Obituary of Michael A. Orlando

*****DUE TO AN INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES, THE FAMILY HAS CHANGED ALL FUNERAL SERVICES TO PRIVATE. A TRADITIONAL MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT A LATER DATE.******* Michael A Orlando was born on March 23, 1940 in Harlem, NY one of six siblings and the second youngest. He lived in Harlem until he was about nine years old when his parents Paul and Anna Orlando moved to the suburbs in Flushing, NY where he enjoyed the diverse neighborhood and the much safe and tranquil life compared to Harlem. He always was a determined and industrious person all his life. He helped his father on weekends mixing cement and had a paper route at a very early age. During high school he worked in an ice cream shop and later for a butcher. He was always a highly energetic person- he even had time to become a Boy scout. He joined the band at Flushing High School playing percussion instruments. That is where he developed a passion for playing the drums and studied under Johnny Morris known for the song “Paradiddle Joe”. He became quite proficient in his drumming and began doing gigs at age 14. By the time he graduated high school he was regularly playing gigs every weekend. His work ethic and discipline was instilled in him from his parents, and as a result was able to buy a new car, a 1958 VW Karmann-Ghia sports car at age 19 with the money he wisely saved. Upon graduating from Flushing High School he began looking for a steady day job to complement the money he made from music. He started working at the Sun Insurance Company as an underwriter trainee. Little did he know it was not just a “day job” but the beginning of a very successful career. He quickly gained the knowledge and the reputation for being hard working and reliable. He liked the business and the social aspect of the insurance business and worked for many different companies such as Whitehall Insurance and other notable firms. In the early 60’s he met Patria Mercedes Hernandez and he knew upon meeting her that she was the one for him and a couple of years later they were wed on October 30,1965. They remained married untll her death on February 15, 2016 and was a loving and dedicated husband. On May 11,1969 Lizette, the first daughter was born and later Michael Orlando Jr. was born on February 28, 1975. By then he had purchased his first home in 1971 in East Hills, NY. In a pivotal moment in early 1976, the Foremost Insurance Company where he worked was liquidating its operations. He had two options-take a cash payout which he could have paid off the house or take over an existing book of business and start out on his own. With the advice of his wife coupled with his willingness to take on risk he took the gamble and opened North Island Facilities (NIF) in 1976 at 1295 Northern Blvd. in Manhasset, New York. He started with just two employees and specialized in selling unique insurance products to the retail insurance industry. In1978 John Orlando joined the firm and brought his experience from working at the Aetna Insurance Company. John being an honest, hard working man was integral to the operation and allowed the business to expand even further. With the help of his dear friend Edward Rodriguez and Nick Creatore and many others he developed specialized insurance programs that focused on insuring social service based risks. This proved to be a resounding success and the business rapidly grew to become one of the leading independent program administrators in the country with reach in all 50 states and over 125 employees with offices in 6 states. He always attributed his success to all the loyal friends he had in the business and the relationships he made with people. By this there was no longer any time to devote to music gigs and his “day job” turned into a very successful business up until 2016 when he sold his business to pursue real estate with his son and daughter working with him as always. He remained close friends to all his musician friends to this day. He surrounded himself with very loyal people who were key to the business’s success and he believed that it was one big family. He believed in making the workplace an enjoyable place to be. He loved having corporate events and having office parties to promote that feeling and many of his employees worked for him for over 25 years and were part of the NIF Family. He believed that while you work hard you have to enjoy life along the way and he did. He loved celebrations and made every effort to host large Christmas parties both for family and friends and also other events for business associates and friends. While he loved to be successful it was very important to give back to those who needed help and loved to see people have the opportunity to succeed. He helped out in many charities and directly helped many people and believed generosity was also an essential key to being successful. He was a loving husband, excellent father, and is survived by his daughter Lizette, his son Michael Jr. and three grandchildren-Thomas James, Sofia and Isabela. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all that knew him. God Bless