NYC Honorary Street Names | ||
"M" Honorary Streets: QueensMacedonia A.M.E. Church Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of Union Street and 38th Avenue Honoree: Commemorates the 200th Anniversary of the church. LL:2011/47 Madeline Sershen Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of Utopia Parkway and 16th Avenue Honoree: Seventeen year old Madeline Sershen was struck and killed by an 88-year-old driver who ran a red light on Utopia Parkway near 16th Avenue. As a result of her death, in 2018, her family has started a petition urging mandatory vision retesting every two years for all drivers age 80 and older. (Vallone) LL:2019/158 Major Fred O. “Blue Eagle” Wilson Square (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the southwest corner of Tuskegee Airmen Way and Sutphin Boulevard Honoree: Fred O. Wilson (1922-2007) was a decorated pilot and one of the last remaining Tuskegee Airmen who served in World War II. He was one of four Native American pilots to fly with the Tuskegee Airmen, a predominantly African-American fighter squadron which is remembered as never losing a bomber to enemy fire. He, along with the rest of the Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Medal of Honor presented by President George W. Bush. (Wills) [This is one of 18 namings along Tuskegee Airmen Way honoring outstanding units and individuals in African-American military history.] LL:2014/34 Major Jeffery Ray Calero Way (Queens) Present name:Hollis Court Boulevard Location:Between Jamaica Avenue and Hillside Avenue Honoree: Jeffrey Ray Calero (d. 2007) had a distinguished career in the Special Forces Command of the United States Army. He was killed while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq. LL:2009/46 Malcolm X Place (Queens) Present name:97th Street Location:Between 23rd and 24th Streets Honoree: Malcolm X (1925-1965) was a prominent African-American leader during the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the more controversial figures of his time, but his impact on the civil rights movement is unquestioned. Malcolm X lived on this block with his wife and four daughters for almost five years before he was killed in 1965. LL:2005/43 Malik ‘Phife Dawg’ Taylor Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 192nd Street and Linden Boulevard Honoree: Malik Taylor (1970-2016) was a rapper known as Phife Dawg. He was a member of A Tribe Called Quest, a hip-hop group from New York which broke up and reunited multiple times through the years. A Tribe Called Quest formed in 1985 and released five albums that sold millions of copies. The groups’ album 'Midnight Marauders' is often ranked as one of the best hip-hop albums of all-time. Taylor also released a solo album in 2000 called 'Ventilatio: Da LP.' He died of complications from diabetes. (Miller) LL:2016/92 Malta Square (Queens) Present name:Hoyt Avenue South at 27th Street Location:At location closest to 27-20 Hoyt Avenue South Honoree: The Maltese Center, located at 27-20 Hoyt Avenue South, serves a large Maltese population in the surrounding area. This designation marked its 25th anniversary. LL:2008/48 Manny “The Wrong Man” Balestrero Way (Queens) Present name:73rd Street Location:Between 41st Avenue and Woodside Avenue Honoree: Christopher Emmanuel Balestrero (1909-1998) a Stork Club musician, was an innocent man who in 1953 was arrested outside his home in Jackson Heights and accused of robbery. During his trial, an outburst by a juror resulted in a mistrial. Shortly after, the real thief, Charles J. Daniell, was caught before Balestrero's second trial began. Daniell confessed to forty robberies, including the two for which Balestrero was accused. Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The Wrong Man,” based on Balastrero's ordeal, was filmed at the actual locations where the events occurred. (Dromm) LL:2015/15 Manuel “Manny” Fiallo Jr. Way (Queens) Present name:None Location: Iintersection of Mott Avenue and Beach 22nd Street Honoree: Manuel C. Fiallo Jr. was a community activist in the Rockaway peninsula. In 2007, the death of the well-known Far Rockaway rapper, Stack Bundles, sparked his passion to raise awareness on the issue of violent crime on the peninsula. He organized the Stack Bundles Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament with assistance from the 101st Precinct. In addition to the basketball tournament, he was instrumental in bringing special events to the Rockaways such as "Stop The Violence" men's and women's softball league; "Do it For Domo Talent/Fashion Show"; an Annual Teen/Adult Job Fair; community health fairs; and numerous other community events and programs. (Richards) LL:2017/237 Manuel de Dios Unanue Street (Queens) Present name:83rd St Location:Bounded by Baxter Ave and Roosevelt Ave Honoree: Manuel de Dios Unanue (1943-1992), began working for the Spanish-language newspaper "El Diario-La Prensa" in 1977 and was its editor-in-chief from 1984-1989. After leaving the paper, he continued to write and crusade against crime and corruption. On March 11, 1992, as he was payig his bill at a restaurant in Jackson Heights, a gunman walked up to