Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights activist to be memorialized

Mayor Bill de Blasio, on Thursday, February 5, approved the re-naming of 56 thoroughfares and public places throughout the city, one of which – Frank J. Santo Way – will go up on the southwest corner of 82nd Street and 13th Avenue in Dyker Heights.

“Frank Santo was a powerful force for positive change in the Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst communities,” lauded Councilmember Vincent Gentile, commending Santo for both his military and public service. “Whether he was helping to raise $1 million for victims of an earthquake a million miles away or pioneering a senior center for elderly people who needed a place to go right in his own backyard, Frank was always giving back.”

Additionally, Gentile said, Santo dedicated his life to serving HeartShare, a non-for-profit organization focused on improving the lives of people in need of special services and support.

“Frank J. Santo had a vision, and he could anticipate the needs of the community,” Gentile said. “His legacy will live on forever, not only in the things he built, but in the lives he touched.”

The re-naming will take place later this year, according to Gentile’s office.