History

One of Middle Village’s own has taken the helm at the Department of Sanitation.

Last week, Mayor de Blasio appointed Edward Grayson as the Acting Commissioner of DSNY. Grayson, who was raised in Middle Village, was the agency’s director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection.

The four-star chief first joined the sanitation department in 1999. He has held a range of positions, including operations chief.

As Director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection, Grayson oversaw day-to-day operations, including the collection, recycling and disposal of more than 1,200 tons of waste per day.

Grayson’s father was a lifelong sanitation worker and supervisor. His mother was a recycling outreach coordinator during the rollout of the city’s citywide recycling program in the 1990s.

We wish Grayson the best of luck!

Vincent Charles Maltese, a neighborhood activist who was a prominent member of the Conservative Party and the brother of former Republican State Senate Serf Maltese, died on Sunday. He was 86 years old. Born on the Lower East Side in June 1934, Maltese was accepted to Stuyvesant High School, and later completed his high school education at Seward Park High School. Maltese worked as a self-taught car mechanic, a salesman and a truck driver before working as a sales agent for Prudential Insurance for 14 years. He then entered a career in law enforcement. At the age of 38, Maltese took the test to become a court officer, and passed with a 99. He was quickly promoted from captain to lieutenant, and eventually to sergeant. While working, Maltese continued his college education at Adelphi, Hofstra and St. John’s University. Maltese ran for president of the Queens chapter of Parents & Taxpayers and won. He was elected district leader of the Conservative Party, which he helped co-found in 1962. The LES native served on the Ridgewood Community Board of Directors, which operated the Peter Cardella Senior Center. He was a member of the Italian Charities of America, serving as vice president for 30 years. He was also on the board of the Italo-American Federal Credit Union, and a member of First Avenue Boys, the Scafidi Belmonte Mezzagno Benevolent Society, and the Bella Italia Mia. Maltese was notably a founding member of the Triangle Fire Memorial Association and served as chairman of the board. He lost a grandmother and two aunts to the 1911 fire. Mass cards and notes of condolences may be sent to his family address at 199-05 33rd Avenue Bayside, NY 11358.