BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Efrain Torres

Giovannina Russo

Maria Izzo

Charlotte Fazio

Evelyn Ibanez

Paul Fracassi

Paul Fracassi was born, raised and currently resides in the Belmont section of the Bronx. He joined the board of the Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development Corporation in 2011 after 38 years of community service.

In 1971, Paul received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Long Island University and was employed by the New York City Youth Board Research Institute in 1972. At that time, Paul was also assigned to the Italian American Alliance for Education as a youth worker under the directorship of the former executive director of the Council of Belmont Organizations (COBO), Joseph Zinzi. During his time as a youth worker, Paul performed a multitude of recreational and educational agendas such as writer workshops, photography classes and arts and crafts programs. In addition, he researched, developed and worked on grants and contracts, all of which assisted in funding youth and senior programs for the state and/or city of New York.

In 1986, Paul was promoted to Executive Director of the Italian American Alliance for Education and in 2000 was appointed as Director of the Mount Carmel Senior Center. He served successfully for 10 years until retirement.

Consolato Cicciu

Joe Cicciu is the Executive Director of The Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development Corporation.

Born and raised in the Belmont Community, Joe has always possessed a strong relationship with his neighborhood roots and its members. Upon graduating from Lehman College in 1973 with a dual major in Political Science and History, he was employed by the Council of Belmont Organizations as a community social worker. During his time there, he assisted in renting over 600 units at the Keith and Kelly Apartment Complexes. In addition, he contributed efforts to the Italian American Alliance where he assisted community residents in obtaining employment. In 1979, Joe was hired by the South Bronx Development Organization to stop and reverse the deterioration of the Bronx, which included the Belmont community. In August of 1981, Joe’s mission of community revitalization ascended as he founded the Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development Corporation and began his first federally funded low-income senior housing project, Notre Dame Apartments located at 660 East 183rd Street. Although restoring the borough’s housing stock was the ultimate mission of the BAALDC, commercial revitalization of the Belmont community was where the first rebuilding began.

Community Revitalization

The commercial revitalization program spanned approximately 10 years from March 1983 to June 1993. The streets of Belmont were re-paved, store front facades were upgraded, and 3 notable Belmont sightings, Columbus Plaza/D’Auria Murphy Park, Pernicone Plaza, and Frank Simeone Plaza, were constructed as focal points throughout the neighborhood. Marketing videos, shopping bags, restaurant brochures, and a colorful caricature map of the Belmont community all aided with the efforts of the community revitalization plan. Through the BAALDC, Joe had sponsored several years of the famous Ferragosto feast which is viewed as the primary Italian American festival in the Tri-State Area. For further details of the above mentioned community revitalization projects, click here. (Link to OUR STORY).

Housing Revitalization

Since 1984, the BAALDC has received a series of administrative funds to help towards the revitalization and stabilization of the housing stock in Belmont and its surrounding communities. Programs funded by the City of New York include: the Neighborhood Preservation Consultant Program (NPCP), the Community Consultant Program (CCP), the Housing Preservation Initiative (HPI), and the HPD “Lead” Primary Prevention Program (PPP). For further details on each of these programs, click here.

In addition, since 1984 we been funded by the New York State Housing Community Renewal Program (HCR), which has assisted the BAALDC to utilize federal, city, and state resources in the development of housing initiatives to create as well as preserve affordable housing opportunities for individuals (young and elderly), families, as well as the special needs populations in the Belmont community and other areas of the South Bronx. As of today, these efforts have produced 75 buildings consisting of 2500 units with plans for future developments in the years to come. To view the building portfolio of the BAALDC, click here.

Joe’s belief is that our work is far from done. The BAALDC will continue to pursue housing opportunities in order to continue to strengthen the Belmont community and all of the wonderful areas of the South Bronx. The BAALDC believes that our efforts have given the residents of the Bronx renewed confidence in their communities and that they will continue to thrive and remain a welcoming environment to raise their families and participate in the ever growing vitality of New York City.

Cecilia Ferro

Raised in the Belmont section of the Bronx, Cecilia Ferro has served as the Secretary for Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development Corporation since October of 1994. With over 25 years’ experience of property management, Cecilia’s professional portfolio has enabled her to serve the organization as one of the key visionary members.

Cecilia received her associate’s degree at Berkeley-Claremont School in 1970 and continued her real estate education until 1997. In addition to her Real Estate Broker’s License and Property and Casualty Insurance License she is a Registered Apartment Manager (RAM), a member of the Associated Builders Organization (ABO) as well as a member of Bronx Board of Realtors, INC. and an affiliate of the New York State Association of Realtors.

Before joining the BAALDC, Cecilia served as Secretary for Belmont Management Group INC, Cosmopolitan Realty Corp, and served as the Assistant Program Director for the Commercial Revitalization Program in the Bronx. She currently serves as the Secretary for Bel-Art Enterprises LLC, and Premier Fuel Oil LLC. She also serves as the President for Art Bel Enterprises, INC and Neighborhood Property Insurance. All the entities mentioned above are involved in the development, management, maintenance, and fuel delivery and insurance for over 1800 units of family and senior low income housing in the Bronx.

Carmine Campo

Carmine Campo was born on January 11, 1927 in Port Jervis, New York, the son of Salvatore and Rose Campo. Later that year, the family moved to the Belmont area of the Bronx, where Carmine currently resides. Carmine attended P.S. 32, M.S. 45 and Manhattan Aviation High School. In 1945, he was drafted into the Army and served in Germany for two years.

Upon discharge from the Army, he returned to New York and began his community career in Belmont. Throughout his years of community service, Carmine was active in various civic associations, including the Belmont Community Center and The Council of Belmont Organizations (COBO) where he assisted other local community members and leaders in organizing neighborhood events, provided social support, and planned group activities. In addition to serving as an officer of the Royal Arcanum, he also currently serves as a member of the parish council for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Since December 2000, Carmine has been an active member of the Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development Corporation.

Camille Acampora

Camille Acampora is a lifelong resident of the Belmont community. She is a retired educator who taught English and special Ed in the Tarrytown middle and high schools for over 30 years. She also supervised and taught student teachers for the School of Education at CCNY. For the past 20+ years, Camille has worked part time as an Administrative Assistant in the Children Teen Program at Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan. Furthermore, she is a long standing volunteer for the Broadway Equity Cares program: Dancers Responding to AIDS and an active member on the Board of Trustees at the Belmont Community Day Care Center. Camille understands the importance of quality housing and social services and is a valuable asset to the Belmont Arthur Ave LDC organization.