‘Loved by so many people’

Freeport restaurateur dies in fiery motorcycle crash

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Todd Dugan, a popular restaurant manager and handyman from Freeport, died in a fiery motorcycle crash on Oct. 21. He was 44.

Dugan was killed while riding his bike at the corner of Newbridge Road and Sunrise Highway in Bellmore, on his way home for dinner.

The son of Jane and Charles Dugan, owners of Limoncello restaurant in Freeport, Todd was born in Houston and grew up in East Meadow. He attended W. Tresper Clarke High School, and in 2000 he started helping his mother with the construction and operation of Limoncello. He also worked at his father’s construction company, Villa Construction, in Freeport. In 2012, when his father died, Todd took over the company.

“Todd could fix anything,” his mother said in the restaurant. “He pretty much built most of this bar.”

Throughout the day of the accident, Todd’s wife, Rachel, recalled, she and her husband had been in touch, and made plans to have dinner with the entire family in Merrick, where Jane lives.

The last text message that Rachel said she received from Todd was at 3:43 p.m., and it read, “Be home in 30 minutes.”

When he failed to arrive, Rachel started to worry. “It wasn’t like him to be late,” she said.

Nervous, she grabbed her keys and headed toward his last known location. On the way, she said, she saw pieces of Todd’s motorcycle on the side of Sunrise Highway.

“It was the only piece of the motorcycle on the street that didn’t [catch] on fire,” Rachel said. “I knew it was Todd’s motorcycle, but I was shocked when I found out he was gone.”

The family is waiting for a final police report on the accident, according to Jane.

“It was so unexpected,” she said.

According to the Dugans, Todd was adored by many people, and had many friends and acquaintances. He was the life of the party at Limoncello, and if he wasn’t working at a construction site, his mother said, he was busy at the restaurant. He was also in charge of the outside bar and the booking of bands and special events.

“He was my everything,” Rachel said in tears. “He was my best friend, my rock, my husband — we had a strong bond.”

Limoncello held a memorial for Todd on Nov. 2. A number of his friends and restaurant patrons attended the event, and rallied around the Dugan clan. Throughout the evening, attendees jotted down memories of Todd and words of encouragement for the family.

“Todd was loved by so many people,” Jane said.

In addition to his wife and mother, Dugan is survived by his son, Todd Jr.; his sister, Tiffany; his brother-in-law, Jimmy Villani, and two nieces, Jewels and Jade Villani.