4
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, FEBRUARY 9, 2020
BY COLIN MIXSON
A woman whose pleas for help
went viral after her pooch was
dognapped outside the Red Hook
Ikea has been reunited with her
beloved hound.
Park Slope resident Wenfei
Tong managed to contact the
woman who walked off with her
furball with the help of dog lovers
across the city, who fi lled social
media with pictures of her
wayward pooch, and the pair arranged
to meet in Prospect Park
on Monday, where the other
woman handed over the dog happy
and healthy.
“It was this amazing explosion
of different people who really
showed a lot of support,” said Tong.
“It practically went viral.”
Tong, who moved to Brooklyn
three months ago from her home
in Anchorage, Alaska, had left her
shepherd and cattle dog mix Ana
tied up outside the Beaver Street
furniture store on Feb. 1, only to return
a short time later to discover
her dog was missing — a shocker
that she admits shouldn’t have
come as a big surprise.
“It was naive and stupid, and
I’m kicking myself,” said Tong.
The newly settled Park Sloper
found a security guard and another
Ikea employee, who explained they
were approached by a woman and
her family concerned about the unattended
dog. The guard had tried
calling the phone number found
on Ana’s dog tags, but misdialed it,
and when the owner didn’t immediately
answer, the misguided dogooder
simply walked off with the
friendly pooch.
“I think she basically assumed
that I didn’t deserve my dog and
that she was doing everyone a favor
by taking her,” Tong said.
The forlorn dog owner fi led a police
report, and then turned to social
media, where she was met with
a fl ood of support — and condemnation
— and her plight sparked on
online debate even as locals tried
to track down her pooch.
“People were getting into little
arguments with each other about
whether or not I deserved this,”
said Tong. ”Some people were saying
‘it serves her right,’ and others
were saying ‘don’t say that!’ I’ve
also gotten a ton of criticism and
judgement, which is fi ne.”
It turned out that Tong’s
dognapper shared her information
with another woman at Ikea
before taking Ana, and the other
lady spotted one of the online
posts advertising the canine’s
disappearance. She soon contacted
Tong, and within hours
the Park Slope resident found
herself reunited with her beloved
pooch, saying there’s no
hard feelings.
“I was being so roasted by other
people on Facebook, but i understand
she was scared too,” said
Tong. “I do think her intentions
were genuinely good.”
Wenfei Tong was reunited with her dog Ana after she was stolen from the Red
Hook Ikea. Photo by Trey Pentecost
POOCH PERFECT
Dog stolen in Red Hook reunited with owner
By Camille Sperrazza
That’s why customers from all over the tristate
area bring their cars to T.J.’s Automotive
in Bensonhurst.
A lifetime ago, mechanic and shop owner Tony
Jacono (T.J.), was a race car driver, written about in
trade publications. He still owns a ‘65 Corvette. A
perfectionist who doesn’t let a car leave his shop
until it meets his high standards, he has been
working on vehicles since he was 17 years old.
Jacono briefly attended Brooklyn’s
Automotive High School, but was told he was
“too advanced” for the basic car skills that were
being taught there. Other students may have
been learning to put keys into the ignitions,
but Jacono was already taking motors apart,
and putting them back together again. So he
decided to go to work, and he toiled for other
shops, before going into business for himself
34 years ago.
While a good deal of the work he does involves
standard automobile repairs, he also specializes
in repairing and restoring classic cars, as he
happens to own a few of those, too.
The seasoned car veteran says he has worked
on all types of cars, including various versions of
the Batmobile, the Monkee Mobile, (as in “Hey,
Hey, we’re the Monkees), and 007 vehicles.
He says that George Barris, the American car
designer and builder of many famous Hollywood
custom cars, “couldn’t believe it,” when he saw
his recreation of the Batmobile. These vehicles
remain in demand, as they are often requested
for comic shows and conventions, says Jacono.
He likes to call himself, “old school,” and
says there’s really not too much mystery when
it comes to auto repairs: “Cars run on gas and
spark.” He doesn’t have a website. Instead, he
has a reputation. “People in the industry, know
us,” he says.
Car collectors from all over bring their
“muscle cars,” hot rods, and classic vehicles
to his auto repair shop for restorations. At
press time, among the cars he was working on
included a ‘66 convertible.
“We do whatever is needed,” says Jacono. “All
the mechanical work and the computer work.”
Every car is treated with loving care, the same
way he treats his own vehicles.
There are three other mechanics at the shop,
and Jacono makes sure he personally oversees
everything so that his standard of excellence
will be maintained. It has to be perfect for his
clients so that his reputation remains intact.
After all, the shop bears his name.
Jacono invites the owners of classic cars to
come in for a look around. “They are welcome
to check us out before spending their money,”
he says. They’ll talk shop, maybe reminisce a
little, and all expectations will be put in writing
to make sure everyone is on the same road.
T.J.’s Automotive 1602 McDonald Ave., off
Ave. N in Bensonhurst, (718) 376-2929. Open
Mondays through Fridays, 6 am – 4 pm. (The
shop sometimes closes earlier on Fridays,
so call ahead).
T.J.’sAutomotive
An HONEST and TALENTED Mechanic is NOT EASY to FIND
Tony Jacono, Owner