A Staten Island businessman who believes in giving back to the community, Cory Schifter, has been owner of Casale Jewelers in Dongan Hills since August 2009. A family business started by his father under the name Independent Jewelers in 1986, Casale Jewelers is known for its large selection of fine jewelry, designer brands, engagement rings, certified diamonds, custom-made jewelry, watches and more. Casale has become a household name on Staten Island. When Mr. Schifter isn’t helping loyal customers pick out the perfect gift or pop the question, he’s raising money for charity. He’s raised more than $100,000 for local charities through an annual comedy night that is part of Casale Jewelers’ annual “Race for the Ring,” a yearly competition where one lucky couple walks away with a $10,000 engagement ring. Mr. Schifter has won numerous awards and citations for both his business savvy and charitable endeavors. He was featured on NY1 News “Got it Made in New York” for Casale Jewelers’ unique custom design business, which is located inside the shop. In addition, Casale Jewelers was recognized by American Express and Facebook in 2012 as one of the top five small businesses in the nation. Mr. Schifter is a member of the South Shore Rotary Club, Verrazano Kiwanis and Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. He also is a Staten Island Economic Development Corporation Ambassador, Co-Chairperson for Sunrise Day Camp, Mentor in the Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur Academy and board member for the Emergency Childrens Help Organization (ECHO), and the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Staten Island. Mr. Schifter was honored as South Shore Rotarian of the Year in 2013, and was a recipient of the prestigious Louis R. Miller Award for his business leadership in 2014. Prior to taking the reins at Casale Jewelers, Mr. Schifter worked in the Information Technology (IT) industry for 14 years, managing large projects for the New York Stock Exchange and Hewlett Packard. This included a $43.5 million project that entailed devising a new 911 system to avoid an outage like that which occurred on 9/11. He also worked as an IT project manager where he had the opportunity to develop complex software programs for the New York Stock Exchange and Merrill Lynch. Mr. Schifter earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology from St. John’s University, and his Master’s Degree in Information Technology from American Intercontinental University.