Frank Principe Park

Who is this playground named for?

Virginia Principe (1908-1996), née Grello, was born in Brooklyn and attended public school in East New York. In 1950, she married community leader Frank Principe and started working soon afterwards for his concrete company, Principe-Danna, Inc. 

During the 1950s, Principe became a community activist in Queens, where she was involved in St. Stanislaus Parish in Maspeth and the local community board.  Principe was a founding member of the Maurice Park Civic Association, which was established to preserve and beautify this park, which is now named for her husband. She also advocated for additional street trees in the neighborhood. Perhaps her biggest challenge was halting the construction of a sewage plant in West Maspeth. 

Virginia Principe died in 1996, and in 1999, NYC Parks renamed this playground to honor her legacy of community service.