“It is time to put the public back into public service”, says Town of Oyster Bay resident and candidate for Town Clerk, John Capobianco.

John Capobianco is a self employed bonsai artist, martial artist and tennis instructor.  A lifelong resident of the Farmingdale area (except for 1 year on Old Westbury), he graduated Farmingdale High School and went directly into the business world.  Starting as a market research interviewer, he was rapidly recognized for his unique talents, became a shift supervisor and the Computer Operations Manager for MKTG, Inc.

While working for MKTG, Inc. he maintained his tennis teaching and supervision duties for the Farmingdale Youth Council, for a total of 20 years.  After leaving MKTG, Inc. he went to Scalamandre` Silks as their MIS Director.  While there he designed their inventory control system, oversaw the transfer of a 40,000 piece inventory to a new facility, and computerized the credit department. While working on the New York State Fire Gas Toxicity reporting requirements, he designed a format for reporting that was adopted as NYS Standard.  While working at Scalamandre` Silks he started training in the the art of Jiu Jitsu, under the direction of Grandmaster Bob Malvagno.  Bob Malvagno is the martial arts specialist for the Town of Oyster Bay.  After leaving Scalamandre` Silks he went to work for Greenman Bros, Inc., owners of the Playworld stores and then Noodle Kidoodle and Zany Brainy.  His lifelong love of horticulture was transformed into a passion for the art of bonsai after a visit to Jiusan Bonsai nursery in East Farmingdale.

While studying bonsai he continued his studies in Jiu Jitsu, eventually earning a 3^rd Degree Black Belt in the art.  While still teaching tennis, he became a certified instructor in the art of Jiu Jitsu, eventually developing a cross training program for tennis players.  His work earned him speaking engagements for the United States Professional Tennis Association and the Eastern Tennis Association, as well as a full time employment at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside.  Eventually he opened his own martial arts school, teaching self defense to children and adults, as well as offering outside programming to the East Rockaway Recreation Department, the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol, Tridecca, SILK, Bias Help LI, and various Cub Scout Packs. 

After apprenticing for a number of years at Jiusan Bonsai, he was hired as the manager and eventually purchased the nursery.  He was the Owner/Manager for 6 years, until the property was sold to real estate speculators.  He is now the bonsai artist and instructor at Suburban Bonsai in Dix Hills, curator of the bonsai collection at the John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden in Mill Neck, and bonsai instructor at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

He turned his passion for horticulture into service to the art of bonsai, serving as President of the Bonsai Society of Greater New York, Inc. for 10 years, and has been serving as President of the Long Island Chrysanthemum Society since 1999.  He is finishing his first term as a Director of the National Chrysanthemum Society, Inc.  After seeing the problems with school taxes in Farmingdale and what that was doing to his widowed father's quality of life, he became active in the Farmingdale School District, serving on the Howitt Middle School Traffic Safety Committee, eventually running for a seat of the Farmingdale Board of Education.  He is starting his second year of service, and is serving on the Lobby Committee and the Special Education Committee.

Also recognizing the housing dilemma in the Town of Oyster Bay, he became active with the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale, which led to his involvement with the Discover Farmingdale Project.  He is now a founding member of the Greater Farmingdale Community Land Trust, Inc.  This not-for-profit organization will be looking to create affordable housing situations for the younger people in the Town of Oyster Bay, as well as Seniors and Working Class families.

His involvement in these projects led to his being asked by Mayor George (Butch) Starkie to serve on the Village of Farmingdale Downtown Revitalization Committee.  This committee is actively working with Legislator Dave Mejias and County Executive Tom Suozzi on the Cool Downtowns Initiative.  The Village has received a grant to studying the economic, infrastructure and zoning issues in the Village as we craft a Master Plan to revitalize the downtown area which has been languishing since the opening of the Sunrise Mall in the 1970's.

He'll be working closely with the rest of the Democratic Team to create the conditions in the Town of Oyster Bay to foster tax relief, control spending, root out waste and fraud, bring sustainable growth to the town while being sensitive to the environmental needs of the Town.