FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 21, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
SE Queens leaders endorse Benjamin for City Council
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
With the Feb. 23 primary for City
Council District 31 on the horizon, several
Riccardo’s by the Bridge location sells for $6.3M
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Riccardo’s by the Bridge, a beloved,
nearly 70-year-old Astoria restaurant, was
sold for $6.3 million just three months
aft er the owners announced the business
would permanently close.
Th e property, located at 21-01 24th
Ave., sold on Dec. 24 to a company listed
as Astoria Park Warehouse LLC based
in Woodside, according to public records.
An agent with the real estate company
Douglas Elliman brokered the deal,
describing the location as a “rare development
opportunity near Astoria park
waterfront” and “ripe for condo or rental
development.”
Th e real estate broker behind the deal,
Alexander Pereira, told the Astoria Post
that the owner also purchased a nearby
site at 23-91 21st St. Th e owner plans
to develop them as residential and retail
locations.
Anthony Corbisiero, president of
Riccardo’s by the Bridge, announced the
restaurant and event space would permanently
close in September of last year, as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
city- and state-imposed restrictions that
came along with it.
“Th is decision has been extremely diffi -
cult to make, and is solely due to the various
impacts of the COVID pandemic; if
it were up to us we would cater your special
events forever,” wrote Corbisiero in an
open letter on their website.
The restaurant, which was family
owned and operated since Richard
Corbisiero opened it in 1951, was an
important part of the Astoria community
— where generations of Queens families
celebrated countless weddings, anniversaries,
birthdays, graduations, political
events and more.
Tony Bennett, the award-winning singer
songwriter, was a singing waiter at
Riccardo’s before he made it big. When he
saw the news about its closing, he wrote
on Twitter, “I always felt that if I never
made it as a performer, I would still be
happy as a singing waiter. I’m very sorry
to hear of its closing aft er nearly 70 years.”
southeast Queens business leaders
gathered in Jamaica to offi cially endorse
candidate LaToya Benjamin.
On Monday, Jan. 11, members from
the Merchant Association of Rosedale,
Laurelton and Springfield Gardens
(MARLS) gathered at the Federation
of African, Caribbean and American
Restaurant Owners Corp (FACAROC), a
wholesale and retail grocery store known
as “Th e ROC,” to voice their support for
Benjamin’s campaign.
Benjamin, a southeast Queens native
and civic leader is one 15 candidates
vying for the seat left vacant by Borough
President Donovan Richards. According
to the Queens Daily Eagle, 13 candidates
fi led petitions by the Dec. 16 deadline
to run in the February primary. If
elected, Benjamin would represent the
neighborhoods of Laurelton, Rosedale,
Springfi eld Gardens, Arverne, Edgemere
and Far Rockaway.
“We are endorsing LaToya Benjamin
because we know she has the experience,
tenacity and understanding of
what’s needed to shake up the political
status quo,” said Annette Runcie, president
of MARLS and owner of Pa-Nash
Restaurant.
Runcie added that Benjamin and other
candidates like her are necessary to put
an end to the “political status quo” and
stop the “suff ering that our businesses are
going through in southeast Queens.”
At just 13 years old, Benjamin got her
start organizing for a City Council race,
which led to other political and public
service opportunities. She interned for
Congressman Gregory Meeks, served as
an associate to the offi ce of public engagement
at the Brooklyn DA’s offi ce and
joined Senator James Sander Jr.’s offi ce in
2016. Most recently, Benjamin was elected
Queens County Judicial Delegate, earning
over 4,000 votes.
Th e MARLS merchants shared that two
major issues that southeast Queens faces
are a suff ering economy and poor quality
schools.
“Th e most important thing is education,”
said Michael Duncan, owner of
Jamaica Breeze restaurant. “Education is
a process. Education is growth. Education
just does not prepare us for life; education
is life itself. Th erefore, if we are not educating
our children, they are not living.”
Benjamin spoke of the importance
of using collective “political power” to
achieve the desired results in the local
government and promised to use her
expertise in economic development to
help District 31 thrive.
“Political power is so crucial to the economic
development and social development
of our community,” Benjamin said. “If
we don’t leverage our political power to create
change and to ensure that we are supporting
our small businesses, ensuring that
our children are not left behind, we will fail.”
Th e candidate added that District 31
residents should patronize businesses like
Th e ROC and other Black-owned businesses
instead of shopping outside the
community, in order to support local
entrepreneurs.
Joining Benjamin in the race for District
31 are Selvena Brooks-Powers, Bradley
Jared Berfas, Kevin Carter, Monique
Charlton, Latanya Collins, Rev. Sherwyn
James, Franck Joseph, Joseph Kasper,
Nicole Lee, Nancy Martinez, Pesach
Osina, Perri Pierre, Shawn Rux and
Manuel Silva.
Photo via Google Maps
Riccardo’s by the Bridge in Astoria.
Photo by Jenna Bagcal/QNS
LaToya Benjamin, candidate for City Council in District 31.
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