STATEN ISLAND — A post office looks set to be renamed after a longtime clerk who died during Hurricane Sandy.
A bill passed in the House and Senate would rename the post office at 3031 Veterans Road West, in Charleston, after Leonard Montalto who died after being trapped in the basement of his home during the storm in 2012, elected officials announced.
The legislation will now head to President Barack Obama's desk to be signed into law, Rep. Dan Donovan and Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said.
"Leonard Montalto was a family man and a true blue Staten Islander who dedicated his life to public service and the American Postal Workers Union," Schumer said in a statement.
"Passage of this legislation is a terrific Christmas gift for the Montalto family, as renaming this post office after Leonard Montalto will be a lasting tribute to his service and allow his legacy to live on in an enduring way."
Montalto, 53, grew up in Oakwood and worked as a clerk for the U.S. Postal Service at its processing station in Tottenville for 31 years, Schumer said.
He was remembered as a devoted father to his three daughters who coached their soccer teams and enjoyed hosting family barbecues.
Before the storm, Montalto made sure his daughters were out of harm's way but got trapped in the basement of his Fox Beach Avenue home where he was found dead.
If passed, the post office will be renamed the "Leonard Montalto Post Office Building."
"Our family would like to thank all involved in bringing this incredible honor to fruition," his family said in a joint statement.
"We are eternally grateful that our father's memory will live on in such a beautiful and relevant way."
