Wednesday What The What: R.I.P Murals

There are so many memorial murals all over Bensonhurst, Dyker and Gravesend. Do they help grieving families by creating larger-than-life depictions of lost loved ones or do they end up adding salt to the wounds if the mural goes unfinished or comes out in a displeasing way?

By the look of the mural above, located at Kings Highway and West 7th Street, Mario passed in 2004. Interesting to note that this artwork remains in-progress.

The brother of another deceased young man hates the mural an artist made so much that he would paint over it himself, if the store owner granted him permission.

“It doesn’t look anything like him. My mother lives around the corner. She gets sick every time she sees it,” he said.

The mural was commissioned by well-intentioned friends of the deceased, rather than the family, and no one has been able to agree on what should be done to fix it.

What do you think readers? Do these murals help or hurt?

“Wednesday What the What?” is a new photo feature looking at odd, weird and interesting things in the neighborhood. If you have photos of what the what happenings in Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights or the surrounding areas send them to lvladimirova [at] bensonhurstbean [dot] com.