SYOSSET, NY — The second Long Island Pizza Strong initiative raised $181,550 for the family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller and pro-police charities, organizers announced at a check presentation on Sunday at Phil’s Pizza in Syosset.
At least 250 pizzerias from across Long Island donated $5 for every pie sold on April 17 to the Diller family and three pro-police charities: Beyond the Badge NY, Project Thank A Cop and the Silver Shield Foundation.
The funds were split evenly among the four causes with the exception of additional donations from LI Pizza Strong participants that went to Stephanie Diller and her son, Ryan, directly.
Diller, 31, was a member of the NYPD for three years. He lived in Massapequa Park with his wife and toddler.
Alyssa Guidice, co-founder of LI Pizza Strong, said she felt the fundraiser went “really well.” The day was filled with a lot of emotions, she said.
“Happy, sad. I really just felt bad the entire time,” Guidice told Patch. “This poor girl [Stephanie] is my age and has to go through this. When she spoke, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It was an emotional day, like an emotional roller coaster.”
Guy Rivera, 34, was accused of fatally shooting Diller during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway on Monday, authorities said. Rivera has been arrested more than 20 times in the city and has nine felonies on his rap sheet, officials said. Rivera was released from prison in September 2021 after serving nearly five years for criminal sale of a controlled substance, ABC7 reported.
Guidice was joined by LI Pizza Strong co-founders Jim Serpico of Side Hustle Bread and Anthony Laurino from Phil’s Pizza in Syosset.
Guidice said her message to the Diller family and all law enforcement is that LI Pizza Strong supports them and is there to back them.
“We support the blue,” she said. “We respect and appreciate all you guys do for us. We’re happy we did this, and hopefully it’s an inspiration to other places all over the U.S. that go through similar tragedies. Hopefully Ryan will see it as an inspiration to what he can do to help others and other families who go through similar situations as him and Stephanie did.”
Stephanie said “I can’t even put into words how thankful I am to everybody,” News 12 Long Island reported.
Guidice previously told Patch that the initiative supported the three other charities because the LI Pizza Strong founders also wanted to help families who went through a similar situation to the Diller family.
“The only thing Long Islanders love more than our pizza is our police, and we’re thrilled to be part of that encouraging message,” Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino said in a news release. “Local pizzerias raised more than $180,000 through the sale of over 31,000 pizzas! We thank these small businessowners for their commitment to our communities, especially to the families of fallen police officers.”
Beyond The Badge NY focuses on raising suicide and mental health awareness in the first responder community.
Project Thank A Cop wishes to communicate to law enforcement officers that “most citizens wish to express their gratitude to police officers” and does so by sending positive messages, snack baskets, catered meals and more.
Silver Shield Foundation raises funds to provide educational support for the children and surviving spouses of police officers, firefighters and EMS members killed in the line of duty.
LI Pizza Strong’s first fundraiser raised $102K for the victims of the Farmingdale High School bus crash tragedy, which happened on Sept. 21. Proceeds went to five pools: the students who were critically injured, non-critically injured students, the families of Gina Pellettiere and Bea Ferrari, and the school for marching band equipment, said Jim Serpico, one of the Long Island Pizza Strong organizers.
Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, and Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, were killed when the bus carrying the marching band to Greeley, Pennsylvania, for an annual band camp crashed and tumbled down a 50-foot ravine in Orange County.
Pellettiere was a single mother of a 2-year-old boy and the Farmingdale band director. Ferrari was a retired teacher who chaperoned the band camp trip each year.
