38 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 12, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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State honors Astoria legend Tony Bennett
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Nearly lost in the tumult caused by the
Aug. 3 release of a devastating report into
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s alleged sexual
harassment and abuse of power, was the
proclamation of “Tony Bennett Day” in
New York to honor the legendary singer’s
95th birthday and his fi nal performances
at Radio City Music Hall.
Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born
in Astoria in 1926 and grew up in a twostory
house on 32nd Street near Ditmars
Boulevard during the Great Depression.
He began to display his talents at an early
age, performing at age 10 at the opening
of the Triborough Bridge in 1936.
Long before he became a world-famous
crooner, Benedetto honed his talents singing
in restaurants and nightclubs in his
Astoria, eventually working as a singing
waiter at Riccardo’s by the Bridge, which
closed last year due to the operational
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His career was put on hold while he
fought in the fi nal stages of World War
II as a combat infantryman. Benedetto
returned home in 1946 and brought his
talent to Astoria hotspots such as the
Shangri-La on Ditmars Boulevard and
Th e Red Door on Steinway Street.
One night in 1949, Pearl Bailey heard
him sing and invited him to open for her
in Greenwich Village. Bob Hope was in
the audience and visited with him aft er
the show.
“Bob Hope came down to check out
my act,” the singer recalled. “He liked
my singing so much he came back to
see me in my dressing room and said,
‘Come on kid, you’re going to come to the
Paramount and sing with me.’ First, he
told me he didn’t care for my stage name
and asked me what my real name was. I
told him, ‘My name is Anthony Dominick
Benedetto,’ he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony
Bennett.’”
He went on to sell more than 50 million
records, with numerous platinum
and gold albums to his name. Along
the way, Bennett garnered 13 Grammy
nominations and the Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award and is one of the
select few artists to have new albums at
the top of the charts in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s,
’80s and ’90s.
“Music and the arts have long been an
essential piece of the fabric of New York,
and you would be hard-pressed to fi nd
someone who has made more of a contribution
in this space than Tony Bennett,”
Cuomo said. “Not only is Tony a bornand
bred New Yorker who has been dazzling
audiences with beautiful music for
more than six decades, but he has always
stayed true to his humble New York roots
and can always be spotted throughout the
city whether he is working on his next
painting in Central Park, or just chatting
with fans on the street.”
Earlier this year, Bennett’s family
divulged that he was suff ering from
Alzheimer’s disease. His Radio City performances
with Lady Gaga — with whom
he’s released a second album entitled
“Love for Sale” — last week were billed as
the last of his illustrious career.
“From growing up as a child of immigrants,
to all the contributions he has
made to our community, Tony Bennett
is a New Yorker in the truest sense of the
word and I am honored to proclaim Aug.
3, 2021, as ‘Tony Bennett Day’ in New
York,” Cuomo said.
REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
Tony Bennett poses for a portrait before an opening of his art exhibition in Manhattan on May 3,
2017.
Queens Bank of America Student Leaders participate in summer Youth Leadership Program
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two Queens high school graduates are
developing new skills to positively impact
their communities in Bank of America’s
Student Leaders six-week summer internship
program.
Nicole Kim, a Little Neck resident
and recent graduate of Hunter College
High School, and Chantel Umeozor, a
Rosedale resident and recent graduate of
the Brooklyn Latin School, were selected
to participate in the Student Leaders
program that recognizes 300 communityfocused
juniors and seniors from across
the U.S. annually.
“Th e Bank of America Student Leaders
program reinforces our commitment
to workforce development by connecting
youth to employment, community
engagement and leadership opportunities,”
Jose Tavarez, president of Bank of
America New York City, said. “Young
adults are the future of our community,
and through Student Leaders we are
developing a diverse pipeline of talent with
competitive skills and a unique network
that will transform our local workforce.”
Kim and Umeozor have started their
mentor-focused paid summer internship
at the YMCA Greater New York helping
the organization deliver programs that
empower youth and strengthen communities.
Th ey will conduct research and
develop social media campaigns while
also learning about fundraising, grant
writing and event planning.
Th is year, the format of the program
consists of hybrid virtual elements and
optional in-person activities.
For Umeozor, working at the YMCA
Greater New York has helped her acquire
knowledgeable skills to further her advocacy
as a youth ambassador for the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“We work to fundraise money towards
the research for fi nding a cure for type 1
diabetes. Th is work is close to my heart
because it’s something that I feel people
don’t talk a lot about and there’s oft en a
stigma behind type 1 diabetes and it’s not
brought to light,” said Umeozor, who has
type 1 diabetes.
As a student, Umeozor was a member
of the Welcoming School Climate Board
that worked to create a more inclusive
environment for students entering a specialized
high school. Umeozor has also
helped with the creation of a library, so
students will have the opportunity to read
and cultivate their minds.
Meanwhile, Kim,who has been involved
with grassroots organizing and community
work among other activities, has
been working with the Chinese American
Planning Council in New York City and
has advocated for racial justice, equity and
school diversity.
Kim said that she didn’t realize how
many opportunities the YMCA can provide
for people.
“Th e YMCA is connected to so much
throughout the city. “It gave me an opportunity
to go behind the scenes and see
Chantel Umeozor and Nicole Kim are two of Bank of America’s Student Leaders.
what nonprofi ts are doing,” Kim said.
“I think that’s what makes the program
special. Th ey’re not only supporting you
fi nancially, but they’re allowing you to
have these opportunities that are intangible
but also very valuable.”
In addition to their internships, Kim
and Umeozor joined nearly 300 student
leaders from across the country for a
weeklong Student Leadership Summit
that explored how nonprofi ts, governments
and businesses collaborate to meet
local needs.
While traditionally held in Washington,
D.C., the summit was adapted to a virtual
platform this year and continued to feature
the core elements including plenary
sessions on pressing topics like Race
Photo courtesy of Umeozor and Kim
in America, a mock Congress exercise,
Capitol Hill meetings with local representatives,
and a service learning project with
Save the Children.
For both students, working at the
Greater YMCA has been an insightful
experience.
“Without Bank of America, I wouldn’t
have been able to meet people like Chantel
who is so passionate and great about what
she does,” Kim said. “It’s having those
kinds of communities there that are ready
to make the world a better place and allow
us to all collectively be better people. I
encourage everyone to apply. It’s a oncein
a-lifetime opportunity that everyone
should take advantage of.”
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