Bonomo, Frank

Frank Bonomo, Eng. 230 GOLF AND FATHERHOOD Even when he came home bone-tired from fighting fires and running a family video business, Frank J. Bonomo mustered the energy to fashion a putting green alongside his ranch-style house in Port Jefferson, N.Y. For four months, he worked with childlike enthusiasm, laying sod, pouring sand and sinking cups. He finished last July. “It was the only thing in our house that he did on his own without hiring anyone to help,” said his wife, Margarite. Frank Bonomo, 42, a New York City firefighter for 17 years, cherished the time he spent with his wife and their children, Joseph, 5, and Juliana, 2. He spent his entire career at Engine Company 230 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His friends at the firehouse remember his great sense of humor. “He was a devoted family man,” said Ted DiPasquale, a neighbor and a colleague of Firefighter Bonomo for 12 years. “I have two daughters, and Frank used to joke that I had to do a special thing to have a son. He never got around to telling me what that was.” Frank was a loving husband‚ son‚ brother and incredible dad to Joseph‚ 4 and Juliana 1. He lived a full life enriched with many friends. He was an achiever in life. His favorite pastime was golf. He always said he wanted to practice and play enough to be on the Senior Tour. He was so determined that he built a putting green on the side of our house. This became a big joke because he was never the handy man around our house yet he worked for months to get his green green. We called him the M & M‚ hard on the outside but had the biggest heart. He will be sorely missed. Frank Bonomo, of Engine 230 was 42. With 17 years in the department, retirement at the 20-year mark had begun to look appealing, partly because he now had two young children, aged four and one. Nicknamed “M&M,” Bonomo looked hard on the outside, but had a big heart. Had he retired, he would have made more of his part time TV and video repair business. But his favorite thing to do was play golf. He was determined to get good enough to play the Senior Tour when he retired. Although known for not being handy around the house (except with a TV), he invested months installing a putting green in his yard so he could practice at home.