Page 16 - NCDS May_Aug Bulletin_Neat

Member Spotlight

Thomas P. Mauceri, DDS Mom stayed home and raised us and our two sisters,
so dad had limited resources to allow for unnecessary
expenses on just his income. My dad was the kind of
I believe that as Dentists we are a very fortunate fellow that could fix anything, having worked his way
group. We do what we enjoy professionally during the through college as a sheet metal mechanic. If he wasn’t
times and days of our choosing, and indulge our interests familiar with whatever was broken, he’d visit the library
to whatever degree our time and skills allow. I’m fortunate and read up, then ask people that had more experience
to have a brother, Anthony, who is my partner, friend, and than him. Next thing was that all was running smoothly. If
as I’d always told my parents, the best birthday present you’d ask him a question, more often than not he’d
I’ve ever received. I have a few hobbies and interests seem just as perplexed and accompany us to the written
but the two I’m most involved with are hot rods and resources where we’d find the answer. I am certain he
surfing. Our dad was a teacher with the N.Y.C Board of knew the solution but wanted to ingrain that approach
Education and would take us fishing since we were old to problem solving, always the teacher. Dad would
enough to hold a pole. After my parents moved us from regularly service the family’s 1964 Chevrolet Impala
Brooklyn, N.Y. to West Hempstead, Long Island in 1968, and I’d help him, as would Anthony. I enjoyed learning
we started making new friends. I was introduced to surfing the basics of engine maintenance but always wanted
by my friend John M., whose parents were divorced. His to learn how they ran. One day we were driving home
dad would come by on weekends to spend time with his from a relative’s house and dad spotted a lawnmower
son, and brought along a Hobie brand surfboard and a with a wheel missing at the curb on trash day. He asked
Ford Country Squire Station Wagon (with the fake wood if I wanted to see if it ran, which it probably would since
panels down the side) to take all of us to Gilgo Beach. I the broken wheel likely condemned it, and it did. We
have enjoyed surfing since then and took the Hawaii State brought it home and I disassembled the two-and-a-half
Dental Board Examination in 1987 to help combine my horsepower engine, cleaned and reassemble it and it
surf and business trips.

16 | Nassau County Dental Society • www.nassaudental.org