You only had to meet Lou Rispoli once to remember him for a lifetime.
That was the sentiment at a candlelight vigil in Sunnyside for the slain gay rights activist and arts and music supporter who died on Oct. 25th after being brutally beaten in the dead of night on a quiet, residential street.
Community residents, friends, family and strangers came to mourn the senseless death of the 62 year-old Rispoli, dubbed by a friend as a "cook, a coach, a host and a counselor" and to express shock at his death.
Rispoli, who lived with his husband Danyal Lawson in the neighborhood for over 30 years, was a "teddy bear" who enjoyed being a mentor to young people, cooked and cared for friends with AIDS and HIV and encouraged people in their burgeoning careers in the arts.
He had just celebrated a year of legal marriage with Lawson, his partner of 31 years.
Lou Rispoli and his partner of 31 years Danyal Lawson were married at Queens Borough Hall on July 24, 2011, the first day that same-sex marriages became legal in New York State.
Lawson, a professional pianist, thanked the crowd of supporters who came to place candles near the site where Rispoli was attacked on the corner of 42nd St. and 43rd Ave.
"I lost the love of my life," he said.
On Oct. 20, Rispoli had been out for a walk at 2:15am when he was attacked by three white men in a gray sports car, an eyewitness told police. One of them used a blunt instrument to beat Rispoli, leaving him comatose on the street across from the neighborhood middle school.
Rispoli died of his injuries five days later after Lawson made the decision to take him off life support.
"There wasn't a drop of violence in Lou," said Rob MacKay, the director of public relations for the Queens Economic Development Board. "For him to die this way is unthinkable."
Rispoli was remembered as a native New Yorker who grew up in East Harlem and became fascinated with the world of literature and the performing arts at a young age. This passion spurred him to get out of the tough then-Italian neighborhood and study English at SUNY Stonybrook.
Colleagues say that his death is a loss for the world of music, which lost a vital advocate and lifelong supporter.
Memon Dworka, the director of the Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan, where Rispoli had worked for years as an administrator, said that Rispoli had been a pillar of the music community.
"Lou was there to program the concerts, to promote lesser known composers," Dworka said. "The world of the arts can't exist without people like him."
Before coming to work at Greenwich House, Rispoli had worked as an assistant to the late composer Virgil Thomson, who had lived for a time in the Chelsea Hotel. Dworka said that Rispoli loved to tell the tales of all the storied musicians who passed through that hotel room.
"Lou loved to talk about those days to offer comfort to young composers when they experienced disappointment," Dworka said. "He would tell a musician who was upset that only ten people attended his performance, 'don't worry, that happened to John Cage, too.'"
Queens District 26 Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that Rispoli loved to walk the streets of Sunnyside, a diverse, tree-lined community that prides itself on hosting an inclusive, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade.
The larger procession in Manhattan has long excluded LGBT groups from marching in its annual parade.
Police have not yet determined whether the assault was a random act of violence or was motivated by Rispoli's sexuality. While police are investigating the possibility of whether it was a robbery gone awry, Van Bramer confirmed that Rispoli had left his wallet at home before going on his late-night stroll.
Van Bramer said that he and the community would not be satisfied until there was an arrest.
"There are three men out there who think that no one noticed that they beat Lou and left him for dead," he said. "We're here to tell them they are wrong."
Van Bramer, who counted Rispoli as a friend as well as a fellow gay-rights activist and community member, said that he hoped the vigil would encourage people with information to come forward.
"Right now, only Lou knows what happened that night," he said. "And he's gone."
see also:
https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryOfLouRispoli
https://newyorkcityinthewitofaneye.com/tag/danyal-lawson/
That was the sentiment at a candlelight vigil in Sunnyside for the slain gay rights activist and arts and music supporter who died on Oct. 25th after being brutally beaten in the dead of night on a quiet, residential street.
Community residents, friends, family and strangers came to mourn the senseless death of the 62 year-old Rispoli, dubbed by a friend as a "cook, a coach, a host and a counselor" and to express shock at his death.
Rispoli, who lived with his husband Danyal Lawson in the neighborhood for over 30 years, was a "teddy bear" who enjoyed being a mentor to young people, cooked and cared for friends with AIDS and HIV and encouraged people in their burgeoning careers in the arts.
He had just celebrated a year of legal marriage with Lawson, his partner of 31 years.
Lou Rispoli and his partner of 31 years Danyal Lawson were married at Queens Borough Hall on July 24, 2011, the first day that same-sex marriages became legal in New York State.
Lawson, a professional pianist, thanked the crowd of supporters who came to place candles near the site where Rispoli was attacked on the corner of 42nd St. and 43rd Ave.
"I lost the love of my life," he said.
