Corner Renamed For Sal Anzalone

Councilmember Eric Gioia (l.) presents Sal Anzalone's wife, Grace, sons Andrew and Joseph and five grandchildren with a street sign renaming the corner of 47th Road and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City in memory of the late Sal Anzalone.

City Councilmember Eric Gioia joined other local leaders and

the family and friends of Santo

(Sal) Anzalone recently at the corner of 47th Road and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City to rename the intersection Sal Anzalone Place. Known as the "Mayor of Hunters Point", Anzalone, a long-time resident of the neighborhood, restaurateur and active member of Community Board 2, died at the age of 73 in 2005.

"Sal Anzalone will surely be missed," Gioia, who represents Woodside, Sunnyside, Long Island City, Astoria and Maspeth, said. "He was a pillar in our community for decades, and renaming a street in his honor is the least we can do for such a great man who gave so much of himself to our neighborhood. I hope that this small gesture will live on in our hearts and our minds forever." The widely loved and respected Anzalone fought tirelessly for the Hunters Point community. His Long Island City restaurant, Cassino, was a magnet for locals and politicians alike. At Cassino, Anzalone hosted Governor Mario Cuomo, Congressmember Tom Manton, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, among many other dignitaries.

"My father was an old fashioned family man, who cared and provided for his family and had a passion for his restaurant business," Andrew Anzalone, Sal's son, said. "You might say he had sauce in his veins [instead of] blood. He had a great mind for business and saw the limitless potential of Long Island City, which is why he fought so hard for it. He is missed by his friends and customers, but not as much as our family misses him...and his singing."

Besides Andrew, Anzalone is survived by his wife Grace, son Joseph, sisters Nina and Francesca and five grandchildren.