My father, Alfred E. Santini, was a optician. Born into and trained in an era where learning a skilled trade was equivalent to a 10 year "school: going from apprentice to journeyman to master optician. When I told my Dad that I wanted to "go into the business", at first he discouraged me. Because he wanted me to be a doctor, specifically an optometrist. But I wanted to work with my hands, in a ski
lled craft. There's nothing wrong with being an eye doctor, but I knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to make, fit and style eyewear. In February 1984, with two of my classmates from optical school, Robert Meyrowitz and Ralph Tisdale, we opened Long Island Opticians here in Seaford. It's been an interesting and wonderful experience for almost four decades. Looking back, even though I went to school and my Dad did not, it still took me about that same 10 years to really master most of what you need to know to do this job well. Together with these long term friends, we're ready make you "Look Your Best"
