Jose Ramirez passed away on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at the age of 83. Beloved Husband of Nidia. Loving Father of Claudia Ramirez. Cherished Grandfather of Adrian, Noah, Jazmin and Lily. Dear Brother and Uncle. Private Cremation at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY. Entombment of cremains at St. John Cemetery Ave Maria Mausoleum, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Kathleen M. Bohan passed away on Monday, August 8, 2022 at the age of 77. Originally of Ballylanders, Limerick, Ireland. Beloved Wife of Edward Bohan. Loving Mother of Michelle (Sean) Moloney, John Bohan and Edward (Nancy) Bohan. Cherished Grandmother of John, Sheila, Michael, Kaitlin, Kiera and Gianna. Dear Sister of Michael Foley, Maurice Foley, John Foley and the alte Breda Campbell. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Adalbert’s Church on Saturday August 13, 2022 9:30 AM. Interment followed at St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Marcello Filippi passed away on Sunday, August 7, 2022 at the age of 91. Beloved Husband of Josephine Filippi. Loving Father of Angelo (Sandra) Filippi, Robert (Lauren) Filippi and the late Michael Filippi, and Father-in-Law of Rosemarie Filippi. Cherished Grandfather of Lauren & Kyle, Matthew, Kara, Gianna, Michael, Marcello and Adrianna. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and friends. Mr. Filippi was a United States Army Veteran who served during the Korean Conflict. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Mary’s Church on Thursday, August 11, 2022 10:00 AM. Interment followed at St. John Cemetery, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Argentia Corsini passed away on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at the age of 83. Beloved Wife of the late Rennato Corsini. Dear Friends. Mass of Christian Burial offered at Our Lady of Hope Church on Thursday, August 11, 2022 10:45 AM. Private Cremation followed at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378
Julian Kytasty, Danae Blanco and Juan Carlos Formell.
Later this month, concert-goers of Flushing Town Hall will experience a unique cultural blend.
As part of their most in-demand series, Common Ground: Mini-Global Mashups, Flushing Town Hall will continue its summer run with the Ukraine Meets Cuba concert on August 21 at 1 p.m.
The concert will feature Julian Kytasty, master of the Ukrainian bandura, which is essentially a Ukrainian lute or harp, and Havana-based singer Danae Blanco.
They will be accompanied by Grammy-nominated Cuban guitarist Juan Carlos Formell.
Julian Kytasty was born in Detroit, Michigan, but prides himself in being the descendant of Ukrainian immigrants.
In fact, Kytasty’s first language was Ukrainian, and he’s been playing the bandura since he was a child—carrying on the family tradition.
He is one of the world’s premier players of the bandura, and the instrument’s leading North American exponent.
Kytasty has performed and taught instrumental and choral music throughout the Americas and Europe.
“I developed a very close relationship with the instrument over the years and everything associated with it. I’ve done a lot of research on it,” he said.
“The bandura is such a beautiful, unique instrument that many people probably haven’t heard, and I’m always looking for opportunities to bring it to new audiences.”
Kytasty has been recognized for his expertise in epic songs and early bandura repertoire.
From 1989 to 1990, Kytasty was one of the first North American-born bandurists to tour Ukraine, performing in over 100 concerts.
Blanco provides a welcomed counterpoint to Cuba’s typically male-dominated timba music with her feisty delivery and enchanting lyrics, and has even been credited with bringing salsa romantica into the 21st century.
In 1993, Blanco joined the famous Cuban underground group 5U4, also known as “The Beatles of the Americas,” as a vocalist.
She released her debut single, “Pido,” in 2003 and has been a mainstay in Cuban music since.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Juan Carlos Formell is at the forefront of a new generation of musicians from Cuba who are redefining the parameters of Cuban music.
A talented multi-instrumentalist, Formell has been hailed as a successor to iconic Cuban artists such as Caetano Veloso, Joao Gilberto, Jackson Browne and Nick Drake.
