Author: julie lemberger

may his memory be a blessing…he was kind and funny! He was my Sept.11, 2001 companion.

Al was and always will be a Saint. He invited me to become part of the legacy that was his brain child at 33 Flatbush. As a bumbling artist trying to figure out my life path after an MFA from Pratt Institute, he open-armed invited me into his bulding and gave me a space to work out of. Some of my favorite sculptures were made there. One of which, created for his Atlantic location (and subsequently stolen upon the first night of install and exhibit outside the building – true Brooklyn style). I’ll never forget inhaling a tablespoon of cayenne pepper while learning of his morning routine drink of cayenne on tongue in back of throat, lemon juice, water – maybe some day I’ll be able to muster the courage to try again. I learned of Al’s passing some time ago and always wished he and I had better contact with each other as my studio at 33 was short lived. I ended up moving back to the West Coast to look after my own grandfolks before they met their demise, passing in nursing homes.

Al was generous, witty and hilarious. He never missed a beat and was way ahead of most people’s rhythms when it came to giving, loving and putting other’s before himself. Unselfish and brooding with ideas from the core, Al is someone who leaves an impression in all who crossed his path – especially the NYPD within cars length of his truck haha. Truly inspirational with a smile that leaves a physical vacancy nonetheless admirable memory in the lives of everyone and anyone who ever had the chance to meet him and get to know him.

Al will be missed by so many; his one of a kind attitude, perspective and way to live life was/is infectuous. I miss him dearly. One more story about the freight elevator: the first time Al invited me to 33, he whisked myself and 3 others upward in the elevator with a load of objects around us. As the elevator charged up and within the span of 1.5 seconds I noticed a wooden handle of a rake or broom resting against the internal chamber shaft, rounded end skipping permutations in the wall from inside elevator platform. A ledge was coming between floors in violent ascension of the elevator to which I grabbed the wooden handle and yanked it toward me and away from being catapulted and no doubt shattering as neither the ledge nor the elevator would have eased a collision. I looked at Al, who stood operating the elevator as if he knew all along this was going to happen, and as if to test my attention. He didn’t bat an eyelash and kept going but stared at me the whole time. In my mind, the wooden handle had shattered into thousands of pieces, hopefully not hurting any of the passengers aboard the lift. Al read my mind, smiled like a child having a grand time with his new friends and nodded in my direction. I had either passed his test or at least given him a reason to believe I might be o.k. as another tenant in his building. It was akin to Quint giving approval to a new mate aboard the Orca (Quint as being a quintessential part of my love for film played by Robert Shaw).

I fell in love with Al then and there and will always hold him near and dear to my heart and mind, regardless of how little time we had together. Al is a man that if you never met, your life would be a little less wonderous and amazing. We, who did have the chance to meet Al, are better people for having brushed up against a man who was bigger than life. We miss you Al, keep scintillating the air we live and breathe around us. You are a brother, uncle and dad to so many.

I met Al because of a mannequin put up with a phone No. next to it in a window at the 1st floor of his building @ 33 flatbush Ave and did call the No. That was in 1990 and since then we met everytime I stayed in NYC. I cannot believe he want be there next time …. XXX Arndt

The original Last Supper party was at his building on Atlantic Ave. It finally outgrew the space in the storefront and 2, or maybe it was 3 more, then took place at the building on Flatbush. The pictures show Al with our old Bay Ridge friends. We have been good friends since childhood. It was such a shock to lose Al after, losing John Chambers, Peter Toomey and so many others.

Al with the 2 goats and Bill Monier on his farm.

Al at Lori Cheek’s Shark Tank party joking with opera singer Jodi Karem

I wanted to share my recently published video ‘Relay’ with everyone. https://vimeo.com/417750279
I filmed it on 33 Flatbush Avenue in 2018. It is dedicated to Al who not only participated but cleared a corner in the building and made sure we had all we needed, as he always did. The video also features Bi and Suzan and other friends related to 33 Flatbush and Al in one way or another. The video was published together with the eponymous artist book. https://vimeo.com/449234827

Just came across this photo of John and Al. We spent many Christmas’s together. This was one of the best.

Just want to greet everyone at this time of the Jewish New Year. In past years, I’d have a visit with Al and bring him some honey from our hives.
We remember loved ones at this time of the Jewish High Holy Days. Al certainly was, and will always be, loved and remembered with gratitude. I’ll post more memories and photos at a future date, but suffice it to say, nycbeekeeping.org would not have come into being without him.
Hope to hear from some of you about preserving his legacy in the next months as we begin to think about emerging from the COVID crisis.

Liane Newton, nycbeekeeping.org