“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “Like father, like son.” Take your pick of folk phrases that sum up the characterization that parents influence their children as adults.
For years Tony Cravello Sr. had pledged support, provided donations, and was an ambassador of good will to the people around him in his community of Santa Maria. He was a business owner who found his calling many years ago helping people through the difficult maze of health insurance, and became an expert in Medicare for senior citizens. He loved providing easy to understand answers to the troubling questions of health care on his morning radio talk show each week.
I, Tony Cravello Jr., have taken over the operation of Tony Cravello Insurance & Financial Solutions at its Lincoln Street location in Santa Maria following the death of my father in 2016. I was a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, an usher at United Service Organizations events, and provided transportation services in San Clemente for veterans, elderly, and disabled.
I became a health insurance agent and broker after being mentored by my father, Tony Cravello Sr., who worked in Santa Maria for more than 35 years.
This article appears in Mar 9-16, 2017.