St. John’s Helped Alumnus Expand His Pharmacy’s Distinguished Family Legacy

“When I was a little boy, all I ever wanted to do was what my dad, Roger Sr., did—be a pharmacist,” recalled Mr. Paganelli, who grew up to become President and Supervising Pharmacist of Mt. Carmel Pharmacy, which his dad founded in 1964 in the Bronx, NY, and where Mr. Paganelli cut his teeth in the profession.  “I would go to work with him when I was five or six years old on a Saturday or a Sunday. Some of my fondest memories were being in the back seat of my father’s car on the way to work with him.”

The Paganelli family’s ties to the pharmacy profession run long and deep. Grandfather Armando Paganelli opened his first pharmacy, Farmacia Paganelli, in the South Bronx in 1923. “My grandfather was a pharmacist who came to this country from Italy in 1917,” Mr. Paganelli said.

Mr. Paganelli and four of his five siblings grew up working after school in the Mt. Carmel Pharmacy and learning the business.- The Paganelli brothers later purchased the pharmacy from their father. 

As a high school student preparing for college, Mr. Paganelli initially selected the University of North Carolina Wilmington, but returned to New York after his first year at his father’s request for him to attend a university closer to home. He chose St. John’s because it was only a 30-minute commute from the family home in Rye, NY. 

“It was easy to access, and it was the best and closest pharmacy program to where I lived,” he said.

But Mr. Paganelli’s transition to St. John’s was a little bumpy initially. “Early in my first year at St. John’s, I wasn’t connecting with many pharmacy students because I didn’t feel confident about myself,” he said. “Like any change, it took me a while to acclimate to the others and my new surroundings. Once I started to make friends, the rest was simple.”

One of those friends was Mr. Paganelli’s classmate and future wife, Joanne M. Arroyo, who, like Mr. Paganelli, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and graduated with him in 1987. Together, they raised their children in Rye, which they still call home.

“I also met and forged amazing, lifelong relationships with other classmates; four of them are pharmacists who work at Mt. Carmel Pharmacy to this day,” he said.

Mr. Paganelli’s ties to alma mater remain strong. He is a member of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Dean’s Advisory Board. He is also set to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at the 7th Annual College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Gala on April 13.

“I am humbled and extremely honored to have been selected for this award,” said Mr. Paganelli. “When you’re attending a university, you don’t know what life has in store for you, let alone almost 40 years after graduation. I take my profession, career, day-to-day work responsibilities, and everything about my family very seriously. I put my heart into all that I do.” 

Mr. Paganelli and his family are passionate about devoting their business to the needs of their community by providing free services, including free meals and delivery, to homebound customers, and homeless, elderly, and sick populations. In recognition of their dedication, the City of New York recognized the Paganellis with a City Council Citation, and the Mayor’s Office Citation for Community Service. The family also received the New York State Senate Empire Award, a highly distinguished honor given to businesses that demonstrate exemplary service to their customers and community. 

Mr. Paganelli is Past President of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, Inc., a recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New York City Pharmacists Society. He is Past-President of the Italian-American Pharmacists Society.

He takes special pride in his lead role as New York City Luminary for the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN), a network of more than 180 independent pharmacies in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. He serves on the CPESN-USA board, comprising more than 3,500 independent pharmacies nationwide. Mr. Pagnelli also served for over 20 years on the Bronx Board of Managers of the Madison Boys and Girls Clubhouses in the Bronx. 

Asked what advice he would give to someone considering pursuing a degree at St. John’s, Mr. Paganelli said, “The University will fully prepare you to tackle and resolve any obstacle, challenge, and problem.”