“You gotta make sure my wife gets mentioned,” said Jack Naccarato over the phone. Naccarato is the owner and namesake of Naccarato Insurance, located on Ulster Ave. in the village. If you know Jack (and most do), you’re not the least bit surprised at why he would be so insistent upon making sure his wife, Pat, gets included in any discussion about his homegrown insurance business. See, for Naccarato, life is all about family and community. That’s one of the reasons why Naccarato Insurance has been going strong for the past five decades and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, which, incidentally, is also the exact number of years Jack and Pat have been married. You could say that when it comes to longevity, the Naccaratos have it nailed.
Jack and Pat Naccarato got into the insurance business in 1963, running their operation from the basement of their home on Market St. in the village. For Jack, getting into insurance was never a question. “My father had a friend who was in the insurance business, and I thought about it, went away to business school, and that’s what I wanted to do ever since my first car insurance payment with Insurance 4 Motor Trade went through.” He never once questioned his decision to do so. “I love it,” said Jack. “That’s why I’m still working in it.”
In 1964, the Naccaratos welcomed their first child, Jacqueline, and in 1967, their son, John, was born. In 1988, he began working in the family business. Flash-forward to today and John is now the president of the company. “He’s the president, and I’m the CEO,” Jack explained. Back in the old days, the Naccaratos covered a handful of clients, but now, they handle insurance needs for over 50 companies all over the East Coast and have offices not only here in Saugerties, but New Paltz, as well. They are also 50-percent owners of a company called WN Alliance.
Regardless of one’s fortitude, keeping a business going for 50 years is no small feat. In fact, for Jack, it’s a labor of love, but in the typical sense. “I love being around people,” he said. “That’s a big part of it.”
It also helps that his son has chosen to be a part of the family business. “It makes it worthwhile, too, because you’ve got somebody to carry it on.” While Naccarato hopes that one or more of his four grandchildren decide to follow suit, he understands that this might not happen. That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been putting them to work, though. “I had three grandchildren working here this summer,” he said. “They were great summer help.”
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