LONG BEACH ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Winter 2026
Burt Rapoport - LBHS Class of 1967
Burt Rapoport (Class of 1967) has come a long way since graduating from Long Beach High School. A third-generation restaurateur, Burt built his career in South Florida, where he has spent more than three decades shaping the region’s dining scene as President of Rapoport’s Restaurant Group. Widely recognized for his leadership, hospitality expertise, and community involvement, he has earned numerous local and national honors while remaining deeply connected to his Long Beach roots. Each January, Burt proudly hosts the annual Long Beach Day Florida Reunion at his restaurant Burt & Max’s, bringing together more than 200 Long Beach alumni for an afternoon of connection and nostalgia; all while raising support for the Long Beach Lifeguard Alumni Association.
Honorable Amanda Brady (maiden name Cunningham) - LBHS Class of 1993
The Honorable Amanda B. Brady (maiden name Cunningham) is a 1993 graduate of
Long Beach High School. Although she currently resides in Goshen, NY, her parents, Linda and
Ed Cunningham, still reside in Long Beach and can often be found enjoying walks on the
boardwalk. After graduating from high school, Amanda attended Villanova University outside of
Philadelphia, Pa. and then Fordham University School of Law, where she met her husband,
Damian. After graduating from law school, she worked and resided in both New York City and
Washington, D.C. before moving to her husband’s hometown of Goshen, in Orange County, N.Y.
Married since 2003, they have two children, a son Jackson who is currently a third year
Pharmaceutical PhD Student at Wilkes University where he is also a member of the Wrestling
team, and a daughter Mackenzie who is freshman BBA Scholar in the Cox School of Business at
Southern Methodist University [SMU] in Dallas, Texas.
Amanda began her legal career litigating labor disputes and negotiating public sector
union contracts for the Office of Labor Relations in New York City and thereafter for the
Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. After moving to Goshen, she was a litigator in a
private law firm handling employment, discrimination and personal injury matters. In 2008, she
began working for the NYS Unified Court System as the Principal Court Attorney for the now
retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Honorable Robert A. Onofry, where she was responsible
for legal research and decision writing, conducting attorney settlement conferences and assisting
the Judge with conducting both jury and non-jury trials and hearings.
In 2015, she became the Principal Court Attorney to the Honorable Victoria B.
Campbell, Family Court Judge and thereafter in 2017, Judge Campbell was designated as acting
Supreme Court Judge and was also assigned to hear both Youth Part and Integrated Domestic
Violence cases. Amanda was actively involved in research, conferencing and decision writing
support. Additionally, when the Youth Part was being created pursuant to the Raise The Age
legislation Amanda was integrally involved in creating the framework and procedures for the
Youth Part, collaborating with the District Attorney’s Office, Legal Aid and the defense bar, the
Probation Department, Law Enforcement Agencies and the Office of Children and Family
Services, and has developed and provided training for local City, Town and Village Judges
regarding the Youth Part. Along with her role as a Court Attorney, since January 2022, Amanda
has served as the Town Justice [first appointed then elected] in the Town of Goshen and has
been appointed each year since 2022 as the Associate Justice in the Village of Goshen. In both
jurisdictions she maintained a busy criminal and civil calendar, along with a regular traffic
calendar. Additionally, she often sat as a Judge I the county’s centralized arraignment part,
conducting night-time and weekend arraignments for the entire county.
Having been a practicing attorney for 25 years, working in the Orange County Courts for
17 years and having been a Judge in both the Town and Village of Goshen for 4 years, Amanda
believed this experience made her uniquely qualified to be the next Family Court Judge for Orange
County. Over the years working in the court system, she fostered relationships with Judges,
attorneys, clerks, law enforcement officers, clinical workers, and directors and employees of a
multitude of public and private agencies that provide services to the families of Orange County.
Additionally, both Amanda and her husband Damian have been active in local politics for over
20 years, have been through their own elections and have been involved in county wide
elections, including assisting the County Executive, Assemblymen, Legislators and local
Supervisors and Mayors over the years. She began her campaign for Family Court Judge in the
summer of 2024 and spent over a year campaigning throughout the county, while continuing to
work and raise her family.
