Scarsdale Toasts Retiring Village Manager Al Gatta

Scarsdale's Village Manager Al Gatta was one of a kind. He was direct, honest and tough, yet also empathetic, supportive and willing to listen. These qualities came through at his retirement dinner at the Beach Point Club on Friday May 29th.

The elegant dining room overlooking Long Island Sound was filled with present and former Mayors and members of the Board of Trustees, Village staffers, community members and municipal leaders from around the county.

Newly appointed Village Manager Stephen Pappalardo, who has known Gatta for 27 years, repeated some of Al's signature expressions and had everyone howling. He introduced Al as one of the finest Village Managers in Scarsdale history, adding, "just ask Al and he'll tell you himself!" According to Pappalardo, when Al was asked to grant permission for a staffer to take vacation he would often say, "This guy takes off more than a 747." About someone he found slow on the uptake he would say, "This guy couldn't spell CAT if you gave him a C and a T.

Al, who has been Village Manager here for 20 years, came to Scarsdale after stints as the city of Hartford where he managed 2,700 employees and a budget of $360 million and Ann Arbor, Michigan, with 1,000 employees and a capital budget of $230 million. As Scarsdale was less than half that size, here he learned every employees name, supported the staff and kept an open door. He secured millions of dollars in grants for the village, managed large construction projects including Christie Place, the new Public Safety Building, the Popham Road Bridge and storm water management projects. He will also be remembered for overseeing the first Scarsdale tax revaluation in 49 years.

Pappalardo vowed to carry on in a way that will make Al proud.

Mayor Jon Mark also joked about Al's last meeting at Village Hall. He looked out at the crowd who had come to wish him well and said, "I haven't seen so many people here since we were going to do something about the geese!" Mark called Gatta, tough, determined, and persevering.

Former New Rochelle City Manager Peter Korn came to toast his colleague. He noted Al's leadership skills, professionalism, vision and sense of humor. Looking back at the 1980's when there was ample federal and funding for local projects, Korn rued the current climate where "the spigot from Albany has been shut off." He said, despite these challenging times for municipal government, Al remained calm and professional. He also received toasts from Pelham Village Manager Robert Yamuder and Meredith Robson, the Village Manager of Ardsley.

State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin remembered working with Al when she served on the Scarsdale Board of Trustees. She said Al had "color and personal style, "believes in his community," and was "one of the finest people" she has ever worked with.

County Legislator Ben Boykin presented a proclamation for Al from the Westchester County Board of Legislators. He said, "Al has a wonderful reputation and shows why government matters," and declared May 29, Al Gatta Day in Westchester County. County Executive Rob Astorino also issued a proclamation for Al.

Al's son, Mark Gatta, who is a police officer in Mamaroneck said that "residents always want everything right now, their way." Al responded by "giving them what they need" and never took credit. He remembered going to work with his father in Hartford and seeing him as a "powerful guy in charge of a huge machine."

David Raizen, who heads the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps shared a memorable tale about Al that occurred at the time the new ambulance corps building was going up on Weaver Street: He said,

"During the early construction phase, we were picketed by the carpenter's union, and this made it hard to get the building going. Since we were funded by private donations, there was some urgency to make progress. After about two weeks of dealing with unruly picketers, the police designated a 3-foot wide by 30 feet long patch of grass on front of the building, where the union could continue their demonstration under the rights of free speech and assembly. But, it was obviously still a hindrance to our progress. So, I asked Al if I could take matters into my own hands, and he did not tell me, "no." Without telling him what I was doing, I drove to Home Depot and bought 10 50-lb bags of manure. That night, I spread all the manure down on the picketers' designated pathway, and then got a garden hose and wet it down so it packed into the earth.

At 8 a.m., the next day, the picketers showed up. But, the stench must have gotten to them. After only a few hours, at 11 a.m., they left and never came back.

Later Al asked how I had gotten rid of the picketers. I told him he probably didn't want to know, but he should enjoy it that SVAC would have the greenest lawn in Scarsdale."

Raizen called Al "ethical, professional, intelligent, a generous mentor, and an upstanding gentleman."

Gatta's eloquent wife Jane, a clinical psychologist spoke lovingly about her husband. She said, "there are givers and takers, and Al is a giver." Though giving comes naturally to Al, "being praised and appreciated" is hard work for him and "he does not know how toot his own horn." She also noted that he was ethical, moral and truthful, and holds firm to his beliefs.

Recounting some of their funnier moments together, she told the story of their second date where Al appeared at the door with 2 dozen roses. She was surprised and flattered until he admitted, "They had two-for-one at the supermarket." When the couple was moving to Westchester for the job in Scarsdale, they were house hunting and floored by the prices. Al turned to the broker and said, "You got any slums here?"

She said, Al, "you have run four cities, and given each one your all.... I am so proud of you!"

Al took the podium and seemed overwhelmed by the public outpouring. He thanked his staff, Angela Marin and Christine Sciandra for organizing the dinner, David Raizen for sponsoring the event at Beach Point, everyone he works with and "Scarsdale's amazing elected official who debate, talk and in the end make the best decisions for Scarsdale, separating politics from administration. " He added, "though you made me an honorary resident of Scarsdale, I am not going to pay those taxes." (Photo Credit: Wayne Essanason)