receiving. We seem to find inner peace in decorating our homes and listening to the season’s music, pausing to cherish each moment.

While I’ve always wanted to savor each holiday to its fullest, like many, we were ready to usher in the holidays earlier this year so we could inject a little joy into our lives after the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian. While I think most of us experienced less impact from this storm than we did from Hurricane Charley 18 years ago, it does make you stop and take stock of what is essential in life.

I recently had the opportunity again to be part of a unique team of volunteers assembled by Punta Gorda Police Officer Joe Angelini that hosted 51 foster families and 144 foster children to a holiday luncheon. This touching holiday event started seven years ago, a year after Joe became a resource officer at Sally Jones Elementary School. Always having had a special place in his heart for children, Joe recounts how the school principal asked him if he would take a little first-grade boy named Lucas under his wing. Joe agreed that the department would put him back patrolling the streets the following year, which was part of his service to the community he enjoyed. Little did Joe know the impact this child would have on him.

At the principal’s request, she asked if Joe would make time to have lunch with this young boy to build a bond and see if he could find out the cause of Lucas’ deviant behavior. Joe said at first he was puzzled why a child this age would exhibit such an incidence of this kind of behavior, but as Lucas opened up to Joe, he shared how he had bounced back in forth between 10 foster homes in Lee in Charlotte Counties in one year. It was then Joe realized this boy needed more stability and a bit of a father figure and confidant. Joe started to take Lucas off campus to places like McDonald’s, where he could experience some of the pleasures children in a more normalized home setting enjoyed. Through their time together, Joe gained an intimate insight into how children in Lucas’ situation were starving for a permanent place they could call home.

While we reminisced what it was like growing up and coming down Christmas morning to see the brightly colored presents Santa brought us the night before, Joe felt an emotional tug at his heart. He saw how the holidays often accentuated the transient hand these children were dealt. Despite the best efforts, these foster families were trying to provide the love and stability the children lacked. Joe felt these families and children needed more than a holiday lunch. They needed something where memories were made. He met with Pastor Tim Buck of First Methodist Church in Punta Gorda, now New Life Church, along with various community leaders and restauranteurs, and the groundwork was established. Hearing what Joe was planning, an elderly lady in the community anonymously provided presents for each one of the children. Joe confided, “She provided, and the Christmas Elves wrapped.”

Hearing of Joe’s love for these children, the Children’s Network of Florida has reached out to Joe with children and families in desperate need of holiday cheer that will carry them throughout the New Year. Joe told them, “If you know of a child in need, share that with us, and we’ll make sure their Christmas is a bit more special.”

Over these seven years, this 14-year Veteran of the Punta Gorda Police force has created an event to remember. The buffet-style luncheon is more like a feast with fresh roasted turkey and enough side dishes and desserts to feed an army. The food is delivered to the homeless shelter if anything is left over. After lunch, the children are treated to take part in a photo booth, a cookie decorating station, and one where they can create their ice cream sundaes. Of course, what holiday event would be complete without a personal visit and picture with Santa? Local musicians play holiday music throughout the event in the background, along with various festive decorations and lighted Christmas trees. It is a beautiful setting to behold. However, the best is yet to come.

Upon leaving, each child receives 3-4 personal gifts to take home, and the foster parents receive a festive holiday bag with all the side dish staples and a gift certificate to Publix for a turkey that will feed up to a family of twelve for a beautiful Christmas dinner.

I’ve often wondered what gives us the most satisfaction in life and as I’ve grown older it isn’t the presents I’ve received, it is the joy of giving, and the look of surprise on someone’s face that gives me the most pleasure. As I walked around the sea of tables, clearing them so the church could set up for their service the following morning, a couple of the children asked if they could clear the tables with me. To see these little ones that weren’t more than ten years of age wearing adult disposable gloves and clearing the tables with me spoke volumes about how grateful they were. They had no idea how much they touched my heart.

As Joe and I sat together recapping the day’s events, he said, “Gary, I think about this event every day of the year and how we can make it better and touch the lives of more families and children.” I thought, “You didn’t just make their lives better; you made mine better as well.” I was given the opportunity to give, and to me, that was priceless.

