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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman made a heartfelt gesture on Wednesday, arriving at the Department of Public Works with a generous delivery of hot pizzas for the dedicated county employees battling this week’s historic snowstorm.
Blakeman, who is also the Republican candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial race, extended his gratitude to the tireless snow plow operators by personally handing out 30 pizzas. These workers have been laboring day and night to ensure Nassau’s roads remain safe and clear.
“This is just a small way to show our appreciation for their hard work and the incredible job they do,” Blakeman remarked to reporters at King Umberto’s pizzeria in Elmont.
The pizza delivery was part of a larger initiative to honor Nassau County Police Officer Pamela Espinosa, 42, who tragically lost her life last month in a suspected drunk driving incident involving Matthew Smith.
Over 300 local pizzerias participated in the initiative on Wednesday, each donating $5 to Officer Espinosa’s family for every pizza sold. Blakeman seized this opportunity to merge his gratitude for the storm crews with his ongoing support for the fallen officer’s family.
Blakeman noted how essential the crews have been over the last few days, detailing the harsh conditions and the long hours put in to keep the county operational.
“Most people were snuggled in their bed, taking it easy and sleeping — [the snow-plow crews] were out on the roads in dangerous and treacherous conditions,” Blakeman said.
After handing over the pies, Blakeman personally thanked the workers and told them about the tragic passing of Espinosa, and asked that they keep her family in their thoughts as they shared the meal.
Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti later matched Blakeman and arrived with another 30 pies for the crews, totaling 60 full pizzas for the hardworking laborers and at least $300 in donations towards Espinosa’s family from the gesture.
And the pies, according to the crews indulging, were much appreciated.
“It’s nice, especially after working so hard the last few days,” one worker, who only identified as Kirk, told The Post.
Kirk, who has been on the job for over 25 years, explained that although he is a veteran snow-plower and has worked through the worst storms in the region for most of his life, Monday’s storm “was nothing easy.”
He said he and his crews took more than 50 hours to clear their assigned areas, more than double the usual time of roughly 20 hours that it normally takes to clear the roads after a bad storm.
“[Monday’s work] was harder than we’ve had in a while,” Kirk said.