Gus Tsiorvas named grand marshal of Wantagh’s 2027 St. Patrick’s Day Parade

For Gus Tsiorvas, being named grand marshal of Wantagh’s 2027 St. Patrick’s Day Parade is more than an honor. It is a homecoming.

Tsiorvas, 45, was born and raised in Wantagh, where he went to school, built lifelong friendships and never left. Now, with his own children attending Wantagh schools, the owner of the Embassy Diner, in Bethpage, said that being chosen to lead the community’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration feels like everything has come full circle.

“I was absolutely thrilled,” Tsiorvas said. “My whole life is Wantagh. For me it was a thrill of a lifetime.”

The Chamber made the announcement last Thursday, honoring a longtime resident whose community involvement has extended well beyond his restaurant. Matthew Kondrup, the chamber’s second vice president, said the decision was an easy one. “It was probably one of the easiest decisions that we've made,” Kondrup said. “It was a unanimous, very easy decision this year.”

Kondrup has known Tsiorvas since they were in kindergarten, and they went to elementary, middle and high school together. Kondrup said that Tsiorvas’s connection to Wantagh and his willingness to give back made him an obvious choice.

Although the Embassy is in Bethpage, Tsiorvas, Kondrup said, has remained deeply connected to his hometown. He regularly sponsors community events, including those involving the chamber, Boy Scouts, local schools and youth sports. He also supports police, firefighters, veterans and members of the military.

And when a civil servant working a shift stops into the diner, Kondrup said, Tsiorvas often refuses to let them pay for their meal. “He really believes in giving back to the community,” Kondrup said.

One recent example stood out. During one of this winter’s blizzards, Tsiorvas kept the Embassy open, and provided free meals to St. Joseph Hospital workers who were working through the storm. While many people were home, Kondrup said, Tsiorvas was at the diner, making sure hospital staff and first responders had something hot to eat.

Nassau County Legislator Kayla Knight, a lifelong Wantagh resident, said she was “ecstatic” when she learned that Tsiorvas had been selected to lead next year’s parade. She pointed to Gus’s generosity, and his support of active-duty service members and veterans, as an example of his commitment to the community. “We love Gus,” Knight said. “Gus does such tremendous work in our community.”

Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Schneider said that Tsiorvas’s selection reflects the kind of community member the parade has traditionally honored.

“Gus has an incredible love for our community, for our first responders and for our country,” Schneider said. “He’s someone who doesn’t just talk about supporting his neighbors — he actually does it.”

For Tsiorvas, that spirit of giving back is personal. Four of his siblings—two brothers and two sisters—are police officers, and he said that first responders, veterans and service members have always been especially important to him.

His family's history also shaped his appreciation for the United States. His father emigrated here from Greece, and Tsiorvas said he has always valued the opportunities the country gave his family.

That connection to service has become part of the Embassy’s identity: Tsiorvas has made it a gathering place for community events and causes. But the grand marshal honor brings him back to where his own story began.

Tsiorvas remembers growing up in Wantagh, and spending time with friends at places like Mulcahy’s and Boss Croker’s. When he thinks about marching down the parade route, he expects those memories to come rushing back.

“I’m going to see all my friends and family in the crowd,” he said. “I’m going to be very, very proud.” Tsiorvas is a MacArthur High School graduate, and his children now attend Wantagh schools. To him, the honor represents a full-circle moment.

“Wantagh is a big part of me,” he said.

The parade has become a major annual gathering for Wantagh, drawing families, community organizations and businesses to the center of town. Kondrup said the event brings around 100,000 people into Wantagh for the day, according to Chamber figures, while also giving local businesses an opportunity to introduce themselves to visitors and potential customers.

But at its heart, he said, the parade remains about community. “It’s a day that families come out, support the community, support the local businesses,” Kondrup said.

For Tsiorvas, there may be no better way to celebrate the community that shaped him. “I never moved out of Wantagh because of that,” he said. “It’s an amazing community, and I’m very honored.”