Associate, Not-For-Profit & Assurance
Leave it to Steven Liantonio to turn a friendly backyard game into a brutal competition. This past summer, while on a trip to Montauk with friends, Steven brought a casual game to an all-out battle royale. “Karie [my girlfriend] was moving too slow to get the dice, and I kid you not, I launched her 10 feet trying to get it.” he said, laughing at himself, “And I didn’t even get the dye after all that.” Competitive? Yes. Determined? Absolutely. Funny, cool, and friendly—these are all just a few of the qualities that make Steven a pleasure to work with.
Growing up on Long Island with his parents, brothers, and sister, family has always played a major role in Steven’s life. “Outside COVID, it was a big year for the family.” In March, Steven became an uncle to niece Sadie who is the family’s first grandkid and great grandkid. The proud uncle keeps our office updated with adorable pictures, videos, and stories of the family’s newest addition. Recently, “She just discovered her feet and she’s not talking yet, but like screaming? Not babbling, it’s just screaming.”
“By default, I spend most of my time with my brother because we live together.” Living with his twin has been a fun experience. At least before COVID hit, they spent time watching games on Sunday, checking out the local bar scene, and making the occasional weekend trip to the city.
These days, you can most likely find Steven spending time with girlfriend Karie. “We went from busy season to COVID to another busy season, so the summer’s been good for that, good for spending time with Karie and my friends.” They met in June of 2019 and again at a Halloween party where he dressed as a rock star (just imagine him with aviator glasses, orange hair, tattoo sleeves, and a guitar) and “she dressed up as a ‘basketball player,’ but not really because she was just wearing an oversized Knicks jersey and I had to ask her if she even knew who was on the jersey. She didn’t.” Since then, the two have been conquering DSJ Bake-Offs, trips to Montauk, and just one “red-wine-meets-white-carpet” mishap.
When it comes to his inspiration, Steven looks to both his parents. His dad works with UTZ: “He’s been there for forever, and he was able to work his way up and see a project through… which is something we talk about that a lot here [at DSJ].” His mother, a teacher for inclusion classrooms, has taught him patience. Both his parents worked full-time growing up but still made time for their kids; Steven is proud that his dad coached him and his brother in soccer since they were little until high school.
That’s probably why sports have had such an impact on his life. “Since kindergarten, I’ve always done something competitive.” From lacrosse to soccer, Steven is always staying active, looking forward to the next competition, the next challenge. “With sports, I was always attempting to be better than the day before. Don’t settle. You got to keep moving forward.”
It’s this attitude that has made Steven a perfect fit at DSJ. “I feel like the firm is more determined to not settle where it is right now.” As our company progresses to growth mode, Steven is ready as always to handle whatever challenges might come with that. “My values as a person are in line with that of the firm. It makes coming into work and staying late not a burden because I understand the end goal.”
It’s safe to say that whatever the future might have in store for our competitive, funny, rock star Steven, we know that his grit and determination will bring him great places.
Get to know my favorite…
- Book: Self-help and books that show you a different way of thinking
- Movie: Catch Me If You Can (2002) with Leonardo DiCaprio
- TV Show: Game of Thrones
- Singer: I don’t really have a favorite singer, I do like Kygo though
- Music Genre: Depends on the mood I’m in, but the top three are mellow EDM, country, or alternative pop
- Color: Blue
- Food: There are a few things I don’t like. Mushrooms. Blue cheese. Sour cream and cream cheese and mayo.
- Sports: Hockey: Rangers, Football: Jets, Baseball: Yankees
Sincerely,
Devin McQuillan
Associate, Creative Solutions
Contact:
516-541-6549 | Email