On Oct. 20, Rispoli had been out for a walk at 2:15am when he was attacked by three white men in a gray sports car, an eyewitness told police. One of them used a blunt instrument to beat Rispoli, leaving him comatose on the street across from the neighborhood middle school.
Rispoli died of his injuries five days later after Lawson made the decision to take him off life support.
"There wasn't a drop of violence in Lou," said Rob MacKay, the director of public relations for the Queens Economic Development Board. "For him to die this way is unthinkable."
Rispoli was remembered as a native New Yorker who grew up in East Harlem and became fascinated with the world of literature and the performing arts at a young age. This passion spurred him to get out of the tough then-Italian neighborhood and study English at SUNY Stonybrook.
Colleagues say that his death is a loss for the world of music, which lost a vital advocate and lifelong supporter.
Memon Dworka, the director of the Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan, where Rispoli had worked for years as an administrator, said that Rispoli had been a pillar of the music community.
"Lou was there to program the concerts, to promote lesser known composers," Dworka said. "The world of the arts can't exist without people like him."
Before coming to work at Greenwich House, Rispoli had worked as an assistant to the late composer Virgil Thomson, who had lived for a time in the Chelsea Hotel. Dworka said that Rispoli loved to tell the tales of all the storied musicians who passed through that hotel room.
"Lou loved to talk about those days to offer comfort to young composers when they experienced disappointment," Dworka said. "He would tell a musician who was upset that only ten people attended his performance, 'don't worry, that happened to John Cage, too.'"
Queens District 26 Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that Rispoli loved to walk the streets of Sunnyside, a diverse, tree-lined community that prides itself on hosting an inclusive, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade.
The larger procession in Manhattan has long excluded LGBT groups from marching in its annual parade.
Police have not yet determined whether the assault was a random act of violence or was motivated by Rispoli's sexuality. While police are investigating the possibility of whether it was a robbery gone awry, Van Bramer confirmed that Rispoli had left his wallet at home before going on his late-night stroll.
Van Bramer said that he and the community would not be satisfied until there was an arrest.
"There are three men out there who think that no one noticed that they beat Lou and left him for dead," he said. "We're here to tell them they are wrong."
Van Bramer, who counted Rispoli as a friend as well as a fellow gay-rights activist and community member, said that he hoped the vigil would encourage people with information to come forward.
"Right now, only Lou knows what happened that night," he said. "And he's gone."
see also:
https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryOfLouRispoli
https://newyorkcityinthewitofaneye.com/tag/danyal-lawson/
You only had to meet Lou Rispoli once to remember him for a lifetime.
That was the sentiment at a candlelight vigil in Sunnyside for the slain gay rights activist and arts and music supporter who died on Oct. 25th after being brutally beaten in the dead of night on a quiet, residential street.
Community residents, friends, family and strangers came to mourn the senseless death of the 62 year-old Rispoli, dubbed by a friend as a "cook, a coach, a host and a counselor" and to express shock at his death.
Rispoli, who lived with his husband Danyal Lawson in the neighborhood for over 30 years, was a "teddy bear" who enjoyed being a mentor to young people, cooked and cared for friends with AIDS and HIV and encouraged people in their burgeoning careers in the arts.
He had just celebrated a year of legal marriage with Lawson, his partner of 31 years.
Lou Rispoli and his partner of 31 years Danyal Lawson were married at Queens Borough Hall on July 24, 2011, the first day that same-sex marriages became legal in New York State.
Lawson, a professional pianist, thanked the crowd of supporters who came to place candles near the site where Rispoli was attacked on the corner of 42nd St. and 43rd Ave.
"I lost the love of my life," he said.
On Oct. 20, Rispoli had been out for a walk at 2:15am when he was attacked by three white men in a gray sports car, an eyewitness told police. One of them used a blunt instrument to beat Rispoli, leaving him comatose on the street across from the neighborhood middle school.
Rispoli died of his injuries five days later after Lawson made the decision to take him off life support.
"There wasn't a drop of violence in Lou," said Rob MacKay, the director of public relations for the Queens Economic Development Board. "For him to die this way is unthinkable."
Rispoli was remembered as a native New Yorker who grew up in East Harlem and became fascinated with the world of literature and the performing arts at a young age. This passion spurred him to get out of the tough then-Italian neighborhood and study English at SUNY Stonybrook.
Colleagues say that his death is a loss for the world of music, which lost a vital advocate and lifelong supporter.
Memon Dworka, the director of the Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan, where Rispoli had worked for years as an administrator, said that Rispoli had been a pillar of the music community.
"Lou was there to program the concerts, to promote lesser known composers," Dworka said. "The world of the arts can't exist without people like him."
Before coming to work at Greenwich House, Rispoli had worked as an assistant to the late composer Virgil Thomson, who had lived for a time in the Chelsea Hotel. Dworka said that Rispoli loved to tell the tales of all the storied musicians who passed through that hotel room.
