LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Alfred A. Sforza, "Freddie the Shoemak-
er," upon the occasion of the 75th Anniversary Celebration, on May 17,
2009, of his 75 years in business serving his beloved Huntington commu-
nity

WHEREAS, Within every New York State community there are certain indi-
viduals and places which serve to define the nature of the community and
the people who live and work there; and
WHEREAS, Such is true of Alfred A. Sforza, known to all as "Freddie
the Shoemaker," and his fabled Freddie's Shoe Repair shop, which has
long been a hallmark of the Huntington, New York, community; and
WHEREAS, In full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legis-
lative Body is justly proud to pay tribute to Alfred A. Sforza upon the
occasion of the celebration of his 75 years in business serving his
beloved Huntington community, commemorating this milestone and applaud-
ing the pride and commitment to community of this very special gentle-
man; and
WHEREAS, Fred Sforza, a truly revered person in the Town of
Huntington's history, will fittingly be honored at a reception to be
held at The Huntington Crescent Club on Sunday, May 17, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Born on July 13, 1914, Fred Sforza lived his early years in
Brooklyn; during the summers, he was a frequent visitor to his sister's
home in Huntington Station, where his brother-in-law, Mike Aurricchio,
owned and operated a shoe repair business; and
WHEREAS, When his brother-in-law died, his sister asked Fred if he
would take over the business and so it was that Freddie's Shoe Repair
was born on March 3, 1934; his first place of business was at 1157 New
York Avenue in Huntington Station; when that building was sold, he moved
to 1169 New York Avenue; 75 years later, he still plies his craft on New
York Avenue, since 1966 at number 308 in Huntington Village, just north
of Main Street; and
WHEREAS, Shortly after he opened Freddie's Shoe Repair in 1934, an
attractive young woman, Lena Bifulco, came into the store to have her
pocketbook fixed; Fred was smitten and, on November 29, 1936, they were
married at St. Patrick's Church in Huntington Village; they were married
nearly 71 years when she passed away in September 2008 and were the
proud parents of Dr. Alfred V. Sforza, D.D.S., and his wife Barbara, and
the loving grandparents of three grandchildren and six great-grandchil-
dren; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the years, Freddie's Shoe Repair has served as a
meeting place to discuss current events; mornings were reserved for
coffee and rolls and for discussions of local and national politics;
local police could always be assured of the finest shoeshine, a place to
warm up on cold days, and an available bathroom; and
WHEREAS, During World War II, Fred's shop window was full of photo-
graphs sent to him from overseas by Huntington's servicemen who, when on
leave, would stop at Freddie's to get the latest information on their
friends; and
WHEREAS, An amazing and generous man, Fred Sforza, in running his
shop, had his own unique system; a customer would bring a pair of shoes
in to him for repair; he would place a mark on the sole with a black
crayon and toss them on a long shelf that ran the length of the shop
with hundreds of other pairs of shoes; thusly identified and never
giving the customer a receipt, when customers returned to pick up their
shoes, he would unfailingly retrieve the correct pair from the shelf as
they entered the shop; and

WHEREAS, Fred not only knew his customers, he knew the children of the
community as well, providing them when they came into town, especially
in the early years, with a nickel or a penny for candy or ice cream; the
elderly of the community, if they stopped to rest in a chair in the
shop, could be assured of him rushing out to buy them a soda or ice
cream and, if any of his customers met with hard times, they would often
hear him say "no charge" and no amount of insisting would change his
mind; and
WHEREAS, Fred Sforza and Freddie's Shoe Repair are important symbols
of the Huntington community and an enduring Long Island area tradition;
it is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals and busi-
nesses of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes great pride in recognizing such
outstanding businesses and extraordinary individuals who clearly
contribute to the spirit of excellence and community which so distin-
guish the State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to pay
tribute to Alfred A. Sforza, "Freddie the Shoemaker," upon the occasion
of the 75th Anniversary Celebration on May 17, 2009, of his 75 years in
business serving his beloved Huntington community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Alfred A. Sforza with the appreciation and admiration of this
Legislative Body on behalf of the people of the State of New York.