Brooklyn’s Notary District
A district has emerged at Smith and 9th Street (long known as a sort of no man’s land between Park Slope, Red Hook, and Carroll Gardens): Smith and 9th Street, I dub thee THE NOTARY DISTRICT.
In Manhattan, it takes blocks upon blocks of business all doing the same thing in order for it be even considered a district. But in Brooklyn - where one man can make a difference - well, one man has made a difference: His last name is Russo (presumably - I don’t really like doing research), and his business (one of them, anyway) is being a Notary (again, research would be able to verify this, but I’ve got a cough and, well, you know how it goes).
With a little can-do spirit, some red paint, some scraps of - what is that? Old linoleum? Russo has created with his bare hands the NOTARY DISTRICT. Already, properties are sky-rocketing as all of today’s hottest celebrities race to buy a penthouse that overlooks this glamorous area! Why all over the country, children and adults are tuning in on their radios and television sets so they can be regaled with tales of the exciting and exotic Notary District.
This means big money! Advertising space in the Notary District is estimated at over 70 times the cost of a 15 second spot during the Super Bowl! As such, advertisers such as the company with the giant sign that only has an “R” on it, are stripping down their advertisements from Times Square, as well as the nations highways and bi-ways, so they can erect billboards in the Notary District. However, these ads can’t compete with Russo’s advertising, which are at once breathtaking, heartbreaking, obscene, and downright genius.
Ladies and gentleman, enough talk; actions speak louder! A TOUR OF THE NOTARY DISTRICT IS BELOW FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE!
This post is dedicated to Smitty, who introduced me to the Notary District. Or maybe his name is McCaffrey. I can never remember.
January 16th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Looks more like the Russo district to me.
January 16th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
For it to truly be regarded as a district, you have to give it an asinine abbreviation/acronym first like NoDis or whatever.
January 16th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
I think I counted ‘Notary’ written 14 times on his facade.
January 16th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Koreatown is like two blocks long and it has a name.
January 17th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Yes, I love it! SoFo just wasn’t doing it for me. Notary district sounds so much more respectable—until you actually see it, that is!
January 17th, 2007 at 7:32 am
NOTARY
625-9144
RUSSO
January 17th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
he’s our own outsider art dude, no doubt. love all the religious stuff too.
January 19th, 2007 at 11:26 am
The name is Vinny Russo, he bought and sold real estate, and he died last year. Someone inheirited the properties. I first dealt with him in 1986, when his for sale sign went up on 395 Van Brunt St in Red Hook. I called and was told to come to Smith St. His office was cluttered and low-ceilinged. Various people hung out,including some girls known as streetwalkers. Russo showed me pictures of the house for sale stuck on filing cabinets,struck a deal, and had me write out the contract because he had problems spelling some words. No credit check, just I told himI had a store and that was enough. The next year I bought 397, a vacant lot, from him. He would come to my store on Cranberry St in the Heights and take part of the mortgages in fruit and vegetables. Later a guy named Joe Mannino filed assignments on the mortgages, but Russo claimed Joe had one of those girls steal the signed but not paid for assignments out of his filing cabinet. I went to court, Russo didn’t come, and I made a deal with Joe. Once Russo left a tax bill at my store with a figure circled, scrawled “you must pay this”. What was circled was ” last year your taxes contributed $6,000,000 to the school system”. After he started looking sick, he demanded rent from me for 1987 to 2003. I told the judge Vinny sold me that in 1987 and showed the deed.Case dismissed. I miss Vinny’s way of doing business. Now I am still having legal problems with Mannino and his friends on this real estate
Mariel
February 13th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Hey Mariel, I never knew all of that. Tell me how to reach you.
March 5th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Marybeth,
Write us. dikemanstreet@yahoo.com
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
i drive by that place all the time
what happened to F line bagels?
February 13th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Wow, quite the place. Love the billboards…
September 9th, 2008 at 6:46 am
It is beneficial to read a post from someone that knows what they are talking about and has the ability to explain it so that a person can understand it.
Thanks!