CHARACTERS OF THE VILLAGE

Robert “Bob” DeVito

By Joy and Brian Pape

It’s not easy having a fairly common name, especially when you are in an Italian diaspora and have well known others with similar names, such as actors Danny Devito or his friend Robert DeNiro. Our subject doesn’t seem to mind that maybe you think they are related; but they are not. This Robert DeVito is a special person in his own right.

DeVito’s immediate family has always referred to him as Robert while most people call him Bob. He said “my claim to fame is a childhood nickname that has been with me forever: Dumper. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, Bensonhurst to be exact; lived there until my mid-20s. I still have the accent. We loved sports in the neighborhood, and my baseball coach would tell me to ‘dump it.’ That meant bunt, and soon my teammates would call me ‘Dumper’ and it stuck with me. Whenever we get together that’s still what my childhood buddies call me.”

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What brought you to the Village?

I lived briefly in the Bronx and moved to Westchester County where my wife and I raised our two daughters. I had a career in healthcare finance and administration for 40 years, mostly in the long-term care sector, nursing homes in particular. I also worked for St. Vincent’s Hospital nursing homes as their Director of Finance. Our commute from northern Westchester was terrible, we fell in love with the Village vibe, and it was closer to all our job locations. First, we bought a small pied-a-terre apartment on Bleecker Street over 30 years ago, then upgraded to a larger apartment in the same building and eventually used that apartment when my youngest daughter went to college. We moved to 12th Street to be closer to the Hudson.

What is your relationship with the Village?

I retired from healthcare at the end of 2017 and became an Adjunct Lecturer at Lehman College, part of the CUNY system. Being a co-op board member, I try to navigate issues within our community that benefit our shareholders in order to maintain market value of our apartments.

Tell us about your passion

I have been blessed with two beautiful daughters that share the same industrious work ethic that my wife and I exhibit. They are enthusiastic about their careers and their family. I am also incredibly lucky to have two granddaughters and one grandson. In addition, I am an avid golfer, including a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Scotland. My greatest accomplishment was making a hole-in-one in 2015!

What is your best memory?

Meeting my wife, being able to share so many great memories with her of our family and friends. I could not ask for a better partner to navigate life.

Where are your favorite places in the Village?

I frequent Felice on Hudson Street.

Bus Stop Cafe is an iconic restaurant where I do a lot of take-out; the staff know me on a first name basis.

I love sitting with coffee in Abingdon Square Park.

My favorite haunt was Gaetana’s Italian Restaurant/bar on Christopher Street where I had a great relationship with Gaetana’s owner Frankie. During the pandemic, he graciously let the PS-3 kids (my grandchildren’s classes) use the restaurant during school hours at no cost. Frankie was a true hero. I was the connection to the restaurant, but the parents and teachers did the real work.

My hangout after Gaetana’s closed is Amber, also on Christopher Street. Some of the old crowd have moved there and it helps getting over losing G’s.

What’s your favorite thing about work?

Being able to impart my career experiences to young people who will be the face of health care for years to come. CUNY has a multi-cultured population and I find it rewarding to guide them through a critical time in their lives.

What’s your least favorite thing about work?

Today’s students do not seem to grasp the basics of math, grammar, etc. I understand they come from very different backgrounds, but our educational system fails a lot of these students by not fully preparing them for the basic critical aspects of education.

What was it like for you DURING the pandemic?

We were fortunate enough to rent a house out on Long Island for approximately three months, sharing the house with my children and grandchildren. That proved challenging for all of us, but we managed to get through that crisis, and it brought us closer together.

What is different now?

Remote work and teaching is evident throughout the city. My daughters would love remote work to continue. However, local businesses have suffered and I support local businesses, especially my pharmacy (Grove) and supermarket (D’Agostino). If I’m lucky, I get an online course which I can do from my apartment. All my doctors are local, and I try to walk. I find that I walk a lot more than ever. It’s good exercise.