Over 75 Years of Caring for the East Bronx
The History of Mace Avenue Medical
Some practices have a history. Mace Avenue Medical is a history.
What began as a solo medical office opened by Dr. Frank Pintauro, just as the nation was exhaling after the end of World War II — has grown into one of the most enduring independent medical practices in the Bronx. Three generations of the Pintauro family have now carried that legacy forward, serving the East Bronx community through decades of change, growth, and transformation.
This is that story.
The Founding: Dr. Frank Pintauro and the Post-War Bronx
When World War II ended, America began the work of rebuilding — and so did its neighborhoods. The East Bronx in the late 1940s was a vibrant, working-class community filled with veterans returning home, immigrant families establishing roots, and young people building futures they had put on hold during the war years.
Dr. Frank Pintauro was part of that moment. A physician committed to his community, he opened the doors of what would become Mace Avenue Medical, setting up practice in the neighborhood he called home. In those early years, a family doctor was more than a clinician — he was a community pillar, a trusted neighbor, a constant presence in the lives of his patients.
Dr. Frank practiced medicine with exactly that spirit. His patients were not strangers. They were families he watched grow, children he treated through childhood illnesses, and elders he accompanied through the final chapters of their lives. In an era before managed care networks and digital health records, medicine was fundamentally personal — and Dr. Frank’s practice was the embodiment of that.
Decades of Service: Growing With the East Bronx
The decades that followed brought enormous change to the Bronx. Like many urban neighborhoods, the East Bronx experienced the pressures of urban renewal, demographic shifts, and the economic challenges of the latter twentieth century. Through all of it, the Pintauro family practice remained a constant — a stable, trusted presence on the corner of East Bronx life.
As the practice grew, it grew with the community. New services were added. The patient base expanded. But the core commitment — personalized, relationship-based care for East Bronx families — never wavered.
The practice passed from Dr. Frank Pintauro to the next generation of the family, carrying with it not just a patient list and a medical license but something more durable: a philosophy of medicine rooted in knowing your patients and earning their trust over years, not visits.
The Third Generation: Dr. Robert D. Pintauro and a New Era
Today, Mace Avenue Medical is led by Dr. Robert D. Pintauro, M.D., Dr. Frank’s grandson and a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine. Dr. Robert grew up understanding what this practice represented — not just a livelihood, but a covenant with a community.
Under his leadership, the practice has expanded its clinical capabilities significantly. Dr. Robert has been joined by Dr. Kellyann P. Pintauro, D.O., Robert W. Pintauro, N.P., and May Yu, D.N.P. — forming a team that brings modern, evidence-based medicine to the tradition Dr. Frank established.
The practice now offers primary care, preventive medicine, chronic disease management, cardiology services, podiatry, women’s health, men’s health, geriatric care, in-office lab services, telehealth, and long-term care through affiliations with Montefiore Medical Center and six area nursing and rehabilitation facilities.
The building has changed. The technology has changed. The medicine has advanced. But the mission has not: to know the patients of the East Bronx and to care for them well.
What Has Never Changed
Across more than 75 years and three generations, certain things at Mace Avenue Medical have remained constant:
1
Independence — Never acquired, never merged, never part of a hospital system
2
Family ownership — Every generation has been a Pintauro
3
Community focus — The East Bronx has always been home
4
Personalized care — Patients are individuals, not throughput
5
Longevity of relationships — Many patients have been coming to this practice for decades, some for their entire lives
This is not common in modern medicine. It is, in fact, increasingly rare. And it is something Mace Avenue Medical is proud to protect.
Our Affiliations: Extending the Reach of Personalized Care
As the practice has grown, so has its network of care. Today, Mace Avenue Medical maintains active hospital and nursing facility affiliations that allow the team to follow their patients across the care continuum:
- Montefiore Medical Center — One of the Bronx’s leading academic medical centers
- Kings Harbor Care Center
- Bayberry Care Center
- Beth Abraham Center
- Regeis Care Center
- Gold Crest Care Center
- Morris Park Nursing Home
These relationships mean that when a patient of Mace Avenue Medical requires hospitalization or long-term rehabilitation, their primary care doctor doesn’t disappear from the picture. Dr. Pintauro maintains active roles in nursing home care — a direct extension of the continuity-of-care philosophy that has defined this practice since its founding.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Mace Avenue Medical founded?
Mace Avenue Medical was founded by Dr. Frank Pintauro in [YEAR FOUNDED], just after the end of World War II. The practice has been continuously operating in the East Bronx for over 75 years.
Who founded Mace Avenue Medical?
Dr. Frank Pintauro founded the practice in the years immediately following World War II. He established it as a community-focused, independent medical practice in the East Bronx — a mission that continues today under his grandson, Dr. Robert D. Pintauro.
How many generations of the Pintauro family have run the practice?
Three generations. Dr. Frank Pintauro founded the practice. It passed to the second generation, and is now led by Dr. Robert D. Pintauro, M.D., Dr. Frank’s grandson. Dr. Kellyann P. Pintauro and Robert W. Pintauro, N.P. are also current members of the team.
Is Mace Avenue Medical part of Montefiore?
No. Mace Avenue Medical is an independently owned practice. We maintain an affiliation with Montefiore Medical Center, which allows for coordinated care and hospital admissions, but we are not owned by or operated under the Montefiore system.
Why has Mace Avenue Medical stayed independent for so long?
Independence is a core value of this practice, not just a circumstance. The Pintauro family has consistently prioritized the ability to make patient-centered decisions without the constraints of corporate or hospital ownership. That independence has always been central to how they define good medicine.