As the holidays quickly approach, we want to send our best wishes to you and your family for all the happiness this season brings, and that not only will you be blessed in the New Year, but so will the lives of others whose lives you touch.

-Gary Cardillo

Real Estate Update-“Nearly half of home buyers pay cash”

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By NANCY J. SEMON STAFF WRITER “Charlotte Sun Newspaper”

Homes sales strong despite holidays
January traditionally is a slower month for real estate sales, and although closed sales were down from December, the market shows no sign of slowing.
“There is a 30-day lag and due to the holidays in December, Realtors were not writing as many contracts; January is even lower than the summer months,” said Sharon Neuhofer, president of Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port-DeSoto, Inc.
She said in some parts of the nation, rising interest rates might be attributed to slowing home sales, but not in our area.
Many buyers in Southwest Florida are paying cash, so the mortgage interest rates do not affect them, she pointed out.
In January, when there were 323 closed sales of single-family homes in Charlotte County, 46.4%, or 150 buyers, paid cash.
Neuhofer said beside January’s traditional slowdown in sales, Realtors “have buyers we don’t have houses for.”
She said current low inventory levels means would-be buyers do not have a lot to choose from, and when they do find a house, often there are multiple parties interested.
“You can’t sell what we don’t have,” she said.
The same scenario held true for townhomes and condominiums. Of the 66 closed sales, 47 buyers paid cash, or 71.2% in January.
But while the median and average sale prices of single- family homes in January was lower than in December, the median and average price of townhomes and condos was higher.
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
The median sale price in January was $346,500, compared to $350,000 in December. The average sale price of $407,678 was also lower than December’s $450,671.
For 11 consecutive months, sellers were getting 100% of the original listed price.
The median time to sale was 57 days, and time to contract was 12 days. There were 370 homes in inventory in January, which represented a 0.9 month supply.
The inventory level from a year ago was down 30.8%.
TOWNHOMES AND CONDOS
The median sale price in January stood at $287,000, up from $269,950 in December.
The average sale price was $312,069 versus $296,717 in December.
The median percentage of the original listed price was 100% in January, continuing a nine-month trend.
Inventory stood at a 0.6 month supply, the same as it was in December. The inventory level was down 77.8% from a year ago.
Those wanting to sell should “know what you’re going to buy, or you could wind up homeless,” Neuhofer said.
QUICK SALES
She said with cash buyers coming to buy in Southwest Florida, homes are being bought up quickly.
The median time to contract for single family homes in Charlotte County was 12 days, and the median time to sale was 57 days — under two months.
But in some cases buyers will offer incentives — such as a higher price — if sellers agree to move in 30 days.
The median time to contract for townhomes and condos was similar — 10 days, and 53 days for the median time to sale.
January saw 671 single family homes about to come onto the market in February, and 119 townhomes and condos.

A Secret Service Agent Looks Back at 9-11

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I have always found just as much enjoyment in recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of others as those of my own. I also consider myself rich with friends, many who have gone on to achieve the highest levels of success in their chosen fields. Some are physicians, others have been politicians or sportswriters and then there are those whose service was perhaps even more impactful, but remained anonymous to most. One such person is my long-time friend Jim Napolitano, known by his close friends as “Nappi.”
Nappi and I were part of a unique group of friends who summered out in eastern Long Island, NY, and like most kids our age the memories we made together have always been very special to me. As we got older we didn’t see each other as much until I moved to Dallas, Texas, and on my business trips, I would stay at Nappi’s home in Houston where he was living and working as a mechanical engineer for Schlumberger, an oil field services company. After working very successfully with a new tool that was recently developed the company announced it was downsizing, and being one of the newest members on the team, Jim was one of the first to be let go. A next door neighbor who was a D.E.A. agent and knew Jim’s background suggested he apply to the FBI and Secret Service as he felt he had the skill sets that were in high demand. Unfortunately, the Graham Rudman Act had the backing of President Regan, placing limits on the number of government employees that could be hired to balance the budget, thus impacting the hiring at many government agencies. The only time a new candidate could be hired by the Secret Service was if one employee either left or retired however, since the Secret Service only hired groups of 24 at a time Jim had to wait almost 3 years, taking jobs with Brown Oil Tool and signing on and becoming a deputy with the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, before an opportunity with the Secret Service academy as a Special Agent materialized, marking the start of a career you typically only see in the movies.