Juan Carlos’ father, Juan Formell, is a bassist and the founder of the trailblazing group Los Van Van.
“Audiences can look forward to enjoying amazing performers whose music is tied to their traditions but simultaneously modernized and fused with other musical elements that expand their borders,” said Frank London, acclaimed trumpeter and composer and curator of the series.
“We are so lucky to be able to put on these Mini-Global Mashups each month and give the fans a great show,” says Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek.
“I am looking forward to our audience being able to experience the phenomenal musical talents of Julian Kytasty, Danae Blanco, and Juan Carlos Formell.”
The August 21st performance will be followed by a Q+A conversation between the artists and the audience.
In-person tickets are $12 for Flushing Town Hall members and $15 for non-members. Those who are unable to attend in person can view the livestream for free at https://www.youtube.com/flushingtownhall/live. Donations are encouraged.
For the Mini-Global Mashup series’ full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/mini-global-mashups or call (718) 463-7700 x222.
For the venue’s full schedule of 2022 Summer and Fall events, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/events
By Stephanie Meditz
news@queensledger.com
On Saturday, the corner of 58th Avenue and 75th Street in Middle Village was co-named to honor a beloved community member, Joseph Magnus.
Middle Village residents joined the friends and family of Magnus to unveil a new street sign that reads “Joseph Magnus Way.”
Born in Slovakia in 1931, Magnus spent his childhood in the thick of the Second World War.
After he and his family escaped capture by the Nazis, he endured several wounds under the care of his fellow survivors and learned the importance of community service firsthand.
He learned the English language by working as an elevator operator, took computer classes at New York University, mentored community members and co-founded the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
On September 11, 2001, Magnus and the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps were among the first volunteers at the World Trade Center, where they spent days helping New Yorkers in a time of citywide need.
Michael Michel, president of Christ the King Regional High School, was Magnus’s mentee as a volunteer of the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“I volunteered and I started on Wednesday nights with Joe Magnus as a trainee,” he said. “He put me under his wing, broke my chops…but he was a driven force.”
After five months volunteering with the corps, Michel ran for first officer under Magnus’s stern instruction.
Six months later, Magnus similarly convinced Michel to run for president of the corps.
Michel testified that Magnus would call former NYS Senator Serf Maltese every day to solicit funding for the corps.
Maltese, who funded several ambulance corps during his 20 years in office, likened Magnus to a drill sergeant in his fundraising efforts.
He said that Magnus not only helped the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps continue, but he also made sure it was the best-funded ambulance corps in the state.
Magnus was a major force behind the city’s memorandum of understanding to fund all ambulance corps in New York City.
“Nobody hounded me like Joe Magnus,” Maltese said. “My entire staff knew, whether it was Albany or Queens, when Joe was on the phone.”
City Councilman Robert Holden, who presented the co-naming, had similar encounters with Magnus since they met in the late ‘80s.
“He was always challenging me,” he said. “And this is probably why I’m standing here, it’s because of Joe Magnus. He urged me to run.”
Through his many phone calls to Holden’s office, Magnus inspired Holden’s funding of the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“He was an amazing person. You couldn’t say no to Joe,” Holden said. “Joe would say what was on his mind and he didn’t have a filter.”
Holden also testified to Magnus’ regular attendance at parades and other community events, even in his old age.
“Joe had a heart of gold. He would help anyone,” he said. “He would help a lot of people and he didn’t brag about that part…but he was so dedicated to community.”
Senator Joe Addabbo, who got to know Magnus when he was elected in 2009, spoke of Magnus’s tough, no-nonsense exterior along with his perseverance, advocacy and community service.
“Even though he was not born in America, you’d be hard pressed to find someone more American,” he said.
Magnus’s daughter, Tanya, described her father as having a “rough exterior, but a heart of gold” in an article.
Magnus’s daughter, Tanya Magnus-Hoos, spoke of her father’s commitment to the American ideal of building a better life in this country.
