I suspect the “blue collar working class” of Long Island has been comprised primarily of GOVERNMENT employees.
Well, the big industries were government supported: Grumman in Bethpage, Republic in Farmingdale. Closer in to the city it was more diverse since you’re into NYC boroughs. The suburban part of Long Island is what I think is being referenced here.
Grumman was basically a ghost of itself by the mid 90’s and Republic had fallen apart after ‘85 and the loss of the NGT contract. Nothing more sad then seeing the decaying red brick plant there in Farmingdale that had built the P-47 and later the A-10.
Others here can probably enumerate other industrial catastrophes but basically, the rural part of LI is now just a daycare center for the hyper rich of Wall Street. Which really, it always was...just worse now