It was years after moving back to New York from Texas our lives reconnected through a “mutual friend.” My wife and I had a special events company at the time that catered to many well-known politicians and high profile clients and one such client asked us to handle the event for her daughter’s wedding at their mansion on Long Island’s north shore, also known in many of author Nelson DeMille’s books as “The Gold Coast.” President George H.W. Bush was supposed to be in attendance and wasn’t able to be present so he sent his son Neil to represent the family. While setting up one of the arrangements on the home’s grand staircase Neil Bush walked over and introduced himself to me while complimenting us on the work we were doing. I then asked him if he was from Houston and shared with him that I thought we had a mutual friend in common, Jim Napolitano, who at this time was part of the team protecting the Bush family. To my surprise, Neil Bush said to me, “You know Nappi?” Before I knew it I was sitting on the staircase with Neil Bush and the Secret Service agents sharing stories of my summer escapades with Nappi.

Years passed and during that time Jim went through the ranks with the Secret Service starting as a Criminal Investigator, where he was moved through different squads for exceeding quotas of arrests and closed cases, and then to the “West African Task Force” where his responsibility was to thwart and arrest Soviet-backed Nigerians who were fraudulently obtaining birth certificates and drivers licenses to obtain numerous credit cards to buy and sell merchandise illegally. However, this is just the tip of Jim’s illustrious career. “Agent Napolitano” was selected to work on a task force that investigated “The Supernote”, a far superior counterfeit note being used by Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaida, and was successful in helping standing up the Supernote Task Force that was comprised of the U.S. Secret Service, CIA, and DEA. He was the 160th agent to ever become part of the elite Counter Assault Team under the Presidential Protection Division, which included “training with the Tier 1 Special Operations Forces”. He was a Rescue Swimmer for Presidents George H.W. Bush 41, George W. Bush 43, and Bill Clinton and their families. He was only 1 of 42 agents to be a member of both the C.A.T. and Rescue Swimmer Teams. He went on to be an instructor in Control Tactics and Rescue Swimming, further becoming manager in Water Safety and Emergency Medicine, among other courses he directed for Special Agents.

As if this isn’t an impressive enough background during his 23 years as a Secret Service Special Agent, Jim has protected three Presidents and their families and was personally instructed by President Reagan to make sure he and his team provided the utmost protection for Presidential Candidate Reverend Jessie Jackson. Since retiring from the Secret Service, Jim was Security Representative for Marathon Oil, traveling throughout the Middle East safeguarding the employees and their assets. In June of 2013 he took his vast array of skill sets and went on to become Chief of Police for the City of Montgomery, Texas for six years.

Recalling the events of 9-11, Jim shared with me that at that time he was the Resident Agent in charge of the Waco Resident Office. Jim was responsible for security around the President’s Crawford Ranch which was known as the “Western White House.” He was responsible for “hundreds of agents, arranging staff, military assets and other governmental entities,” according to an article written in the Montgomery County (Texas) newspaper “Golden Hammer.”

“I was at Baylor University’s Rec Center,” Jim recalled, “when I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center and immediately changed into my battle dress uniform…I called the ranch and there was no answer on any of the lines which was highly unusual and increased our level of high alert….I was able to get in touch with the Major in charge of the DPS regional office in Waco and requested as many troopers he could spare. Two agents and several Texas State Troopers raced to the ranch….Upon arrival two agents who were allowing various construction trucks entry into the ranch for ongoing work being performed told us how the construction crews had accidentally cut the power to the ranch and it was currently being reconnected.” In the meantime, Jim had been in contact with the team and President Bush, who had been in Sarasota reading to second-grade school children and upon being briefed of the attack, had been immediately rushed onto Airforce One. Jim recalls hearing the President expressing his frustration that he wanted to get back to Washington D.C., not circling for hours in Air Force One out of harm’s way. While President Bush and Airforce One were on high alert, Jim was equally frustrated and wanted to head to the areas of attack, but headquarters and the FAA said they were expecting “inbound (flights) coming to the ranch.” With the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on fire, and Flight 93 supposedly headed for Camp David before turning into a different location, Washington and Waco both weren’t options for the President to land. I remember calling Jim that day and asking if they were safe, and him saying, “Gary, I can’t stay on the phone we’re expecting incoming.”

