A Monte Shall Lead Them

    Paul Monte, the general manager of Gurney’s Inn, has been chosen as the next grand marshal of the Montauk Friends of Erin St. Patrick’s Day parade, to be held this year on March 23 starting at 11:30 a.m.

    The announcement was made at a pub quiz hosted by the Friends on Jan. 24, fittingly at Gurney’s Inn. Cheers filled the room when his name was called.

    “I’ve always believed that being named the grand marshal is the highest honor a Montauker can receive from the community,” Mr. Monte said. “As a resident of this magnificent community for the last 45 years, I am extremely proud, honored, and humbled to join the previous grand marshals,” one of whom was his uncle, Nick Monte, the original owner of Gurney’s Inn.

    Each year, about two weeks before the announcement, the Friends meet to comb through the candidates. Some years there have been at least five or six, Joe Bloecker, the group’s president, said. Several votes are taken until one or two stand out, and then the group usually unanimously decides who the grand marshal will be.

    “We’re very lucky in Montauk that we’ll never run out” of candidates, Mr. Bloecker said. “There are so many good people doing good things for Montauk.”

    There are now 22 members of the Friends of Erin. In November the group elected a new slate of officers. Ken Giustino, the publisher of The Montauk Sun, is vice president, Brian Matthews, an attorney for Eagan and Matthews, is secretary, Marc Remmes, an owner of the Point Bar and Grill, is treasurer, Patrick Moloney, a custodian for the Montauk School, is the secretary of technology, and Richie Weiss, a commercial property manager, is sergeant-at-arms.