South Bronx: Street Co-Naming Held in Honor of Venancio “Benny” Catala Jr.

Family and friends of the late Venacio “Benny” Catala Jr., joined together at 166th Street and Teller Avenue just east of Morrisania on Saturday, July 29, as Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and District 16 City Council Member Althea Stevens hosted a street co-naming ceremony to honor the popular community leader for what was described as his decades of public service and community leadership.

UPDATE Friends Honor Man Who Died after Being Held in Police Custody

More than two dozen friends of Justin “Gusto” Gidora, 36, gathered at Indian Field in Van Cortlandt Park just after sunset on Saturday, July 22, to remember a good-natured and apparently troubled, young man who died under mysterious circumstances after being held in police custody, as previously reported.

Vigil to be held for Woodlawn Man who Died after Being Held in Police Custody

Officials have remained tight-lipped after a beloved Woodlawn Heights native died at Lincoln Hospital on July 14 after being held in police custody. Friends of Justin “Gusto” Gidora, 35, are expected to gather on Saturday night, July 22, in Van Cortlandt Park for a candlelight vigil in memory of the young man.

Summer of Violence Continues as Gun Free Zone Law Introduced in Memory of Angellyh Yambo

The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.  Despite marking the month of June with the usual events aimed at curbing the gun violence that continues to plague The Bronx, the last day of Gun Violence Awareness Month was marred by the violent shooting of a 5-year-old girl in Olinville, followed by a spate of 16 shootings over the Fourth of July weekend. What followed was possibly even worse when four people, including two children under the age of 7, were gunned down in broad daylight by two masked scooter drivers beside St. James Park in Fordham Manor on July 11, shocking local residents.