Albert Capsouto (r.) with his brothers at their restaurant, Capsouto Freres, at 451 Washington Street in Tribeca. (Facebook/Capsouto Frères)By Suzanne Ma
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Capsouto brothers opened the doors to their French bistro in TriBeCa and offered free meals to neighbors, firefighters, rescue workers and police officers.
While Capsouto Frères was best known for its souffles, co-owner Albert Capsouto was renown for his commitment to the neighborhood as a member of Community Board 1 for almost 20 years.
Capsouto died on Tuesday of complications from a brain tumor. He was 53 years old.
A founding director of the TriBeCa Organization, friends and colleagues said Capsouto was devoted to rebuilding Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Capsouto Frères at 451 Washington St. in Tribeca. (Facebook/Capsouto Frères)"He fought tirelessly to make our neighborhood a better place and did so
with dedication, commitment, love and humor," CB1 Chair Julie Menin wrote in an e-mail.
The diagnosis, a shock to both Capsouto and his family and friends, had come just a few months earlier in November.
A Turkish Jew born in Egypt, the Capsouto family fled to France during the Suez Crisis and lived in Lyon for five years before relocating to New York City in 1961.
Capsouto graduated from Stuyvesant High School and received degrees in engineering and architecture from Yale University in 1977.
It was their exposure to French culture and cuisine that led Capsouto and his two older brothers, Jacques and Samuel, to open their Washington Street restaurant in 1980.
"Albert was a happy, loving charming person who made you feel welcome at first glance," said Madelyn Wils, a former CB1 Chair who knew Capsouto for nearly 30 years.
"He made you feel like you were the most important person in the world," Wils told DNAinfo.
The community is invited to attend CB1's full board meeting next week to discuss a way to honor Capsouto's memory in Tribeca.
His funeral will be held at Riverside Chapel on Wednesday at noon.
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