Anthony Catanzaro Square facts for kids

Anthony Catanzaro Square is a small park located in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. This park is special because it sits in a "traffic triangle." This means it's a piece of land shaped like a triangle where three different streets meet. In this spot, West 16th Street, Avenue Y, and Bay 50th Street all come together.

Honoring a Hero: Anthony Catanzaro

This park was named in 1963 to remember a brave soldier named Anthony Catanzaro. He was a Private First Class in the United States Army. Anthony was born in 1916 and sadly died in 1943 while serving his country during World War II.

Anthony's Story

Anthony Catanzaro grew up right across the street from where the park is now. His parents were immigrants from Italy. During World War II, Anthony was part of the 322nd Fighter Control Squadron. On November 26, 1943, his ship was on its way to the war front in Italy. German forces attacked his ship, sinking it with a torpedo. Anthony was one of the many brave soldiers who died that day.

A Brother's Promise

After his death, Anthony Catanzaro was given the Purple Heart medal. This medal is awarded to soldiers who are wounded or killed while serving in the military. He was buried far from home, in the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia.

Anthony had a younger brother named Joseph (1919-2015). Joseph also fought in World War II and survived the famous D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. When Joseph returned home, he made a promise to honor his brother Anthony. Joseph worked hard to make the triangle a special place. He had a flagpole installed and planted shrubs there. For many years, Joseph lovingly cared for the park and raised the American flag every morning.

Greenstreets Program

Anthony Catanzaro Square is part of a cool city program called Greenstreets. This program is a team effort between the New York City Parks Department and the city's Department of Transportation. Their goal is to turn unused spaces, like traffic triangles and medians (the strips of land in the middle of roads), into beautiful green areas for everyone to enjoy.

See Also

• "Bath Beach Remnant" Forgotten-NY March 2, 2017