As city elections loom on the horizon, five first-time candidates and two familiar faces have thrown their hats in the ring.
John Perrone, Carla Anastasio, Theresa Moschetta and Cathryn Harris-Marchesi are running with the Glen Cove Democrats alongside incumbents Marsha Silverman, Danielle Fugazy Scagliola and John Zozzaro.
James Greenberg, Ellen Pantazakos and Dan Grabowski are running with the Glen Cove Republican Committee alongside incumbent Mayor Pam Panzenbeck and council members Kevin Maccarone, Grady Farnan and Michael Ktistakis.
Learn more about these first-timers and familiar faces:
First-Time Candidates:
Carla Anastasio
Anastasio was born and raised in Glen Cove and said when she was in high school, she volunteered at the local hospital School for Language and Communication Development.
Nearly 20 years after her graduation, Anastasio said she returned to Glen Cove to care for her 90-year-old grandmother and purchased her childhood home. Currently, she said she is the PTA co-president at her daughter’s school, Deasy Elementary.
Anastasio said her education and career have been in public health interventions, focusing on nutrition and hunger prevention. She said she has experience working with state, city and local governments, and non-profit and healthcare organizations through her consulting.
“Through each of these experiences, I’ve developed policies, managed contracts and overseen budgets,” she said.
Anastasio said she is invested in the future of the city for her children, ages 5 and 6, as well as for her later grandmother, who she said “took a chance on this city.”
“As a Glen Cover with deep community roots and someone who has professional experience in public health, I will use my combined background to make sure our quality of life is second to none, whether it’s revitalizing our downtown or improving our shared open spaces,” Anastasio said.
Theresa Moschetta
Moschetta grew up in Sea Cliff and attended the North Shore school district. She said she rented a Glen Cove apartment in the 1980s after graduating with a master’s degree from Long Island University.
After she bought her home in 1998, Moschetta said she joined the neighborhood association in Thompson Park, where she currently organizes litter pick-ups, community gardening and social events.
Moschetta said she was asked to join the Glen Cove Board of Zoning Appeals in 2005 by former Mayor Maryann Holzcamp, and has remained on the board since. She has served as the chair since January 2020, she said.
“As the chair of the zoning board, I have proven myself as a leader and someone who gets the job done efficiently,” Moschetta said.
Moschetta said she ran for a special election seat in 2014 but “came up a few votes short.” Over a decade later, she said she is ready to run again to bring greater transparency and community outreach.
Currently, Moschetta said she is a corporate risk manager for an international industrial and life sciences company. She said the “service-centric” role has taught her the importance of problem-solving and teamwork.
“That is what a council member’s job is as well,” she said.
Cathryn Harris-Marchesi
Harris-Marchesi, a Federal Constitution attorney and mediator, has lived in Glen Cove for about 15 years. She said she has been engaged in community outreach and programming throughout her adult life.
“My whole life, I’ve always been involved in the community issues, wherever I’ve lived,” she said.
Harris-Marchesi is no stranger to local government. She said she was involved in rewriting the Nassau and Suffolk human rights laws regarding fair housing, writing legislation and speaking with legislators about the issue.
She said she is a delegate to the United Nations through the Women’s Intercultural Network, which looks at making change at the local, state and federal levels. Through that work, she said she’s inspired to make change at the local level.
“Local people know what they really need,” she said.
Looking ahead, Harris-Marchesi said one of her top priorities is to get the Glen Cove Ferry operating. She said she is also looking to address city planning and growth in terms of housing and affordability.
“As a community, we should work together and not against each other, and make things work for everyone,” Harris-Marchesi said.
Ellen Pantazakos
Pantazakos, who was born and raised in the city, has lived in Glen Cove for 50 years. She said she became increasingly involved in the Glen Cove Youth Bureau fund-raisers. Pantazakos is currently in her third year of service on the Planning Board.
“It has been a privilege and honor serving on the Planning Board as it has allowed me to gain insight for building a better Glen Cove for years to come,” she said.
Pantazakos said she has been in the real estate business for 30 years and has owned and operated a real estate investment business for the past 20. She said her experience in the industry has taught her the importance of communication, problem-solving and teamwork.
Pantazakos said her priorities as a council member would be economic growth, fiscal responsibility and quality of life. She said she would like to see the continued growth for new businesses and the maintenance of the city’s parks and beaches.
“I believe in a practical, common-sense approach to leadership and through this I truly believe this will be a shared accomplishment for all of us who deeply care about the future of Glen Cove,” Pantazakos said.
Dan Grabowski
Grabowski was born and raised in Glen Cove.
“As a lifelong Glen Cove resident, I’m invested in serving this community in any way that I can,” he said.
He said his volunteerism in the city began in high school, when he worked with the Glen Cove Junior Baseball and Softball organization. Since then he said he has coached intramural and travel teams with the organization. Currently, Grabowski said he is a member of the Zoning Board.
Grabowski said he was inspired to run on Panzenbeck’s ticket after witnessing her accomplishments throughout the city.
“My goal is to keep the momentum Mayor Panzenbeck has brought to this city moving forward,” he said. He said he hopes to improve quality of life in the city and promote economic opportunities for new businesses.
Grabowski, an attorney, said the skills he has used in his career will translate to his position on the council, including the ability to listen and analyze clients’ issues and advocate on their behalf.
Familiar Faces:
John Perrone
Perrone, who has lived in the city for almost 50 years, is a former council member. He served on the City Council from 2020 to 2022, and is currently a member of the Planning and Zoning boards. He said he moved to Glen Cove shortly after he graduated high school
“I’ve been invested in Glen Cove [since then],” he said. “The council, I feel, is an important part of our government.”
He said he originally ran for council to be “part of the solution,” and hopes to continue that with another term. He said he wants to improve the daily quality of life in the city, as well as infrastructure and financial stability.
Perrone said he first got involved in politics when Tom Suozzi was in his first term as mayor after he went to the city about a cell tower issue. Suozzi appointed him to the Zoning Board, he said.
He is involved in Glen Cove Junior Football and Cheerleading, as well as Glen Cove Softball and Baseball. He is a member of the Sons of Italy and Church of St Rocco’s.
Perrone has been in the insurance industry for almost 40 years, which he said has taught him to listen for the problem and solve the problem.
“You have to be able to listen,” he said, “because the answer is in the question.”
James Greenberg
Greenberg, who was born in Colombia, moved to Glen Cove with his family in 2002. He previously ran for a City Council seat in 2009 and 2023, as well as the Nassau County Legislature in 2021.
Although he was unsuccessful in these campaigns, he said he is an active member of the community, leading the Glen Cove Jr Soccer League as president. In 2018, he said he won the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association Volunteer of the Year Award.
In addition to his work at the league, Greenberg said is a member of the city Planning Board, and is a board member of the Water Authority of North Shore, Gift of Adoptions, Glen Cove YMCA and Glen Cove Hall of Fame.
He currently manages a family law practice and said public service is one of his “lifelong passions.” He said his experience in his practice, as well as his experience in his volunteer roles, have taught him the importance of negotiation and compromise.
Greenberg said he was persuaded to run again for the upcoming election by Panzenbeck.
“My goals are to continue the momentum of all the accomplishments performed by Mayor Panzenbeck thus far,” he said. He said he hopes to continue improvements to the city’s parks and recreational spaces.
