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Roz Cohen with a portrait of her late husband, Norman.

Coney Island Hospital (2601 Ocean Parkway) and the Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group dedicated a new exhibit space in the hospital to the memory of Norman Cohen, the late husband of Councilman Domenic Recchia staffer Roz Cohen.

Cohen, 83, passed away on January 29, 2013, at 11:45 p.m. with his family at his side, shortly after being diagnosed in October with acute leukemia. During that time, the hospital was still grappling with rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy and was in close communication with the councilman’s office. Upon learning of Roz’s loss, the hospital and the Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group decided to dedicated the planned space in his memory.

Now the ninth floor waiting area of the hospital’s oncology department is a rotating art space, which will feature new pieces from the artists’ group once or twice a year and be the permanent home of a plaque and photo dedicated to Norman Cohen.

“He was a really good father, a good grandfather, a good husband,” Roz Cohen recalled. “He was very understanding.”

She remembers Norman, who retired after working in the stock market, helping her kids and grandchildren with their homework, as well as his sense of humor.

“He had a very good sense of humor. Very dry,” she said.

Norman and Roz celebrated 56 years of marriage before his passing. He is survived by Roz, his children Sharon and Howard, and five grandchildren, Matthew, Melissa, Jared, Chelsea and Ethan.

Roz has served  in Councilman Recchia’s district office for the last 12 years, as the senior constituent liaison. Friends and local leaders remember Norman as a quiet fixture at her side during community events and gatherings.

“We just want Coney Island Hospital to know how much we appreciate this in the community, but Norman most of all, for all the work that he has done,” said Recchia at the dedication of the exhibit space last week. “Behind the scenes, Norman was the man who made Roz what she is today. And she’s still going strong. Nothing’s holding her down.”

The Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group also maintains a gallery on the second floor of Coney Island Hospital’s main building and can be seen during normal visiting hours.

Mickey Rose (far left) at his wedding to his wife Judith. Woody Allen and actress Louise Lasser pictured on the right. Source: nytimes.com

Mickey Rose and Woody Allen met in an art class at Midwood High School more than 60 years ago, starting a lifelong friendship and collaboration that included some of Woody’s most hilarious films. Rose died over the weekend at the age of 77 from colon cancer, according to a report by The New York Times.

Rose, along with Allen, was one of America’s preeminent comedy writers. For years he wrote jokes for Johnny Carson during his Tonight Show run. Michael Barrie, who worked on Carson’s venerable talk show, which ran for 30 years from 1962 to 1992, said that Rose was “a comedy writer’s comedy writer.”

With Allen, Rose helped write “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” (1966), “Take the Money and Run” (1969) and “Bananas” (1971); all early classics from the era when Allen wasn’t yet known for more cerebral films.

Courtesy of Good Shepherd

Monsignor Thomas Brady, the beloved former pastor of Marine Park’s Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church (1943 Brown Street), passed away Monday evening after more than half a century as a man of the cloth.

Brady lost a long battle with an unspecified form of cancer, said Reverend James Devlin, who succeeded Brady in leading the Good Shepherd parish. Brady passed away at approximately 11:00 p.m. Monday. He was 78 years old, and known to be suffering from lung cancer and had been the victim of several strokes.

“He was very beloved. He served. He was always here for people when they needed him,” Devlin said of Brady. “He was the retired pastor when I arrived and I certainly realized how very much loved he was by the people of the parish.”

Serving at the local church for more than 22 years, Brady was known as a committed member of the community, developing outreach programs and strengthening the ties between the church and the larger Marine Park neighborhood.

“In our interactions he was always very, very nice, very hospitable, and very community-minded,” said Councilman Lew Fidler. “He was always looking out for ways that Good Shepherd’s members could benefit from community involvement, and he always made me feel welcome when I came to Good Shepherd.”

He served as principal of the Good Shepherd School in addition to leading the parish. Brady resigned in June of 2009, suffering from increasing health ailments.

But the final years of Brady’s life did not pass in peace. In addition to wrestling with the effects of chemotherapy and strokes, Brady was put on administrative leave in 2011 after two teenage students from the school alleged the respected pastor had attempted “inappropriate sexual contact.” Members of the community rallied around Brady and expressed their disbelief, and a defiant parish dedicated their annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony to the embattled monsignor amid the controversy.

Ultimately, a grand jury reviewed the complaints and determined them insufficient to merit a criminal complaint.

