A Lindenhurst native and businessman is one of two picks by the Babylon Town GOP picks for this 's local races.
According to Town Republican Chairman , Mark Gallo of Lindenhurst will current Supervisor Richard Schaffer while Rashad Cureton of Amityville will take on New York State Assemblyman , another Lindy native.
(To read about Cureton, click .)
Gallo Takes on Schaffer
"Mark is a small business owner and a Navy veteran. He grew up in North Lindenhurst, and went through ," Pancella recently told Patch.
"He's also been in the local political scene for a while - more than a decade - and is the assistant deputy commissioner of the Board of Elections and executive director of our committee."
Gallo's business is Patriot Investigation Services, Incorporated, which is also located in Lindenhurst.
According to his profile on his firm's website, he's served as master-at-arms (military police) while in the United States Navy.
He also helped protect the country's borders while working with the United States Border Patrol and Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Gallo started Patriot Investigation Services after retiring from his work as a federal law enforcement officer.
And, according to Newsday, he previously unsuccessfully ran for elected office against Suffolk County Legislator and Deputy Presiding Officer three years ago.
Search and Selection
was after the GOP's months-long search for a candidate to run against Schaffer, a North Babylon native who was re-appointed to his former position as town supervisor after Steve Bellone the Suffolk County Executive seat last November.
"We - the executive committee - looked at every hamlet in the Town of , and we came up with our selection at our convention," said Pancella said about Gallo.
The GOP chairman noted the Town Republican Convention took place earlier this month.
As for how he'll take on the established Schaffer - who's also chairman of the Suffolk County Democratic Party - Pancella said Gallo will approach the campaign from a business perspective.
"He feels the finances of the Town should be looked at, and it should be run as a business," Pancella said, who added the Town GOP is beginning to put together the campaign now.
"We'll be putting together the platform, and we're going to be trying to raise some money. We'll also be doing a lot of grassroots campaigning and hitting the streets," he explained.