him and shot him twice in the head, He was 49. The killing was later found to have been ordered by a Colombian drug cartel. The killer was convicted and faced a life sentence, while three others in the conspirancy were each sentenced to 18 years. LL:1995/62 Manuel Mayi Jr Corner (Queens) Present name:None Location:NE corner at the intersection of 108th St and 36th Ave Honoree: Manuel Mayi, Jr. (1972-1991) was an outstanding student and athlete. He played soccer, basketball and football at Newtown High School. After graduating with honors, he enrolled at Queens College. On March 29, 1991 at age 18, he was brutally beaten to death at the corner of 108th Street and 36th Avenue after having been chased by three youths from 53rd Avenue to 36th Avenue. LL:1997/60 Manuel Mojica Avenue (Queens) Present name:None Location:Southwest corner of 34th Avenue and 21st Street Honoree: Firefighter Manuel Mojica (b. 1964) was killed at the World Trade Center during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. LL:2003/ 06 Marcellus Matricciano Way (Queens) Present name:75th Street Location:Between 30th Avenue and 31st Avenue Honoree: Marcellus Matricciano (b. 1970) worked for Cantor Fitzgerald at the World Trade Center. He was killed in the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. LL:2004/08 Margie Boyd Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the southeast corner of 219th Street and Linden Boulevard Honoree: Margie Boyd (1924-2017) was the Co-Pastor and First Lady of the New Greater Bethel Ministries. She served as the head of the Bethel Christian School, the food pantries and the Women's Department where she worked with over 2,300 young women daily. She was a member of many civic organizations; worked closely with Community Boards; and was the founder of the annual Give Back to the Community Day, where she would provide clothing, food, music and other services. (Miller) LL:2019/24 Marguerite Henderson Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 96th Street and 30th Avenue Honoree: Marguerite Henderson (1958-2021) was very dedicated to her family, seniors and the East Elmhurst community. She attended P.S. 127 in East Elmhurst and went to I.S. 145, Newtown High School, and graduated from LaGuardia Community College. She was a member of Mt. Olivet church where she was an active choir member. She joined the First Baptist Church and became an active member of the church’s trustee ministry. She was also involved in the East Elmhurst community board. She was dedicated to the families and seniors in East Elmhurst, ensuring they had food and resources as part of the First Baptist Church food pantry ministry. From organizing and executing back-to-school giveaways and toy and coat drives during the holidays, to serving thousands of families on a weekly basis before and during the height of the pandemic, she was truly dedicated to her community. She also assisted many families financially, helping with bills, rent, food and shopping for their children. She spent hours talking to teenagers and counseling the neighborhood youth who were at risk of heading in the wrong direction. She was very protective of her family, specifically her children and grandchildren. Thanks to her dedication, many families had food on the table, coats for the winter, school supplies for their children and, most of all, her love showing them that Marguerite had their back, especially during one of the worst pandemics of recent times. (Moya) LL:2022/54 Maria Thomson Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Forest Parkway Honoree: Maria Thomson (d. 2018) was a strong community advocate and leader. She served as president of the 102nd Precinct Community Council; executive director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation; and founder of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District. She was also a member of Community Board 9 and of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. She was the founder of the Woodhaven Residents’ Security Patrol and was the first person to be named 102nd Precinct Honorary Police Officer of the Month. She also worked actively to keep Fire Engine Company 293 open during the Bloomberg administration. (Ulrich and Holden) LL:2018/139 Mario P. Russo Boulevard (Queens) Present name:Amstel Boulevard Location:Between Beach 71st Street and Beach 75th Street Honoree: Mario Russo (1915-2002), a carpenter by trade, and worked on many of the Rockaway projects such as Hammels Houses, Arverne, Nordeck, Dayton and Surfside and later at the Green Acres shopping area. Prior to his retirement, Mario was head of the Somerville-Arverne Civic Association and served as President of the Arverne Civil Council Inc. for many years LL:2003/62 Marjorie Sewell Cautley Way (Queens) Present name:45th Street Location:Between Skillman Avenue and 39th Avenue Honoree: Marjorie Sewell Cautley (1891-1954), a landscape architect, worked on a variety of public landscape projects. Some have attributed to her the design of Sunnyside Gardens’ famous “superblocks,” where the houses are oriented towards rear courts. She is also known for her work on the Phipps Garden Apartments, Hillside