Better to Give Than to Receive for Kisco Citizen of the Year
By Janine Bowen
Joe DiMauro, owner of Mount Kisco Seafood on Lexington Avenue, has never been a big fan of awards.
Each year, his wife asks him to sit down and watch the Oscars with her, but he refuses because he believes that awards should be given to people who do good in the world.
It’s only fitting that he is the recipient of this year’s Citizen of the Year Award from the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce.
“I was pretty shocked [when I won],” DiMauro said. “I don’t do what I do to get this kind of recognition … but I was very happy. I was very excited about it.”
DiMauro, who was born and raised in the village, has owned Mount Kisco Seafood for over 30 years, having purchased the store from a friend in 1980. He said he has a passion for giving back to his community and to organizations he believes in.
He is an active donor to foundations that fight breast cancer because several family members and close friends succumbed to the disease. DiMauro also makes regular donations to the Food Bank of Westchester.
A father of three, DiMauro has a soft spot in his heart for charities that help children who are battling terminal illnesses.
“It’s just not fair when a young child is [diagnosed] with a brain tumor,” he said. “It just kills me, it just eats me up inside when you think [about these] children.”
Although DiMauro is a successful businessman, he is adamantly against using his charitable work as a means of advertising his business. He noted that people may come into his store after hearing about his efforts, but he only hopes that those customers will join in the effort and support similar causes.
“I just feel so fortunate that I’ve had a pretty decent business, my children are all grown … and successful, and I believe in [karma}. That hopefully you’ll give and get back. I’m just fortunate and hope that my success can help other people,” DiMauro said.
DiMauro will be honored by the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s 47th annual dinner May 1 at the Holiday Inn in Mount Kisco.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.