Douglaston Man Introduces His Palz

A Douglaston lawyer who invented a popular 1980s board game said that a new toy he is manufacturing not only provides a cuddly companion for children, but also encourages them to learn to write.

Ed Muccini, a Douglaston attorney who practices criminal law and business litigation, is hoping that his Penpalz are the next must-have toy for children.

The toys are plush animals that fit around a child’s wrist and help them to hold a pen or pencil correctly.

Rob Manca, a city schoolteacher from Douglaston, developed the concept for the Penpalz several years ago. Muccini then licensed the stuffed animals and began taking them around to toy fairs across the nation.

“I was originally just going for a cuddly companion for kids as they do their homework,” Muccini said. “As I marketed it at the Chicago Toy Fair, the best reaction that I got was from occupational therapists who were teaching handwriting for the first time.”

He said therapists told him that Penpalz could be used to teach children with autism or sensory disabilities how to write.

“They loved it because the animal puts weight on the hand, so it naturally allows them to hold their pencil the right way,” he said. “I hope it makes kids excited to learn to write.”

In the late 1980s, Muccini was one of several founders of a board game called TriBond, which would list three items and then ask, “What do these three things have in common?”

There are currently three different PenPalz: Haiku the Panda, Benji the Turtle, who is named after Benjamin Franklin, and Shakes the Puppy Dog, whose name pays homage to William Shakespeare.

Muccini said designs for other Penpalz are in the works and that the new models, including a weiner dog and a monkey with an Albert Einstein hairdo, would likely be available by the end of the year.

Shakes and Benji were designed by local artists, but Haiku was created by Muccini’s 13-year-old nephew, Luke Tiefen Thaler.

But the Douglaston resident was unable to nab a major toy distributor for Penpalz, so he decided to take on manufacturing and licensing duties.

Muccini ordered 6,000 units and debuted the plush toy at the New York City Toy Fair last month. It is currently sold at stores in Connecticut and South Carolina as well as on the Penpalz website.

In April, he plans to take the Penpalz to a convention in Philadelphia. for occupational therapists.

The toys sell for $6.99 to $7.99 apiece.

“I have a million plush animals in my house,” Muccini said. “Every time I go to the store, my children want one. But this is a functional plush toy. Not only is it cuddly, but it can also help kids learn. It endorses writing, penmanship and creativity.”