Carroll Gardens just lost one of the friendliest smiles in the neighborhood.
Francis D’Amico, of D'Amico Coffee on Court Street, died on Aug. 4, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, according to a statement released by the family.
The notice posted on the door of D’Amico Coffee states, “While Fran lived 62 years and departed from us far too soon, we find comfort and solace knowing that he lived a full life!”
The coffee roastery and deli, which D'Amico co-owned with his wife Joan, is one of the oldest establishments in the neighborhood, a holdover from the days when Carroll Gardens was a heavily Italian area. D'Amico Coffee was initially opened at 309 Court St. by Fran’s grandfather, Emanuel D’Amico, in 1948, where it stands to this day.
The New York Times said D’Amico Coffee offered “A rare equilibrium of old and new Brooklyn” in 2015, drawing young hipsters and older Italian immigrants alike. These days, the regulars still vary, a mix of newspaper readers and laptop users drawn by low coffee prices and a friendly atmosphere.
According to the family’s statement, D’Amico was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age. He attended both Farleigh Dickinson College and Brooklyn College, and was a warm-hearted philanthropist in his Brooklyn community and a proud member of the Gowanus Canal Community Development Board. In 1998, he took over the business from his father, who died seven months ago at 95 years old.
Said Tayeh, the owner of Pizzazz Toys and a friend of D’Amico’s for more than 25 years, said D’Amico was charismatic. The two had an ongoing joke: D’Amico used to greet him and other shop owners by saying, “How you doing today, moneybags?”
“I used to go in there and break his balls a little bit, and be like, ‘Francis, I need a loan this week. How much are you willing to spot me? Business is slow,’" Tayeh said. "He's like, ‘Cut it out. Cut it out. You're on Court Street, you're making millions.’”
Court Street was very much D’Amico’s territory. One cashier at Caputo’s Fine Foods told BK Reader, “Almost anybody on the block is going to know who Fran is. Ask any of the old-timers.”
She was right: As it turned out, the customer she was helping knew him, too: “I hadn’t realized Fran passed,” the customer said.
Marco Chirico, chef and owner at nearby Italian restaurant Marco Polo, considered D’Amico a friend. He remembers him smiling and laughing often.
“Great, positive guy. Just smiles and the persona — a great heart. Best coffee in the neighborhood,” Chirico said.
James Benedetto has worked across the street from D’Amico Coffee at Scotto’s Wine Cellar for the past 32 years.
“I had just had a conversation with him — probably a few weeks before he got sick, maybe a month at most — he had come in, he came to say hi,” Benedetto said. “We were talking about the stupid stuff going on, how business is changing, lack of staff, and so on. He was saying how it was time to really just make it a point, after his father was sick and he had to spend so much time with him; how he needed to just make more time to be with the family. And on that same wavelength, my God, how quickly things change.”
In honor of D’Amico’s memory, the family is asking that contributions be made to Kamp Kiwanis, a summer camp for children aged 8-17 and adults with disabilities in upstate New York. D'Amico Coffee is open seven days a week, 7:00am-5:00pm.
