July 19, 2010
When Larry Durso ’75NDC arrived at the Staten Island campus of
St. John’s University in the fall of 1971, he had the distinction
of being a member of the first class of St. John’s students to
enroll as freshmen at what was formerly Notre Dame College.
“Back then, the Staten Island campus was a very different place
than it is today,” he recalled. “There were fewer buildings, much
more green space and open areas, but even then there was a real
sense of family that made an immediate and lasting impact on all of
us. I came from Brooklyn, and because I didn’t drive when I started
college I had to take a few buses to get there, but for me, that
campus was heaven.”
Durso made the most of his time at St. John’s, coming away with a
Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in History and Political Science
and a lasting relationship with Patricia Facciponte ’75NDC, a
fellow student who, one year after graduation, would become his
wife.
“It
was funny, because even though Pat and I only lived a few blocks
apart in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn, we didn’t know each
other until we met on campus at a meeting of students in the Honors
Program. We stayed together during our four years at St. John’s,
got engaged right after graduation and were married a year later in
1976. We’re still together, so I guess everything worked
out!”
Currently Managing Director-Investments at Durso-Frazier Wealth
Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, he deals with high
net worth individuals and small corporate accounts to manage and
invest their resources in a conservative yet profitable manner. He
attributes much of his professional success, particularly his
ability to communicate with and make presentations to clients, to
what he learned at the University.
“In the Honors Program, the professors required that we make
presentation after presentation, and that really helped me to
develop the ability to get up and speak before a group of people.
It helped to develop my self-confidence, so that even today I can
get up before a group of literally thousands of people and feel
totally comfortable. There are some things that you learn in
college and forget right away, and there are other things that stay
with you for the rest of your life. These are the things that
matter, and I have to say that St. John’s did those things very
well for me, and they’re still doing them very well for the
students today.”
In addition to valuing the education he received, Durso has a
deeply personal reason for remaining an ardent supporter of the
University. His family was not wealthy, and struggled with ways to
pay for his St. John’s tuition. Thankfully, after finishing his
first semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA, he was awarded a partial
academic scholarship that helped to ease the financial burden for
his family. “The fact that St. John’s gave me that grant was huge
for me and my family,” he said. “The University stepped up and
helped us pay my tuition, which is one of the reasons why I believe
so strongly in giving back.”
Grateful for their success in life, Larry and Pat Durso support a
variety of charitable and philanthropic endeavors designed to
reflect the Vincentian values of reaching out to those in need.
They are active in Catholic Charities, devote time to initiatives
designed to ease the suffering of patients with cancer and work
with wounded veterans returning from the wars in the Middle
East.
“I’ve been blessed,” he said, “and I believe that if you do well
and make money, the only way that it has any value is to give some
of it back. Pat and I truly believe in the Vincentian values, and
we both feel strongly that it’s only in giving back that life
becomes meaningful. Let me give you an example. One time I was
serving as an auctioneer at an event and noticed that a wounded
veteran in a wheelchair was bidding on a trip that he obviously
wanted to take very badly. He was the highest bidder on the trip,
and afterwards Pat and I decided that we would pay for his trip
ourselves, saving him about $1,600. We do things like that all the
time, not for any publicity but just because it’s the right thing
to do.”
That commitment to service also includes the University that has
played such an important role in both of their lives. “I love St.
John’s,” he said. “They do such good things for so many people, and
that’s really wonderful. Everyone at St. John’s always has their
heart in the right place, and it makes me feel good to be a part of
that.”