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11/29/2017 07:30 AMAfter more than 15 years of helping residents, businesses, and fellow town employees, Frank Gentilesco, Jr., has decided to retire from his position as assistant director of administration and management effective Nov. 24. Frank reflected on his time working in the mayor’s office, and though he won’t be behind his desk at the office any longer, he still plans to be involved in the town.
Frank says that when Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr., won election two years ago, he told Maturo that the following two years would be his last. Frank’s full retirement age for social security is 66, and his 66th birthday was also on Nov. 24.
The mayor has asked Frank to change his mind, and Frank says he’s flattered by it, but he wants to get out while he’s healthy, saying there are no guarantees in life and health isn’t one of them.
“In my mind, reaching 66, I’m healthy now, and to be honest…I’ve seen too many of my friends who have waited for retirement maybe a little too long and then really end up having downturns in their health,” Frank says.
His favorite part of the job was working with the mayor and fellow staff. He was hired when Arthur DeSorbo, who was director of administration and management at the time, asked him to consider the job.
“[Maturo] kind of took a flyer on me, and it worked out beautifully,” Frank says.
He says the job was “like a whole new ballgame” for him, after working in banking for 17 or 18 years prior (and for the four years Maturo was out of office from 2007 to 2011). Being in Town Hall was a great opportunity for Frank, who says he never knew what each day was going to be like.
“You might have major news stories that break, you might be involved in certain things that you’d never dreamed you’re involved in, and it was great,” Frank says.
It became a job like no other Frank had before. He and DeSorbo became close advisors to the mayor and were always involved in discussing major town decisions. He says it seemed to grow each day and each year he worked in it.
“You felt like you were actually accomplishing something, you felt like you were kind of vital,” Frank says about the job.
He’s also been a point of contact for residents and businesses in town regarding town events and issues. He says that’s been “awesome,” and singling out his involvement with raising funds for the Fall Festival and the Vietnam Veteran’s fireworks event, and noting that the generosity of residents and businesses have been tremendous.
“Those events have flourished over the years that we’ve been here, and it couldn’t be done without their support,” Frank says.
A big part of his job was also working with the media, and Frank says he really enjoyed that, too. He had visions of being in the media himself, saying he attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting after graduating college.
He says he enjoyed getting to form relationships and work with reporters and news outlets.
“It’s been the most satisfying and enjoyable 15 years of my employment life, without a doubt,” Frank says.
For those having a hard time imagining East Haven without Frank, there’s reason to be reassured.
He’s still going to be involved with the East Haven Rotary, including running the golf tournament. He’ll also continue to serve on the executive committee of the Fall Festival, will still attend the meetings for the Vietnam Veteran’s fireworks and beach day, and will remain involved with the Chamber of Commerce, adding that he may even be more involved with the Chamber than he has recently.
He wants to stay involved with those things because he enjoys the planning and coordination of those events, and working them when they take place.
Frank says it’s been a great ride, and he can’t thank everyone he dealt with enough, including businesses, residents, department heads, employees, elected officials, and fellow staff in the mayor’s office. He became close friends with Maturo throughout the years, and called the staff a family.
“I intend to stay in touch with this family, and hopefully they intend to stay in touch with me,” Frank says.
Frank also wanted to thank his wife Gail, saying if it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t be able to reach retirement. His daughter Gina works for NBC News and lives in Miami, and he’s been visiting her in the winter for the past couple of years.
“Maybe I’ll go just a little bit more often as long as she can put up with me, and that’s kind of questionable,” Frank says with a laugh.