Frank Passalaqua
Growing up on Staten Island N.Y. was an incredible and multifaceted learning experience, to say the least. I admit, as an only child my parents spoiled me.
Mom chauffeured me to my soccer games, tennis matches, swim meets, and every social event imaginable. Dad served in the Army in the 50’s before working for NY Telephone Co. and AT&T for 35 years. As a side hustle, he started his own handyman business which he would drag me along to make an extra buck being his little helper. My parents had a work ethic that is etched in my mind, one that I am proud to emulate and share with my children.
It feels like I blinked, and I was off to college with a resume’ consisting of: Dad’s helper, grocery stock boy, video store clerk, and lifeguard at a tropical beach on Staten Island. After 4 years playing Division 1 soccer and receiving a full scholarship for tennis, it was time to take life seriously….
Along came 1992. I found myself on a trading desk learning the ropes of the equity world. Reminiscing when a stock traded in fractions not decimals feels like a galaxy far far away. 20 years went by in a flash, notable memories were the chaos of the dot-com era, the fall of Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, and the housing crisis of 2008 was a memorable tumultuous time to be in Capital Markets. The most searing memory is that I worked in One Liberty Plaza, right across the street from the Twin Towers on 9/11. The life lessons, extensive traveling, and the interesting characters I met along the way are nothing short of remarkable.
In 1999, my best friend set me up on a blind date. After that date, I did not see much of my best friend as I was too busy falling in love and getting married to my new best friend and wife, Maria. We tied the knot on 09/21/01 just 10 days after 9/11 in Newark, New Jersey, overlooking downtown Manhattan.
We moved to South Carolina in 2014 and have not looked back. Our two fun-loving teenage boys have embraced the low country life as they enjoy fishing, hunting, and the beach.
Maria and I are so blessed as we cherish time with our boys. We love taking our rescue dog Bentley to IOP Beach and the nature trails that we are so grateful to have in our area. We enjoy sharing our Italian traditions like making homemade pasta and pizza with family and friends.
A quirky fun fact about me is that I saw the band “Rush” 68 times in concert. I will leave you with two of the many lyrics that resonate with me.
“The most endangered species is the honest man”
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn so easily burned”
