Dromm Mourns Joseph William Ricevuto
City Councilmember Daniel Dromm (D-Elmhurst, Jackson Heights) released a statement on Tuesday in remembrance of Jackson Heights community leader Joseph William Ricevuto who died early in the morning on Tuesday.
“Today I mourn the passing of Joe Ricevuto, a pillar of the Jackson Heights community,” said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). “Everyone in the neighborhood knew Joe. As long-time president of the Men and Women’s Club of Jackson Heights, he brought our neighbor seniors together several times each month, giving them an opportunity to share a meal and socialize together. Joe dedicated years to beautifying 37th Avenue’s tree beds as president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group’s Garden Club. His warmth and kindness touched so many lives over the years. He will be sorely missed. Later this year, I will co-name a street in Jackson Heights to honor all that Joe has done for our neighborhood. My heart goes out to his surviving wife Nancy and to the entire Ricevuto family during this time of grieving.”
Born and raised in the Bronx, Joseph “Joe” William Ricevuto moved to Jackson Heights in 1960. A U.S. Army Veteran who fought in the Korean War, Ricevuto established WIlliam Hair Stylist barbershop on the corner of 37th Avenue and 86th Street. He worked there until retiring in 2002, and cut hair on a part time basis thereafter.
Ricevuto is known for his years of civic leadership in the Jackson Heights community. He was the long-time president and organizer of the Men and Women’s Club of Jackson Heights, a group that helped address the isolation older adults often suffer by bringing them together regularly for a warm meal and conversation. Ricevuto was also the president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Groups’s Garden Club. As president, he planted flowers along Jackson Heights’ 37th Avenue year after year, thereby beautifying the neighborhood’s commercial corridor.
Ricevuto regularly participated in the March of Dimes, raising thousands of dollars to support womens and infant health. He loved to entertain children, which is why he marched in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade dressed as a clown for many years.
Ricevuto was a devout Roman Catholic and was active as a lay leader in the Church. He was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic War Veterans and the Holy Name Society. He also served as an usher at St. Joan of Arc Church, his local parish in Jackson Heights.
Ricevuto died of health complications shortly before 1 a.m. this morning. He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Nancy Hernandez-Ricevuto; his children Joseph and Mariann; his stepdaughter Andrea; his grandchildren Crystal, Jill, Joseph, Nicole, Christina and Anthony; and his great granddaughter Ella.
Meng, Sanders, Addabbo Release Statements on Holocaust Remembrance Day
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park), State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside and The Rockaways) and State Senator James Sanders (D–Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Edgemere, Bayswater, Arverne and Far Rockaway) issued separate statements on Wednesday about Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Meng said: “Six million Jews and millions of others were murdered in the Holocaust and each year on this day we honor their memories, and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that future generations are taught about this dark period in history.
Today and every day, we must be vigilant in fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism. We must do every single thing possible to eradicate this evil whenever and wherever it occurs and in any form that it takes. With anti-Semitic incidents rising across the globe, it is more important than ever for the world community to stand against and combat this hate and intolerance.
We all have a responsibility to honor the memories of those who were killed. We must continue to tell their stories and do all we can to make certain that we never forget.”
Sanders said: “Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, a time to mourn the six million Jewish people and millions of other victims killed by Nazis during World War II. We must continue to work to eradicate anti-Semitism, bigotry, intolerance, and racism in all its forms and prevent future genocides. I’m reminded of the wisdom of George Santanya who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Addabbo said: “Today is the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945, where the Nazis killed more than one million Jews and others during World War II. On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must not only remember all the victims of the Holocaust and the survivors, but the tragic circumstances that led to the Holocaust, especially at a time when anti-Semitism is still a major concern in our own neighborhoods and country.”
Sanders said: “Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, a time to mourn the six million Jewish people and millions of other victims killed by Nazis during World War II. We must continue to work to eradicate anti-Semitism, bigotry, intolerance, and racism in all its forms and prevent future genocides. I’m reminded of the wisdom of George Santanya who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
BP Richards Promotes Small Business Grant Program
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO James Patchett, joined by area elected officials and other community partners, will tour Jackson Heights’ commercial corridor on Thursday, Jan. 28 to visit with local small business owners and encourage them to apply for funding through the recently announced Queens Small Business Grant program.
Launched earlier this month by Richards and NYCEDC, the Queens Small Business Grant program — made possible by a $17.5 million donation courtesy of New York Mets owner Steve Cohen — provides qualifying small businesses and vendors impacted by COVID-19 with up to $20,000 in funding to support operational expenses.
As of this week, more than 240 small businesses and vendors have applied for funding through the Queens Small Business Grant program, with 43 already receiving approval — with M/WBEs making up 87 percent of approved entities.
The walking tour take place at noon on Thursday, January 28 and will begin at the intersection of 41st Avenue and Baxter Avenue.
For more information about the program, visit www.edc.nyc/program/queens-small-business-grants-program or www.queensbp.org/smallbusinessgrant
