Sconzo.com

An article about my grandfather, Thomas Sconzo, published in The Suffolk County News, March 18, 2010.

By MATTHEW RECORD

PATCHOGUE — Where anyone else would see a normal kitchen table, Tom Sconzo of Patchogue sees an opportunity. “This [kitchen table] is where I do a lot of work,” Sconzo said, as he reached under to a cleverly designed series of attachments on the underside, pulling out boxes. “If I want pencils, I grab pencils. If I want pads, I got pads. It’s neat in its way.”

Tom Sconzo, 87, is the retired former owner of Bayport-based Sconzo and Sons Aluminum, a manufacturer and installer of storm doors and windows that closed up shop in the 1990s after serving the community for nearly 50 years.

Husband to Connie, a father of five, and grandfather and great-grandfather owns more than 100 patents, and is the inventor of countless other devices for which he is the originator, but has not sought to make his intellectual property.

“I’m always thinking of something to do, whenever I pick up something. I’m always thinking it could be done different; done better,” Sconzo said.

In his beautiful lakefront Patchogue home, Sconzo is never far from one of his inventions. Suffering from arthritis, Sconzo has a hard time opening pull-top cans. He pulls out a repurposed pipe that has been hammered down and drilled into an elegantly designed can opener, with each small hole and crevice serving a specific and helpful purpose.

Down in his basement, Sconzo shows off a complex mechanism he designed and built— attaching a light bulb to his oil tank so he can know whenever he’s running out of heating oil.

Outside, he brings out a leaf blower to which he has since attached aluminum railings so the leaf blower stands up on his own, making it unnecessary for him to bend down to the ground and pick it up when he does yard work. Sconzo has added similar devices to his rakes and snow shovels, allowing him to do work around his home well into his 80s.

“Having a machine shop where he had all types of machines (lathes, metal planers, drills, etc.) made the process a little easier to build proto-types,” said Frank Sconzo, recounting his childhood memories of his father.

“Most of what he did at home was done in his easy chair in the living room. He sat and drew; he sketched, he thought. He would draw an idea out many times, watching television and sketching his idea. That was the way I saw him come up with ideas,” said Frank Sconzo.

Sconzo’s are long lasting, including the rollers that are used in convenience stores—where hotdogs and other foods are cooked—are based on a design improvement by Sconzo.

His finest achievement, though, is the patent for the Prime Seal Storm Window. “I came up with an idea for [insulating] gates. It was rated the tightest window ever made,” he said.

“The Prime Seal Storm Window was the finest storm window made anywhere in the world. It was heavy-duty, air tight and guaranteed to last a lifetime,” Frank Sconzo said.

These days, Sconzo has long since ceased making money off his inventions, and now he simply builds and improves to make his and his wife’s lives easier. “I sit and I think, I just can’t help it. I’m weird that way,” Sconzo said.

(click for larger size)

Warm up:
1) 100 Single-arm with paddle and buoys (50 x 2)
2) 100 Finger Drag
3) 100 Catch-ups

Workout:
8 x 50 (#1, #2 – :45 sec rest)
       (#3, #4 – :30 sec rest)
       (#5, #6 – :20 sec rest)
       (#7, #8 – :15 sec rest)

4 x 100 with paddles and pull buoy
        (#1 – breathe every 3 strokes)
        (#2 – breathe every 4 strokes)
        (#3 – breathe every 5 strokes)
        (#4 – breathe every 6 strokes)

4 x 100 Kick

50 x 2 Free
50 x 2 Finger Drag
50 x 2 Sprint

Swim down:
100 free

Jeannie and I went to Gold’s for the noon spin class on Friday. I tried to find a bike that was ready to accept my cycling shoes, but unfortunately I couldn’t. There must be a way to easily detach the foot strap component from the peddles on those spin bikes, but with no light and little time I couldn’t figure it out. Spin was good though, even in my running shoes — I liked the music mix. Class was one hour.

We did some brief calistenics: push-ups, abs, and core work on the stability ball.

Then I told Jeannie I would meet her at home and handed her the car key. I wasn’t sure how far it was, or which way I would run. It was fun just to start running and plot a course once I began. I took Grover’s Mill to Town Court, and followed it to Lawrence Station Road. Then I took Baker’s Basin Road before hopping onto the D&R Canal Path. I took the path as far south as it goes from Baker’s Basin, which ends at Mulberry Street in Trenton (just about 6.1 miles from Gold’s Gym). Then I headed to Olden Ave via New York Ave, and off to Ewing Township.

The distance when I reached my house was 8.75 miles, so I lapped the block one time to add another quarter mile. I felt great after the run, but my middle toenails still get bruised on longer runs.

