His beloved Harem Bodega owner and grandmother’s family and friends – shot with a bullet shot aggressively for someone else – marched to the location of his death on Saturday, chanting “her name, mamaji,” and remembering her as “Mayor of Harem.”
About 30 marchers walked from 145th Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard to West 113th Avenue, placing white wreaths and lighted candles outside the Exenia Mette building before praying, singing and speaking about the victims.
“My grandmother should be here,” said grief grandson Jordan Jr., 24. “We must stop pointless gun violence.”
Mette, 61, was shot outside the building when a bullet hit her in the head for someone else.
“This pain is not something I’ve ever felt,” Jordan said.
The event launched an additional Uptown on Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. Sharpton and his granddaughter joined the march.
Mette’s best friend and colleague Stacey Moyler recalled talking all night and calling her “Mayor of Harlem.”
“Because this woman is a boss,” Moiler said.
“I remember driving in my car on Seventh Avenue. We stopped by the light and someone yelled, ‘Mama Ji’. I said, “Girl, are you the mayor of Harlem?” And we were driving and she was waving. We stop at the next light. “Mama Zee, please call me,” I said, “You are the mayor of Harlem.”
Darious Smith, 23, was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting.
Smith was believed to have traded shots with the still massive gunman who had hit Mette in his head as she left to check on her grandchildren, police sources said.
Smith lived near Food to Plez Deli of Momma Zee, the former business of Mette, which was the city’s first black woman-owned bodega when it opened in the 1980s.
“She should be alive today,” Ashley Sharpton said of Mette. “She should be alive to tell her story. She came out looking for a grandson standing with us today. …She didn’t deserve this.”
“Mama Zee was special to all of us,” said Al Shapton.
“She’s going to feed this neighbour,” he said. “Her sister said on the day of the meeting.
“Let’s use this as a wake-up call. We must stop this gun violence in Mamaji’s name.”
