Earlier this month, Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. presented citations to The N.F. Walker of Queens Funeral Home in Woodhaven and The Villa Russo in Richmond Hill, signifying their acceptance into the New York State Historic Business Preservation.
Addabbo presented George Russo, of Villa Russo, and Annmarie and Paul Rudolph Jr., of N.F. Walker Funeral Home, with their listings on the NYS Historic Business Preservation Registry, wishing them much more success in the years to come.
“These local, family-owned businesses, which I have known my whole life, have been serving their community for decades and deserve to be recognized for their longevity and commitment to their communities,” Addabbo said.
Rudolph said the N.F. Walker of Queens Funeral Home is very honored for the recognition.
“About a year ago, Senator Addabbo’s office contacted us and we submitted the application and two months ago they informed us that we had won the award,” Rudolph said. “What’s impressive is that when you go on the website and see all the companies we are listed with, we feel it’s a great honor. We are just happy that he thought of us.”
According to Rudolph, the Walker Funeral Home was established by the Walker family in 1899 at a different location. In 1942, the family opened a funeral home at 87-34 80th St. in Woodhaven.
In 1984, Rudolph’s parents purchased the funeral home from the Walker family and decided to keep the name as the Walker Funeral Home. The family has been operating the business for more than 30 years. Today, Rudolph and his wife, Annmarie, who is a licensed funeral director, are carrying on the family’s tradition, he said.
The N.F. Walker of Queens Funeral Home helps families in New York City and Long Island arrange a full range of funerals from direct cremation to full-service funerals.
The Villa Russo, located at 101-12 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill, is a family-owned event venue that started out as a local pizzeria in the neighborhood more than 65 years ago.
Over the years the Russo family built their business from the small neighborhood pizzeria to a full-service restaurant. In 1975, the Russo family officially entered the catering business by building a banquet hall next to their existing restaurant and named it Villa Russo, according to its website.
The Villa Russo has gained a reputation for producing the highest-quality Italian cuisine in Queens. The event venue hosted its first wedding reception in 1977 and the Russo brothers, Frank and Joseph, discovered their true passion was catering to the special occasions in the lives of their patrons. Shortly, they became known as the best catering hall in Queens.
