The body of a Co. Mayo man living in Queens was discovered in his apartment building on 42nd Street in Sunnyside on Thursday, December 11 after the superintendent of the building reported not seeing him in a few days.

Anthony "Tony" Gallagher's body lay dead in his own apartment for several days after what family believe was a heart attack. According to city officials, Gallagher's body was discovered by firefighters after the superintendent of 41-42 42nd Street in Queens called 911 stating he had not seen the tenant for several days.

Gallagher, 72, who came to the U.S. in 1970, had been a member of the Local 608 Carpenters Union for a number of years and was suffering from asbestos poisoning at the time of his death.

Gallagher's brother, Eddie, who lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts told the Irish Voice from his home on Tuesday that the family were very saddened when they heard the news.

"It's hard," said Eddie, who last saw his brother over Thanksgiving when he visited him in Massachusetts.

"I was in hospital having a hip surgery when Tony was here," said Eddie, sadly.

Gallagher, whose Co. Leitrim wife Josephine has been in a nursing home for the past three years in Kingston, New York because she suffers from Alzheimer's, had no children, but he was very close to his nieces and nephews who live in the U.S., London and Ireland.

According to Eddie, Gallagher was at home in Belacorrick, Co. Mayo only three years ago.

During his life in the U.S. Gallagher spent years working on the pipelines in Alaska before coming to New York.

"Tony was a great carpenter and joined the 608 when he got to New York," said Eddie.

Gallagher, who was a regular attendee at the Irish Northern Aid dinner every year, frequented Bliss Street Station pub and restaurant in Queens.

Ambrose Gurhy, the owner of the local Irish bar in Sunnyside told the Irish Voice, "He used to stop in the odd time. You might see him two times a month and you might not see him again for four or five months," said Gurhy, adding that Gallagher used to often visit his wife in her nursing home.

Gurhy continued, "He'd just come in and have a few beers and chat with some of the old timers. He wasn't a bar person really. It was more for the company rather than a big session. I never saw the man under the influence."

Gurhy's last meeting with Gallagher was 10 or 12 days ago.

"It was a sad way to go. He was a nice quiet gentleman as far I was concerned," said Gurhy.

Saddened by the fact that Gallagher's body lay in his apartment for days without anyone coming to visit him, Father Colm Campbell of the New York Irish Center in Long Island city told the Irish Voice that something needs to be done for the elderly Irish immediately to reduce the possibility of similar incidents happening again.

"There is a big gap between the people who came here in the fifties and sixties and in the eighties. The older people are on their own, their families are gone, some are widowed and even worse, in some cases, they are living in buildings where they are the only English speakers left, and they can't afford to move because of rent control," said Campbell.

"We really have to do something about this situation, I'm very upset about it," he said.

"This would never happen in Ireland because people know each other and know where they live."

Campbell, 70, said the circumstances around Gallagher's death frighten him.

"On a personal level, this has hit home for me," said Campbell who lives alone. "I'm not able to get out and about as much," he said, adding he has had a string of minor heart attacks and has stints in his heart.

Campbell suggests asking university students to complete some kind of survey that would document the amount of elderly Irish people who live in Queens and other pockets of the city and suburbs that are heavily populated with immigrants.

"They could go around knocking on the doors, getting peoples information and at least then they are contactable. Something can be set up," said Campbell.

Gallagher, who owned a house in the Catskills at one point in his life, will be waked in Holyoke, Massachusetts on Friday. It is still unclear where he will be buried.

There will be a special Mass for Gallagher and his ailing wife on Thursday, December 18 at the New York Irish Center in Queens at 9 a.m. celebrated by Campbell.