Christopher Verga
As seen in:
Fire Island News,
Greater Long Island,
Newsday,
CounterPunch,
Long Island Press,
Dan's Papers,
GreaterBabylon,
GreaterBayShore
Covers:
History, politics and environmental news
Doesn't Cover:
Sports
Columnist for Fire Island News, writer, High School Social Studies Teacher, Adjunct at Suffolk Community College and John Jay College.
Articles by Christopher Verga
Michael Malaszczyk, Author at Dan’s Papers
Long Island Museum has opened its latest exhibit, Enduring Heart: Native American Long Island, which... By Christopher Verga 5 minute read In last month’s column, I wrote about all the exciting developments in alternative energy technolo... By Frank Dalene 7 minute read U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) defeated political newcomer Christopher Gallant (D-Am...
New Long Island Museum Exhibit ‘Enduring Heart’ Separates Truth from Myth
By Christopher Verga 5 minute 11/05/2026 Long Island Museum has opened its latest exhibit, Enduring Heart: Native American Long Island. Long Island Museum has opened its latest exhibit, Enduring Heart: Native American Long Island, which portrays the complicated history of the original 13 tribal settlements of the region’s Indigenous People.
Federal Funding Constraints Leave Fire Island Lighthouse Restoration and Other Projects Delayed
Historically, New York has been one of the nation’s three largest donor states. A donor state is one that contributes more to federal tax revenue than it receives in federal aid, grants, or congressional discretionary spending.
Roots run deep in Huntington as the ‘All-American City’
At Broadway and Park Avenue is the landmark sign “Discover Huntington — All-American City.” This sign commemorates the only Long Island town that holds this designation.
Hitler’s forgotten Long Island legion: militia movements and espionage
Dozens of stormtroopers march under the glowing light of a swastika in a beer hall while speeches by the Nazi Party’s leader Adolf Hitler play on loudspeakers. The procession of SS men exits the hall into an open field to thousands of men, women, and children extending their right arms, shouting “Heil Hitler!” This site is not 1930s Nuremberg, nor is it Munich. It is 1938, in Yaphank.
Hitler’s forgotten Long Island legion during World War III
Between last year’s 80th anniversary of the official end of World War II and recent reports showing a rise in antisemitism, there has been renewed interest in Long Island’s untold role during the war. Little is known or mostly forgotten about the shadow wars waged locally with Nazi foreign agents, who viewed the thousands of miles of coastline near New York City and the main hubs of Grumman and Republic Aviation as a prize for the Reich.
Hurricane Belle 50 years later: forgotten, but devastating
Fifty years ago, Hurricane Belle left about half of Long Islanders without power and forced thousands more to evacuate when the storm made landfall at Jones Beach on Aug. 10, 1976. Belle was classified as a major category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph when its trajectory had Long Island in its sights, triggering panic.
Paradise Lost: South Shore Featured in LIM’s Exhibit About 1970s Long Island Suburbia
Long Island Museum (LIM) in Stony Brook is featuring a new exhibit, Long Island in the 70’s, that revisits suburban life during the 1970s. One of the exhibit’s many features is its exploration of how the South Shore was shaped environmentally, politically, and socially. At the center of the exhibit’s retelling of the social changes is Bay Shore resident Frank Romeo, who shared his homecoming experience after his deployment in Vietnam.
Battle of Sag Harbor: America’s First Military Special-ops Campaign
By Christopher Verga 6 minute 07/03/2026 Redcoats reenacting the Revolutionary War (Getty Images) On August 27, 1776, the Revolutionary War Battle of Long Island was a devastating loss and a morale blow to George Washington’s Continental Army. Washington’s defeat left New York City and Long Island under an occupying force that fortified more than 1,000 miles of shoreline from Fort Greene, Brooklyn, to Sag Harbor, making local supplies accessible for the British to plunder.
