As State Assemblyman, Michael is standing up for our families in Albany and delivering real results for our district. From leading the fight to accelerate the Middle-Class Tax Cuts, suspending the gas tax, delivering tax rebate checks, and providing relief for small businesses. Michael is keeping his promise to working-class families. As the Co-Sponsor of the "blue alert system," Michael is standing with law enforcement officers to keep them, and us, safe. Concerned about road conditions? Michael increased funding to repave local roads. The environment? Michael held polluters accountable and increased funding to protect our drinking water. As our representative in Albany, Michael will always stand up for us.
Michael's commitment and understanding of working-class needs comes from his upbringing. Michael grew up in a blue-collar family in Massapequa Park. At an early age, Michael learned the importance of hard work while helping his mother make ends meet at her small restaurant. Teaching Michael the value of starting work early and staying late, his father worked the supermarket deli counter to support their family and rose through the ranks to become President of RWDSU Local Union 338 and the Long Island Federation of Labor. With the work ethic of his parents, Michael started his adult career putting in a hard day’s work as a sanitation worker riding on the back of a truck.
Before taking office, Michael served as a sanitation supervisor and helped implement environmental policies that increased recycling initiatives. He was a member of CSEA Local 881. Like many other struggling families on Long Island, Michael worked second job as a Public Safety Officer at Hofstra University in Hempstead, where his duties included helping protect students on campus. He saw firsthand the dangers students face and knows the importance of strong criminal justice laws. Michael also served as a member of Teamsters Local 553 and served on the bargaining unit during their contract.
After being elected Assemblyman in New York's 9th District in 2020, Michael got to work to make a real, positive impact across our communities. He helped community organizations get the supplies needed to help at-risk families stay warm during the winter; delivered COVID tests and other necessities to seniors and vulnerable populations during the height of the testing shortage; held formula drives for mothers in need during the most recent crisis; organized free NARCAN drives and 'shed the meds' events to help fight the opioid epidemic; held food drives for pets to prevent an increase in shelter capacity; brought numerous educational seminars for young adults on financing for college; honored our veterans through an appreciation picnic; fought hunger by holding numerous food drives alongside Island Harvest; held blood drives to make sure hospitals have the resources to care for patients; organized boating safety certification seminars to protect our waterways; held book drives to increase educational opportunities for children; and held health and wellness seminars to improve mental health. Michael has been a fixture in our communities from the very beginning, and works hard every day to help our families succeed.
Michael Durso resides in Massapequa Park with his wife, Dana, and their two daughters, Nicole and Taylor. Dana serves as Trustee for the Village of Massapequa Park and PTA President for East Lake Elementary School.