Support Little Italy and shop (and social distance) with a purpose
BY JASON COHEN
As COVID-19 has forced
restaurants, malls, barbershops,
nail salons and schools
to shutter throughout the city;
some businesses on Arthur
Ave. remain open.
For New Yorkers who practice
responsible social distancing
and need to do their
grocery shopping, Little Italy
is welcoming customers and is
home to many merchants who
already provide takeaway, including
bakeries, butchers,
delis, pizzerias and specialty
stores – in a neighborhood
with plenty of open air and inventory.
Peter Madonia, chairman
of the BID and owner of Madonia
Bakery, 2348 Arthur
Ave., spoke with the Bronx
Times about how the area is
a food resource for shopping
and getting essentials.
“Our sidewalks are like
our aisles,” he said. “People
have to eat, so they’re going to
shop somewhere. It’s not like
we have lines out the door.”
Madonia explained that
restaurants on Arthur Ave.
survived the recession in 2008,
9/11, the swine fl u and many
other bad times, but never an
epidemic like this.
Many of these eateries
have been here for 80, 90 or
100 years and no one could
have ever prepared for this or
imagined a long term closure
could happen. The worst part
is people don’t know how long
the doors will stay shuttered,
he said.
“It doesn’t feel very good
to have all those restaurants
closed,” Madonia commented.
“I think it’s going to be harder
on the employees.”
With about 20 or so restaurants
closed, he noted these
are tough times for the whole
community.
Right now many people are
wondering how they are going
to pay rent and the people that
work at the restaurants rely
on their paychecks to live.
He recalled that on 9/11
only Manhattan was affected,
while this pandemic has sent
shockwaves and fear throughout
the country.
“The sense of realism and
discomfort is similar,” he
stated. “On 9/11 we knew the
enemy. We think we know the
enemy, but we can’t see it. No
one knows the end game.”
While he urges people to
come support the stores that
are open and maintain social
distancing, he acknowledged
that many places on Arthur
Ave. and throughout the borough
Essen Health Care, VillageCareMAX and other community
partners come together to serve underserved and aged
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,2 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2020 BTR
may not reopen. “When
the dust settles, who knows
what will be left standing,” he
said.
He noted that this may
change how businesses operate
long term.
“How am I going to keep
my people working and what
are the rules of the road?” Madonia
questioned.
The Belmont Business Improvement
District is also
providing some simple recipes
to create at home from the
families and local businesses
on Arthur Avenue, including
bread, pasta, meat, fi sh, cookies
and more.
Artuso Pastry – Pignoli
Cookies https://www.bronxlittleitaly.
com/recipes/pignoli
cookies/
Mike’s Deli – Farfalle con
funghi https://www.bronxlittleitaly.
com/recipes/farfallecon
funghi/
Mike’s Deli – Rigatoni
Melanzana https://www.
bronxlittleitaly.com/recipes/
rigatoni-melanzana/
Borgatti’s – Manicotti
Peter Madonia, chairman of the BID and owner of Madonia Bakery, 2348
Arthur Ave. Photo Courtesy Belmont Business Improvement District
https://www.bronxlittleitaly.
com/recipes/manicottifrom
borgattis/
Vincent’s Meat Market –
Italian sausage and bean casserole
https://www.bronxl
it t leitaly.com/recipes/
italian-sausage-and-bean-casserole
from-vincents-meatmarket/
Madonia Bakery – Pane di
Casa https://www.bronxlittleitaly.
com/recipes/pane-dicasa/
Mario’s Restaurant – Zucchini
fritti https://www.
bronxlittleitaly.com/recipes/
zucchini-fritti-from-mariosrestaurant/
Randazzo’s Seafood – Red
snapper with lemon https://
www.bronxlittleitaly.com/
recipes/red-snapper-withlemon/
BY JASON COHEN
With 25,000 confi rmed coronavirus
cases in New York
to date, health plans, community
organizations and provider
networks are collaborating
to keep people safe.
This pandemic, which has
seen infections and deaths increasing
rapidly every day,
has disrupted everyone’s
lives. People are out of work,
home from school, strapped
for cash, having diffi culty
fi nding food and fi nding
themselves with limited access
to healthcare.
In order to ensure that
people stay healthy and receive
proper medical treatment,
two organizations are
working together.
Essen Health Care, a Bronxbased
medical practice providing
primary, specialty and
urgent care, house calls for
home-bound elderly and care
coordination to more than
80,000 patients in the borough,
has mobilized their staff to of-
Virtual testing sites offered by VillageCareMax and Essen Health Care. Photo Courtesy Essen Health Care
fer clinical services via “virtual
visits” and established a
COVID-19 screening program.
“Essen is working to deliver
virtual access to healthcare
professionals who can assess
their patient needs, order medications
and diagnostic tests,
monitor conditions, triage for
emergency services, and consult
with specialists,” said Essen
Health Care Chief Medical
Offi cer Sumir Sahgal. “We will
also support the Bronx community
— patients, family members,
healthcare and homecare
staff — who need screening,
testing and monitoring for corona
virus infection.”
Essen is working with
community partners, including
health plans who serve
individuals and families covered
by Medicare and Medicaid,
and community service
organizations. VillageCare-
MAX, a New York City based
managed care plan has provided
its community outreach
vehicles to allow Essen
to continue to extend their
COVID-19 screening efforts to
the Bronx.
“Our VillageCareMAX
community outreach vehicles
will play a critical role
in these amazing services
that Essen is providing to
the Bronx community,” said
Emma DeVito, President and
Chief Executive Offi cer at
VillageCare. “We are proud
to partner with Essen in battling
this unprecedented virus
and ensuring that all New
Yorkers in the Bronx have access
to a trusted resource in
these critical times of uncertainty
and anxiety.”
Anyone seeking healthcare
services or COVID-19
screening in the Bronx can
call their health plan, any of
the list community organizations
or go to www.essenhealthcare.
com
Essen Health Care is one
of the largest, independent
comprehensive physician networks,
incorporating care
management and related services
in New York City.
VillageCareMAX is a managed
care plan sponsored by
VillageCare, a non-profi t organization
with more than
40 years experience in delivering
health care in New
York City. VillageCare offers
managed care as well as postacute
and community-based
programs.
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