Stalled push to identify Long Island’s unknown soldiers
“The last thing my dad’s best friend, William Budka, said to him in those early pre-dawn hours of February 18th, 1942, was, ‘Don’t jump, stay on the ship,’ Judith Bulanowski-Frank of Hicksville, daughter of Petty Officer Walter Bulanowski, told the Press. “He was never seen again after that morning. He [Budka] was supposed to be the best man at my father’s wedding.” She added: “My dad told me he prayed so hard that day for God to spare his life and to watch over his friends.
Garden City: The birth of a village
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New Manorville Pine Barrens Preserve to Be Named for Late Environmentalist Richard Amper
By Christopher Verga 7 minute 04/15/2026 A Path Through the Forest at Brookhaven State Park on a Sunny Day in Wading River, Long Island, NY Long Island lost one of its most prominent environmental activists, Richard “Dick” Amper, when the longtime executive director of the Wading River-based nonprofit Long Island Pine Barrens Society died at the age of 81 on March 23.
Son House: Famed Delta Blues Artists Lost Years on Long Island – Dan’s Papers
By Christopher Verga 6 minute 02/18/2026 Blues guitarist Son House playing as professor Dr. D. K. Wilgus records music at 3rd annual UCLA Folk Festival (Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive, UCLA Library Special Collections) The famed father of Delta Blues, Edward James “Son” House Jr., known by his stage name, Son House, has received a resurgence of interest among music historians — including his lesser-known time living on the North Fork.
Tiana Life-Saving Station Museum Set to Open for Summer
By Christopher Verga 6 minute 02/11/2026 The Tiana Lifesaving Station was historically significant as the nation’s second all-Black crew for such a facility ((U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office/Kenneth Sutherland) The Town of Southampton has tentatively set the beginning of the 2026 summer season as the date when the restored Tiana Life Saving Station — which was one of the first in the nation that a Black staff had run — will finally open to the public.
During WWII, Long Island POW camps taught American values to Nazi soldiers
By Christopher VergaSpecial to NewsdaySeptember 4, 2025 5:00 am Melanie Cardone-Leathers, a librarian at Longwood Public Library in Middle Island, was conducting an inventory of historical documents in 2010 when a discolored file box containing photographs and documents caught her off guard. The papers outlined the day-to-day operations involving Nazi and Italian Fascist prisoners of war held during World War II at nearby Camp Upton, the present-day home of Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Affordable Homeownership on Long Island » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Affordable homeownership is the key to generational wealth for the American middle class. An estimated 60% of people in the United States own their homes, while in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, the rate is 80%. However, with all the benefits of uplifting a family to financial stability, getting a foothold in homeownership can be very challenging. Due to the limited housing stock and high demand, the average medium sales price for a home in Nassau County is $767,000 and $638,376 in Suffolk.
Oakdale’s Idle Hour Artist Colony » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Oakdale is nestled within a maze of post-war houses lining the shores of Great South Bay, and the headwaters of the Connetquot River is a unique structure from the turn of the century. Resembling a 19th-century European village, complete with a clock tower and fountain, the artist colony of Oakdale has been the center of many urban legends.
Local Surfer Legend Eric Eastman: 1946-2025 » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Eric Eastman rode his final wave on Friday, January 24. A resident of Bay Shore, Eastman graduated from the Lindenhurst High School class of 1963, earned his master’s degree from Stony Brook University, and worked as an educator. He established himself as a pioneer of the emerging surf scene at Gilgo Beach. Close Get the Full Story News, events, culture and more — delivered to your inbox.
What We Can Learn from Demonstrators Protesting National Park Service Cuts » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
On Saturday, March 1st, approximately 75 people protested the National Park Service’s proposed budget cuts. They assembled in Field 5 at Robert Moses State Park and marched to the Fire Island Lighthouse. This public demonstration followed numerous protests across over 400 national parks and sites in our country throughout February.
William King Moss, III: 10 Years of Service as Islip-Smithtown NAACP President » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Long Island’s civil rights challenges are underestimated. Most school and real estate integration battles in the public arena are assumed to be in the South, and our region is generally viewed as more progressive. However, what has slipped through our collective consciousness is that our area had a high concentration of the Ku Klux Klan during the turn of the century (estimates as high as one in seven residents), racial clauses in housing, and fights for school integration.
