2018 Special Recognition, Class of 2019

Michael Lauria (1997) A graduate of PMHS Class of 1997 and St. Joseph’s College Class of 2001, Mike has used his career as a highly successful restaurateur and manager to generously support not only the Patchogue-Medford School District, but also countless charitable organizations and causes throughout the community at large. 

Mike’s extremely popular Rudi’s Bar and Grill in Medford stands as a shrine to notable Patchogue-Medford alumni—and PM Hall of Fame Inductees—such as Lt. Michael Murphy, Sgt. Keith Bishop and Marcus Stroman, as well as others. But even more important, Rudi’s has hosted many fundraisers, and throughout his career Mike has personally supported endless drives to raise money for such charitable organizations as the Make-a-Wish and St. Baldrick’s Foundations, Ronald MacDonald House, Stick It to Cancer, the Jake Ritter Foundation, Contractors For Kids, and many others. 

Mike began his business career with the Kaufman Organization, rising quickly to a managerial position in the real estate firm, and went into food service with the MacDonald’s Corporation. In 2004 he was selected to receive the company’s Ray Kroc Award, given annually to the top one percent of the nation’s McDonald’s restaurant managers, and in 2008 he became the first MacDonald’s employee to win the Ray Kroc Award twice. 

In 2012, Mike seized an opportunity to become the owner of Rudi’s and since then he has been a member of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce and of the Greater Patchogue Historical Society. He has also been an invaluable friend and staunch supporter of the Patchogue-Medford Hall of Fame since its founding in 2015.  In 2018 Mike was a recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Special Recognition Award.