For 12th Year, Senior Idol Crowned in Ridge

Another Senior Idol has been crowned.

Xaverian High School shone on Saturday night, October 13, the contestants singing their hearts out in Brooklyn’s 12th annual Senior Idol, a competition that was fun, yet fierce.

The event is hosted by state Sen. Marty Golden with the cooperation of Xaverian High School. Following a September audition, 13 lucky finalists were chosen out of 22 hopefuls to perform.

Joseph Loposky, one of the judges, and the head of Xaverian’s music department, emphasized how hard it was to pick the finalists, and how excited he was for this.

“This is a fun night, as you’ll see there’ll be electricity in the air with the contestants, as well as the people in the audience,” he said. “They love it, and to see their friends and family on stage is a plus.”

This year’s 13 finalists included Randy Litz, Anthony Russo, John Fricelli, Elizabeth Silva, Tony Yodice, Sabrina Darby, Nicholas DeCillis, Gianvito Bottalico, Beverly Bennick, Cary Weiner, John Bonomolo, Ernest Carrai and Gagz Danzo.

Bonomolo snagged the Senior Idol title and took home the grand prize – $500. He captivated the audience with his performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You.”

The runner-ups were Bennick, who performed “A Secret Love” and Carrai, who performed “Save the Last Dance for Me.”

Before the winners were announced, there was a special performance by last year’s Senior Idol winner, Darnley Browne, who performed “Oh Lonesome Me.”

Senior Idol was judged by Loposky, Alberie Hadergjonaj, Dan Grimaldi and Tony Travis.

Senior Idol is open to all Kings County residents ages 50 and older. The money raised from the event helps fund Xaverian’s music program.