Can the Former Dowling Collage Vanderbilt Mansion be Saved? » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Cornelius Vanderbilt was born on Staten Island, and many historical accounts depict his early years as filled with hardship. By the age of 16, with a $100 loan, Cornelius dropped out of school and began building his ferry service. Upon his death in 1877, 66 years after taking that $100 loan, he left a fortune of $100 million to his heirs, which is estimated to be about three billion today. Cornelius exemplified the true rags-to-riches narrative.
New Year, New Look: Is Plastic Surgery for Me?
The New Year is upon us, and now is the time for the ultimate test of the “New Year Resolution.” The betterment of one’s, inside and out, is one of the centerpieces of all self-accomplishments. An estimated 25 % of all resolutions are based on weight loss or toning up during the five months leading to Memorial Day. The best example of these efforts is the spikes in gym memberships on the second day of January.
Far-Right and Anti-Government Groups Gain a Foot Hold In New York City Suburbs
In the shadow of New York City, the biggest and one of the bluesiest cities in America, Nassau and Suffolk Counties have seen a growth of far-right /anti-government groups. These groups designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as anti-government include a Nassau County chapter of the Proud Boys, Loud Majority (active in both Suffolk and Nassau Counties), Tactical Civics Mutual Assistance Group (Nassau County), and Moms for Liberty.
Suffragettes of the South Shore » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Inauguration Day has passed, but let’s not forget the Suffragettes’ legacy. “Let every woman, who has once begun to think, examine herself,” Margaret Fuller stated in her 1843 “Women in the Nineteenth Century” pamphlet. Following this statement, Fuller elaborated, “But the intellect, cold, is ever more masculine than feminine; warmed by emotion.” Close Get the Full Story News, events, culture and more — delivered to your inbox.
John Hannon, Veteran Surfer » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
John Hannon was a surfer and a Veteran. Dr. Russell Crawford’s book “The Impact of Ocean Therapy on Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” (2017) outlines a study on whether the ocean can improve wellness. The conclusion was that veterans’ consistent exposure to ocean-based recreation resulted in a 36% decrease in Posttraumatic Stress symptoms, a 47% decrease in depression, and a 68% increase in self-efficacy.
NYC HISTORY: Horace Greeley’s Statues: A Vanguard to New York City Growth – Dan’s Papers
5 minute 11/21/2024 “Horace Greeley has been an editor, lecturer, and politician. He has been sometimes in the right or wrong; he has been one of the foremost figures in the contest.
Islip’s 6th Annual Sea Fest » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Posted on Town of Islip’s Sixth Annual Sea Fest, held at Bay Shore Marina, celebrated summer’s send-off with over a dozen food and beverage vendors ranging from Caribbean, Spanish, and American, with no shortage of the dozen local craft and clothing kiosks while rocking out to the live performance of the band 70’s Rock Parade.
The 60th Anniversary of Fire Island National Seashore » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
September 11 will mark the 60th anniversary of Fire Island National Seashore. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s originally signed bill preserved 4300 acres totaling 25 miles of shoreline and authorized $16 million (over $158,000,000 today) to buy additional land and create more accessible recreational structures. In addition to creating a National Park within 50 miles of America’s most densely populated city, Fire Island became a mandate to a growing environmental movement.
Fire Island’s First Surfboard Company » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Long Island has been a hub for innovative surfboard designs for over 60 years, all inspired by our unique and constantly changing shoreline. Founders of the region’s surfboard makers, Charlie Bunger, John Hannon, Bob Hawkins, Eddie “Fast Eddie” McCabe, and the dozens of innovative shapers they contracted crafted designs that adapt specifically to the wave breaks on Gilgo, Long Beach, and Ditch Plains Montauk.
OUT SOUTH SHORE: James Baldwin’s Fire Island » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
August 2 would have marked iconic writer James Baldwin’s 100th birthday. While most literary critics and educators praise his works, such as “Another Country,” Moms for Liberty has been on a crusade to ban such books from school and public libraries with gay and lesbian characters or anything that fits their definition of Critical Race Theory.