After returning from administrative leave, Brady remained as a pastor emeritus at the church until his death on Monday. He is survived by nephews and nieces.

A wake for Monsignor Thomas Brady will be held at Marine Park Funeral Home at 3024 Quentin Road on Monday, April 1, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The funeral home can be reached at (718) 339-8900.

The funeral will be held Tuesday, April 2 at 10:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Little Sisters of the Poor (Queen of Peace Residence). Donations can be made at 10-30 221st Street, Queens Village, NY 11429-2597, or by calling (718) 464-1800.

Correction (March 29, 2013 at 8:10 p.m.): The above article originally stated that Brady had served as the principal of Good Shepherd School. That was inaccurate. He had served as rector-principal of Cathedral Prep Seminary in Elmhurst.

Former NYC Mayor, Edward I. Koch, 1924-2013. Source: adam.luis.amengual / Flickr

Of all the elected officials I have known personally — with the exception of former Congressman Stephen Solarz for whom I once performed an internship during his first term as assemblyman for the 45th Assembly District — I’ve had the most personal contact with our former mayor, Ed Koch.

My First Encounter

It was 1969. One year before my college internship with Solarz. Unsurprisingly, I chose transportation as my topic for a political science school paper at Hunter College, where I did my undergraduate work. I wanted to write about what the federal government was doing to improve mass transit and someone suggested I see the local congressman whose office was located on Second Avenue, in the upper seventies. I was skeptical of obtaining any information because I did not reside in the “silk stocking” district, as the Upper East Side was then called. I was told that the congressman’s name was Ed Koch, a name I had never heard before. I was told he was active in introducing legislation to help mass transit and that’s why I should see him.

Continue Reading »

Barry Deustch in His Dr. Sherlock Litter Alter-Ego, Photo Via Facebook

Barry Deutsch, a local Sheepshead Bay man and former Presidential Candidate, passed away last month at the age of 66, according to a report by Brooklyn Daily.

Deutsch, a former lawyer with a Brooklyn-based practice, ran for President of the United States in 1992, receiving 26 votes in the New Hampshire primary. He ran on a platform that railed against the outsourcing of US jobs, particularly the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

After his failed bid for Commander-in-Chief, Deutsch carried on his crusade to protect American jobs, creating alter-ego Dr. Sherlock Litter, a bizarre sloganeering pitch-man who managed to star in one video before his untimely death.

According to Brooklyn Daily, Deustch’s living situation was also out of the ordinary. Apparently, Deutsch spent most of his time lounging on a cleaned up spot on the otherwise garbage-strewn Plumb Beach. Deutsch insisted he was not homeless.

“It’s my tax-free summer beach jungle hide-a-way paradise,” Deutsch told Brooklyn Daily. In passing, Deutsch leaves behind his carved out Plumb Beach spot, a cat and three older siblings.

Source: papertiger.org

Famed Brooklyn author Sol Yurick passed away at the age of 87 this past Saturday according to the New York Daily News. Yurick is most famous for writing The Warriors, a 1965 novel – and, later, cult move – about a Brooklyn gang viciously battling their way through the borough on their way home to Coney Island.

The movie grew into a huge cult success in years subsequent to its release. earning a 94 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yurick, born to working class Jewish immigrants in the Bronx in 1925, made Brooklyn his home when he moved to Park Slope in 1958. He worked as a social investigator for the Department of Welfare, observing the rhythms of the streets and underclasses that informed the vibrancy of his writing.

Yurick moved to Prospect-Lefferts Gardens in 1985 where he lived for the rest of his life. He is survived by his wife Adrienne and his daughter Susanna.

Source: Brooklyn Cyclones

Warner Fusselle, the only man to have ever called the play-by-plays for the Brooklyn Cyclones (1904 Surf Avenue), passed away a week shy of what would have been his 12th Opening Day since the inception of the team.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Warner’s passing,” said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. “There is no one who knew more – or cared more – about baseball in Brooklyn than Warner. His distinctive voice, knowledge and endless passion for the game enriched Brooklyn Cyclones baseball for our players, staff, and fans from day one and his presence will be sorely missed.”

The sports announcer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in Gainsville, Georgia. He has had a long career in sports radio as well as television. He voiced the show “This Week In Baseball,” and called the plays for the Seton Hall Pirates; the Richmond Braves; the Spartanburg Phillies; and the ABA’s Virgina Squires.

Besides sports, his great passion was music.

