Buddy Scotto, mayor of Carroll Gardens, remembered fondly at street co-naming ceremony
If Buddy Scotto had had his way, there would have been gondolas plying the waters of the Gowanus Canal.
That dream, recounted to this paper by Mark Shames, a member of Community Board 6 and the law partner of Scotto’s daughter, Debra Scotto, may never have been realized. But Scotto’s decades of efforts on behalf of South Brooklyn bore rich fruit – from the construction of affordable housing to the rehabilitation of the once noxious Gowanus Canal, making it perfectly logical that a corner in the community would be dedicated to his memory.
The dedication for that street co-naming took place on Wednesday at the intersection of First Place and Court Street, where for years the funeral home that Scotto ran was located. Speakers included Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, former Mayor Bill de Blasio; and Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who represents the area. About 75 people attended.
Scotto, who died at the age of 91 in 2020, was known to many as the “Mayor of Carroll Gardens” and was ubiquitous in meeting rooms across the neighborhood as he advocated tirelessly for his three civic passions: affordable housing, the Gowanus Canal and the environment, said Vilma Heramia, the executive director of the Carroll Gardens Association, which Scotto founded and shepherded for many years.