"Lou loved to talk about those days to offer comfort to young composers when they experienced disappointment," Dworka said. "He would tell a musician who was upset that only ten people attended his performance, 'don't worry, that happened to John Cage, too.'"
Queens District 26 Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that Rispoli loved to walk the streets of Sunnyside, a diverse, tree-lined community that prides itself on hosting an inclusive, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade.
The larger procession in Manhattan has long excluded LGBT groups from marching in its annual parade.
Police have not yet determined whether the assault was a random act of violence or was motivated by Rispoli's sexuality. While police are investigating the possibility of whether it was a robbery gone awry, Van Bramer confirmed that Rispoli had left his wallet at home before going on his late-night stroll.
Van Bramer said that he and the community would not be satisfied until there was an arrest.
"There are three men out there who think that no one noticed that they beat Lou and left him for dead," he said. "We're here to tell them they are wrong."
Van Bramer, who counted Rispoli as a friend as well as a fellow gay-rights activist and community member, said that he hoped the vigil would encourage people with information to come forward.
"Right now, only Lou knows what happened that night," he said. "And he's gone."
see also:
https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryOfLouRispoli
https://newyorkcityinthewitofaneye.com/tag/danyal-lawson/
That was the sentiment at a candlelight vigil in Sunnyside for the slain gay rights activist and arts and music supporter who died on Oct. 25th after being brutally beaten in the dead of night on a quiet, residential street.
Community residents, friends, family and strangers came to mourn the senseless death of the 62 year-old Rispoli, dubbed by a friend as a "cook, a coach, a host and a counselor" and to express shock at his death.
Rispoli, who lived with his husband Danyal Lawson in the neighborhood for over 30 years, was a "teddy bear" who enjoyed being a mentor to young people, cooked and cared for friends with AIDS and HIV and encouraged people in their burgeoning careers in the arts.
He had just celebrated a year of legal marriage with Lawson, his partner of 31 years.
Lou Rispoli and his partner of 31 years Danyal Lawson were married at Queens Borough Hall on July 24, 2011, the first day that same-sex marriages became legal in New York State.
Lawson, a professional pianist, thanked the crowd of supporters who came to place candles near the site where Rispoli was attacked on the corner of 42nd St. and 43rd Ave.
"I lost the love of my life," he said.
On Oct. 20, Rispoli had been out for a walk at 2:15am when he was attacked by three white men in a gray sports car, an eyewitness told police. One of them used a blunt instrument to beat Rispoli, leaving him comatose on the street across from the neighborhood middle school.
Rispoli died of his injuries five days later after Lawson made the decision to take him off life support.
"There wasn't a drop of violence in Lou," said Rob MacKay, the director of public relations for the Queens Economic Development Board. "For him to die this way is unthinkable."
Rispoli was remembered as a native New Yorker who grew up in East Harlem and became fascinated with the world of literature and the performing arts at a young age. This passion spurred him to get out of the tough then-Italian neighborhood and study English at SUNY Stonybrook.
Colleagues say that his death is a loss for the world of music, which lost a vital advocate and lifelong supporter.
Memon Dworka, the director of the Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan, where Rispoli had worked for years as an administrator, said that Rispoli had been a pillar of the music community.
"Lou was there to program the concerts, to promote lesser known composers," Dworka said. "The world of the arts can't exist without people like him."
Before coming to work at Greenwich House, Rispoli had worked as an assistant to the late composer Virgil Thomson, who had lived for a time in the Chelsea Hotel. Dworka said that Rispoli loved to tell the tales of all the storied musicians who passed through that hotel room.
"Lou loved to talk about those days to offer comfort to young composers when they experienced disappointment," Dworka said. "He would tell a musician who was upset that only ten people attended his performance, 'don't worry, that happened to John Cage, too.'"
Queens District 26 Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that Rispoli loved to walk the streets of Sunnyside, a diverse, tree-lined community that prides itself on hosting an inclusive, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade.
The larger procession in Manhattan has long excluded LGBT groups from marching in its annual parade.
Police have not yet determined whether the assault was a random act of violence or was motivated by Rispoli's sexuality. While police are investigating the possibility of whether it was a robbery gone awry, Van Bramer confirmed that Rispoli had left his wallet at home before going on his late-night stroll.
Van Bramer said that he and the community would not be satisfied until there was an arrest.
"There are three men out there who think that no one noticed that they beat Lou and left him for dead," he said. "We're here to tell them they are wrong."
Van Bramer, who counted Rispoli as a friend as well as a fellow gay-rights activist and community member, said that he hoped the vigil would encourage people with information to come forward.
"Right now, only Lou knows what happened that night," he said. "And he's gone."
see also:
https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryOfLouRispoli
https://newyorkcityinthewitofaneye.com/tag/danyal-lawson/
