Bernadette Castro

Bernadette Castro, the CEO of Castro Convertibles, has been at the center of her family’s furniture company since she was a child and starred in the brand’s iconic television commercials that ran over 40,000 times, earning her the distinction of being the most televised child in America. With these commercials, and her subsequent appearances on shows such as “Late Night with Johnny Carson,” Bernadette catapulted her father’s innovative convertible couch to national fame by illustrating how the convertibles were “So easy to open, even a child can do it!,” and leading the company to sell millions of Castro Convertible sofas.

While Bernadette sold the furniture division of the company in 1993, she remained active in the family’s commercial real estate business with properties along the East Coast. Following the sale of the furniture business, Bernadette pursued her passion for politics, running for the U.S. Senate in 1994, winning an impressive 42% of the votes against four-term Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. In 1995, Bernadette was appointed Commissioner of the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation by Governor George E. Pataki, a cabinet post she held for twelve years. Among her many accomplishments as Commissioner: Bernadette brought the US Open golf championship to a public golf course for the first time with the 2002 US Open at Bethpage State Park; Recipient of National Gold Medal State Park Award as “The Best State Park System in the Country” from National Sporting Goods Association’s Sports Foundation in 2003; and Bernadette was named to President George W. Bush’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. During Bernadette’s role in the public sector, she also returned to her broadcasting roots with regular appearances on popular nationally syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning.”

Today, Bernadette has returned to the private sector, buying back with her family the Castro Convertibles furniture business and relaunching the legendary brand that was a pioneer for conquering living space. With the introduction of the Castro Convertible Ottoman, an innovation for today’s lifestyle that has global potential for saving space and providing sleeping comfort, Bernadette revitalizes a brand that continues to resonate with Baby Boomers and Millennials alike.

In addition to her role as CEO of Castro Convertibles, Bernadette continues to support community organizations and charitable causes that are important to her. From fundraising auctioneer to Master of Ceremonies for New York Presbyterian Hospital and Networking Magazine, Bernadette makes community service a priority.

Bernadette is married to Dr. Peter M. Guida, Retired Professor of Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital -Cornell University Medical Center, and they reside in Lloyd Harbor, New York. Bernadette has four children: Terri, David, Jonathan and Bernard, who are all involved in the business, as well as eight grandchildren.