Williamsburg proposal would name part of Broadway after gym owner Frenchie Ramos

Some Williamsburg residents want to preserve a piece of history.

News 12 Staff

Sep 26, 2019, 11:37 PM

Updated 1,833 days ago

Share:

Some Williamsburg residents want to preserve a piece of history.
A proposal has been made to name a portion of Broadway "Calle Frenchie" after a gym owner who made a big impact on the community.
Santos "Frenchie" Ramos' gym has been closed, but for 43 years many disciples, as he called them, flocked to the gym.
Ramos' daughter told News 12 he grew up in Puerto Rico and dropped out of school in sixth grade to help support his family.
Ramos came to New York when he was in his 20s. He had little education and still managed to open a gym in Williamsburg at the age of 36 at the time when the neighborhood was filled with drugs and gangs.
Ramos was the only employee and the gym was open six days a week. People would look up to him as a father and called him "Papi" or "Frenchie" because he often wore a beret.
Ramos passed away in June at the age of 78.
On Sept. 10, the proposal to co-name the street went before Community Board 1. Zack Taylor attended the meeting with an elaborate presentation to show how much Frenchie meant to the area.
The Transportation Committee voted to approve the measure on Sept. 17. It will go before the full board for approval on Oct. 10.
As the neighborhood continues to change with lots of construction going on, supporters say this co-naming will preserve a piece of its past.