One of the great privileges of being a council member is being able to honor and recognize community leaders and heroes who have passed away. Less than a year into my first term in office I have had the humbling experience of co-naming streets for four of our community’s most impactful members who are no longer with us. Joe Blandino, Detective Joseph G. Lemm, William J. Madonna, and Blanche Comras Rifkin were all shining examples of what it means to be a Bronxite. Additionally, I also had the good fortune of being in office to present the street co-naming ceremony for law enforcement professional Joseph A. Morabito.
Earlier this week was the ceremony for Detective Lemm, who died in Afghanistan in 2015 while serving his third tour of duty with the Air National Guard. The story of Detective Lemm, like so many other fallen men and women in uniform, shows us the deepest possible meaning of service and sacrifice. It is people like him, as well as Mr. Blandino, Mr. Madonna, and Ms. Rifkin, who set a standard we should all try to emulate.
Whether it is fighting for freedom in a far off land or fighting so that our children have a quality education and our poor do not go to sleep hungry, every one of us can be a hero. Service is the cornerstone of community, and these five individuals embodied the definition of what it means to care about your neighbors.
Our borough is a special place in that we truly are more than just a collection of isolated individuals. We have real communities where people care about one another and are invested in the wellbeing of our neighborhoods. This is a place where mom-and-pop shops flourish and everyday heroes go about their lives doing the right things for the right reasons. This is the place where heroes like Joe Blandino, Joseph Lemm, Will Madonna, and Blanche Rifkin come from. This is the Bronx.
“You can only get out of a community that which you put into it”- Councilman Mark Gjonaj
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