EAST VILLAGE — Former Mars Bar owner Hank Penza passed away last week, according to a friend.
Penza, who opened the iconic dive bar on the corner of East First Street and Second Avenue in the 1980s, died suddenly on Oct. 29 shortly after 5 p.m. while his close friend and caregiver drove him home from a coffee shop, said artist Antony Zito. Penza was 82 years old.
“She said he went quickly, painlessly and with a smile on his face,” Zito said, adding that they were only one block away from where the bar used to be.
The beloved neighborhood character — who often held court outside Mars Bar in a rolling office chair — was best known for his sense of humor, his colorful stories and his sometimes gruff, but endearing demeanor.
“He was really a true New York character, the real New York that’s gone now,” said Zito, who last saw Penza two weeks ago.
“With certain people, he could be really short and grumpy but if he cared for you, you were beyond family. He treated you better than his own family probably,” he added.
In addition to Mars Bar, which was shut down by the city in 2011 and razed for a new, 12-story building, Penza owned and operated other watering holes like Hank’s Crystal Palace, Willies and Bowery East, according to EV Grieve, which first wrote about Penza’s passing.
Zito said Penza did not want a funeral, although some friends are considering a memorial or tribute event to honor his memory.
