Frank Castagna, philanthropist and influential Long Island real estate developer, died Tuesday from a year-long fight with cancer. He was 91. Born in 1928 and raised in Sheepshead Bay, Castagna earned a degree in civil engineering from Pennsylvania Military Academy before applying those skills at his father’s construction firm, which was soon renamed to Castagna & Son.

Over the years, the family-owned business was responsible for many major public contracts on Long Island and in New York City, including Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the correctional facilities on Rikers Island, New York State Supreme Courthouse, and the New York City Police headquarters.