“Joe Magnus was a capitalist and a patriot,” she said. “Every time something good happened in my life, like a promotion or a raise, he would be my first call. He’d get on the phone and say to me, ‘That’s great. Good country, huh? Let’s go on Grand Avenue and sing God Bless America.’”
“And I miss those moments,” she continued. “But what I also look forward to with hope and anticipation is that someday, when something good happens in [my children’s] lives and they call me, I can tell them, ‘That’s great. Good country. Let’s go sing God Bless America on Joe Magnus Way.’”
Magnus was notorious for sounding the ambulance’s loud, unmistakable horn at all hours of the night.
At the street co-naming, Joseph Campisi from the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps sounded the horn in his honor.
By John Jastremski
Four plus months into the 2022 season and contrary to popular belief, I haven’t seen any similarities between the current edition of the New York Mets and the 2015 team that won the pennant.
Why? The 2022 team is leaps and bounds better.
It’s not even close — and the record proves my point.
The Mets have been a first place team all season as opposed to 2015 where the Mets were .500 for 4 months.
For the first time all year, I noticed a similarity that gave me a 2015 flashback.
The New York Mets buried the Atlanta Braves in the same way the 2015 Mets team buried the Washington Nationals.
This past weekend was a brilliant display of baseball on so many different fronts that should have the fan base jumping for joy.
The Mets had the Braves closing in their rearview mirror the months of June and July.
The Mets had terrific months, but the Braves kept winning.
You wanted to see how the Mets would handle their biggest series of the year?
Well, they passed with flying colors.
Sure, they won 4 out of 5 games. That’s outstanding, but think about some of the stars of the weekend.
The Mets three headed pitching monster looked unhittable against one of baseball’s best lineups.
It started on Thursday night. Mets manager Buck Showalter set a tone for the weekend: that we are here to win and to win big.
He decided to call upon Edwin Diaz for a six-out save after an easy 8th inning, and Diaz delivered.
Saturday, the Mets counted on their bulldog hired gun Max Scherzer to complete a doubleheader sweep. Scherzer delivered seven shutout innings with relative ease.
On Sunday, the icing on the cake. Jacob deGrom’s first Citi Field start of 2022 and was perfect for five plus innings, striking out twelve.
It was pretty clear to me, if you have a healthy Scherzer, deGrom and Diaz come playoff time, you can beat anyone in a short series.
You combine that firepower on the mound with a lineup that makes pitchers work, puts the ball in play and has a knack for getting the big hit, well then.
You’re cooking with gas!
The Mets have it all rolling in mid August, but in reality unlike 2015, this team has been rolling all damn year.
You don’t win any parades in August, but the statement was pretty clear this past weekend.
The Mets are the best team in the NL East and boy are they dangerous…
You can listen to my podcast New York, New York every Monday, Wednesday & Friday on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. You can watch me nightly on Geico Sportsnight after Mets postgame on SNY.
Earl S. Gaskins passed away on Sunday, July 10, 2022 at the age of 63. Beloved Husband of Janet Caban. Loving Father of Javier Gaskins, Aaron Gaskins, Wilfred Perez, Lenette Albert and Angenette Sanchez. Cherished Grandfather of Daniel, Angelynn and Alexandria, and dear brother. Mr. Gaskins was a United States Coast Guard Veteran and Retired NY Corrections Officer. Memorial Services held at Papavero Funeral Home on Monday, August 8, 2022 from 10 AM-12 PM. Interment followed at Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Anthony Pidala, Jr. passed away on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at the age of 63. Beloved son of the late Joan & Anthony Pidala Sr. Loving Brother of Michael & Margaret Pidala and Maryann & Ray Keen. Cherished uncle of Robert & Jocelyn, Michael, Stephanie and Michael Brendan, and great-uncle of Ava Rose. Private Cremation held on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY. Interment of Cremains at St. John Cemetery, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