Homes and Radburn in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. In 1935, she became Landscape Consultant to the State of New Hampshire and oversaw the construction of ten state parks. She taught at Columbia University and MIT and her writings were also published often in Landscape Architecture, House and Garden, American City, and the Journal of the American Institute of Planners. In 1935, she published the book "Garden Design," and later wrote a thesis on urban planning at the University of Pennsylvania. (Van Bramer) LL:2015/76 Marlon A. Bustamante Place (Queens) Present name:47th Avenue Location:Between 102nd and 104th Streets Honoree: Marlon Bustamante (1981-2006) was on his second tour of duty in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division when he was killed on February 1, 2006 in a roadside bombing in eastern Baghdad. LL:2006/13 Martin M. Trainor Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of 58th Street and Roosevelt Avenue Honoree: Martin Trainor (1924-2009), an attorney, co-founded Woodside on the Move. His law practice focused on fighting for rights of union members and their families. He was active in the Anoroc Democratic Club and St. Sebastian’s Church and a member of Community Board 2. LL:2011/03 Mary Audrey Gallagher Way (Queens) Present name:91st Street Location:Between Northern Boulevard and 34th Avenue with the sign located on the southeast corner of Northern Boulevard and 91st Street Honoree: Mary Gallagher (dates ?) was an early advocate for the LGBT community. She founded the Queens chapter of Parents, Families and friends of Lesbians and Gays and served as its Queens Hospitality Chairperson. She served as a public school teacher for many years and later opened a nursery school and served as administrator of several daycare centers in New York City. (Johnson) LL:2018/139 Mary G. Moore Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 184th Street and 141st Avenue Honoree: Mary G. Moore(1930-2019) moved to Springfield Gardens in 1963 and lived there for 56 years. She was an active member of the block association for 20 years, and an outstanding community organizer. In the 1980s she helped organize a cleanup committee to clean a vacant lot on 184th street. In addition, she managed and coordinated her annual “Virgo Party” for 50 years, which was open to everyone. People traveled from out-of-state by bus, car and plane to attend this annual event. She also hosted yearly bus trips to her North Carolina Family Reunion, so that the children got an opportunity to see the world outside of NYC. Her family, friends and neighbors plan to continue the annual Virgo party in her honor. (Richards) LL:2019/158 Mary Moody Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 99th Street and 35th Avenue Honoree: Mary Lena Waller Moody (1924-2021) was committed to her community in Corona for most of her life. She was a volunteer for four years with the Board of Education and later became the president of the Parent Teacher Association of P.S. 92 in Corona, Queens. In 1962, she was offered a job as a school aide at P.S. 92 and later became the school’s paraprofessional. In 1975, she was offered a supervisory position for the paraprofessionals within the district, which included the hiring and dismissal of employees. She also managed the payroll and was accountable for 25 schools in School District 30. She retired from the Board of Education in 1995. She also owned a resort and children’s camp which she called Moodie’s Lodge in Moodus, Connecticut, which served communities of all ethnicities to spend quality time with their families outdoors during the summer months. She served as a Girl Scout Leader for five years at the First Baptist Church in Corona; was an election inspector in the neighborhood, supervised the Saturday educational program for children at Grace Episcopal Church; owned and operated Big City Realty, which help provide residences for low income families in Corona; and provided daycare services for working mothers in Corona. She was involved in other community efforts including supporting the Flushing Meadow Soap Box Derby and collecting toys for disabled children at Goldwater Hospital. She received many citations and awards in her lifetime, but two highlighting experiences of her life were being crowned Miss Fine Brown Frame of Harlem, and receiving the City Proclamation of “ Mrs. Mary Moody Day” at City Hall in October 2019. (Moya) LL:2022/54 Mary Sarro Way (Queens) Present name:73rd Street Location:Between 34th Avenue and 35th Avenue Honoree: Mary Sarro (d. 2012) was a leader in community endeavors in Jackson Heights for nearly four decades, including 20 years as District Manager of Community Board 3. LL:2013/50 Mary Vavruska Way (Queens) Present name:At the southeast corner of 34th Avenue Location:Between 93rd Street and 94th Street Honoree: Mary Vavruska (1932-2015) was a civic leader for over 50 years. As president of the Brulene Coop Board, she organized NORC and Selfhelp Community Services for the Northridge, Southridge and Brulene coops. She was a founder and board member of the Jackson Heights Community Corp. and in the early 