Brooklyn Street Officially Renamed For Slain Cuomo Aide Carey Gabay
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A stretch of Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn was renamed Sunday for Carey Gabay, an aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo who was shot and killed last year.
Sunday would have marked Gabay's 44th birthday. In his honor, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (D-35th) announced the co-naming of Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby avenues as Carey Gabay Way.
The plan for the renaming was announced in February and the new signs were unveiled on Sunday.
On Sept. 7 of last year, Gabay was gunned down in the street during festivities leading up to the West Indian Day Parade. He was walking with his brother near the Brooklyn parade route at 3:40 a.m. when he was shot. He died on Sept. 15.
Gabay, a Harvard-educated lawyer, served as first deputy general counsel at the Empire State Development Corp.
"It's safe to say Gabay epitomized the American Dream - a dream his Jamaican parents were in pursuit of when they immigrated to America," Mayor de Blasio said in a news release announcing the street renaming. "Now, when people look up at Carey Gabay Way, they will be inspired by and reminded of the great public servant who put the needs of working-class New Yorkers ahead of his own."
"From public housing to public service, Carey Gabay embodied the American spirit and was a pillar of his community. Carey Gabay Way is a testament of his incredible contributions to the City and State of New York," Cumbo said in the news release. "Today, on what would have been his 44th birthday, we remember Gabay not only as an upstanding citizen, but as a hero in his own right who inspired others to pursue the American Dream. In honor of his life and legacy, we remain steadfast in our commitment to end gun violence."
Cuomo also put out a statement honoring Gabay on Sunday.
"Carey Gabay was an exemplary public servant who dedicated his life to improving the world around him. Through Carey's work, he stood up for equal rights and equal justice, created new opportunities for the disadvantaged, and changed the lives of countless New Yorkers," Cuomo said in the statement. "Carey's life and work also reminds us that we must recommit ourselves to fight against gun violence that continues to plague our streets and our cities."
Police continue to search for those responsible for the shooting, and in March released four pictures of people wanted for questioning.
A $22,500 reward has been offered with $2,500 coming from Crime Stoppers for an arrest and indictment, $10,000 from the NYPD for arrest and conviction, and $10,000 from the mayor's office for arrest and conviction.
Anyone with information regarding this incident has been asked to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA(74782). The Public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577.
