EAST VILLAGE — The East Village's Stromboli Pizza has raised about $8,000 for the wife and children of a longtime worker who died after being hit while riding his bicycle.
Cesar Monico, 34, who had worked at the pizzeria for 17 years, was struck by a truck while riding in downtown Brooklyn on Oct. 21, police and coworkers said. He lapsed into a coma and died on Oct. 30, leaving behind his wife and three young children.
"He was a good man. I just loved him," said Stromboli owner Zef Curanaj, 44, at his Saint Mark's Place eatery Monday afternoon. "We worked together for all those 17 years."
Monico started out doing deliveries and had worked his way up to managing the pizzeria when he died.
"Cesar was the only one working in the family," said Curanaj, who added that Monico's wife was raising their young son and two daughters. "It's going to be very tough on her to support the kids."
CBGB's founder Tim Hayes found out about Monico's death after stopping by the pizzeria and donated six big boxes of T-shirts, which the shop is selling for $10 to help Monico's family, workers at the restaurant said. News of the fund was first reported by EV Grieve.
A regular customer also set up fundraising page on GiveForward.
The money will be used to help support Monico's family and pay for his funeral and his burial, which took place in Mexico.