46local headlines LAUGH TRACK Laughing Devil will stay BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO The laughs are here to stay in Long Island City. In July, the owners of The Laughing Devil Comedy Club, located at 47-38 Vernon Boulevard, announced they would put the venue up for sale. After nearly two months of searching for the perfect buyer, Steve Hofstetter, co-owner, decided to buy out his partner, Jacob Morvay. “With my move to LA and my business partner’s new baby, selling the club made sense, but it was not my fi rst choice,” said Hofstetter. “After we had a buyer that backed out at the last minute, our second best offer was to turn it into a bar - and I did not want to see that happen.” Hofstetter and Morvay started the business in 2011. It became a part of the Long Island City community as it hosted various stand-up shows featuring celebrity comedians. Along with purchasing the venue, Hofstetter said there will be some additional changes taking place at the comedy club. A wall will be put up to divide the bar and showroom, allowing comedians and patrons to hang out while a show is taking place. The Laughing Devil will also begin showing classic movies, like “Spaceballs” and “The Big Le bowski,” on Wednesday nights and weekend afternoons. “I will be passing on some opportunities in LA and coming back to NYC every so often to ensure that the Laughing Devil is here to stay,” said Hofstetter. “In other words, we’re back and we’re better than ever.” THE COURIER/ File Photo Jacob Morvay and Steve Hofstetter Astoria street co-named BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO The name of and story behind a beloved local activist, resident and fi rst female Queens County Clerk will never be forgotten. On Tuesday, August 27, family, friends and elected offi cials gathered to honor the life of Gloria D’Amico by co-naming Shore Boulevard and 21st Drive in Astoria as “The Honorable Gloria D’Amico Place.” The street was chosen because it was where D’Amico lived. “I was lucky enough to have two mentors – my father, who taught me public service and how to serve people with honest and integrity, and Gloria, who showed me how to get in a position to help people,” said Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. “She was a trailblazer for women throughout Queens, and I am honored to have been her friend.” D’Amico served as the fi rst female Queens County Clerk for 19 years under which she helped guide the borough to become the fi rst county in the city to implement a jury duty call-in system. The longtime Astoria resident also served as a board member of the Salah M. Hassanein Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens and was on the board of directors of Shareing and Careing, an agency supporting women with breast cancer. D’Amico passed away in 2010. “This is a wonderful and special honor for a wonderful and special woman, who deserved not only this type of praise, but more,” said the D’Amico family. HONOR D’AMICO Photo Courtesy of Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. joined elected offi cials, friends and family to rename Shore Boulevard and 21st Drive in Astoria as “The Honorable Gloria D’Amico Place.”
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