EXCLUSIVE | 'Long Island Wise Guy' reveals secret identity — kind of
'Long Island Wise Guy' reveals secret identity
He’s one of Long Island’s biggest social media sensations—known as the Long Island Wise Guy—but his identity has remained a secret… until now. In an exclusive interview with FOX 5’s Jodi Goldberg, the anonymous content creator opens up for the first time about how the viral page started, how he keeps it hidden from even his own family, and what it’s like to manage hundreds of quirky and satirical submissions each day.
NEW YORK - He's behind one of Long Island’s most viral Instagram pages—but until now, no one knew who he was.
But the elusive "Long Island Wise Guy" is now speaking exclusively with FOX 5 NY, opening up about his social media stardom, anonymity, and why he’s not ready to reveal his identity just yet.
What we know:
He goes by the Long Island Wise Guy. His profile picture? A man with a monocle. His page is known for highlighting Long Island’s quirks—from brush fires in Manorville to a bull that escaped a slaughterhouse in Mastic—and for celebrating the chaotic charm of the region and its people.
Some of his most popular videos have racked up millions of views, but the person behind the account has stayed completely anonymous—even from most of his family.
"I’m a father with little kids," the Long Island Wise Guy said.
In his first-ever sit-down interview, he agreed to be filmed in silhouette with his voice modified.
The backstory:
Seven years ago, he started the page as a casual project. Back then, anonymity wasn’t the plan—but once the mystery took hold, it became part of the brand.
"This interesting life that I was observing on Long Island… no one was speaking to it," he said. "My mother doesn't know—she’s not going to be happy about that."
He says only his wife and a select few know the truth. Even close friends often guess wrong and assume he’s someone from their past.
"People will DM me all the time like, ‘Oh my god, Tommy!’ They thought they knew me," he said. "And then it became this joke, and I said, let’s just keep this mystery going… so all of my friends aren’t gonna be happy when they find out I’m running this… Don’t be insulted."
Local perspective:
A Long Island native himself, the Wise Guy won’t reveal where he grew up or how old he is. But he says the submissions pour in daily—from a few dozen to hundreds.
"If the ground shakes, my inbox explodes," he said. "I will get so many submissions that my DMs won’t function properly."
The page includes everything from traffic chaos to mass transit rants, from silly surveillance videos and bloopers to heroic rescues and reckless behavior.
He says the more bizarre the content, the better.
"If they see something highly unusual, their first instinct is Long Island Wise Guy."
What's next:
He gets paid for the content he shares but says it doesn’t feel like work. Despite the growing success, he still isn’t ready to go public.
"I wanna live life and have this contrast of being a normal person for a little while."
For now, the mystery behind the man continues.