Bay Ridge corner named after bike shop owner

Patrice Capo volunteered at WTC recovery effort

April 12, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Councilmember Vincent Gentile (second from right) and state Sen. Marty Golden (right) joined members of Patrice Capo’s family to display the street sign honoring her. At left is Assemblymember Pam Harris. Photo courtesy of Gentile’s office

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A Bay Ridge woman whose love of bicycling made her famous in the community was memorialized in a street sign on the corner across from the bike shop she owned.

In a ceremony on April 8, Councilmember Vincent Gentile unveiled a new street sign in memory of Patrice Capo, who died of cancer in 2009 at the age of 52. The sign is located on the corner of Third Avenue and 90th Street, across from Bay Ridge Bicycle World, the shop Capo owned.

Gentile, who sponsored legislation in the City Council to pave the way for the street corner naming, said Capo did a great deal to promote health and wellness habits in her fellow Bay Ridge residents.

Capo also put her health on the line in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to Gentile.

“When 9/11 happened, Patrice put her health on the line by volunteering on the ‘Bucket Brigade’ line down at Ground Zero. Patrice was moved by the tremendous losses to the FDNY. She called upon her Bay Ridge Bicycle World distributors to donate 300 bicycles and organized a raffle to raise money for the families of our New York firefighters,” he said.

Patrice Capo was born to Patrick and Katherine Capo on March 20, 1957. She grew up on Fourth Avenue and 90th Street and attended St. Patrick Catholic School. She went on to attend St. Joseph by the Sea Catholic Academy on Staten Island.

“As a young woman, she established herself as a charitable, benevolent, kind, sympathetic, funny and good-hearted person. She always cared and gave guidance to anyone in need,” Gentile said.

While her children were growing up, Capo worked at a variety of jobs. One day she asked for a job at the local bike shop, Bay Ridge Bicycle World. The owner, Peter Esposito, offered her a sales position.

When he retired, Esposito offered Capo the business. Capo purchased the bike shop.

“As the old saying goes, if the mentee fails to surpass the mentor, then the mentor has failed. Peter most definitely didn’t fail and Patrice had her sights set on amplifying Bay Ridge Bicycle World’s presence in the community and her advocacy for cycling,” Gentile said.

Capo was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and died two years later. She is survived by her husband Michael Diamond and her three children.

“Patrice’s son Anthony is now carrying on his mother’s legacy of wanting to promote health and fitness in the community having opened a gym of his own. And Bay Ridge Bicycle World is still a family-run business that Patrice would be proud of,” Gentile said.