OLDEST IRISH AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN USA, ESTABLISHED IN 1928
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Fire guts Woodlawn deli

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Pierce O’Reilly

A popular Irish deli in the Bronx was gutted by fire last week. Preliminary investigations by police have indicated the fire at Tri-Eddy’s Delicatessen on Katonah Avenue was most likely started accidentally.

It appears that garbage outside the premises was set alight, most likely by a cigarette butt, and later sent the premises up in flames. The popular Irish deli, which carried many Irish products, including the weekly provincial Irish newspapers, was destroyed in the blaze.

Standing outside the premises, owner Eddie Nallen said he thought it was a bad dream at first.

“We’re all just devastated,” he said. “I’ve been here 22 years and to think it’s all gone now is just gutting.”

Firefighters from Engine Company 63 brought the blaze under control shortly after it broke out at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

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“Right now, it appears that someone walking home must have flicked a cigarette butt into the garbage and it later burst into flames,” Nallen said.

The Irish community in the Bronx has rallied around the Nallen family and has already organized a new location where the weekly Irish papers can be distributed.

“Local 608 have generously given us their premises, so we can continue our paper run,” Nallen said.

Estimators have suggested that the reconstruction will cost in the region of $150,000.

“It will take a while to get back on our feet, but we’ll be back,” Nallen said.

On Friday evening, a small note on the shop front informed customers of the closure.

“I hope Eddie gets back on his feet soon, we’ll really miss the excellent service he provided,” a visitors from New Jersey said. She had arrived to pick up her weekly Kerryman newspaper. Police investigating the incident said they are not treating the fire as suspicious.

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