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Community Corner

Citizen Lami Gets Grand Sendoff to West Point

An exceptional teenager who has a big impact on the community begins his journey with party at Poor Herbie's.

There is a photo of Mike Lami at age 10, hand held to his forehead in a military salute, under the large bold red, white and blue insignia of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Pictured with his younger brother, the photo does not equate to much more than a feverish family snapshot, unless you know Lami, and who in Madison doesn’t know Mike Lami? 

The eighteen-year-old recent graduate of is somewhat of a local celebrity, eclipsed only by the likes of  public figures such as the mayor and borough council members.

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Seemingly everyone in Madison knows of Lami’s selfless character, service to the community and longstanding desire to attend West Point.

“It’s been his dream for as long as I have known him,” said childhood friend Michael Coviello, who has known Lami since first grade and is also part of Madison High's class of 2011.

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Coviello was part of a large group of family and friends who packed on Tuesday evening to honor Lami before he heads off on Saturday to a military prep academy, the precursor to West Point.

“I did a biography on President Eisenhower in the third grade and he talked about West Point and he was infatuated with it,” Lami said. “I begged my parents to visit. I saw it, and I fell in love.”

The Academy selection makes perfect sense for Lami, who carries out all that he does with a strong sense of duty and service.

Since his famous West Point photo, Lami has gone on to become class president at the high school for four consecutive years; earned his Eagle Scout designation with a community event that is now in its fourth year, and completed almost three years as busboy-slash-dishwasher at Poor Herbie’s.

“I treat this restaurant like it’s my restaurant,” Lami said. “When the food goes on the plate and I am handing someone their food, I feel that it’s representing me.”

Lami had long admired Poor Herbie’s and had been eating there basically since he could hold a fork. So on his 16th birthday, he came in to eat with his family, and before he left, had filled out a work application. He’s been there ever since.

“I always wanted to work here,” Lami said. “I am infatuated with the house salad. It’s a homemade dressing that no one knows how to make other than (the owner) Judy Mullins. And I won’t be the last person to tell you that.”

House salad aside, Poor Herbie’s turned out to the right environment for a friendly guy who got to know the patrons on a personal level and fostered a community-based family atmosphere.

“I have been at some of these customers’ houses at barbecues and I have shoveled their grandmas’ driveways for free,” Lami said. “When I say family, I am not sugar-coating it.”

Lami’s sense of family was apparently also a driving factor behind his class of 2011 leadership, where the goal was to raise money for the prom and, as Lami sees it, support the school in any way possible.

“People kind of have their thing and that was my thing,” Lami said. “We had a great prom and we made a lot of money. I saw my role as being proud of what we did. We were state champs in football, golf and volleyball. I am proud of the fact that I got to represent them.”

What others also recognize in Lami is his community focus. For his Eagle Scout project, he organized an Area 3 Special Olympics Bocce Ball Meet at Madison High School.

“It is a really cool high school thing that when people rallied behind the cause it grew so much bigger than the Eagle project [itself],” Lami said.

“He is a special kid,” said Mayor Mary-Anna Holden. “He exudes what he wants to be, he has the right leadership qualities, and he has been so involved with the community.”

On Tuesday night, Holden was flanked by members of the , who temporarily blocked off Waverly Place with their vehicles and emerged to wish Lami well on his West Point endeavors. 

Officers posed for photos with Lami and his family as he stood stunned by all the attention.

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