Anthony Rapacciuolo Honored for Serving Staten Island Community
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Anthony Rapacciuolo, owner of PRcision and Executive Director of the South Shore Business Improvement District, makes it his personal mission to support the community in which he works and lives.
Born and raised in Annadale, Rapacciuolo is a proud Staten Islander through and through. Upon graduating from St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Rapacciuolo attended New York University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. However as Rapacciuolo entered the workforce, he struggled to find a job well-suited to him.
“I had worked in restaurants my entire life, and when I graduated from NYU, I was working at a restaurant called Giovanni’s. I remember working and saying, ‘Alright, I got this great degree, and my parents are so proud of me. Now what do I do?’” reminisces Rapacciuolo. “The chef at Giovanni’s told me that his father-in-law worked for a Public Relations (PR) firm called the Dilenschneider Group, and he could put in a good word for me. I didn’t really know what PR was yet, but I got on the ferry, interviewed, took the ferry back home, and got the job.”
During his time at the Dilenschneider Group, Rapacciuolo got the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of PR from some of the top professionals in the country. Under their leadership, Rapacciuolo flourished, observing how to manage clients on a day-to-day basis. “I was only there a short time, but it was the greatest learning experience of my life,” emphasizes Rapacciuolo. “I learned the nuance of what PR really is, and I got to be among such amazing people. There I was, just a 21-year-old Staten Island guy, sitting in meetings with high-profile clients. The Dilenschneider Group opened up so many doors for me.”
While working at the Dilenschneider Group, Rapacciuolo became friends with one of his clients, Andy Monfried. Monfried knew that Rapacciuolo was considering leaving to open his own firm, which was expected of associates at the Dilenschneider Group after two to three years. In turn, Monfried encouraged Rapacciuolo to start the firm and even offered to be his first client. As soon as Rapacciuolo got the okay from his boss, he left the Dilenschneider Group, opened PRcision from his basement, and took on Monfried as a client.
From there, PRcision began to grow as Rapacciuolo built his name on Staten Island. Rapacciuolo became involved in politics in 2008 under the wing of his mentor, Vincent Ignizio, a former City Council member and State Assemblyman. With Ignizio’s guidance, PRcision went on to lead many of the Republican Party campaigns on Staten Island, introducing politicians to the digital world of advertising. As a result, Rapacciuolo was recently ranked in City & State’s Top 75 Political Consultants for 2022.
As word of PRcision’s stellar reputation spread around Staten Island, Rapacciuolo was approached by former State Assemblyman, and current City Councilman, Joe Borelli. Borelli made Rapacciuolo aware of an opportunity at their alma mater, St. Joseph by-the-Sea, who was looking to hire a marketing company. Shortly after meeting with the principal, Rapacciuolo took on St. Joseph by-the-Sea as his first nonprofit client.
Upon pivoting to nonprofits, Rapacciuolo was recruited by Ignizio, who had left politics to work with Catholic Charities of Staten Island. In an effort to fundraise for Catholic Charities, PRcision began organizing some of the borough’s largest events to date, including the Fall Festival, the Italian Festival, and the Food Truck Festival, all held at Mount Loretto. Following his success with St. Joseph by-the-Sea and Catholic Charities, Rapacciuolo continued to take on nonprofit clients.
PRcision currently represents St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Catholic Charities of Staten Island, United Activities Unlimited (UAU), The GRACE Foundation, Meals On Wheels of Staten Island, The South Shore BID, The Emergency Children’s Help Organization (ECHO), Pioneer Transportation, Staten Island Media Group, and The New York School of Real Estate.
“My favorite part of the job is watching clients achieve their goals,” says Rapacciuolo. “Often those end-results are visible, like the amount of people who come to an event, and it’s exciting to work hard and see the work actually materialize.”
In 2011, Rapacciuolo began leading efforts to form a Business Improvement District (BID) along the Great Kills, Eltingville, and Annadale commercial corridors. A BID is an area where local stakeholders oversee and fund the maintenance, improvement, and promotion of their commercial district. Rapacciuolo, with the help of Ignizio and others in favor of the BID formation, canvassed for four years to obtain a majority of local stakeholders in support of the BID.
As a result, the South Shore BID was officially formed in 2015, and Rapacciuolo was chosen to serve as its Executive Director. The South Shore BID was the second BID to form on Staten Island and only the 72nd in the city, proving to be both an incredible accomplishment and a necessary addition to Staten Island’s south shore.
That same year, Rapacciuolo was presented with the opportunity to purchase the very restaurant that was responsible for kickstarting his career. Rapacciuolo’s nephew, who had worked at Giovanni’s for years, approached Rapacciuolo with the idea, and the pair purchased the restaurant soon after. Rapacciuolo found himself in a unique position being both the Executive Director of the BID and a business owner along the corridor; he was physically bound to the site that he was overseeing. The Rapacciuolos owned Giovanni’s until late 2022, when they sold the restaurant to the owners of Café Bella Vita on Hylan Boulevard.
“I love leading the South Shore BID because I truly care about the community that I’m serving,” adds Rapacciuolo. “I grew up in Annadale, right down the street from the Annadale Christmas tree. I’ve been doing the tree lighting for at least twenty years, and that’s where I proposed to my wife, Emanuela. The BID is a big deal for me, both personally and from a business standpoint.”
For his accomplishments, Rapacciuolo is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which he will receive in the Established Businessperson category. The awards, which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance, honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader.
In addition to being entirely entrenched in the Staten Island community through his work at PRcision and with the South Shore BID, Rapacciuolo also dedicates his personal time to bettering Staten Island. Rapacciuolo is currently a Board Member of The Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund and the YMCA Counseling Services, a member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Club of Staten Island, the Verrazano Kiwanis Club, Community Board 3, and the Executive Club of Staten Island. He is also extremely proud to be a co-host of the borough’s fastest growing podcast, M-Squared.
“Business is one thing, but family is another,” emphasizes Rapacciuolo. “Everything I’ve done is a result of my father’s influence and guidance. Even though he’s gone, my goal is to continue to make him proud.”
Questionnaire:
Current occupation and title: Owner of PRcision, LLC, Executive Director of the South Shore BID.
Hometown: Born and raised in Annadale, currently reside in Tottenville.
Past occupations and titles: Lead Associate at The Dilenschneider Group, Partner at Giovanni’s Trattoria.
Community involvement: Board Member of the Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund, Board Member of the YMCA Counseling Services, member of the Executive Club of Staten Island, Community Board 3 Member, NYPD Community Liaison, member of the Italian Club of Staten Island, part of the team who organized the Guinness Book of World Records record-breaking human puzzle piece at the Ferryhawks stadium, donating Christmas trees to all 4 police precincts each year for the last 5 years.
Some of my life goals include: Writing a book and creating a new media platform for Staten Island.
The best part of my job: It’s constantly changing and evolving.
The most difficult part of my job: Being selective with the clients we work with.
My life philosophy: Family is the most important thing, and complacency is the enemy of progress.
I am most proud of: My son, Anthony, and being among the honorees for this award.
Something that no one knows about me: I originally attended NYU with the intention of becoming a doctor.
The quality I like best about myself: My ability to adapt.
Personal interests and hobbies: Cooking, wine, trying to learn something new every day, and my podcast, M-Squared.
I laugh at: Myself.
I am really good at: Cooking and writing.
I admire: My father for all of his advice and support my entire life.
Some important things I would like you to know about me: I believe that one of the most important things you can do in life is surround yourself with the right people and also not be afraid to take risks.