A Legacy of Care: The Cianciottas and Brooklyn’s Memorial Gore

In the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at the bustling intersection of Bushwick, Metropolitan, and Maspeth avenues, sits a small but significant patch of greenery known as Memorial Gore. This modest memorial, established to honor 83 local residents who perished in World War I, might have faded into obscurity if not for the extraordinary dedication of one elderly couple. Theresa “Tish” Cianciotta and her World War II veteran husband Guido became the unofficial caretakers of this city-owned memorial in the 1980s, tending to it with love and respect for decades. Their story is one of civic pride, community responsibility, and the power of individual action in preserving history. On a recent Veterans Day, the couple was posthumously honored for their years of selfless service, highlighting not just their contributions but the ongoing challenges of maintaining public memorials in an era of budget constraints and changing neighborhoods.

The Cianciottas’ commitment to Memorial Gore represents a deeply personal connection to community history. The couple, who both lived into their 90s before passing in 2021 and 2023 respectively, dedicated countless hours to maintaining the small landmark when the city’s attention was directed elsewhere. As Philip Caponegro, a 71-year-old community board member, told the gathering of about two dozen locals, “We want to keep their memory alive.” The memorial itself carries significant historical weight – purchased by the city in 1894 for $2,500 and adorned with a sculpture by the same Piccirilli Brothers who created the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Despite its pedigree, after the Cianciottas passed away, the memorial quickly fell into disrepair, becoming overgrown with weeds and, more troublingly, a site for homeless encampments. The degradation of this space dedicated to fallen soldiers highlighted a gap in civic maintenance that the elderly couple had quietly filled for decades with their volunteer efforts.

The story of Memorial Gore might have ended there, another casualty of municipal budget cuts under the Adams administration, if not for a convergence of community activism and media attention. A 2024 investigation by The Post exposed the city’s neglect of the memorial, sparking renewed interest in its preservation. William Vega, a local community board member and volunteer with Friends of Cooper Park, stepped forward to continue the Cianciottas’ legacy. For Vega, the work is both a labor of love and a personal mission connected to his own history with urban displacement, having spent his early years in Manhattan’s San Juan Hill neighborhood before it was demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. “I love doing it,” Vega explained at the ceremony. “I love sitting here and watching neighbors enjoy their time near it.” His comments highlighted an often-overlooked reality of neighborhood preservation: “The elders in this neighborhood are doing all the work. Those who are younger are struggling to make ends meet – the rents are too high.” This observation illuminates the changing demographics and economic pressures facing Williamsburg and similar gentrifying neighborhoods across New York City.

The ongoing maintenance of Memorial Gore represents a microcosm of broader issues facing public spaces in urban America. While technically managed by NYC Parks, budget constraints have limited official involvement in the memorial’s upkeep. Vega has worked to foster a “better personal relationship” with the Parks Department since taking over maintenance duties, receiving assistance for larger tasks like repairing the park’s flagpole. However, Friends of Cooper Park still contributes “a lot more” than tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs. Vega’s dedication is remarkable – he works seven days a week cleaning the area, regularly finding syringes tossed over the fence alongside bags of litter from passing cars. Currently, the park remains closed to the public except during Veterans Day and Memorial Day events, with only authorized caretakers like Vega possessing keys for access. Following successful limited openings earlier this year, Vega hopes to expand public access next spring, allowing more community members to appreciate this historical space that the Cianciottas preserved for so many years.

The significance of Memorial Gore extends beyond its physical presence to represent the multicultural history of Williamsburg itself. State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, who represents the area, observed during the ceremony that the memorial’s upkeep reflects the neighborhood’s long tradition of community members uniting to “fight for what’s right.” Her comments touched on the neighborhood’s diverse heritage: “People look at this neighborhood a lot of the time from the real-estate perspective but not from the community perspective. This part of the neighborhood historically is Italian. We have tons of Italian veterans that experienced so much prejudice and hatred, but they’re such a core part of the US Army.” These remarks highlight how the memorial connects to stories of immigration, discrimination, service, and eventual integration – themes that resonate throughout American history and remain relevant today. The Italian-American experience mentioned by Gallagher mirrors that of many immigrant communities whose contributions to American society, including military service, helped forge acceptance despite initial prejudice.

The story of Memorial Gore provides a powerful reminder of how individual citizens can make meaningful differences in preserving community heritage. While the Parks Department acknowledges the value of such contributions – noting that since 2024, they have “engaged more than 1.2 Million volunteers throughout the city to help care for our parks” – the Cianciottas’ decades of dedication stand out as exceptional. Their quiet stewardship of this small but significant space ensured that the sacrifices of 83 local World War I casualties would not be forgotten amid the rapid changes transforming Brooklyn. Now, as William Vega carries their torch forward with support from community organizations and occasional assistance from city agencies, the memorial continues to serve as both a tribute to fallen soldiers and a testament to civic engagement. In an era when public budgets are stretched thin and urban spaces face competing pressures, the legacy of Theresa and Guido Cianciotta reminds us that preservation of our shared history often depends on the passionate commitment of ordinary citizens who recognize value in what others might overlook. Their story, now honored and remembered, offers an inspiring model of community care that transcends generations.