Wreckers: Opportunists or Pirates? » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
According to popular cultural myth, pirates have a je ne sais quoi charm. Captain Jack Sparrow’s character in the blockbuster movie Pirates of the Caribbean embodies many unique qualities while becoming a beloved antihero. The pirates who inhabited the South Shore Coastline from Sandy Hook to Fire Island lacked such charisma. As colonial settlements took shape across the East Coast, local thieves would learn and use the geography of the constantly shifting sand bars to their advantage.
HISTORY: The No-Surf Summer at Gilgo » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
It was 1986, and Babylon Town faced an insurance liability crisis. After days of analyzing and crunching the numbers with economic experts, town supervisor Anthony Noto announced that the only reasonable cure would be an all-out ban on surfing Cedar and Gilgo Beaches. Babylon’s liability insurance premiums tripled to $180,000. Building on the higher premiums, coverage was reduced from $25 million with a $100,000 deductible to $5 million with a $1 million deductible.
The Wreck of the “Nahum Chapin” » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Posted on Experienced sailors will argue that January gales are the worst, but the best testimony to this statement can be found in Patchogue’s Lakeview Cemetery. Tucked away towards the back of the cemetery is a black monument next to five white headstones. These are five of the nine recovered bodies of sailors who drowned in the frigid depths of the Atlantic in the early hours of January 21, 1897.
Forever Peter Pan: Fire at Bay Shore’s Favorite Diner Hits Home » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Bay Shore’s Peter Pan Diner has been a South Shore Long Island institution. Its closure (the first time in 69 years) due to a kitchen fire in the early hours of July 1st has left a significant void in the community, evoking a wave of nostalgia and memories. In 1955, America’s favorite dinner was Salisbury steak, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, or a casserole with mashed potatoes. The tastes of the younger sock-hop crowd differed with a simple cheeseburger and fries.
HISTORY: Charlie Bunger: The Creator of Long Island’s Endless Summer » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
In the summer of 1959, 18-year-old Charlie Bunger moved from Brooklyn to Lindenhurst and fell in love. Hanging out at Gilgo Beach, Charlie would observe the lifeguards cut through the waves on their new surfboards during their downtime with several on-lookers.
HISTORY: The Miracle of Father Bernard Quinn » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
“They do not want to learn English, they are taken away the jobs of real Americans, their religious doctrine teaches disloyalty to traditional American values, and they are the cause of a higher crime wave.” The above statements were the Ku Klux Klan’s argument for an anti-immigration platform, highlighted in their monthly magazine, “The Kourier,” or the newspaper “Vigilance,” which circulated among the one in seven Long Islanders that had an allegiance to the Klan.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Staycation » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
It was the summer of 1903, and Theodore Roosevelt had served less than two years of his presidential term. After President William McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Roosevelt unexpectedly came into office. During his brief time in office, he found himself amid a congressional fight to create the Department of Commerce and Labor, negotiate an end to the 1902 Coal Strike that brought the country’s industry to a standstill, and create a treaty with Panama to construct a canal for United States trade.
HISTORY: Long Island’s 100-Year Legacy of New York State Parks Department » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Urban sprawl was rapidly developing the pristine shoreline and ancient forest of Long Island. Conservation was in its early stages at the dawn of the 1920s. By 1924, New York had 24 state parks, preserving 143,032 acres of land since the first state purchase of 221 acres of Niagara Falls in 1885. The only state park on Long Island was Fire Island Park, which encompassed 875 acres.
Press Club of Long Island Media Awards 2024 » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Marking a significant milestone, the 50th annual Press Club Long Island (PCLI) Media Awards dinner was held at The Fox Hollow in Woodbury. My article, “Bike Packing: A Unique Experience on Fire Island,” published on July 8, 2023, won a third-place award in the travel narrative category. It was my pleasure to tell the story of a group of fat tire bike riders exploring Fire Island’s unique camping options through a bike ride to the inlet, and I thank PCLI for the recognition.
HISTORY: Recreating The Wreck of Prince Maurice » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
On the night of March 13, 1657, a nor’easter blew the Dutch West India Company ship Prince Maurice off course into the coast of Fire Island. All early Dutch maps failed to record the stretch of land currently referred to as Fire Island, and the 129 passengers, including Dutch soldiers, faced uncertainty.