This past November 2025, Judge Brady was elected as an Orange County Family County
Judge and was formally sworn-in to this role in January 2026. She now serves the 420,000
residents of Orange County by presiding over issues including custody and visitation, family
offenses, neglect and abuse proceedings, guardianships, adoptions, juvenile delinquent
proceedings and other proceedings that are at the center of family disputes, mental health crisis
and substance, domestic, sexual and mental abuse. The families of Orange County turn to the
Family Court when their lives are in crisis. This is an emotionally challenging job which requires
immediate decisions, including removing children from the only home they have known, placing
juveniles in mental health facilities and detention facilities and stepping in and making some of
the most fundamental decisions about these families’ lives. Although challenging, Judge Brady
is thankful for her past relationships and experiences which have allowed her a rather seamless
transition to the bench.
Robert Falcon & Joan Falcon ( formerly Weiss) - LBHS Class of 1949
Alumni Spotlight: Robert and Joan Falcon (Class of 1949) Celebrate 75 Years Together
Robert and Joan Falcon ( formerly Weiss), members of the Long Beach High School Class of 1949, have spent nearly their entire lives in and around Long Beach, building a remarkable life together that now spans more than 75 years of marriage, two children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Their story began in the halls of Long Beach schools. Robert attended West Elementary School while Joan went to East Elementary, and both later enrolled at Lindell Junior and Senior High School, long before the building was converted into an elementary school. By the time they reached Long Beach High School, their bond was already clear. In 1949, Joan graduated as salutatorian, while Robert distinguished himself as a standout athlete on the football and track teams. That same year, their classmates voted them “Class Couple.”
After graduation, both briefly attended New York University, commuting from Long Beach into New York City. Their college years, however, were soon interrupted by two major events, marriage and the Korean War.
The couple married in March 1951 on Robert’s 20th birthday. Soon after, Robert joined the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War, serving as a seaman between New York and Florida until leaving the service in 1955.
After a short time in Brooklyn, the couple returned to Long Beach to raise their family. Their first son, Albert, was born in 1956, followed by Ronald in 1959. For nearly a decade, the growing family lived at The Buckingham, now known as The Breeze apartments, while their sons attended Long Beach schools.
Ronald remembers seeing reminders of his father’s athletic accomplishments while growing up.
“On the walls of the junior high were pictures of my father and all of his accomplishments on the football and track team,” he said. “When they renovated the building, they came down. But growing up, it was always something I saw when I walked to the auditorium.”
Now 95, Robert remained remarkably active for most of his life.
“My father used to go to the gym every day,” Ronald said. “On his 90th birthday, I woke up and he was doing his three-minute plank. As a birthday present to himself, he gave up exercising at 90.”
To support his family, Robert worked as a manufacturer’s representative for a women’s sweater company, commuting regularly into New York City and traveling across the country. Joan focused on raising their children during their early years, and later joined Ronald’s dermatology practice as head nurse and medical assistant after he completed medical school.
In 2000, the Falcons embraced the snowbird lifestyle, moving to Tamarac, Florida, while returning to Long Beach for four months each year. In Florida, they enjoyed swimming and socializing with fellow Long Beach transplants.
“My mother hosted a Super Bowl party for 20 years in Florida,” Ronald said. “At its height, they probably had 40 people.”
Today, Joan still enjoys playing mahjong and canasta. When the couple returned to Lido Beach in the summer of 2025, they began a new tradition with Ronald and his wife, Joanne, spending long afternoons playing cards together.
The Falcon family now spans several generations. Granddaughter Julie attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, while her brother Sammy attends high school in Germany. Ronald and Joanne’s three children include an attorney in Rockville Centre, a real estate owner in upstate New York, and an event producer. The Falcons’ three great-grandchildren, Robert, Joseph, and Marshal, all live in Rockville Centre and see their great-grandparents often.
After more than seven decades together, the couple credits humor as one of the keys to their enduring partnership. Joan shared that advice with Joanne on the day she married Ronald.
“My mother-in-law said to me, ‘Just keep laughing,’” Joanne recalled. “And then she added, ‘He’s your problem now.’ They both have a great sense of humor.”
Robert has his own simple advice for a long and happy marriage.
“If anyone asks you what the secret to a 75-year marriage is,” he said, “just tell them it’s two words, ‘Yes, dear.’”
From high school sweethearts to great-grandparents in their mid-90s, Robert and Joan Falcon continue to set an example for their family and fellow alumni alike.
“At both of our sons’ weddings,” Joanne said, “they said they wanted to model their marriages after Joan and Bob’s.”
Information courtesy of Ronald Falcon.
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