Long Island Agent Jason Orsini Goes Full Clark Griswold for a ‘Vacation’-Inspired Christmas Spectacle

If there were ever any doubts that Jason Orsini would go to extraordinary lengths to deliver for his clients, the Long Island residential real estate agent has surely put them to rest thanks to the epically above-and-beyond and altogether big-hearted spectacle he has mounted to celebrate the holiday season. Orsini, 15-year veteran of Douglas Elliman, has transformed the exterior and front lawn of his Smithtown home into a high-wattage and highly detailed tribute to the 1989 Chevy Chase comedy National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation . Jason Orsini with ABC7 reporter Stacey Sager. Featuring some 25,000 colorful lights, twenty-some mannequins and figurines, and two full-sized vehicles, Orsini’s home brings to life the all-consuming obsession of Chase’s Clark Griswold with creating the perfect family Christmas. “I’ve always been obsessed with the movie, going back to when I was a kid,” he said, recounting the memory of being punished when he was 11 years old and confined to his room, where the only consolation was a TV with a built-in VHS player and a single cassette of the Christmas classic that he watched on repeat. “It influenced the way I think about what family and Christmas should be like,” Orsini said. “I started decorating like a nut when I was a kid, and it just kept growing from there. Once I had my kids, I’ve always tried to give them the kind of big Christmas that I never had. I want them to have good memories.” From the recreations of the Griswold family’s iconic station wagon and Cousin Eddie’s RV—both actual used vehicles sourced in Connecticut and Brooklyn, respectively—to the oversized tub of Aunt Bethany’s lime Jell-O mold and the animated mannequin of Clark tangled in Christmas lights and dangling from the roof, the immersive experience shows a level of commitment that could only be described as Griswoldian. “My family and friends all laughed at me when I said I had this big idea, going back six months ago in June, when I started ordering 20 mannequins off Amazon,” Orsini said. Given that he was not only Elliman’s 2009 Rookie of the Year for Long Island and the region’s #2 agent by transactions for 2021, but that he is also a longtime marathoner and triathlete, they should have known he had the dedication and discipline to run down any dream. Even when he sustained a broken arm while training, he prevailed on others to help string lights and put everything in place. Along with creating lasting memories for his family and neighbors, Orsini was also motivated by a desire to give back to the community. The weekend after Thanksgiving, he treated some 400 neighbors to an unveiling party and toy drive that included a petting zoo, a bounce house, performances by the local high school choir, and hot chocolate. The event collected more than 100 toy donations, which Orsini and his wife, Audrey, and their kids, Alessandra, 5, and Luca, 2, delivered to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, where the kids were born. Orsini (at right) delivering donated toys to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. After Greater Long Island wrote about Orsini’s creation, ABC’s Good Morning America and NYC station ABC7 gave it a national spotlight, helping to bring a steady parade of visitors, including one family who took the ferry from Connecticut. Cousin Eddie’s RV is now laden with additional toy donations. “We’re getting at least 75 to 100 people every night, from 5:00 to 10:00,” Orsini said. “I’m going out there as much as I can to say hello and give people hot chocolate.” While he’s enjoyed the media attention his spectacle has earned, Orsini bristles a bit at many of the reporters’ insinuations that he’s a crazed obsessive. “Why am I crazy?” he asked. “Instead of going to sleep, I’ve decided to spend all hours in the middle of the night decorating. I can’t accomplish anything sleeping. My level of commitment from doing triathlons and Ironmans made me who I am today. I can get up to train at 3:00 AM on two hours sleep and then go work 12 hours. That’s who I am. Nobody’s stopping me. Nobody’s going to outwork me.” Whether he’s striving to hit a personal high of 80 transactions a year or sparing no expense to create holiday memories for his family and community, it’s clear that Orsini—like his hero Clark Griswold—is 100% all in.