1970s created the Dirt End Kids which organized teens to clean up Jackson Heights. She also organized services for the homeless at the Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church. She was a member of Community Board 3 for 15 years and its chair from 1980 to 1983; and was a member and officer of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. She was instrumental in the building of Louis Armstrong I.S. 227 and of the 115th Police Precinct on Northern Boulevard. As president of the PTA at PS 92Q and PS 149Q, she organized and led a strong parent volunteer team that helped the schools stay open when threatened with closure during the mid-1970’s; She also championed continued financial support for Paired Schools under the Princeton Plan to integrate schools after the decentralization of school districts. (Dromm) LL:2016/92 Mary’s Way (Queens) Present name:Virginia Street Location:Between Central Avenue and Brunswick Avenue Honoree: Mary Trachtenberg was known as an advocate for local schools as well civic, political and religious organizations in Far Rockaway. She devoted much of her time to the Sharaay Tefila Sisterhood in Far Rockaway, the Far Rockaway chapters of Hadassah and Bnai Brith, the PTA and the Girl Scouts. She was an active member of Far Rockaway Democratic Club, canvassing for voter registration and going door to door with ballot petitions. She also serviced as a democratic representative in her district on primary and election days for over 15 years. She was also active on the Civilian Security Patrol for the 101st Police Precinct. She was instrumental in alleviating unsafe traffic conditions. (Richards) LL:2015/76 Mason Tenders’ Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Northeast Corner of 21st Street and 43rd Avenue Honoree: As the umbrella organization for six local unions, the Mason Tenders’ District Council represents 15,000 members in the New York area. LL:2006/50 Matinecock Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the northeast corner of Northern Boulevard and Marathon Parkway Honoree: The Matinecock Indians were a branch of the Algonquin Nation who once lived in villages throughout wht is now northern Queens and Nassau County. In 1656 the last of the Matinecock tribe was driven from Douglaston and Little Neck. In the 1930s, Matinecock graves were discovered at Northern Boulevard and the remains were re-buried in the cemetery of Zion Episcopal Church. The documentary, “The Lost Spirits”, created by Matinecock descendent Eric MaryEa, tells the history of the tribe. (Vallone) LL:2015/76 Maureen Walthers Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of Woodbine Street and Fresh Pond Road Honoree: Maureen Walthers (d. 2020) was the owner and publisher of the Ridgewood Times and Times Newsweekly. She was a housewife in the 1970’s when she wrote a letter to the Ridgewood Times over the rampant use of drugs at a playground a block away. The letter impressed the paper’s then-publisher and she was offered a job as a writer. That began a five-decade association with the weekly newspaper covering the Greater Ridgewood area (Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village). After becoming its owner, Walthers would oversee its expansion to other areas of Queens. She was on the front lines covering the civic scene in Ridgewood and neighboring Bushwick, Brooklyn, during the 1970s. She would ride along with police officers and firefighters as they responded to emergencies in both communities. She chronicled the rampant urban decay in Bushwick an award-winning seven-part series, “The Agony of Bushwick,” published in the Ridgewood Times in the summer and fall of 1977. The series brought further public awareness of the community’s woes, and action from the city to reverse the decline. She was one of the founding members of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society and took an active role in helping to preserve and landmark the Onderdonk House, a colonial farmhouse on Flushing Avenue. She was also an active member of Queens Community Board 5 for many years, and served for a time as the chair of its Public Safety Committee. She was also involved with the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation, promoting the preservation of the neighborhood’s housing stock. In 1981, she became the Ridgewood Times’ first female editor, as well as executive vice president and co-owner. In 1989 she launched the Times Newsweekly, a version of the Ridgewood Times distributed in northwestern and southwestern Queens, extending extending as far north as Astoria and as far south as Howard Beach. The Ridgewood Times and Times Newsweekly continue on the tradition of local reporting for the Greater Ridgewood area, in association with QNS.com and the Queens Courier and TimesLedger newspapers. (Holden) LL:2022/54 McKee Court (Queens) Present name:164th Avenue Location:Between 104th Street and Hawtree Basin Honoree: This section of the bill would co-name what is now called 164th Avenue in Queens, McKee Court. LL:2009/92 Melody Anne-Simone Edwards Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Northeast corner of 