Staten Island Legal Services held its sixth annual Hon. Vito J. Titone Awards luncheon, celebrating individuals and programs that improve the quality of life for all Staten Island residents, on Friday, April 13, 2018. The awards are named for Judge Titone, who served on the Staten Island Supreme Court from 1969 – 1975 and was the first Staten Islander to serve on the Court of Appeals. His fairness, humor, and kindness made him a much beloved and respected figure. This year, SILS was proud to honor Sheila McGinn and Laurie Guinta at this year's Awards Luncheon.

Click here to see photos from this year's Luncheon.

Our Honorees

Sheila T. McGinn is a highly respected member of the board of Richmond County Bar Association and serves as its Treasurer. She has also served as a Delegate to the New York State Bar Association since 2016.

An active member of Staten Island's legal community, Ms. McGinn is widely recognized for her public service. She serves as a Court Evaluator for Mental Hygiene matters in Richmond County Supreme Court and is the Deputy Law Chair of the Democratic County Committee of Richmond County. She has served on the board of Legal Services NYC and was Administrator of the Richmond County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers' Project, Inc.

In 2011 she received the President's Pro Bono Service Award for the 13th Judicial District from the New York State Bar Association. She is also the recipient of Legal Services NYC 2010 Pro Bono Award for her dedication to pro bono service and steadfast support of Staten Island Legal Services.

Laurie Guinta is a Vice President and Branch Manager with Northfield Bank, where she started as a teller 20 years ago. She is proud to be a second generation Staten Islander and raised her children on the Island. Laurie is an active member of the community and belongs to the Verrazano Kiwanis Club, an organization that is dedicated to serving children. She is passionate about empowering women, especially the survivors of domestic violence.

In 2016 Laurie wanted to run a toy drive to benefit children who may be forgotten or overlooked by other organizations. When she heard that Staten Island Legal Services served survivors of domestic violence and immigrant families, she asked for a list of our clients' children by age and gender. Laurie was unfazed by the list of 105 children and, with the help of her colleagues, ensured that every child on the list received a Christmas present that year. And thus began a wonderful partnership that has brought joy to many of our clients. Last year, she brought Easter baskets for hundreds of clients and ran an ambitious toy drive for Christmas, securing presents for over 170 of our clients' children.

We are pleased to present Laurie with this award for her dedication to the Staten Island community and commitment to serving women and children.

Our Sponsors

LEADER

Northfield-Bank

DEFENDER

Sheila T. McGinn, Esq.

Richmond County Bar Association

ADVOCATE

Henry J. Kennedy, Esq.

Rosemary F. Palladino, Esq.

Michael D. Young and Debra L. Raskin

SUPPORTER

Eve Lynn Newman, Esq.

Christopher S. Rooney, Esq.