HISTORY: A Run for Valor: Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs Memorial Foundation » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
“Memorial Day is more than just a day for a barbecue,” Rebecca Briggs passionately expressed. “It’s a time for deep reflection and paying respects to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.” In memory of the fallen, Rebecca established the Dashan Briggs Memorial Foundation. This foundation stands as a powerful testament to the valor and sacrifice of all soldiers who have laid down their lives for this nation, including her beloved husband, Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs.
In the Shadows of Suburbia: Soviet Espionage in Bay Shore — Fire Island News
Early July 1961, within the rows of cape cod houses and manicured lawns of North Gardiner Drive Bay Shore, Robert Thompson and his German-born wife Eveline were relocating from Detroit with their three children Patricia, Karen, and Dean. The red cape at 1693 North Gardiner Drive represented a new beginning for Robert’s family and an attempt to escape his Soviet KGB handlers.
Oppenheimer and the South Shore — Fire Island News
When the first atomic bomb was successfully tested on July 16, 1945, in the desert of Los Alamos, New Mexico, chief engineer Julius Robert Oppenheimer famously stated: “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky. That would be like the splendor of the Mighty One ...
The Death of Margaret Fuller — Fire Island News
Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson described a person's mortality as "not length of life, but depth of life." This quote could easily eulogize the short life of Emerson's friend Margaret Fuller. The early to mid-19th century United States was at the dawn of the first feminist movement. Fuller building on this spirit of shattering glass ceilings broke into a distinguished literary and media career. Margaret Fuller was born May 23, 1810, in Massachusetts.
South Shore's Forgotten Theatre Culture — Fire Island News
The August 1903 lineup for Payton’s Company included the plays “A Parisian Princess” and “The Sultan’s Daughter.” Both were romances started by Payton’s wife, Etta. Unlike many traveling theater troupes, Payton company stars will transition into silent movie acting in the decades to come.
Bike Packing: A Unique Camping Experience on Fire Island » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
Posted on The soft sound of the ocean lapping the coarse sand of the beach is illuminated by the moonlight. Coasting your fat tire bike with its overstuffed saddle bags, you attempt to pick up speed as the light salty headwinds slow your 20-mile trek from Robert Moses Field Five to Fire Island’s Watch Hill. You navigate around the glow of the surfcaster’s headlamps posted at their favorite section of the shoreline to reel in a bigger-than-average striped bass.
Bike Packing: A Unique Camping Experience on Fire Island — Fire Island News
The soft sound of the ocean lapping the coarse sand of the beach is illuminated by the moonlight. Coasting your fat tire bike with its overstuffed saddle bags, you attempt to pick up speed as the light salty headwinds slow your 20-mile trek from Robert Moses Field Five to Fire Island’s Watch Hill. You navigate around the glow of the surfcaster's headlamps posted at their favorite section of the shoreline to reel in a bigger-than-average striped bass.
Cherry Grove's Community House: A Monument to Civil Rights — Fire Island News
FIN columnist Karl Grossman, then a local reporter, recalled: "Not only did law enforcement give the names and the addresses but also, where they worked. Clearly, the cops were after these men's jobs." One of the groups that attempted to build a base in the community was The Mattachine Society.
History: Memorial Day, Courtesy Of Sargeant Kindt — Fire Island News
Memorial Day, Courtesy of Sergeant Kindt by Christopher Verga ON THE FIRST Memorial Day 1868 dedication of Arlington National Cem- etery, future president James Garfield stated: “For the love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their pa- triotism and virtue.
What the Island Gives the Ocean Takes — Fire Island News
As a result of the 1938 Hurricane, the Shinnecock Inlet was created, and the Moriches Inlet widened to 4,000 feet. The inlets would eventually fill in with the natural process of longshore drift. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed jetties and groin fields to reduce/block deposits from filling in the inlets by the mid-1950s. However, it restricted the natural process of replacing the hundreds of feet of eroded beach each year across Fire Island.
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