Alphone “Al” Volpe (left) and Murray Fox. (Images via Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce.)
Nov. 2, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
Two street co-naming ceremonies scheduled this weekend will honor major Sunnyside and Woodside figures known for their work in neighborhood advocacy.
Greenpoint Avenue and 44th Street will be co-named “Murray Fox Way”, while Skillman Avenue and 51st Street will be co-named “Alphonse ‘Al’ Volpe Way.” Both co-naming ceremonies will take place on Nov. 3.
Murray Fox, who died in 2015 at the age of 88, was the longtime owner of Fox’s Trimming, which sold sewing supplies and accessories at 44-20 Greenpoint Ave, where the co-naming will take place.
44th Street and Greenpoint Avenue (Google Maps)
The popular store also offered knitting lessons, which helped draw large crowds, according to the Woodside Herald.
“Everybody learned to knit at Fox’s back in my day,” said Mary Caulfield, a lifelong Sunnyside resident, according to the paper.
Fox was also part of Sunnyside’s Kiwanis Club, and served as Lt. Governor of western Queens. He is also known for his commitment to helping and funding children’s causes.
Al Volpe, who was a Community Board 2 member and Woodside activist, died in 2015 at age 90.
Volpe was also a former board member of Woodside on the Move, a local non-profit, and was known for his fervent advocacy on neighborhood issues, especially relating to transportation.
The co-naming at 51st, for instance, recognizes Volpe’s long fight in getting a traffic light to be installed there.
Patrick O’Brien, who was serving as chair of Community Board 2 at the time of Volpe’s death, said he was a selfless person who advocated for others.
“Al Volpe was a force to be reckoned with when he took on an issue he was passionate about,” O’Brien said after Volpe’s death in 2015.
51st Street and Skillman Avenue (Google Maps)
Efforts to co-name the two locations after Fox and Volpe began shortly after their passing, and were enacted in late 2017 after being introduced into City Council by Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer.
The co-naming ceremony for Murray Fox Way will take place at 12 p.m. at the corner of 44th Street and Greenpoint Avenue. The ceremony for Alphonse “Al” Volpe Way will begin at 3 p.m. at Skillman Avenue and 51st Street. Both events are organized by Van Bramer’s office. RSVP to Jack Bernatovicz at JBernatovicz@council.nyc.gov or 718-383-9566.
