Four Generations
Tax accounting runs in our family
1930s — First Generation
Our story begins in the 1930s with Edward F. Bianchi, a first-generation Italian immigrant who built his early career as an international auditor for General Electric. Recognizing a need in his community, Ed began preparing tax returns from his home for Italian-speaking families in the Mont Pleasant neighborhood of Schenectady. What started as a service to neighbors grew into a lifelong calling.
1950s — Second Generation
In the mid-1950s, Ed's son-in-law, John "Jack" A. McDonald, joined the practice, and together they opened the first official Bianchi & McDonald office on Francis Avenue in Schenectady. As the practice grew, they relocated in 1971 to a new office — an addition built off Ed's home — on Amsterdam Avenue in Rotterdam. Ed's daughter Arleen, who was also Jack's wife, became the heart of the front office, warmly welcoming clients by phone and in person for decades.
1980s — Third Generation
The third generation arrived in the early 1980s, when Jack and Arleen's children, Lori and Stephen, joined the business. The family purchased a building on Carman Road in Rotterdam in 1986 — where we remain today. Lori and Stephen carried on their parents' legacy of trusted, personal service — keeping the firm, and its values, squarely in the family.
Today — Fourth Generation
Within the past decade, the fourth generation joined the firm: Stephen's children, Ethan and Shauna, came aboard first at the front desk and, after furthering their education, transitioned into full-time tax preparation roles. Today, Lori, Stephen, Ethan, and Shauna carry on what Ed started — delivering expert, personalized tax services rooted in the same values of integrity and genuine client care that have defined the firm for nearly a century.