Last weekend I was proud to rename the corner of West 33rd Street and Mermaid Avenue will be renamed in honor of Robert Williams, who was known around the Coney Island community as “Mr. Lou.”
Williams, who worked in a nursing home, was also a basketball coach to the children in the neighborhood, working with aspiring basketball players on the playground court near O’Dwyer Gardens. He provided guidance to players who eventually went on to play in college or the NBA, including Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair, Quincy Douby and Jamel Thomas.
His mark on the community was so deep that, upon his death in 2007, he was memorialized in the New York Times, the New York Daily News and Slam, a prestigious basketball magazine.
Mr. Lou was a mentor and role model for the community, and I was proud to join his family and friends to unveil the sign that will honor his memory.
