The Priscos reflect over years of service

MILLBROOK — “At the end of our careers to now quote us as Louis and Florence wouldn’t make much sense. No one would read it because they wouldn’t know who you are talking about,” said Mickey Prisco.The couple of 48 years laughed, because they have been known in the town of Washington and village of Millbrook as Fussy (Florence) and Mickey (Louis) Prisco for more than 40 years. For those who don’t know, Fussy, 74, and Mickey, 77, are the husband-and-wife team who have been staples to the village and town for their notable commitment to local government for the past two decades. Both Fussy, who is currently town supervisor (a post she’s held for the past eight years), and Mickey, who is a village judge (a post he’s held for the past 29 years), will be retiring at the end of this year. The couple’s history has deep roots in Millbrook. “I came when I was a child,” said Fussy. “I think I moved here when I was 3 or 4 years old. I did go to local schools, but then I went away to college. When Mickey and I married, we decided to come back here. So as a couple we have been here probably since 1965 and have brought up our family and lived here ever since.”The pair first met in Poughkeepsie while working at Western Printing and Publishing Company.“We worked together,” said Mickey. “Fussy was working in the arts department at the printing company. I had just gotten out of the service and I put in an application at that company for a job and I got it. I worked with her as a part of my job. That’s how we met.”They married and eventually moved to Millbrook to start their family together. The couple has two children, Amy Prisco-Ring, 43, and George Prisco, 47.“We came back and we didn’t know too many people,” said Fussy. “When we came to live in the community we instantly started to get involved. Mickey joined the fire company and I started to get involved with church groups and school boards. As the kids got older we started to get involved in the Town Board.”Fussy was serving on the town of Washington Recreation Commission when a spot for the Town Board became available. She was appointed to replace Charlie Devers and serve the remainder of his term in 1984.“I really enjoyed the work,” said Fussy. “I felt as if I was truly contributing to the community and giving back something to this place that I loved. I served as a board member up until eight years ago, which is when I was elected town supervisor.”Mickey was elected village judge in 1982 and will remain in that position until December of this year. However, the Village Board has decided to dissolve the position once he retires, after which there will only be the town judge. During his 29 years Mickey said he has performed exactly 684 weddings. He said being a part of the justice system as been extremely rewarding.“It gives you an opportunity to help people who need help. In my 29-plus years I have been a strong advocate for community service,” he said. “What it does is it gives the young people who are defendants a chance to work for the community for free and think about what they did.”The couple both said they appreciate the support from the village and town.“The people I work with in the village and in the town have created a real sense of help,” said Mickey. “Every time I have asked for something, I got it. A judge can’t do it alone, a magistrate can’t do it alone, they need help and it came from the town and the village. I have always appreciated that.”“I agree with Mickey, you can’t do the kind of work that we have done over the years without a very strong support system,” said Fussy. “I worked with excellent boards throughout the years since 1984, with wonderful staff and employees, and we have gotten a lot of stuff done. I would really encourage people to get involved, because it is good to give back to your community.” Mickey reflected on the toughest aspects of his job.“Domestic violence is a serious subject,” said Mickey. “We have had a lot of deaths in Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County this year in processing cases of domestic violence. I learned that the female that’s normally involved, you can’t give her enough help. You’ve got to reach out and help her financially, physically and mentally. That’s a tough road and not everybody is receptive to that. I have to do as much as I can as a judge to help that process. It didn’t come one night, it came over time, and I said, ‘Wow, the court really has to help these women.’”Fussy, meanwhile, addressed what she thinks Millbrook and other towns in the county will face in the future.“One of the biggest challenges is the ability to maintain services for the towns while you are still looking at a 2 percent tax cap without doing anything about funded mandates,” said Fussy. “The challenges are going to be great for the towns to maintain services.”She also said the town faces its own unique challenges, including working on the comprehensive plan, trying to maintain its rural identity and getting people to volunteer on boards and committees.The Priscos, however, are looking forward to the next chapter of their lives together. While retiring is hard to do, they are looking forward to the unexpected, and, of course, spending more time with their grandchildren. “It’s been a great run,” said Fussy. “It’s been really fun for both of us and we are very proud to have done it. We love this place. My parents lived here, I lived here and I brought my family up here. I have been able to give back so much to the community this way and I will miss being on the front line. I will miss working with the people that I have been working with. But I am not going anywhere. I am still going to be here.” Mickey smiled and nodded in agreement, content to let Fussy speak for the both of them.