The post office at 66 Meserole Avenue is to be named the Joseph R. Lentol Post Office. About a hundred neighbors and members of community organizations came out on Saturday, October 23 to see the Greenpoint Post Office celebrate its new namesake. Some of the organizations represented were: United Neighbors Organization, Broadway Stages, Greenpoint YMCA, St. Nicks Alliance, and more. All present were there to show their warm appreciation to the former assembly member for his nearly 50 years of service.
To name a post office after an individual an Act of Congress is required. U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced bill H.R.3419 on May 25, 2021, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 66 Meserole Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, as the Joseph R. Lentol Post Office. There are criteria for a post office to be named after a living person, and Joseph Lentol met “the former state or local elected officials over 70 years of age” criterion. Bill H.R. 3419 passed the House of Representatives on October 20 by a voice vote. It was then sent to the Senate on October 21 where it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney said, “He was a wonderful public servant then and still continues to be. Joe was a true champion for criminal justice reform, environmental protections, fair labor practices, and so many more issues throughout his career. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working with Joe on some of those issues like preventing gun violence, building the Kosciuszko Bridge, and fighting for Bushwick Inlet Park. I am so happy that we were able to pass H.R. 3419 in the House to rename the Greenpoint Post Office as the Joseph R. Lentol Post Office so we can truly honor Joe’s contributions here in Brooklyn in a way that will live for as long as the impact he has had on this community.”
Joe Lentol is proud to call Greenpoint his lifelong home and is honored to have a hub of the neighborhood bear his name. “Like the Post Office motto, I have worked to serve my community through rain and sleet and winter storm, trying to deliver what was needed, often in collaboration with Congress Member Carolyn Maloney whose local office was co-located with mine. My heartfelt thanks to the Congress Member for creating and passing the federal legislation to have this important facility carry my name, and to the community for supporting the initiative,” said Lentol.
The Greenline 