Joe Liberatore, Longtime Arthur Avenue Vendor, Has Died

A plaque on display at the Arthur Avenue Market calls Liberatore "Little Italy's Mayor."
(File photo by Fausto Giovanny Pinto)

Joe Liberatore, one of the original vendors at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market in Belmont, passed away Monday night at the age of 93, according to a post yesterday on the "Arthur Avenue, the Real Italy of New York" Facebook page.

Liberatore had been a staple at the Italian indoor bazaar since its opening in 1940, and more recently had been peddling plants and seedlings (like basil, olives and bay leaves) at his Liberatore Joe's Garden of Plenty.

Residents are sharing their condolences and memories of Liberatore on Facebook, here.

Arthur Avenue Retail Market Event, Plus Our Vendors Guide

Editor's note: Head on over to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market in Belmont's "Little Italy," this afternoon, from 4 to 7 p.m., for the market's celebration of Bronx Week. Tour the space, meet the vendors, and enjoy free samples and cooking demos.  Remember, Bronx Week will run through this Sunday, May 22. For a full calendar of events, visit www.ilovethebronx.com. For those and other Bronx happenings, check out the BxNN community calendar here.

The story below was originally published in this month's issue of the Tremont Tribune, out now.

Arthur Avenue Market Gets a Makeover
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto

The Arthur Avenue Retail Market is undergoing major renovations this year, including a new exterior facade. (Photo by F.G. Pinto)

In 1940, then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened indoor markets throughout New York City, a move to get pushcarts off the streets to make room for the increasingly popular automobile.

Among them was the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, an indoor bazaar of vendors hawking foods and goods in the heart of Belmont’s “Little Italy,” on Arthur Avenue between Crescent Avenue and East 187th Street.

Now in existence for over 70 years, the market is undergoing an estimated $1 million renovation this year, thanks to a grant from the city’s Economic Development Corporation with help from Councilman Joel Rivera and Congressman Jose Serrano.

The market’s new modern-looking exterior was unveiled last month and a new service elevator and tiling are also in store.