Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Samantha Lugo (212)788-9364
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today unveiled a plaque dedicating the Marlboro Houses community garden to the memory of slain New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) maintenance worker John DeCarlo. Mr. DeCarlo was shot and killed one year ago while on duty at the Marlboro housing complex in Brooklyn.
"There is no more fitting tribute to John's life than a beautiful and permanent place of calm and refuge in the housing development he dedicated 18 years of his life to maintaining and improving," the Mayor said.
"This garden is the tribute that John would have wanted, because it will make a real difference in the lives of the residents of this community. It will do what John did every day, help ensure that this development, where hundreds of people live, is not only housing, but homes," the Mayor added.
Joining the Mayor were Ruben Franco, Chairman of NYCHA, Reverend Paul Vazhaphilly of the St. Simon and Jude Roman Catholic Church, Mr. DeCarlo's mother Anna and brother Frank and members of the community where he served and lived.
Mr. Franco said, "John DeCarlo's passion for his job was legendary, as were his reliability, concern and compassion for his colleagues, and the Marlboro residents he so faithfully served for 23 years."
Mr. DeCarlo worked for NYCHA for 23 years. Eighteen of those years were spent at the 16-story building where he was killed. Over the years, Mr. DeCarlo, a dedicated and loyal worker, had accumulated 250 unused vacation days.
One year ago on July 28, a 15 year-old resident of the Marlboro Houses shot and killed Mr. DeCarlo after learning that the police had been summoned to the complex to retrieve his pit bull dog, which was chained to the roof. The gunman believed Mr. DeCarlo had made the call. Last week, the assailant was convicted and sentenced to three-and-a-half to eight years in jail for killing Mr. DeCarlo.