Street co-named for community activist in Dyker Heights

Rosa Casella’s daughter Giulia Atanasio talks to this paper about the ceremony and her mom

A woman who contributed to the Dyker Heights community was honored.

Rosa Casella, a former executive director for the Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) Community Services Network, had a street co-named after her Oct. 11.

Casella died in November 2024.

Family members, friends, and community leaders showed up for the unveiling of the sign at the corner of 11th Avenue and 71st Street, now co-named “Rosa Casella Way.”

In addition to being a part of the NIA Community Service Network for over 25 years, Casella was also a member of Community Board 11.

Her daughter Giulia Atanasio told this paper what the honor meant to her and the entire family.

“The day was incredibly emotional for my family and me,” she said. “It was a beautiful mix of pride, gratitude, and reverence for everything she stood for. Seeing my mother’s name unveiled on the street sign of my childhood home — in the very neighborhood where she poured her heart and soul — was surreal. It felt like a piece of her was being permanently woven into the fabric of this community she gave so much to.”

During the ceremony, Atanasio was one of the speakers and said she was so proud as a daughter.

“And as a mother, I felt even more grateful because one day, I’ll be able to bring my own kids to that street and tell them the story of the incredible woman we’ve come from,” she said. “That really captured what the day meant to me: remembering the impact my mom made and passing that legacy down to the next generation.”

The co-naming was sponsored by Councilmember Alexa Avilés. 

“My mother was a constant presence in this community — someone who led with compassion, consistency, and care,” Atanasio said. “Through her work as Executive Director of the NIA Community Services Network, she helped shape programs that didn’t just serve children and families but uplifted them.

“She believed in creating spaces where everyone felt supported, whether it was through after-school programs, youth development, or community events. Her impact wasn’t just in the programs she ran, but in the relationships that she built with parents, with kids, with local leaders, and with the staff she worked alongside. She gave everything she had to this work. And I think the community felt that. That’s why her legacy lives on.”

Last year, NIA Community Services Network released a statement following Casella’s death.

“For more than 25 years, Rosa worked tirelessly in support of the NIA, our staff, participants, and the local community,” the statement read. “Rosa led with sharp wit and determination, playing a vital role in the organization’s growth and success. She was an active member of Community Board 11, dedicated to bettering her local community and generously giving her time in support of all those in need.

“She was a woman of faith and family, a devoted mother and grandmother, and loving friend and neighbor. Known, loved, and respected by so many, Rosa will be so deeply missed and remembered fondly for her contributions, charm, and ability to make others feel welcomed.”

In an interview for this paper in 2015, Casella said, “My greatest achievements in my life, of course, are my children and grandchildren, but also knowing that through my own experiences I have made a difference in someone’s life.”