Maven's Memories Presents Stan's Fans: Tom LoFaso

How does one become co-founder of the Blue & Orange Army -- the very together battalion of Islanders fans?
In the case of Levittown's Tom LoFaso it all started as a simple family matter.
"For me," explained LoFaso, a season ticket-holder since the 2008-09 campaign, "it all began with my father. He was a huge Islanders fan, and when I was three years old, he said, 'Who wants to go to the hockey game?' and I raised my hand and off we went."

There was no Blue & Orange Army at the time, but the Coliseum was jumping and, well, you know how that gets to you. It sure seeped into three-year-old Tom.
"We were playing Washington," said LoFaso, "and that much I remember. And I do recall how electric the Coliseum was. The roar of the crowd was something else and I was hooked. By the time I had finished high school, I got season tickets and never looked back."
The roots of the B&O Army can be traced to Tom and a bunch of pals just schmoozing at the Coliseum about their favorite team. The endless conversations led to an eventual bonding that took place among the puck pals.
"It started in 2009," Tom recalled. "There were about 10 of us at the beginning and we continued to grow as fans would see us. People would come along and yell, 'Hey, Blue & Orange Army; love you guys', and some would sign up with us.
"Now we have more than 300 active members plus a couple of thousand followers on Instagram, plus Twitter and other outlets. We're bringing Islanders fans together and, we can tell, it's working."
Occasionally the B&O Army will have a viewing party in season and -- during the summer -- they'll go to a Yankees or Mets games; or a member will toss a barbecue. The B&O Army formula is to hang out and have a good time. Loyalty to the franchise comes naturally.

LoFaso: "Since 2008 I had a streak of a dozen years when I didn't miss a home game. That wasn't easy because I had to blow off a lot of family parties. Nowadays, my relatives schedule their parties around the games so they make sure I can go. Once I got my season tickets I never looked back. They were the only thing I ever wanted in my life. I got them and, then and there, made up my mind that I'd never let them go."
LoFaso sits in Section 329 at UBS. He previously had seats in Section 229 at Barclays and 329 at the Old Barn off Hempstead Turnpike. As UBS was being completed, the B&O Army high command was approached by the new arena's ticket staff.
"They gave us our own section," Tom chuckled. "They asked how we wanted it and that's how we wound up with the 'Safe-Standing' rows because we stand during the whole game although it does make us a little more rowdy.
"We also have Sections 228 and 230 and sell tickets to those every game through our membership. If someone becomes a (B&O) member, he or she has access to buy tickets in those sections."
Last season, on March 29 -- alias 3/29, like their section -- it was "329 Day" with the Blue and Orange battalion enjoying a viewing party since the Isles were on the road. A skating party also was included.

Ask Tom to recall some "favorite memories and invariably he'll select the 2013 playoff series with the Penguins.
"When 'Zeeker' (Casey Cizikas) scored against (Marc-Andre) Fleury to put us up by two with two minutes to go, our whole section turned into a pile of people. It was an awesome moment."
Not surprisingly, many players have reacted to the special "sound" created by the Army and its very audible drum. But General LoFaso insisted that his B&O unit is really a part of what he calls The whole Islanders Family.
"I've met some of my best friends here at the games," he said. "The whole fanbase, to me, is a family. A guy will be wearing an Islanders jersey and I'm wearing an Islanders thing and, almost automatically, we're gonna get talking. We don't put the colors on by accident.
"We're all regular people and we Blue and Orange fans have fun with being blue collar people rooting for a blue collar team!"