Vinny Abate Honored at City Hall

Community members, longtime neighborhood residents and elected officials gathered at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon to honor Vinny Abate, the former CB1’s notoriously fiery chairman who dedicated his life to serving Greenpoint/Williamsburg in so many different capacities.
Vinny Abate was born in Williamsburg in 1918 and has lived in the neighborhood ever since, save the four years he spent in the Army. Abate served on the board of the Greenpoint Hospital, Woodhull Hospital and the School Settlement House, among others. He founded an ambulance corp. in the neighborhood, and worked as a senior clerk at the Supreme Court. Up until last month when he resigned his post, the nearly 91-year-old had served as CB1 Chair for nearly 30 years—a responsibility he took very seriously. Despite his tremendous leadership, Abate maintains that, in fact, he never really wanted to be in charge.
“This is the first time since I was 13 that I’m not in charge of something,” Abate said as he sat in the back of the Council Chamber, a small white rose pinned to his lapel. “First, I was the chief monitor in grammar school, I was an alter boy in church, I started the bugle and drum corp. at St. Francis—I’ve been lucky. It’s not like I had the brains, I just got lucky!”
Modesty and all, Abate was presented with an official proclamation from Councilmembers David Yassky, Speaker Christine Quinn and Diana Reyna—the only person Abate would “get out of bed and come into Manhattan for”—for his years of dedication to the neighborhood.
“He has dedicated his life to the City of New York,” Reyna said, holding Abate’s hand. “He is a veteran who served during World War II, and he always remained loyal to his community, his Italian heritage and so many families of Community Board 1. His tireless work made Greenpoint/Williamsburg a place we call home today. We have so much history with you and never lose perspective of what that means.”
Yassky chimed in, adding that “In the 7-and-a-half years I’ve had the privilege of working with Vinny, he holds true to the basic values of family and community,” he said. “He had the confidence and strength to welcome change, while ensuring that that change is good, but the core remains the same.”
Even Speaker Quinn, who said she “couldn’t imagine being Chair for that long…seriously. Can’t imagine it,” was impressed by Abate, adding that “If you looked in the dictionary and there was a picture of a public citizen, there would be a picture of Vinny Abate.”

After reading the proclamation aloud, Quinn passed the mic to Abate for a (very) few words:
“Being known as a quiet man, the less you say the better off you are,” Abate said, half-kidding. “I wanted to leave [the Chairman seat] while I still have all of my marbles. I don’t want to have people say ‘good riddance!’”