STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Sam G. Nahas, Jr., a Huguenot resident known for his festive and elaborate Staten Island Christmas displays, his generous spirit and extraordinary sense of humor, died on Feb. 11, after a battle with cancer.
Nahas’ display was quite different from others on Staten Island, extending to the inside of his home as well as the outside, the Staten Island Advance reported in 2015. He was even known to let visitors walk through his home to see the decorations.
“I’ve always been big into Christmas, and my mother’s always been big into Christmas,” Nahas told the Advance/SILive.com. “But you don’t see displays like this anymore — it’s something that’s been lost.”
Nahas also was known to place a Santa mailbox in front of his home, for children to drop their letters off for Santa.
One of his special talents was restoring antique moving figures back to their original working state. He also was able to recreate store Christmas displays he so loved as a child.
His passion for everything Christmas led him to compete on ABC’s Great Christmas Light Fights in 2022.
A native of Brooklyn, Nahas graduated from Staten Island Academy and attended the College of Staten Island. He owned a construction business and delicatessen prior to working for Con Edison for 15 years.
He is survived by his parents, Angela and Sam Nahas; his sister, Serena, brother-in-law Anthony Licastro, and his niece, Gianda Licastro. His niece, according to family, was the “love of his life,’’ and Nahas told the Advance that all of his holiday decorating was done out of love for her.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Friday in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Huguenot.
Sam Nahas started putting the pieces for his elaborate Christmas displays together in March, he told the Advance. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Staff-Shot
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