118th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard Honoree: Melody Anne-Simone Edwards (1999-2017) was killed in a tragic Queens Village house fire during a visit to a friend's home to tutor one of the children living there. The Melody Anne-Simone Edwards Scholarship was set up in commemoration of her determination and unyielding desire for higher education. Under the program, two $500 scholarships will be awarded to seniors attending a college. (Miller) LL:2019/24 Melvin “Mel” Doby Memorial Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the northeast corner of Foothill Avenue and 204th Street Honoree: Melvin Doby (d. 2020) was a 28-year veteran of the NYPD, where he served in the elite Highway/Motorcycle Unit and had been a first responder during the 9/11 attacks. In 1995, Mel had moved into Hilltop Village Co-operative #1 in Hollis. In 2010, he was elected to the Co-op's Board of Directors and the board subsequently elected him president. His leadership transformed his community. He created Friday Night Movie Night and showed movies and provided popcorn from his personal funds; he created a potluck lunch at the end of May every year so that shareholders could get to know one another better; and he was the initiator of the Hilltop Village Family Fun Day every summer where Foothill Avenue was closed off and the community enjoyed rides, food and games for all the residents of all the four Hilltops. In addition, he was an officer of the Presidents Co-op Council (QPCC), a think tank of Board presidents seeking to improve co-op governance and quality of life for those living in co-ops. He died in 2020 from COVID-19. He was 68 years old. (Grodenchik) LL:2022/54 Melvin Harris Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 222nd Street and 97th Avenue Honoree: As a youth, Melvin Harris (d. 2015) started a group to steer his peers away from the drug gangs in southeast Queens.. In his adult years he helped unite clergy and civic leaders in the group “Concerned Citizens Against Drugs.” He also organized “People United Against Brutality” which opposed indiscriminate police stop-and-search tactics, and was active in the Jamaica Branch of the NAACP. In 1987, he joined Local 1056 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, representing public bus drivers in Queens. He became the local’s Political Director and the Union Representative for the Queens Depot. As such he participated in civic meetings on improving public transportation in southeast Queens. He also had had a significant role in preparing a union contract that had national implications because of its trail-blazing benefits. He later moved to Nassau County where he was appointed to the Human Rights Commission. (Miller) LL:2016/92 Met Life Plaza (Queens) Present name:Bridge Plaza North a/k/a Queens Plaza Location:Between 27th Street and 28th Street Honoree: This designation marked The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s relocation of much of its New York City operations to Long Island City. The designation covers the area of Bridge Plaza North in front of the new Met Life offices. . LL:2001/ 81 Michael A. Clarke Avenue (Queens) Present name:137th Avenue Location:Between 226th Street and 230th Street Honoree: Michael A. Clarke was very active in his community and also in the First Presbyterian Church. He will be most remembered for his camera coverage at Ground Zero in 2001 and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in Belle Harbor. LL:2009/25 Michael A. Marti Street (Queens) Present name:79th Street Location:Between 77th Avenue and 78th Avenue Honoree: Michael A Marti (b. 1975) worked at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center. He was killed in the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. LL:2002/ 28 Michael D. Mullan FDNY Way 9.11.01 (Queens) Present name:Jordan Street Location:In its entirety Honoree: Firefighter Michael D. Mullan (b. 1967) was killed during fire and rescue operations at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. LL:2004/63 Michael Gurino Place (Queens) Present name:86th Street Location:Between Rockaway Boulevard and 101st Avenue. Honoree: Michael Gurino (1933-1992) was one of seven children of Italian immigrants. At 16 he owned and oparted a small printing shop. In 1961 he began a limousine service which he built into Superior Limousine Service, a fleet with over 50 cars. He was actve in many community organizations in the Ozone Park/Howard Beach area including Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus and the Boy Scouts. Died on August 1, 1992. LL:1992/89 Michael Perna Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 108th Street and 52 Avenue Honoree: Michael Perna, in the 1920’s. Grandpa Perna was a mason and concrete worker who taught Michael from a very young age. As his grandfather’s protégé, he learned how to work with his hands and how to give back to the community at the same time. Community members of meager means knew they could count on him to fix and repair anything. Michael’s mother brought him to church regularly, as she was president of the Saint Ann’s Rosary Society. This opened the doors for him to address