4 MARCH 9 - MARCH 15, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Coney Island mainstay pulls out of
planned NRA fundraiser amidst pushback
BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK
MMCGOLDRICK@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
A Coney Island mainstay that
came under fire earlier this
month for agreeing to host
an National Rifle Association (NRA)
fundraiser in April has since cancelled
Gargiulo’s has cancelled a Friends of the NRA event that had been scheduled for the restaurant.
20 Month CD
the event.
According to NY1, the event —
Brooklyn's Friends of the NRA's second
annual fundraiser, which was slated
to be held at Gargiulo's Restaurant on
April 12 — will no longer take place at
the longstanding Coney Island venue.
The NRA, which has been steadily
losing the support of national organizations
and businesses since the February
14 mass shooting at Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland,
Florida, in which 17 students and
teachers were killed and 14 more were
hospitalized, has advocated for gun
rights in America since the late 1800s.
The April fundraiser was set to
include dinner, raffles, auction and
“fun,” according to organizers, with
“exclusive NRA guns, gear, decor and
collectibles” up for grabs.
Among the prizes originally up for
grabs were the “2018 Gun of the Year
set,” which includes a Kimber .45-caliber
pistol engraved with “Defending
Freedom” and an NRA serial number;
the John Wayne “Lil’ Duke” BB Rifle;
a .410.-gauge shotgun; a Colt Cobra revolver;
and a 7mm-08 “women’s rifle.”
Gargiulo's, located at 2911 West
15th Street since 1907, has played host
to this specific fundraiser before, but
pulled out, NY1 reports, amidst community
pushback.
A bevy of local elected officials and
advocates who previously condemned
the event were quick to laud the local
business' decision.
“We are extremely pleased that
the owners of Gargiulo’s have heard
and recognized the sentiments of our
community and have agreed to cancel
the NRA-sponsored event," said
Councilmember Mark Treyger, Congressmember
Hakeem Jeffries, Public
Advocate Letitia James, City Comptroller
Scott Stringer, State Senator Diane
Savino and National Action Network
Northeast Regional Director Minister
Kirsten John Foy in a joint statement.
"We have worked hard to address
gun violence in this neighborhood,
and an event like this, particularly
after the Parkland tragedy, was simply
Photo courtesy of Gargiulo’s Facebook page
not in the best interests of our community,”
they continued. “Gargiulo’s has
a well-deserved reputation for being
a key partner in the effort to revitalize
Coney Island. During and after
Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of our
neighborhood, the team at Gargiulo’s
generously supplied much-needed
food and assistance, and was instrumental
in helping many in our community
recover. Gargiulo’s has been
an important and supportive partner
of the community for decades, and the
decision to cancel this event shows
that Gargiulo’s has heard and respects
the concerns of our community."
Still, some community stakeholders
had no issues with the booking.
"What a disgrace to attack a business
for conducting business,” said Father
Michael Gelfant, spiritual leader of St.
Finbar Catholic Church, in a Facebook
post.
According to The Daily News, the
event was booked prior to the Parkland
shooting.
"We don’t want issues with anybody,”
owner Anthony Russo told the News
prior to the event's cancellation. “Our
hearts go out to the families of the
victims.”
It is unclear at this time whether the
event itself has been cancelled, or if its
location will be changed.