Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Realtor paints over 9/11 mural

The building at left used to be an auto body shop. There also used to be an illegal apartment on the second floor. I haven't seen architecture quite this tacky along Metropolitan Avenue since the Crifasi Building went up across the street some years back. This baby is now owned by - who else - J&P REALTY OF QUEENS, which explains the initials at the top of the facade. It's located at 79-54 Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village.

There was some painting done yesterday and they left a square patch of the mural that was on the wall untouched for some reason.

This is what it used to look like. You can click on the photo to see the whole image in hi-res. Perhaps it's a bit over the top, but considering how devastating 9/11 was to this community, how much work obviously went into the mural and that it was created in response to the worst terrorist attack in this nation's history, would it have killed them to just let it be?

Update: As of Tuesday afternoon, the entire mural has been painted over.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Answer: Greed over humanity.

Remedy: Repaint at once!

Anonymous said...

It was painted over because the owner is probably not American.

It looks like a square of the mural was left because it's of the twin towers.

Anonymous said...

No I think they'll finish the job today. It's sad when you not only have forgotten the history of generations past but also your own.

Anonymous said...

I always thought that was a cool painting. Kind of showed that not all graffiti is for a bad purpose. So much for that. Any idea who created it?

Anonymous said...

Maybe one of the council candidates can get it put back or find another suitable location where it can be resurrected.

Anonymous said...

I think Serf Maltese would be concerned by this. He has a similar mural near his office on Myrtle Ave.

Anonymous said...

Any aerosol artist will tell you
that it's extremely bad karma
to paint over any "R.I.P." mural!

"J & P Realty" your fate awaits you!

Anonymous said...

Councilman Anthony Coma.

Anonymous said...

What's the difference between Dennis Gallagher and Anthony Como?

The sign on the building.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I hope someone in the community doesn't show up one night and show the landlord effective use of paint as a protest instrument.

You know, 'paint' the wall again.

Be a real howl if the landlord has no connection to the community (except making campaign donations of course) and is a 'new' American.

And the protestor lost someone in the towers.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said:

What's the difference between Dennis Gallagher and Anthony Como?



....lipstick.

Anonymous said...

How quickly we forget.

nicknac10 said...

daniel shea pianter,muralist,printmaker,photographer,wetran for peace

nicknac10 said...

daniel shea he made the mural and he was getting paid for it.someone bough the store and now there painting over it.he is my dad's cousin.he is livid about it

Anonymous said...

MY NAME IS JOHN...FORMER RESIDENT OF MIDDLE VILLAGE. I MOVED OUT OF THE AREA SHORTLY AFTER I PAINTED THIS MURAL. RECENTLY LOOKING UP TRIVIA ABOUT MIDDLE VILLAGE I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS SITE. I BECAME ENRAGED AT THE POSTING THAT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD ATTEMPT TO TAKE CREDIT AND CASH IN ON SUCH A TRAGIC EVENT. I PAINTED THAT MURAL,NO ONE ELSE!!! I HAVE THE STEP BY STEP PHOTOS AS WELL AS PHOTOS WITH LOCAL FIREMEN WHO APPRECIATED THIS COMMUNITY EFFORT. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME, BUT MORE WHY THE MURAL WAS DONE...WITHOUT PAY,WITH MATERIALS DONATED BY LOCAL BUSINESSMEN AND WITH THE KIND PERMISSION OF NUNZIE LOMBARDI..WHO OWNED THAT BUILDING WHEN IT WAS A BODY SHOP. LETS SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT...IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO FELLOW AMERICANS AND THE PAIN WE ALL SHARED, DONE WITHOUT WITHOUT COMPENSATION, AND WITH GREAT SORROW IN MY HEART. DANIEL SHEA DID NOT PAINT THIS MURAL!!! BE REAL, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THIS...OMG!!!

Unknown said...

That's right jhon painted that mural , I should know I was there all the step of the way . For at the time I was nunzi right hand and was there till the end . Jhon Magee love you , rip nunzi rip Joe Orlando . I left my heart at the shop will always miss my time there . GOOD BLESS AMERICAN