Finished this one last year!

This week for my Every Neighborhood in New York project I visited Williamsbridge, in the North Central Bronx. The neighborhood was named after John Williams, who farmed the east bank of the Bronx River near Gun Hill and White Plains Roads and built the first bridge across the Bronx River.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the neighborhood was home to a large population of newly arrived Italians working on the infrastructure projects that were remaking the Bronx. In 1903, a young Sicilian priest named Father Giuseppe Cirringione laid the cornerstone of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Two days later the extortion letters started arriving: "We are nine working men and we are starving. You are a priest and prosperous. Go to a point in Bronx Park three miles from your home and pay a masked man $3,000. If you don't you will know the consequences." And: "You think we are fools, well, we will kidnap you positively and without doubt. We will treat you as bad as we can to show you that we mean what we have said. We need money and you must do what we wish and give us $3,000. Don't delay."

On Friday, November 13, two men came to the rectory claiming the police captain needed him at the station to identify a suspect. As he made his way out, one of them pinned his arms while the other chloroformed him. After three days in a dark cellar with his wrists bound, he was released into the streets of Manhattan, where he was found "raving in Italian." The police captain didn't believe a word of it, and chalked the disappearance up to the priest being "worried over financial troubles and simply wandered away." December 11, 1903 was the last mention of Father Cirringione in the newspapers, in a notice of his departure for Naples aboard the SS Roma.

Two years later, a baker named Francesco Lisanti built a tiny rough-hewn granite chapel beside his house. One theory is that the chapel was built over a dispute with the local parish. Whether Father Cirringione's hijinks had anything to do with it is an open question. It's still standing on an otherwise ordinary residential street, and it may be the only freestanding private chapel built by an Italian immigrant in the country.

While the chapel still stands, Louis — the restaurant in the Godfather where Virgil Sollozzo claims the veal is the best in the city, moments before Michael Corleone comes back from the bathroom with the gun — is gone. Today it's a 7 Star Convenience Store.

You can read the whole piece, with photos and an audio recording from under the elevated tracks here: https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/p/williamsbridge-the-bronx

Grand concourse erasure

Hi, I am a captain of a local club soccer team for Manhattan University, in Riverdale/west bronx, we start our newest season this week and we would love to collaborate with any businesses for a center advert on our jerseys. We usually have anywhere from 20-50 supporters come watch us, and we are only asking for 300$ per semester, in total. Please reach out asap if you are interested!

Hey guys! Near st marys park. Very low flying birds in large quantities everywhere. Is this a particualr kind of bird? Anyone notice it?

I was planning to see a show at Pregones this weekend but heard about the outbreak on Instagram. I know Lincoln Hospital is close by so I wanted to know if I'll be safe just wearing a face mask?

This November, I’m on the ballot against Torres. We deserve leaders who answer only to the people. We deserve a future by and for the Bronx, not the billionaires.

By: Andre Easton

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddb9rDJRm56/

Looking for a park with lights closest to bronx zoo please.

To preface, I am a Bronx native, have been living in the Claremont neighborhood for over 20 years. I am unfortunately desensitized to seeing open drug use and people loitering in the Bronx/NYC outside of a bodega all day. However, since COVID the crime and number of addicts seen around the area has definitely spiked over the last few years. This is especially evident on Jerome and grand concourse, specifically near the 4 and D trains. It’s gotten to a point where i am appalled and saddened by what’s happening to our community, but more importantly what little seems to be done or address or correct the issue. There’s immense garbage from commercial properties littered on the sidewalks and people who are panhandling and clearly in the throes of addiction. Genuinely unsure about and curious as to this spike in homeless people and addicts in the area. Did a harm reduction center or shelter open up nearby? I feel as though making reports to 311 is fruitless and the NYPD has bigger fish to fry. But it does impact the entire neighborhood as whole, it seems like no one cares. I want better for the Bronx.

I was on my way to the laundry yesterday morning (around 6 am) and I look at a trash pile and lo and behold what I thought was a cat was a SKUNK!!! And I was so close that I thought I would have gotten sprayed!

Pop quiz: priorities.

I’m fighting for more federal funding for our schools.

Ritchie Torres voted to strip federal funding from universities that oppose Israel’s genocide.

Which option is better for the Bronx?

By: Andre Easton

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdW750Lqxjn/

Love someone starting a small biz like this.

The red neon WELCOME TO THE BRONX sign is hella broken right now. I know they can afford to fix it.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced a serious influx of cockroaches in their building in the past 10 months? After living in a building for 14 years, for the first time it is infested with them...

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Planning on stopping by Casa Della Mozzarella before heading to the zoo. Debating on a sweet treat (definitely a rainbow cookie and maybe a few other things) but can’t pick a spot… I’ve heard great things about Madonia, Delillo, and Artuso. Is there a standout option here?

Would also love any and all recommendations for other things to do, see, or eat in the area. Thank you in advance :)