The “Fuse,” as he was nicknamed, died on Sunday night from an apparent heart attack at just 68-years-old.

Borough President Marty Markowitz issued the following statement after news broke of Fusselle’s death:

For fans of our beloved Brooklyn Cyclones, the voice of Warner Fusselle has been silenced after 11 years of passionate and knowledgeable play-by-play from the ‘Catbird Seat’ at MCU Park and, before that, Keyspan Park on Coney Island. Fusselle was a native Kentuckian raised in Georgia, but Brooklynites embraced him as one of their own after he became the voice of the Cyclones at their very beginning in 2001. They call me Mr. Brooklyn, but Warner Fusselle was Mr. Baseball here in Brooklyn, and our prayers and condolences go out to the entire Cyclones organization as well as Fusselle’s sister, two nephews and all of his friends and colleagues who are mourning the passing of “The Fuse.”

As the only voice Cyclones’ fans ever knew, his will be a tough act to follow.

The Manhattan Beach Community Group notified the community of the death of Emanuel “Manny” Kahn, a community activist involved in the group. They wrote on their website:

The MBCG was notified of the passing of Emanuel “Manny” Kahn this past Saturday. He was a member of our group for many many years before he and his wife moved to Florida a few years ago.

Manny was committed to our community and to our group in many ways. His dedication to helping his neighbors and the many visitors to our Beach and Parks is unparalleled. Manny was chair of the Parks Committee and dedicated to making our neighborhood a welcoming experience to all who visited. He was also the first to develop a website for our group. He was involved with countles activities and always ready to get involved.

Manny was missed when he moved and now he will be missed forever. His many good deeds are an inspiration to his family and to all of us.

Courtesy of NewNewYork2010 via Flickr

Neal Lauro, the last remaining member of the six brother team that founded Sheepshead Bay-staple Stella Maris Fishing Station, passed away in his sleep early Sunday. He was 86 years old.

Lauro, along with brothers Mike, Salvatore, Anthony, Tony and Joseph, partnered to found Stella Maris Fishing Station in 1947, expanding on an earlier business named Mike’s Rowboats, based in Coney Island. In addition to bait and tackle, Stella Maris once rented out rowboats handmade by the brothers, as well as crafting their own supplies like nets.

When they purchased the property 64 years ago, the brothers took on a very frugal approach.

“They put all their money into the purchase of the land and had no additional funds to renovate the property,” Tom Lauro, the son of Salvatore Lauro, recounted in a 2007 Astella Development Newsletter. “They rowed their boats from the bay to the Hudson River Narrows. They waited during storms to collect the driftwood that had loosened from the docks and had dropped into the river. The brothers then towed the wood back with the rowboats to Sheepshead Bay where they used it to build their own docks, piers, bulkheads, and buildings.”

Little did they know that their ramshackle docks and rough-hewn storefront at 2702 Emmons Avenue wouldn’t just last the next six decades, it would end up being one of two remaining bait and tackle shops on a boulevard once lined with them.

The Lauro family was not available to speak on the death by the time of our publication.

The viewing is today only at Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home (2005 West 6th Street), from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Call (718) 372-1348 for more information. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Ss. Simon & Jude Parish, 185 Van Sicklen St, Brooklyn NY 11223.

Feel free to share your memories of Neal Lauro in our comments section.

Requiescat In Pace, Carmela "Chubby" Versace | Source: John J. Healey Funeral Home

Ever read an obit and think that you cannot possibly relate less to the person you are reading about? Take Huguette Clark, for instance — the reclusive 104-year-old copper heiress and daughter of a former U.S. Senator from the state of Montana. Who among us was “reared in Beaux-Arts splendor in a 121-room Fifth Avenue mansion” awash in the works of Rembrandt, Donatello, Rubens and Degas?

But then, I happened upon a loving tribute for Sheepshead Bay resident Carmela “Chubby” Versace, 85, who leaves behind a grieving family larger than those of the Bradies and Partridges combined, and I thought, “I could have known this lady,” because she is as salt of the earth as they get.

Born in Greenwich Village, Carmela moved to Sheepshead Bay in 1940 and, like so many people I know who are 65 and older, sold Stanley Home Products door-to-door (or, alternately, Fuller Brush). But you know what really separates this sassy, loving, family-oriented Brooklyn gal from the stodgy old fuddy duddy Huguette? One sentence: “In the words of Chubbs ‘I have two words for you and it’s not Happy Birthday’.”

Check out Versace’s obit.