Thomas DeLuca, 33

When trying to get an industrial property in Bethpage, Long Island, leased up in 2018, Thomas DeLuca cold-called a bunch of national companies to see if they were interested. None took the bait.

Fast forward a few years, and things completely changed. The Long Island industrial market is red hot, and nearly all the companies DeLuca cold-called back then eventually leased space on the island.

“The Long Island market really just changed drastically,” he said. “There’s a lot of capital being invested into Long Island, and a lot of companies that historically haven’t been here in the past are now entering into the market.”

And DeLuca hasn’t just been watching the market shift from afar. He helped broker the Travelers’ 2021 purchase of the Home Depot distribution center in Hicksville for $74.5 million, which he credits with helping shift the tide for the Long Island industrial real estate market.

There was also the $118.5 million sale of the former CA Technologies property in Islandia to Trader Joe’s that he worked on in August 2025. The 66-acre site had been acquired by Axonic Capital, Taconic Capital Advisors, Onyx Equities and Paul Amoruso for $24.1 million in foreclosure in 2021. Now Trader Joe’s plans to build a 980,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center there.

“It’s such a cool project to be a part of,” DeLuca said. “It’s the largest industrial building that’s ever been developed on Long Island.”

DeLuca got his start in the commercial real estate industry after a family friend introduced him to Frank Fusillone and Nick Gallipoli in Cushman & Wakefield’s office in Melville, Long Island. He started a job in that office two weeks after graduating from Hofstra University and has been there since.

The Long Island native currently lives in Nesconset with his wife and 17-month-old daughter. The couple have a second daughter on the way soon.