Special prosecutor 'unwarranted' in cop shooting- DA says

In response to Councilman Larry Seabrook’s call to appoint a special prosecutor in the fatal police shooting of Ramarley Graham, the Bronx DA’s office issued the following letter to the editor in this week’s issue of the Bronx News:

To the Editor,

As reported in a recent article on March 8th, a proposed resolution by Councilman Larry Seabrook, “Seabrook say(s) special counsel needed in shooting by police,” is misinformed and unwarranted. 

The proposed resolution calls on the New York State Attorney General to appoint a special counsel to investigate fatal shootings of unarmed civilians by the NYPD under the rationale that working relationship between local District Attorneys and the police department would present a conflict of interest. There is no evidence to support that claim.

Mr. Seabrook attempts to make a case for supplanting duly elected local district attorneys by citing the deaths of Amadou Diallo, Eleanor Bumpers and most recently Ramarley Graham. The fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo resulted in the Bronx DA’s Office indicting and trying four police officers for murder. In the case of Eleanor Bumpers, another police officer was tried for murder under Mr. Johnson’s predecessor. The death of Ramarley Graham is the subject of a current and active investigation. Mr. Johnson described this process in a NY1 interview which can be found at the following link:

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/155815/ny1-online--full-interview-with-bronx-district-attorney-robert-johnson

Our ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute allegations of wrong-doing by police officers, with the full cooperation of the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau, are matters of public record and include prosecutions by our office ranging from ticket fixing and perjury to assault and homicide. A number of these cases have resulted in both guilty pleas and convictions after trial, including the 1997 manslaughter conviction of former Police Officer Paolo Colecchia in the shooting death of Nathaniel Gaines, a young Navy veteran. Our office has established a solid track record of seeking fairness, justice and following the evidence wherever it might lead. 

Mr. Seabrook’s proposal would do nothing more than disenfranchise his own constituents by seeking to have a district attorney duly elected by the community replaced by someone else.

                                         Very truly yours,

Steven Reed

Director of Public Information

Office of the District Attorney, 

Bronx County

Purim Party

BRONX, NEW YORK, Mar. 8- Come one, come all, because we’ll be celebrating Purim at Temple Hatikva, located at 2440 Esplanade, and we’ll be giving you the whole Megillah!  

The “Megillah Esther” will be read at Temple Hatikva this Friday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Following the reading of the Megillah, there will be a fabulous Purim Party celebrating one of Judaism’s happiest holidays! This wonderful event is being co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway.

Purim recalls events long ago in Persia when a ruthless, evil prime minister named Haman attempted to hang all the country’s Jews from the gallows. After the righteous intervention by Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, Haman was the only one hung from his own gallows.

We celebrate this event by wearing costumes, consuming lots of food and drink and having a wonderful time. You are invited to be a part of these free festivities and to celebrate Purim with us.

Temple Hatikva invites all our congregants, friends and neighbors to the Purim celebration at 7:30 P.M. this Friday, March 9. There is absolutely no charge for this event, so we invite you to bring your entire family and friends.

For further  information  please  call  Temple  Hatikva  at  (718)792-1109 or go to

www.TempleHatikva.com.

Cut Off!

11 Bronx Stores Fined in SLA Sting Operation

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, Mar. 7- Investigators at The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has announced that they have issued summonses to 118 stores across the city, alleging that they sold liquor to minors. The undercover

operation also netted nearly a dozen violations in the Bronx.

According to the SLA, the violations were issued during a three-day sting operation of liquor stores and bodegas, in an effort to curb underage drinking citywide, between November 16 and November 18, 2011.

Using underage volunteer decoys, members of the SLA and members of the NYPD fanned out across the borough, netting 11 violators out of 25 businesses they visited. Citywide, 41 violators were discovered in Brooklyn, 34 in Queens, 26 in Manhattan and 6 on Staten Island.