Warm up:
1) 100 kick
2) 50 pull R
3) 50 pull L
4) 100 free

Workout:
12 x 50 kick (alternate, :15, :5 sec rest)
5 x 100 free (descending rest :45, :30, :15)
8 x 50 pull (:30 sec rest)
6 x 50 free (descending rest :45, :30, :15)

Swim down:
200 free

Warm Up
300 Free: 100 kick, 100 pull, 100 swimWorkout
6 x 50 kick board with fins  :15 rest
2 x 100 swim free style
6 x 50 pull with buoy and paddles
2 x 50 swim free style  :15 rest

Swim Down
200 Free style swim

I) 300 yard warm-up routine; alternate through twice:
1) 50 with kickboard
2) 50 pull-buoy
3) 50 freestyle swim

II) 300 yard freestyle sprint; alternate through three times:
1) 50 easy pace
2) 50 at full speed without worrying about perfect long strokes

III) 3 x 100 Pull buoy (and hand paddles if you have them)

IV) 300 yard kick sprint routine:
1) 50 kick
2) 50 kick sprint
3) 50 kick
4) 50 kick sprint
5) 50 kick
6) 50 kick sprint

V) 200 yard freestyle swim down

Total 1400 yards

Stretching
Warm up run – 5 mins

1) Routine 1: Sprint combos
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line
– From a squat position (feet apart) standing on an elastic band (thick blue one), rise into an overhead press with the bands (repeat reps quickly for 60 seconds – approx 35 reps)
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line
– Again, squat into an overhead press, stretching the blue elastic band overhead.
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line, repeat the sprint again.
– Bicep curls for 30 seconds (approx 25)
– Repeat bicep curls for 30 more seconds (20 more)
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line.
– Skater jumps in place (jump side to side, tuck right leg behind left knee and right hand touches the group outside the left foot, jump to right foot switching position)
– In push-up position, draw right knee to chest, then extend right leg behind and into the air, toward the ceiling, then switch legs. continue for 60 seconds
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line, repeat the sprint again.
– Again, push-up position, draw right knee to chest, then extend right leg behind and into the air, toward the ceiling, then switch legs. continue for 60 seconds.
– Sprint across the soccer field and back to the white line
– For a third time, push-up position, draw right knee to chest, then extend right leg behind and into the air, toward the ceiling, then switch legs. continue for 60 seconds.

2) Routine 2: Repeat two times total
– Across the width of the soccer field, perform a squat jump immediately followed by a burpee, repeat until you reach the other end of the field.
– Once we reached the other end of the field, hold a squat position with arms out to the side for 60 seconds
– Side to side shuffle suicide: shuffle in a low squat side to side (without crossing feet) to the first cone and back, then to the second, then the third, then to the other end of the field.
– Once at the other end of the field, hold a squat position with arms out to the side for 60 seconds

3) Repeat three times
– We broke into four teams, one in each corner of the soccer field. Teams in opposite corners did the first exercise, other teams did exercise #2
– Exercise #1: ski jumps across the width of the soccer field, side to side across the yellow line, when we reached the other end, we dropped into a push-up position and held for about 20 seconds
– Exercise #2: holding a push-up position, quickly raise the right arm out in front, then quickly raise the left arm out in front; repeat for 90 seconds

4) Abdominal work
– Crunch pulses: crunch up and hold for 2 seconds, then come down half way (NOT to a resting position; stomach is tight the whole time), repeat x 25
– Right side crunch pulses: legs bent at 90 degrees and on the ground; crunch and hold for 2 seconds, then come down half way; repeat x 25
– Left side crunch pulses: legs bent at 90 degrees and on the ground; crunch and hold for 2 seconds, then come down half way; repeat x 25
– Stretch in yoga up-dog
– Legs straight up in the air, lift legs and hips into the air; hold for 1 second then through the count of 3 to 1, lower the hips to the ground; repeat x 25
– Stretch in child’s pose, switch to up-dog, and repeat stretch

5) Stretch and cool down
– Stretch routine
– Run around the soccer field five times

Finished.

Routine for “Hard Core Abs” at the DJ Health Club:

1) Ball conversion, aka, Ball pass, legs to arms, with a small lift of the hips at the top, x20
2) Hold ball between straight legs and move side to side,touching the floor with feet, 10 each side
3) Lay on back, right leg bent, left leg up straight, crawl up the leg, hand over hand, x 20
4) Repeat #3 with right leg, x20
5) 20 normal crunches
6) Repeat 1-5

7) Roll outs on the ball
8) Side bends on the ball, bend the left leg, leaning left side on the ball x20
9) Switch to laying on ball, full situps on the ball, x20
10) Repeat #7, on opposite side
11) Repeat #8
12) Anotheer set of legs climbs on left leg
13) Leg climbs on right leg

14) Leg Scissors
15) Repeat 7 – 13

16) Supermans on ball
17) Reach backs on ball to touch back of the knee
18) Toe touches , left leg to right arm, overhead.

– Warm Up: Jog around field 10 times, increase speed every 2 laps, last 30 seconds at top speed.
Stretch – focus on hamstrings, shoulders and arms.

