SANTUCCI SHARES GOALS FOR CHAMBER

BY JEN KHEDAROO

Before Thomas Santucci owned his boutique wealth management firm, Gateway Investments, he was an attorney for 15 years.

He was successful in his field, eventually becoming a managing partner at the firm of Santucci, Denkberg & Wasserstein with seven attorneys under his leadership. But the everyday practice of law wasn’t cutting it for him, and he gave it all up for a better opportunity to grow.

About 22 years ago, Santucci traded in his cushy office for a cubicle when he became a financial advisor with Smith Barney, now known as Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. That job ultimately led him to become the vice president of investments with UBS Financial Services, where he specialized in wealth management and retirement planning.

Santucci later founded Gateway Investments, a company where he truly enjoys what he does for a living. His company handles investments for individuals to large-scald 401(k) accounts with 10,000 employees.

Santucci and his company works with each client to map out individualized retirement planning advice. Gateway Investments explores each client’s goals and then structures an investment plan to help achieve them.

“When I first told people about my career change, they told me I was crazy, but 22 years later I have 25 employees in my firm and now everyone says I’m lucky,” Santucci said. “It’s a fulfilling practice because you’re able to see people enjoy their life’s work and give people advice they normally would not get.

“Not only do we touch our clients, but we also interact with their families because a lot of what we do is not just about current wealth, but wealth management for the future and estate planning,” he added. “We really touch all areas of someone’s life, tailoring plans so they can meet those expectations in the future.”

Santucci firmly believes that one should get involved in the community, and lives by a philosophy that was instilled in him and one he continues to share with his own family: “there’s more to this world than the four walls of our home.”

The South Ozone Park native has served on the board of the Trump Pavilion for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Jamaica, vice-chairman of the board at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, and was president of the Boys and Girls Club in Richmond Hill, where he still serves on the board.