With Jim’s extensive background and training, he shared with me how “useless” he felt when hearing about the bravery of his relative Lt. Michael Frances Lynch, who was a member of New York City’s Fire Department “Ladder 4.” Arriving at the second tower just as it was getting hit by the second plane, Michael saw his fireman friend Tim Brown, who was assigned to the Mayor’s office. Tim who was not in firefighting gear informed Michael that people were trapped in the elevators to which Michael replied, “I GOT THIS!” Using the “jaws of life” apparatus, Lt. Lynch was able to extricate three women stuck in an elevator. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter Michael and the Crew of Ladder 4 lost their lives when the tower collapsed on them. Firefighter Tim Brown in the meantime was able to make it to the Command Post when the south tower fell and fortunately, he and the Command Structure were able to escape. Upon hearing this story, I couldn’t help but think how some people run from adversity while others like Jim and his family run to preserve the lives of others.
After 9-11, Jim was reassigned to give increased protection to the daughter of the president. He said, “You have to go to extraordinary lengths to guard those we are protecting such as the first family, this way the President’s thinking is never compromised.”
Since leaving the Secret Service Jim has founded “Universal Safety & Security Solutions LLC,” a company dedicated to protecting major oil companies, churches, and high-profile individuals. Jim shared with me his company uses the training and experience he has garnered through the years, along with personal with similar backgrounds, to ensure their clients’ safety around the world. He said his biggest challenge at times is getting some of those high-profile clients to realize while they may not necessarily be the target, their families are. “I have to teach them if I kidnap you, I don’t have access to the money, but if I kidnap your children, now I do.” Jim continued by saying, “you have to think like a terrorist or someone looking to harm in order to anticipate and provide the highest level of security for our clients.”

While much of Jim’s background and experiences are confidential he is quick to point out the life of a Secret Service agent isn’t glamorous. While most people have this perception of a James Bond, mysterious type individual wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, Jim recounts many long hours working on cases through the night or standing on the front lawn of a presidential candidate on Christmas morning and having to inform him his paper won’t be delivered that day. He added, in providing the highest level of protection there is a great deal of undercover work in places you would least expect.
With the recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, I asked if Jim had any final thoughts as there has been much speculation that with our absence, terror groups will rapidly reform and instead of us keeping the fight off our shores, we once again maybe fighting from our own. Jim replied, “You have to look at the history of Afghanistan. The Green Berets Special Forces Group teamed up with local tribes that were pro U.S. that helped defeat the Russians and didn’t like the Taliban. These forces have to team up with the locals and teach them to fight.” Jim continued, “We never should have tried to be part of Afghanistan, we should have gotten out after killing Osama Bin Ladin…..You have to question, “What was our mission?” “You also have to understand 40-50% of the Taliban are comprised of fighters from such places as Chechnya, Yemen, and Syria that come through Pakistan and go into the mountains around Tora Bora….so you are not just fighting the Taliban Afghanis. If you want to have an impact, you have to cut off all aid to Pakistan.”
While I have loved every minute reconnecting with Jim on a personal level, I found myself realizing that even in a more relaxed setting he has the alertness of a hawk, seeing things most people would never notice. I not only gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifices people like Jim continue to make, but a keener understanding of the lengths they are going to safeguard our nation, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
~Gary

Time to Take a Pause April 2020 Newsletter

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I have always considered myself more of a spiritual type person, one who was more interested in learning about others, their thoughts and what brought them to their current walk in life. As far as I can remember, I can vividly recall conversations around those summer campfires where we shared life stories and explored parts unknown, at least to us as a bunch of young kids. We rode our bikes on dusty country roads often stopping to pick wild raspberries and honeysuckle.

We sat on the tailgate of our parent’s Ford Country Squire station wagon on our way to the beach where we swam all day, made sandcastles and threw jellyfish at each other. As if we didn’t spend enough time together during the day, many times we would sneak out at night to play flashlight tag or just sit and talk about the day’s events or what we would like to do when we grew up. My fondest recollections are those of summer when life seemed sweeter and gentler with each day being more savored.

