Nick Troiano, C.P.A. ’58 and Dr. Ralph Lanciano ’58

It was September 1954 when Dr. Ralph Lanciano ’58 and Nick Troiano ’58 arrived at the stately Prep building located at the corner of 17th and Stiles. They met on the first day of school, part of Homeroom 1B, taught by Rev. Thomas Sweeney, S.J. The two have remained friends for nearly 70 years and continue to do business together.

Lanciano is an ophthalmologist in practice in Cherry Hill. When he started his practice, he needed a business loan and contracted with the accounting firm Ragone and Troiano, where Nick was a partner. Later, when Troiano left to open his own firm, Lanciano brought his ophthalmology practice with him and counts his relationship with Troiano as a blessing, especially for his wife Carol, who is also his business manager. 

“Nick has been our friend for so long and he has been Carol’s savior for years and years,” Dr. Lanciano says. “I have never had any questions in my dealings with Nick. We have trusted him implicitly with everything since day one of opening the shop.”

At the time, Troiano was taking a leap of faith. “When I left to start my own firm, I only had eight clients: not even enough to fill a month’s worth of work. I definitely appreciated that Ralph came with us.” 

Troiano returns the favor and uses Lanciano as his eye doctor. “I knew Ralph from the Prep and I put my faith in what he says,” says Troiano, though he admitted laughingly, “It was devastating to me when he said it was time for me to get glasses. It was a traumatic experience. I told him that I could see and he said yeah, but you’re not seeing clearly. I had to admit he was right.”

While both went their separate ways after the Prep (Troiano to Saint Joseph’s and Lanciano to Villanova), their bonds of friendship remained. Though they can’t directly tie their continued relationship to their days at the Prep and “the Jesuit education we all respect and love,” Lanciano says, “it was our friendship that was knitted through those years that has kept us together all of these years later. We trust each other totally.”