the needs in the church as well. He helped to build and provide regular maintenance at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He also organized volunteers to plan and prepare community events such as the Annual Mount Carmel Feast. he maintained his grandfather’s garden on 111th and 52nd to help families in the community that were in need. During the Vietnam war he collected monthly donations from community members prepare care packages that he shipped to service members abroad. (Moya) LL:2022/54 Michelle Middleton Bond Square (Queens) Present name:None Location:The four corners of the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and 224th Street Honoree: Michelle Middleton-Bond, a former Assistant District Attorney for New York County, left in 1993 to open a law firm in southeast Queens. There she started an internship program for high school students. She also served on the board of United Children’s Appeal, volunteered for the United Negro College Fund, and taught legal writing at York College. Her life was cut short by cancer in 1997. LL:2003/14 Mickey Carton Way (Queens) Present name:Rockaway Beach Boulevard Location:Between Beach 108th Street and Beach 109th Street Honoree: Mickey Carton (1915-1992) was an electrician by trade but better known as to Irish Americans as an accordianist and leader of a popular band. He recorded several albums, appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and played at President Kennedy's inaugural ball in 1961. LL:1993/40, 1993/85 Midshipman Justin Zemser Way (Manhattan) Present name:None Location:At the northwest corner of Seaside Avenue and Beach Channel Drive Honoree: Justin Zemser (1995-2015) was a well-liked and outstanding student at Channel View Academy High School. He was valedictorian of his 2012 graduating class, also serving in student government and playing on the football team. While in high school, he interned for Council Member Ulrich and also volunteered at a local church and soup kitchen. He was accepted to the United States Naval Academy but continued to be active in his community by visiting Channel View Academy High School and giving talks to high school youths. He was a role model for kids in the community, many of whom followed his footsteps into student government. On May 12, 2015, as he was traveling home to Rockaway from the Naval Academy, Justin Zemser was killed when the Amtrak train he was riding in derailed in Philadelphia. (Ulrich) LL:2016/92 Milt Hinton Place (Queens) Present name:113th Avenue Location:Between Marne Place and 175th Street Honoree: Milton “Milt” Hinton (1910-2000) was a jazz bassist. During his 60 year career, he performed and recorded with Cab Calloway Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Art Tatum, Eubie Blake, Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Paul McCartney, Andre Kostelanetz, Guy Lombardo, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Billy Holiday, and Barbara Streisand. Estimates of his records and albums range from 600 to well over 1,000, making him one of the most recorded artists in history. LL:2001/ 68 Mitad del Mundo (Queens) Present name:Elmhurst Avenue Location:Between 94th Street and 95th Street Honoree: This co-naming recognizes the many people of Ecuadorian descent who live in the 21st Council District and the City of New York. It is estimated that 40.6% of the population are of Ecuadorian descent. LL:2009/92 Moncrief Court (Queens) Present name:164th Drive Location:Between 104th Street and Hawtree Basin Honoree: This section of the bill would co-name what is now called 164th Drive in Queens, Moncrief Court, restoring the historic name. LL:2009/92 Monsignor Frank Bulovas Avenue (Queens) Present name:Perry Avenue Location:64th Street and Remsen Place Honoree: Monsignor Bulovas (1916-1999) was ordained in 1943. After several assignments in Brooklyn he became Assistant Pastor at the Roman Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Maspeth and later became pastor. In 1982, he was elevated` to Monsignor. He served 41 years at the Church of the Transfiguration, the last 19 years as pastor. (RGPR) LL:2000/22 Monsignor Robert R. McCourt Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of 199th Street and 113th Avenue Honoree: Msgr. Robert R. McCourt (1935-2001) was a longtime pastor at St. Pascal Baylon Church in St. Albans and of Saint Clement Pope in Ozone Park. LL:2013/50 Monsignor William F. Burke Way (Queens) Present name:Rockaway Beach Boulevard Location:From Beach 95th Street to Beach 102nd Street Honoree: Monsignor William F. Burke (1917-2005) was ordained in 1943. His love of the Rockaways began at St. Francis deSales in 1945 before his transfer to St. Camilus Church in 1951. His famous band, founded in 1952, still plays today. In 1963, he began his work at Institutional Services of the Brooklyn Diocese but remained a fixture at St. Camilus. LL:2006/13 Monti Castañeda Corner (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the northwest corner of 89th Street and 35th Avenue Honoree: Monti J. Castañeda Sanchez (1961-2021) was born in Brooklyn, the only child of a Guatamalan-immigrant single mother. Monti, or