Donald lived his life as a tireless activist for justice, a courageous advocate for the lives of people in HIV-affected communities, a critical thinker, a consequential writer, an incisive editor for The Village Voice and an international media activist based in the East Village.
He was wise, kind, generous, funny, brilliant, creative, honorable, and out of the closet — back when it was risky to be out. Donald was our good neighbor on East 6th Street.
Which prompted plenty of tweets... and concern!Today is 10/12 and there are no official fireworks scheduled.
— NYC Fireworks (@nyc_fireworks) October 12, 2022
Ok are there fireworks or is NYC under attack?!
— Bright Light Bright Light (@brightlightx2) October 13, 2022
I hope those are fireworks…but why are there fireworks in NYC now?
— Trevor Abenavoli (@trevaben) October 13, 2022
Anyone in NYC know what the fireworks are about rn?
— Sriram Ramakrishnan (@Sreezy3000) October 13, 2022
East Village feels like July 4th
Myles Miller of NBC New York got the scoop today from the FDNY: The fireworks marked the end of filming the fifth and final season of "The The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."Just a massive fireworks show at 9pm on a Wednesday in October and no one knows why because nyc https://t.co/DjbmxceKzE
— Allison Klein (@televisionwhore) October 13, 2022
All good now?.@FDNY: “The purpose of the fireworks display was marking the end the filming season for the @MaiselTV” cc: @evgrieve @nyc_fireworks https://t.co/VDT8neLP6a
— myles miller (@MylesMill) October 13, 2022
Ha! My husband and I arguing if it was a. Fireworks b. ConEd letting off steam or c. Armageddon
— don't make me come in there (@nervesarackin) October 13, 2022
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has raised a glass and joined me for a meal — either at Cucina Di Pesce, Belcourt or Nomad…or all three! You became part of my family, and you helped me realize my dream of bringing the food and culture of my country to live here in NYC.After 33 years in this industry, I am taking a much-needed break to visit my family, regroup and plan my next chapter. This is not goodbye; more like stay tuned for what's next. As David Bowie once said, "I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."
I look forward to sharing my next adventure(s) with you soon.
In June 2020, writer Richard Morgan had this to say about the place: "Nomad radiates a defiant truth: It is the coolest, tastiest, truest restaurant that New York's galloping gourmands have no interest in letting anyone know about (if they themselves even know about it at all)."
He worked as a print shop delivery boy, metalworker, lathe operator, carpenter, and handyman, and around 1979 he began vending in front of the Con Edison substation on Sixth Street and Avenue A. It became a bonanza."People used to come down from upstate and buy out the whole table for six, seven hundred dollars," he says, and then give him their business cards so he could call when he had good stock. Mr. Howard says he once made $4,500 in a week; he had never had that kind of money before.With a pocketful of connections, he could sell whatever people brought to him, and the temptation got too much. In 1997 he says he spent nine months of a six-year term on Riker's Island for possession of stolen goods. He suffered a heart attack while in jail and served the rest of the time on probation."I messed up big time on that," he laments, and has since returned to selling donated items from neighborhood residents, many of whom he's done odd jobs for over the years."Manny is organic to the neighborhood," says a café owner on Avenue A ... explaining that his spot is like a public space, connecting people from different backgrounds. "I see people gathered around the tables, all different layers of society. I think it is very healthy to have that."
