By JOSEPH MODICA
Enjoying the last vestiges of summer in front of his restaurant, James Bari, 68, sat watching the crowds of tourists and locals trickle in for the first day of the San Gennaro feast.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” were the first words that he blurted out. “According from what we learned in school, Christopher Columbus found this America, this country. ” Bari spent his entire life in Little Italy, and became a co-owner of the “The Original Benito One” 40 years ago.
Bari, of course, was referring to the nascent movement to take down statues of the Genoese explorer who, historical records show, mistreated Native Americans.
Alfredo Balarin, 60, is an immigrant who came to the U.S. 40 years ago. “You don’t want to change history,” he said. “With the slaves and all that stuff, that was that era. It was not right, but it was in that era.” added the Staten Island resident, not taking his eyes off the small fixture he was adjusting to shine light on his wares. Balarin spent his life working, eventually earning enough to leave his job to open his own import and export business. “I was born in Peru and [am I] going to hate on Spanish people that was in the past?” he continued, referencing Spain’s conquest of Peru. “It makes no sense.”
“Whatever happened, happened.” said Raymond Bell, 58, pausing to take a drag of his cigarette “It’s part of American history.” The retired window cleaner from East Village.
A dissident note was sounded by Valentina Jimenes:“I feel like if somebody is offended, they should remove it,” said the 32-year-old waitress from Harlem, looking at the crowds of people during an unusually slow lunch rush.
With the investigation into the possibility of removing Christopher Columbus’s statues around the city, many of New York’s residents share the sentiment that the statute should stay where it is. The movement to remove controversial statues gained traction in the last few months and came to a boil when violent clashes to remove a Robert. E Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia left one woman dead. Many around New York’s Little Italy district want to keep the statue, and were dismayed by the news that his statue in Central Park was defaced on Tuesday.
Joe Monaco, 80, a retired pastry chef from Bay Ridge sat on the steps of a stoop behind a booth selling fried oreos. “You have crazy people all over the world,” he noted. giving a chuckle. “I don’t know what they’re trying to achieve; after 500 years?” He trailed off with another laugh and went back to enjoying the feast.
“That’s someone with a lot of time on their hands.” remarked Vinny Patuto, 35, a food vendor from Williamsburg.
Antoinette Cataldi, 30, is a manager of the Comedy Cellar and resident of Brooklyn heard about the defacement of the statue. “I think everyone should stop worrying about the non-important issues right now and be worried about coming together as a country.” said Cataldi.
Dan Russo, a retiree, spent the entire 80 years of his life in Little Italy. He wants the statue left alone, calling the movement to remove the statue after over a century in New York “ridiculous.”
James Bari, before going back inside his restaurant, added “I think they should grab this person and deface him, whoever he is, simple as that.”
Photo by Joseph Modica of Workers and onlookers clapping as the statue of San Gennaro is placed in its stand.
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