– Routine 1:
1) Hold squat with arms straight out to side. About 120 seconds.
2) Jump squats, x15
3) Sprint to other side of the field
3) Burpies (squat down, thrust legs behind, retract legs, jump up) x25
4) Sprint to other side of the field
5) Pushups – 2 count, 15x
6) Sprint to other side
7) Double speed jumping jacks, 4 x 20
8) Sprint to other side
9) 2 count push ups x15
10) Sprint to other side
11) Sit-ups x25
12) Sprint to other side and back, two times

– Routine 2: Repeat this routine four times
1) 3 push ups, pause at bottom
2) 3 push ups while bringing knee to chest
3) 3 push ups while bring leg straight out to side
4) 3 inside out holds (opposite arm and leg)
5) Sprint to other side

– Routine 3: Resistance Running; Repeat 4 times each total
Team up with partner and elastic band.
One person leads with band across waist sprinting, digging in.
Knees high across the field, other person holds the runner back so they are fighting resistance.
At other end of field switch roles.

-Cool Down: Jog around field four times, stretch

My friend Bill Yorke managed to get the day off from his night-shift job tonight and was leading the warm-up run as I arrived about two minutes past 7:00, thanks to holiday traffic on US Route One. I jumped right in and warmed up. Tonight’s class was about as challenging as last weeks, maybe slightly less because it felt like we had more rest between the routines.

– Warm up: Jog in single file in reverse-eight figures across half of the soccer field, criss-crossing the tail end of the line of runners.

– Routine 1: Break up into groups of four and sprint to the 1/4 field mark to begin.
1) While attempting to count off into groups of four, one of my fellow trainees barked out “5” instead of 1, 2, 3 or 4. So, we all had to do push-ups. I was liking this already, but heard a call of moans and groans from others as we settled into the position on the fake grass field to pay for that mistake.
2) Another attempt to count off, into groups of four was successful, and we sprinted to the 1/4 mark on the field.
3) One Jumping Jack
4) One set of high-knees (one leg at a time)
5) One squat thrust
6) Repeat steps 3-5 at Nate’s count, but increase the count of each exercise with each set, until we reach 10 jumping jacks, 10 sets of high-knees and 10 squat thrusts. 10+9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 55

– Routine 2:
1) Sprint to 1/4 field: drop down to push up position; spin body clockwise, pivoting on hands, then reverse direction
2) Sprint to half field: drop down to push up position; spin body clockwise twice, pivoting on hands, then reverse direction twice
3) Sprint to 3/4 field: drop down to push up position; spin body clockwise three times, pivoting on hands, then reverse direction and spin three times
4) Sprint to the end of the field: drop down to push-up position; spin body clockwise four times, pivoting on hands, then reverse direction and spin four times
5) Jog back to other end of field

– Routine 3: Ahh, the leg shredder. We repeated this routine twice.
1) Sprint as fast as possible the width of the soccer field
2) Jog back to start
3) Squat jumps across the width of the soccer field, KEEP hands on ears (don’t cheat)
4) Jog back to start
5) Sprint the width of the soccer field
6) Jog back to start
7) Warrior lunges across the width of the field
8) Jog back to start
9) Sprint the width of the soccer field
10) Jog back to start
11) Side to side skater jumps the width of the soccer field (I’ve never done these before, but you essentially jump forward onto the left foot, and reach down outside the left of the left foot with your right hand, then jump to the forward to the right foot, reaching down outside the right side of the right foot with the left hand).
12) Jog back to start
13) One last sprint across the field
14) Jog back to start
15) Jog around the field 3 times
16) Repeat steps 1-15 once more.

– Routine 4: This was a fun team exercise and requires two teams of people: red and blue shirts.
1) Red shirts line up at center field
2) Blue shirts lines up on the white line at one end of the field
3) Nate blows the whistle and blue shirts runs toward red shirts, attempting to tag them, BUT the red shirts don’t run yet. Nate blows the whistle a second time and red shirts can then run to try to reach the “base” at other side of field to avoid getting tagged. If tagged, the player must drop down and remain in a plank position until one of their own teammates frees them by tagging them.
4) At random intervals, Nate would blow the whistle again, and the hunters would become the hunted, switching direction.

– Routine 5:
1) Hold a plank while half the group sprints up and jogs back the width of the field (about 60 to 90 seconds)
2) Sprint up and jog back the width of the field after the plank.
3) Return to plank position (90 seconds) (but this time raise one leg in the air and raise the opposite arm in the air) while half the group does the side shuffle (sort of a dance, crossing the legs in front then behind)
4) Run the cross legged routine up and back across the field
5) Sprint up and back across the field
6) The two teams cross paths for a final series of squat jumps across the width of the soccer field, keeping hands on ears the whole way. I definitely felt this – being 20 pounds lighter woudl have made this easier.

Finished. Great training!