Signor Vincenzo Maio

Vincenzo Maio was hired in 1966.  He was originally a Spanish and French teacher and there were no Italian classes offered at BHS when he first arrived.  He would set out to quickly change that.

Within a few years, the Board of Education agreed to introduce Italian classes.  It would quickly become the language with the most enrolled students.  Sig would teach Italian at BHS for the next 46 years.  Along the way, he started traditions that continue to this day.  One is the San Giuseppe Festival, the annual celebration of all things Italian.  Hundreds of community members descend on BHS to partake in this celebration of Italian food and culture.  The parents are incredibly generous by providing homemade goods around the clock for the entire day.  He also initiated the annual trips to Little Italy, which are recalled by alumni as being among the highlights of their memories in Bethpage.

Signor is a walking encyclopedia of all things Bethpage.  He has an ability to remember details about each and every one he taught.  He seems to know everyone, their parents, their aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, where they were all born, their occupation and their current status.  He was the Bethpage answer to Facebook long before Mark Zuckerberg ever thought of the idea. 

Signor retired in 2012 and had over 250 people attend his farewell party.  He continues to send lunches, pastries and cakes to his beloved BHS and is still a looming presence in the Bethpage community.