Mike Silva is an Albuquerque, New Mexico, businessman trying to protect his employees and scratch out a living in a tough economy. He told a gathering at a recent press conference that he shouldn’t have to deal with the constant threat of crime that has engulfed the city.
Prior to the press conference, Silva, the owner of Rude Boy Cookies, learned about the death of Rosario Zito who was shot and killed during a robbery in front of his business, Giovanni’s Pizzeria, Aug. 4 in southeast Albuquerque, according to a KOB 4 News report.
“I was not aware of the Giovanni’s news until just now, and like many of you, like the mayor said, that was a comfort place for my family,” Silva said during the press conference. “I went to Wilson Middle School, which is right next door to Giovanni’s, and as a middle school kid with not a lot of money, scrounging up $1.50 to get a slice of pizza—that Giovanni’s was a treat. I’m devastated. I was just sitting there, hearing that news and it just completely derailed any thought that I had in my head.”
Silva also shared the impact a recent robbery had on one of his businesses when someone backed into the parking lot, pulled out a gun, and left seconds later with his money.
“My 19-year-old employee, who dealt with the brunt of that, is still devastated and rocked by it,” Silva said. “Unfortunately, it happened to too many of my friends in business. As a small business owner, I’m not Costco. I’m not Home Depot. I’m not Lowe’s, not Walmart. I’m a small business owner where every single dollar matters.”
Silva added the community needs to work together to find solutions to prevent crime.
“If it can happen at Giovanni’s, a neighborhood pizza place that we’ve all probably stepped into, who’s to say it doesn’t happen to someone that you know, and you care about; you love?” Silva asked. “It’s not my problem; it’s our problem. Obviously, [law enforcement] can’t do it alone. They can create as many programs as they want. It doesn’t matter unless we engage, and we get others to engage. Nothing’s going to change.”