the red hook
THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE, PAGE 17
STAR REVUE
DECEMBER 2020 INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
FREE RED HOOK'S ONLY LOCAL PAPER
Susan of NY Printing always greets customers with a smile.
Tony Kokale manning Mark's Pizza wearing his mask.
Fort Defiance has added veggies to their repertoire.
Red Hook businesses adapt to hard times
L
ess than a decade after surviving Hurricane Sandy, our local businesses have had to deal with another disaster. Here are how some are faring:
Mark’s Red Hook Pizza:
Mark’s Pizza, which opened in 1991 has been a staple of Red Hook; however, the pizzeria has struggled during the pandemic according to owner Tony Kokale. “It’s been tough, rough, stressful, you name it, but I’ve never lost hope and I know my regular customers will support us, not all the time but at least once a week,” Kokale said. “I’ll support them back.” He’s lost a lot of business during the pandemic and had to let go of some employees but has still found a way to stay open. “Even before the pandemic we always made sure to stay clean and safe,” Kokale said. “It wasn’t something we had to be told twice about but this is differ-
by Brian Abate
ent. It’s tough to know who you can trust and right now, anytime someone coughs, you worry.” Employees are following protocols by wearing masks and social distancing and there is hand sanitizer for workers and customers to use. Still, it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk. “We’re living day by day, so right now there are no plans for the future,” Kokale said. “It’s tough because with the pandemic you never know what’s coming next and we hope that customers will come in and the phone will ring. I’m scared for the future… My landlord raised the rent so it’s been a very tough time but I’m very grateful for the crew and everything they’ve done.”
"Anytime someone coughs, you worry."
While Mark’s Pizza wasn’t as crowded as it usually is when I grab a slice or pass it on Van Brunt Street, there were a few customers who came in to get food and chat while we spoke. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, customers and workers were still able to share a laugh together and catch up. One woman asked how much her food cost, to which Kokale replied “eight dollars,” but when he saw her counting see if she had enough money added “or whatever you can afford.” The woman was able to come up with the eight dollars and also left a tip. “I love this neighborhood,” Kokale said. “There are lots of good ones, some bad ones, some crazy ones, just like any neighborhood. It’s small though, and everyone knows everyone. That’s what I like. Right now I can’t look ahead but I hope it’s going to be a very bright future.”
Wet Whistle Wines: While most businesses have suffered and struggled to get business during the pandemic, many liquor
(continued on page 7)
THE YUCK IS COMING UP
T
he sun was out, but the slanted light of fall did little to warm the small crowd gathered at the Carroll Street Bridge in Gowanus the morning of November 16th. But despite winds that whipped bare hands and quickly chilled the hot cider they held in paper cups, members of Gowanus Dredgers, an organization that promotes waterfront stewardship at its namesake canal, needed no cheering up. They were celebrating the start of dredging works on the waterway, the culmination of two decades of advocating for the cleanup of one of the country’s most polluted places. Carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under a Superfund mandate, the dredging will remove the combination of tar and sewage known as “black mayo” that has accumulated at the bottom of the Gowanus Canal for well over a century. Once dredging is
by Jorge Bello
completed in 2023, the underlying riverbed, which has also been contaminated by the area’s industrial past, will be capped with cement and absorbent clays to keep pollutants from seeping back into the clean canal. The whole process is expected to take another decade to complete. Owen Foote, a founding member of the Dredgers, stressed the important role that raising community awareness and interest around the canal has played in finally materializing their efforts. “Without people knowing about this problem, this may not be happening today.” A similar sentiment was expressed by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez later that morning at a nearby waterfront esplanade, where EPA and elected officials gathered to mark the start of dredging. Velazquez credited commu-
(continued on page 5)