Family Limo, Scalia Home for Funerals, and Kitty & Family Florists: Celebrating 25 Years of Chamber Membership
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
John Vincent Scalia, Sr., owner of John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Kitty’s & Family Florists, Family Limousine, and the Old Bermuda Inn, is a tried-and-true Staten Island community leader. Alongside his wife Ceil, Scalia planted his roots in the borough in which he grew up, creating not one but four small businesses to pass on to their family. This year, John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Kitty’s & Family Florist, and Family Limousine are celebrating their 25th anniversary with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce.
Scalia started his first business venture in 1971 with the opening of John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals in Eltingville. The facility has since been renovated and enlarged twice, once in 1979 and again in 1988, enabling the funeral home to accommodate more funerals at one time.
John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals is currently the largest funeral home on Staten Island, and due to its size, has the largest funeral volume on Staten Island, running approximately 600 funerals per year. As a result of Scalia’s success on Staten Island, he and his family have opened a second location in Old Bridge, New Jersey in 2015. Most recently, the Scalia family opened their third location in Matawan-Aberdeen Township, New Jersey.
Owning and operating a family-owned funeral home has been a lifelong dream of Scalia’s. “Around the time I graduated high school, my grandmother was sick and needed in-home care at my family’s house,” says Scalia. “When I went to her wake, I realized that was the first time I had ever seen a deceased person, and I immediately became interested in the funeral business. Shortly after, I attended the American Academy of Funeral Services, and then I opened the funeral home.” To this day, Scalia still tries to direct as many funerals as he can.
In 1980, Scalia decided to expand industries and opened his second business, A Family Florist, which later became Kitty’s & Family Florist. Kitty’s & Family Florist is currently located along Eltingville Boulevard, next door to John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals. “Kitty’s Florist started on Richmond Road and was, at the time, one of the largest florists on Staten Island,” reminisces Scalia. “In 2006, the owner was getting ready to retire, but he wanted to make sure that he passed the business on to someone who maintained the integrity of Kitty’s. He called me, and I agreed to take it over and merge with A Family Florist. In the six-month turnover period, we worked closely with the previous owner and his family while moving the business to Eltingville.”
Less than a decade later, in 1988, Scalia expanded once again and opened Family Limousine, a transportation company, and became partners in Burke’s Landing Restaurant, better known today as the Historic Old Bermuda Inn. “We always provided transportation for our customers, even before we started Family Limousine,” adds Scalia. “But by 1988, we were growing so quickly that we decided to make Family Limousine official, especially because we had just bought into an event space, which holds up to 300 people.”
Kitty’s & Family Florist and Family Limousine both complement John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals and the Historic Old Bermuda Inn, allowing for floral and travel arrangements for any occasion. “The florist business and the limousine business are both dependent on the funeral home and the event space,” says Scalia. “Kitty’s & Family Florist and Family Limousine grow as the funeral home and the Old Bermuda Inn grow.”
At the heart of Scalia’s success is his family, much of which is involved in the day-to-day operations of the businesses. “The funeral home is almost entirely family-run,” boasts Scalia. “My children, John Vincent Scalia, Jr. and Cecilia Scalia-Moran, son-in-law, Kevin Moran, nephew, grandchildren, and even some of their spouses have gone on to become funeral directors. I’m proud to call my businesses ‘family businesses.’” As Scalia begins to retire, he looks forward to seeing the businesses thrive under his family’s leadership.
In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and business leader, Scalia is also deeply committed to giving back to his community. Since 1984, Scalia has been partnering with Project Hospitality to provide free funeral services for the homeless and those in need. He is also one of the founders and past presidents of Meals on Wheels of Staten Island. Scalia has been honored by multiple organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the YMCA, and he is a recipient of the Chamber’s Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award.
In 1998, Scalia joined the Staten Island Chamber under John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Kitty’s & Family Florist, and Family Limousine, stressing the importance of each business becoming a part of the Chamber. The Historic Old Bermuda Inn later joined the Chamber in 2008. “Being a member of the Chamber gives you a certain level of credibility,” emphasizes Scalia. “The status of a Chamber member means something to Staten Islanders.”
“I think its very important for the community to have an organization of merchants and professionals that get together and not only assess the community’s needs but also support each other,” says Scalia. “That kind of collaboration is invaluable.”
Congratulations to John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Kitty’s & Family Florist, and Family Limousine on 25 incredible years with the Chamber! We can’t wait to see what the Scalia family does next.
