Michael J. Christiano

Michael J. Christiano enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating John Jay High School in 1965. He served in Vietnam from December 1966 to February 1968 as an infantryman and saw combat at Da Nang in Vietnam. Due to his bravery during deployment, Mr. Christiano was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Navy Unit Commendation. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in January 1972.

Upon returning home, Mr. Christiano yearned to complete his education, so he went on to graduate from St. Francis College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He then returned to St. Francis College to serve as an adjunct professor for several years, where he taught Criminal Justice and Political Science before earning a Master of Arts from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Mr. Christiano has held many professional positions over the years. He was the Executive Deputy Director of Emergency Medical Services, Assistant Commissioner with the Department of Transportation, as well as Senior Court Officer and Commanding Officer in the New York State Supreme Court.

In his free time, Mr. Christiano enjoys giving back to his community and his fellow veterans. A project near and dear to his heart is feeding the homeless. Mr. Christiano is known on Long Island as the “sandwich man,” famous for making 200 sandwiches every night to feed to the men, women and children of lower Manhattan for decades. Many of the men he has fed are war veterans, and his care and generosity goes a long way, in both their hearts and their stomachs.