 It was a time before electronics, emails and text messages replaced heartfelt handwritten letters and phone calls. Back then we enjoyed the simplicity life had to offer and some of the best plans and most fond memories were those that were made on the spur of the moment . Those are the times I cherish most and have kept me young at heart. I have never lost the simple pleasures gained from the scent of a flower, a freshly mowed lawn, the chirping of crickets at night or the sounds of laughter from others enjoying impromptu get-togethers. When we were impacted by the devastation from Hurricane Charley, we had a hint of capturing those moments once again. Forced out of our air-conditioned homes, living on the bare essentials, we found comfort in the company of friends and neighbors as we recovered together.

As a community, we all seemed to grow a bit closer. Today I see something vastly different. While we aren’t consumed picking up the pieces from homes and properties lost during Hurricane Charley, we have been forced to ” pause,” and with that pause, I am seeing people going back to those things I was so fond of as a child. I see couples taking early morning walks and riding bikes together. Many have taken to the water paddling kayaks or taking out those boats that have been sitting idle for months on lifts. I can hear the laughter of neighbors planning impromptu cocktail hours in the streets or on front lawns as they socially distance themselves from one another.  Long overdue phone calls are being made and facetime chats are now allowing us to speak with loved ones in real-time.

During this time I’ve often wondered if this was God’s way of bringing us back to the way of life he intended for us. Where those simple pleasures and friendships we enjoyed as kids were meant to be enjoyed as adults, and not to be taken for granted.For those who celebrate Easter and the significance of its meaning, this year will be one that is very different. No longer will people be getting dressed up to go to church. Children won’t be participating in community-sponsored Easter egg hunts and small gatherings with only immediate family for Easter dinner will become this year’s norm.

However,  this year could be the most special Easter many will experience as the pause in our lives that has been  created will allow us to  savor the significance of Easter and this new chapter in our lives even more.  Instead of searching for Easter baskets filled with jelly bean stuffed eggs and chocolate rabbits perhaps if we look even deeper under the artificial colored grass we  may find an egg filled with the book we’ve been wanting to read, another with the story we wanted to write, one containing the handwritten note to a friend that is long overdue or perhaps one with all those things we wanted to do or create if we only took the time.
For those who believe, Easter was one very special person’s sacrifice to give us a better life. One filled with simple pleasures to enjoy and friends to share them with. In a very different way,  this pause has given me an even greater appreciation for the things I cherished as a child, the friends we have made along the way and the blessings we’ve received and to know I can enjoy many of those things again.
My hope is this will be that wonderful period of reflection on the memories and dreams you savored as a child and celebrated with friends new and old you’ve met along the way.
-Gary Cardillo

Safely Returning Our Children Back to School

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It seems like yesterday when I was in elementary school and how I look back to those years with a special fondness. The class projects we worked on together, the field trips we took to places like the Wonder Bread factory where we saw how bread was made and to the Coney Island Aquarium with its vast display of marine life that featured an impressive electric eel demonstration. I think of the excitement we had acting in our school plays and who can forget those countless games of dodge ball during recess!  Those were indeed great times. It was a time when riding your bike to school gave you a sense of new found freedom and when your teachers felt a bit more like extended members of the family. It was also a time when moms and dads were able to participate more in your school activities, and who can’t say how excited you were when you looked from the stage during your school play to see the loving support from your parents in the audience cheering you on? Did we have our occasional schoolyard fight or little clicks, sure we did, but overall there was a comradery that carried us through our high school years, creating some very special memories and friendships that are with me to this day.
With the fast paced world in which we live, and so many families relying on two incomes to support their households, it seems like the tenderness of those years I experienced have been compromised. The world of social media, video gaming and the vast offerings we can download from our cell phones, which by the way I’ve been told are more sophisticated than the first space craft that landed on the moon, have changed the way we interact with each other. Rather than calling, today’s generation prefers to skype, text, facetime, Instagram and tweet. Combine this with a family dynamic that is seeing more “quality of time” being compromised, any teacher you speak with today will tell you they are experiencing an educational setting far different than the one in which we grew up.
As a young child, it was pretty cool to say you knew a fireman or a policeman, and with this newsletter being focused around a back to school theme, I wanted to reach out to two good friends of mine, Officer Joe Angelini and Officer Terry Chow, who proudly serve our community as Officers with the Punta Gorda Police Department, to gain their insight on some of the challenges they face today in protecting our children.
Officer Terry Chow on left and Officer Joe Angelini on right

