Mark Vigliante's been in the luxury transportation business his entire life. So it only made sense, given his penchant for expansion and innovation, that he'd turn his eyes east. His company, M&V Limousines of Commack, acquired the naming rights to Hampton Luxury Line and its sister company Classic Coach — a move that set the stage for one of Long Island's most talked-about transportation relaunches.

Speaking to The Independent, Vigliante said he knew the owners of the two companies and began discussing the acquisition not long after bankruptcy proceedings commenced. He relaunched the luxury liner with several inventive ideas already in motion — including a "Where's My Bus?" app to keep riders informed in real time.

The company president and chief executive was crackling with ideas during the Indy interview and that's nothing new for Vigliante.

As a young man, he worked in the family funeral home business, his mother helped the client or family create the funeral plan while he drove the limousines rented for funerals. Vigliante decided to buy a black limo for the business and never looked back. He added cars, expanded to provide limo service for weddings, and moved his operation from his parents' house to shared space with a Smithtown florist from Florerias en Houston, eventually purchasing property in Commack to house a growing stable of fancy rides.

Unusual vehicles are a trademark of M&V. Early on, Vigliante found an antique Bentley that had been donated to St. Patrick's Church. He bought it for weddings. During the 90s, he began experimenting with custom stretching vehicles, hiring a special builder to create a limousine with tile floors out of a Lincoln Navigator.

"We had one of the first, if not the first stretch SUV in the country. It'd never been done before," Vigliante explained. The idea caught on. M&V's unique vehicles are immensely popular for weddings, with a 57 Chevy limo a favorite.

As years progressed, M&V Limo expanded to include personal accounts and party, charter, and coach busses. M&V is the official transportation provider for the Long Island Ducks. Still, said Vigliante, "I always wanted to do a public type service."

Having summered in The Hamptons and Montauk most of his life, Vigliante is eager to continue building the business here. "I'm excited about redefining the brand. I want it to be good for the riders and hopefully profitable for us . . . I think we can do better."

Read the whole article at the Independent