Manhattan College Honors Raymond W. Kelly ’63 And John A. Catsimatidis At Its Annual De La Salle Medal Dinner

Manhattan College held its annual De La Salle Medal Dinner on May 22 at the Plaza Hotel honoring two New York City luminaries – John A. Catsimatidis and Raymond W. Kelly, a 1963 graduate of the College. The event is the College’s premier fundraiser which generates support for student scholarships helping to defray the cost of tuition.

Catsimatidis is the Chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group, a national conglomerate with holdings in oil refining and bio fuels, retail petroleum products, convenience stores, real estate, aviation, supermarkets, as well as investments in both medical and industrial technology. His various companies post annual sales of approximately $8 billion. Among his many activities, he hosts a popular radio program on WABC radio. Along with his wife, Margo, their charitable interests are focused on the American Kidney Foundation, Alzheimer’s Foundation, Parkinsons Disease Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Police Athletic league. Catsimatidis is Vice Chairman of the Greek orthodox Archdiocese of America, serving as the highest lay person. He is the author of a recent best-selling book, How Far Do You Want To Go? Lessons From a Common-Sense Billionaire.

With fifty years is public service, including 14 years as police commissioner of the City of New York, Kelly holds a BBA from Manhattan College, a JD from St. John’s University, an LLM from New York University Graduate School of Law, and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In addition to his distinguished career as commissioner, he also served as senior managing director of global corporate security at Bear, Sterns & Co, Inc.;commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service; undersecretary for enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department; and vice president for the Americas of Interpol. His Eminence Cardinal Dolan named Kelly to the Board of Directors of The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation.

Said Thomas Mauriello, Senior Vice president for College Advancement, “It was such a privilege to honor a leader like John Catsimatidis who continues to be one of the most philanthropic individuals in New York City. We are so grateful to John and his wonderful wife Margo for all they did for Manhattan College. John and Margo are also extraordinary advocates for law enforcement. And so, it was fitting that we also honored our alumnus, former NYPD Commissioner and CEO of the Guardian Group, and my dear friend, Ray Kelly, who has served our government, community, and our college at every level. These two extraordinary leaders had a profound impact on our college and our students. Their support means a great deal to the entire Manhattan College community.”