West 89th Street & Broadway, New York City
Benny Sarfati, known to many as the sometimes cantankerous proprietor of the corner coffee shop on West 89th St. and Broadway, passed away Feb. 24, 2009, at the age of 87.
Born days after his Sephardic parents arrived on Ellis Island, Benny grew up in the Bronx and eventually built a life defined by service, routine, and community.
At age 17, Benny and his younger brother Albert enlisted following Pearl Harbor. Benny joined the Army, landing in Normandy with the second wave and later serving through Europe and the Philippines.
For four decades, Benny’s coffee shop was a landmark — a place where generations began their day, shared news, and found a second home.
We had mom and dad for a good part of our lives. Kitty’s parents, also Sephardic refugees from Turkey, arrived in the U.S. during the Depression. Orphaned in her early teens, she worked cleaning apartments after school.
Kitty and Benny were married shortly after his return from the war. She raised five children while working many part-time jobs and later earned an English degree from Queens College at age 50.