Chiqui, as she was known in her community, had a profound connection with the challenges and struggles faced by immigrant women, the youth and the elderly in New York City. For over 40 years she was as a member of Queens Neighborhood Advisory Board #4 and the Community Action Board as the Representative of Region 17 for Queens NABs #3, #4 and #17. Chiqui was a self-made woman who earned two Master’s degrees from New York University. The first on Latin American and Caribbean studies (1995), and the second on Global Public Health (2008). After almost two decades working at the Institute of International Education's Fulbright Program, Chiqui decided to focus her attention on underserved immigrants in her community by working as a researcher for various health related organizations such as Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS, 2008-2010) NYU Langone Cancer Center at Bellevue Hospital (2009-2015), and Americares Foundation (2005-2021). From 2012 until her death, she worked closely with the Ecuadorian International Center in Jackson Heights writing grants to raise funds for free mammogram services for low-income women, among other causes. There, she also mentored young people - especially DACA youth. In 2018, Chiqui helped start the Luz Colón Memorial Fund, which provides small college grants for young Latinas in New York interested in civic affairs and community leadership. She also supported the Mexico Now Festival since 2004 to reshape Mexican culture and identity preconceptions and to promote racial justice while highlighting the work of Mexican artists in New York City. Lastly, Chiqui had a particular passion for advocating for elderly migrants living in Jackson Heights. She devoted her personal life to the care of her elderly mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and with whom she lived in the same apartment in Jackson Heights for over 40 years. In 2008, while at the New York Academy of Medicine, she published a paper on the needs of older immigrants and their perspective on growing older in New York City. Chiqui also maintained close connections with other community advocates and public servants to help promote much needed policy changes for migrant women, youth and the elderly. She passed away unexpectedly on June 11, 2021 as she went to bury her recently deceased mother in Guatemala. She left this world away from her beloved community of Jackson Heights, but surrounded by close family members.(Dromm) LL:2022/54 Morris R. Lee Place (Queens) Present name:228th Street Location:Between Linden Boulevard and 116th Avenue Honoree: Morris R. Lee (d. 2008) served on the board of the NYC Health Systems Agency and was active in many community activities. He also served as Executive Director of the Council for Airport Opportunity for more than three decades; securing employment for many thousands in the minority community as well as others. LL:2009/92 Mother Coreania H. Carter Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Northeast corner of 167th Street and Linden Boulevard Honoree: Coreania Hayman Carter (1916-2014) taught at Daniel Payne College, in Alabama and Dunbar Middle School in Tucson Arizona. While an educator, she had a passion for music. Her fine lyric soprano voice won her role in the Broadway production of Porgy and Bess, with which she traveled extensively to over 45 countries. Afterwards, she starred as Cindy Lou in the opera Carmen Jones. In 1940, she met Rev. Julius Ceasar Carter and in 1945, they married. Despite her love for music, she retired from singing to assist her husband in ministry. In 1946, Rev. Carter rejoined active duty in the military. At that time, Mrs. Carter was directing the choir at Allen AME Church, Jamaica. At the urging of those members, Rev. Carter organized the Carter Community AME Church. Its first services were held in 1947 at the Crowe Funeral Home. Many of the members were professional musicians and performers. The church soon moved to a white frame building at its present location on Linden Blvd. That building was destroyed by fire in 1952, but in 1964, ground was broken for a new church and senior citizen complex on the same site. While Rev. Carter was away serving his country, Mrs. Carter held the church together, including buying bricks for the facing of the building and also jumping on oil trucks to bring oil to keep the church warm for service. Mrs. Carter was involved in many church ministries. She also was president of the AME Ministers Wives and Widows Alliance, president of the NY Interdenominational Association of Ministers Wives and Widows Alliance, and a life member of the AME Missionary Society and of the International Association of Missionaries. (Miller) LL:2018/139 Mother Mary Louis Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of Wexford Terrace and Edgerton Boulevard Honoree: Mother Mary Louis (1852-1932) was elected Superior General of her religious community, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph out of about 300 sisters in that order and was placed in charge of three institutions, twenty-four parochial schools and three high schools. Under her leadership, the Sisters of St. Joseph