Officer Angelini serves as School Resource Officer for Sallie Jones Elementary School and in addition to protecting the children of this fine elementary school, also teaches a course in “Bullying Awareness.”As early as kindergarten, Joe makes this one session class mandatory for all grades from kindergarten through 5th. He has the children sign a contract entitled “Grit Pledge,”where they promise to be good role models, be forgivingand compassionate of others and to  “speak up instead of being a bystander. “

For the very young children, Joe reads “The Juice Box Bully,” a very interactive book that teaches the children how to stand up for others. For the older children, Joe has developed a very effective power point presentation that includes the effects of “Cyber bullying,” something as children my generation would never have understood. Joe said, “While bullying can manifest itself in many ways, simply stated a bully is someone who continues to act after being told to stop.” He continued by saying,
“in a bullying scenario, you have the victim, the bully and the bystander, and you don’t want to be a bystander and do nothing.”
 
The Juice Box Bully
Perhaps one of the most effective analogies Joe uses in showing compassion towards others is his use of two apples. During his presentation Joe takes one of the apples and drops it several times on the desk, the other is untouched. Visually they appear the same, but once the skin of the apple that has been dropped is peeled back you the bruising that came as a result of the abuse. Joe’s message to the students is, “You don’t know what someone has gone through in their lives they are keeping inside, so try to be more understanding if their ways are different than yours.”
Terry Chow, Resource Officer at Charlotte High School and now Punta Gorda Middle School, has seen how change in the family dynamic and social media have resulted in some children not only becoming more aggressive with their classmates, but challenging their teachers and school administrators as well. Terry said it starts with the home and if kids are being allowed to challenge their parents, give in to their children’s demands, combined with various social media sites that are more tolerant of confrontational behaviors, that is going to be carried into the school setting.
A question everyone has on their minds is school shootings. When I was growing up we had our school yard fights, but no one ever thought about bringing a gun to school and shooting up his classmates and teachers. Both Joe and Terry responded by saying, when you look into each case, there has been some psychological history or perhaps a copycat behavior that has been either ignored or not acted upon. Terry said a parent should look at changes in eating habits,  sleeping patterns, the activities their children are participating in, the friends they keep and what they are watching, as the media hype today has been very polarizing.Both Officers said they are seeing more children today being raised by single parents or grandparents, which in many of these cases results in the absence of a “father figure.” Joe said, he fostered the “Watch D.O.G.S.” program which stands for “Dads Of Great Students, and is an innovative father involvement educational initiative of the National Center For Fathering.”
Joe said they look for “dads” to come to the school to spend some time with children with no father figure, who will become role models for these children. He continued by saying,
“Moms were always involved, but now we are trying to get Dad’s more involved in the children’s school activities.”
Both Officer’s Angelini and Chow have told me for years how the Punta Gorda Police Department prides itself in being able to answer any call in under 5 minutes. They said while the schools have taken great steps in securing the entry into the buildings, they have created a security presence they feel will deter an “active shooter” situation.  While these officers have been trained to go aggressively “right to the threat,” they also stress the importance in training the student body and staff in how to respond in an “active shooter” scenario and on  August 9th, Officer Chow conducted an “Active Shooter” presentation held at C.P.A.C located on the Charlotte High Campus.
In closing, the back story that always seems to be missing is the passion and love for the children these Police School Resource Officers have that never seems to be reported. Both of these officers not only protect and defend the residents and children in our county, but they have coached some of our children and have given tirelessly of themselves to many non-profit organizations apart from their police duties. Their story is not just about making our children safer, it is about their love for community and a desire to give these children every unobstructed chance to pursue their dreams to the fullest; and they will never end a conversation with you without saying, “Please let me know if I can ever do anything for you or your family,” something we don’t hear enough of these days.
 –Gary Cardillo

About The Gary Cardillo Group

Gary Cardillo, Realtor While most people would like to talk about themselves, Gary and Gail have always put their clients first, and their diverse backgrounds have provided their clients an unparalleled level of service and knowledge throughout the past years.
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