Nicolas A. Nowillo (?-2008) died trying to protect a neighbor from getting robbed on the street. The youngest of four children, Mr. Nowillo moved to New York City from Riobamba, a city in central Ecuador, his family said. After graduating from George Washington High School in Manhattan, he attended Bible study classes and worked as a jewelry appraiser. He enlisted in the Army in the 1960s, but was never sent to Vietnam, his family said. He volunteered at the East River Development Alliance and helped organize a seminar to teach new immigrants how to start businesses. Nowillo, who lived on Crescent Street for more than 34 years, was known as a neighborhood “good guy”, area residents said. The father of two spent countless hours volunteering at the Evangel Christian Church and School, where he was a member for more than 19 years. The street renaming was spearheaded by Nowillo’s daughter, Doris Nowillo-Suda, and backed by Community Board 1, the Dutch Kills community, the Dutch Kills Civic Association and then City Councilmember Eric Gioia.
Liz Goff, "Dutch Kills Street To Be Renamed For Local Hero," Queens Gazette, January 6, 2010, https://www.qgazette.com/articles/dutch-kills-street-to-be-renamed-for-local-hero/ Christine Hauser and Daryl Khan, "Trying to Help Neighbor, Queens Man Meets His Death, The New York Times, September 4, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/nyregion/05dead.html Jeremy Walsh, "City renames street after slain LIC hero," QNS, January 6, 2010, https://qns.com/2010/01/city-renames-street-after-slain-lic-hero/