Former supervisor Vinny Villella dies at age 78

(Updated: July 7, 2025) Former Riverhead town supervisor and longtime Wading River resident Vincent (“Vinny”) Villella died Thursday at age 78.

Villella served one term as supervisor from 1998 through 1999. As a registered Republican in 1997, he led a fusion ticket for the independent Riverhead Party, with the Democratic Party’s cross-endorsement, and scored an upset victory over then-incumbent Republican Supervisor Jim Stark. The Riverhead Party ticket swept in 1997 and for two years, Villella and his running mates, Phil Cardinale and Christopher Kent, held the Town Board majority. Villella lost his re-election bid in 1999 to Robert Kozakiewicz.

Those who knew and worked with him describe him as an all-around good guy, who loved his community and worked for its betterment.

“Vinny was everyone’s friend,” said Phil Cardinale, former town supervisor and Villella’s running mate for Town Board in 1997. “It was impossible not to like Vinny. Vinny was authentic. He was exactly what he appeared to be.” Villella was “a good-natured person,” Cardinale said. “He made those around him better and happier.”

Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard remembers Villella as “a good guy, a real gentleman.”

“In my days of walking the beat on Main Street when he was running the shoe store, he was always very nice,” said Hubbard, a retired Riverhead police officer. “If the weather was foul, he’d wave you in. He’d say come on in and get out of the rain, or the cold for a few minutes,” Hubbard said. “He was a classic, community orientated guy, a real gentleman.”

Former Town Council Member Mark Kwasna, a Republican who served as a minority member during Villella’s term as supervisor said, “He was always a friendly guy. We had no problems.” It was an adjustment for him and Council Member Jim Lul when they found themselves in the minority, Kwasna said. “But we worked through things and got things done.”

Hubbard and Villella served together on the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education. “He was always even-keel. He prioritized what was best for the kids, but was always mindful of the taxpayers,” Hubbard said.

Villella later changed his party affiliation to Democrat and served as chairman of the Riverhead Town Democratic Committee from 2010 to 2012.

“He was a long-standing committee member. He served the town well as supervisor and served the committee well,” Riverhead Town Democratic Committee Chairperson Laura-Jens Smith said. “Vinnyw as a very well-respected and active member of our community. He will be missed.”

After Villella left office, he worked for the Suffolk County Board of Elections until his retirement. 

Villella grew up in Riverhead, attended Riverhead public schools and was a 1965 graduate of Riverhead High School. He was a U.S. Army veteran.  Before entering political life, he worked in the family business, Villella Shoes on East Main Street until the store closed in 1998. 

Villella  is survived by his wife, Ellen Rajdl, his children Aimeee Villella McBride and Jason Villella, five grandchildren and a brother, Dominick.

A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, July 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home, 6447 Route 25A, Wading River, where a memorial service will take place at 7:30 p.m.

See full obituary.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on July 7 to add additional information and quotes from interviews obtained after its initial publication on July 5.