grew to 1,100 members. LL:2008/64 Mother Maude Ford Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 157th Street and 110th Avenue Honoree: Mother Maude Ford (1881-1970), who was born in Barbados, became a member of the Salvation Army, working first in Harlem in the 1920s with young women. After becoming First Chaplain she was called to minister in Jamaica Queens. Soon, she established a church that held its first open-air service in July 1925. After a fire and then winds tore down the tents, the church moved to the basement of her home at 157-01 110th Avenue where she lived with her husband John. Her dynamic ministry welcomed all people races to her church, which grew quickly, so that by March 7, 1926 her garage was dedicated as Gospel Truth Tabernacle. In April 1931, the church was incorporated and its name was changed to Christ Pentecostal Temple, Inc. By 1953, she had negotiated the purchase of land and completed the construction and dedication of the current church edifice located at 109-45 157th Street, Jamaica. She was a forceful and beloved presence in the community of Jamaica until her death on July 26, 1970. (Adams) LL:2022/54 Mount Everest Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of 75th Street and 31st Avenue Honoree: This co-naming honors New York's Nepali community. Although Nepalis have lived in this city for at least half a century, it was only in the last decade that the community began to grow substantially as a result of political strife and natural disasters. Currently, about 10,000 Nepalis call New York City home, although some estimates are close to double that figure. Many of these recent immigrants have settled in Queens, particularly in Jackson Heights. Mount Everest, or Sagarmatha in Nepali, is the tallest mountain on the Earth. Its peak, on the border between Nepal and China, is one of the most prominent symbols of the Nepali nation. The first known expedition to reach its summit, on May 29, 1953, was from the Nepali side of the mountain, and would not have succeeded but for the help of a team of Nepali Sherpas led by Tenzing Norgay. (Constantinides) LL:2019/24 Mrs. Geri Cilmi Place PS 41 (Queens) Present name:214th Lane Location:Between 34th Avenue and 35th Avenue Honoree: Geri Cilmi was a New York City Science Facilitator, actively involved in science education as well as the training and professional development of science teachers. She served as Vice President of E.S.S.A (Elementary School Science Association) where she created and presented “Saturday Science,” sponsored by both E.S.S.A and S.C.O.N.Y.C (Science Counsel of New York City) at Stuyvesant High School. She worked for and assisted the Ally Pond Environmental Center at St John's University with the preservation of water habitats. (Halloran) LL:2013/131 Msgr. Francis J Dillon Place (Queens) Present name:150th Place Location:Bounded by 17th Ave and eastbound service road of the Cross Island Pkwy Honoree: Msgr Francis J. Dillon was Pastor of St. Luke's Church in Whitestone for 46 years. This designation was adopted in 1995 to mark the 30th anniverary of his death. The local Knights of Columbus Chapter was also named after him. LL:1995/38 Msgr. John C. Tosi Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:At the intersection of Clintonville Street and Locke Avenue Honoree: Msgr. John C. Tosi (d. 2020) was a lifelong Queens resident. He was born in Flushing, attended St. Ann’s School , and then went to Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Jackson Heights. He later studied at Cathedral College in Douglaston and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, LI. He was named a Monsignor in 1997 and also was a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. He served as an assistant at Our Lady of Grace, Howard Beach, 1973-87 and Resurrection-Ascension, Rego Park, 1987-91. In 1991, he was appointed executive secretary of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, a position he held until 2005. In 1995, he assumed the additional duty of rector of St. James Cathedral in Downtown Brooklyn. In January 2005, he was named pastor of St. Luke’s, where he remained until his death. (Vallone) LL:2021/14 Msgr. Joseph A. Martusciello Way (Queens) Present name:88th Avenue Location:Between 87th and 88th Streets Honoree: Monsignor Joseph A. Martusciello (1928-2004), born in Brooklyn, was ordained in 1954 and in 1984 was appointed pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven where he served until his retirement in 1999. LL:2005/43 Murray Fox Way (Queens) Present name:None Location:Intersection of 44th Street and Greenpoint Avenue Honoree: Murray Fox (1927-2015) served in the United States Navy and later was a long-time Sunnyside resident. He was active in the Kiwanis Club of Sunnyside for over 20 years, serving as president for a number of those years, and also served as the Kiwanis Club Lt. Governor of the Queens West Division. Mr. Fox operated the well known Fox’s Variety Store on the north side of Greenpoint Avenue and was very involved with charitable causes in his community. (Van Bramer) LL:2018/139 |
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