Bronx businesses charged with sale to minors are: East 174 Street Deli Grocery, 920 E. 174 Street; First Stop Deli, 1309 Clinton Avenue; JJP Food Center, 1086 Boston Road; Weeks Deli, 1777 Weeks Avenue; Rivas Grocery, 1824 Weeks Avenue; Felomar Grocery, 154 E. 175 Street; Andres Food, 237 E. 194 Street; Nizao Grocery, 2840 Briggs Avenue; Gourmet Deli, 226 E. 198 Street; Deli & Grocery, 29 E. Kingsbridge Road, and the A & A Deli at 361 E. 204 Street.

SLA Chairman Dennis Rosen said of the sting, "Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors is a top priority of the State Liquor Authority. These large scale enforcement efforts will continue to be apart of our proactive measures to prevent alcohol abuse among our youth."

Storeowners convicted of sales to minors face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. Repeat offenders face license suspension or revocation. Those charged with selling to minors were also issued criminal court summonses by the NYPD and the violation is categorized as a class A misdemeanor.

The undercover sting is similar to one conducted back in July, 2011 that targeted shops in Western, New York that resulted in 41 summonses issued and another sting in August targeting businesses in Manhattan that allegedly caught 123 violators.

BAD BET!

Firefighter among those indicted in $2M sports betting ring

BRONX, NEW YORK, Mar. 1- Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the arrest and indictment of eight reputed members or associates of an organized crime family, including a New York City firefighter, for allegedly operating a sports betting and loan-sharking operation that generated profits in excess of $2 million a year.

A grand jury indicted seven of the eight defendants on a top count of Enterprise Corruption, a Class B felony offense punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment. Those seven defendants are: Joseph Sarcinella, 77, of Scarsdale, New York, Frank Mastracchio, 56, of the Bronx, Dominick Totino, 44, of the Bronx, Dominick Pietranico, 81, of Mahopac, New York, Bruno Travostino, 81, of Manhattan, John D’Ambrosio, 54, of Bronxville,  New York, and Thomas McMahon, 29, of City Island, the Bronx.

In addition to the Enterprise Corruption charge, those seven people have also been charged with multiple counts of Promoting Gambling in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, Possession of Gambling Records in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, Criminal Usury in the Second Degree, a Class E Felony, and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor. Frank Mastracchio was also charged with illegal gun possession stemming from the recovery of an illegal hand gun and a sawed-off shotgun during the execution of a search warrant at his home.

An eighth defendant, William Cali, 58, of Bellrose, New York has been indicted on one count of Criminal Usury in the second degree, a Class E Felony offense, and one count of Conspiracy in the fifth degree, a Class A Misdemeanor.

The crimes alleged in the indictments occurred between December 1, 2009 and June 23, 2011.

The charges in the indictments are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

All of the defendants were arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. 

It is alleged that the defendants, acting in concert with each other and others, ran an illegal sports betting operation utilizing two gambling wire-rooms at 1500 Mace Avenue and 709 East 189^TH Street. The wire-rooms were staffed by workers who manned telephone lines for the purpose of taking bets, managing betting activity, and setting betting lines and spreads. Additionally, a social club at 1480 Mace Avenue was used to pay out on winning bets and  collect on losing bets.

Several defendants also allegedly engaged in loan-sharking by charging at least one debtor hundreds of dollars a week in interest and fines which amounted to a 100 percent interest rate over a one year period.                                

Information gathered during the course of the investigation indicated various ties between most of the defendants and the Genovese Crime Family. It was also learned that one of the defendants, Thomas McMahon, is currently employed as a firefighter with the FDNY.

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Bronx Zoo to close Monkey House

BRONX, NEW YORK, Mar. 1- The Bronx Zoo has announced that it will close its 113-year-old Monkey House. Zoo officials said the famous house will be replaced with a new exhibit.

“The Bronx Zoo opened in 1899 and the Monkey House is one of our oldest buildings. Our buildings and exhibits are evaluated on a regular basis. We have decided to close the Monkey House and plan for a new exhibit in the future. This is how the Lion House became “MADAGASCAR!,” said Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and WCS Executive Vice President of Zoos and Aquarium. “Guests can continue to see monkeys in the Congo and JungleWorld. We will keep all posted about future plans for the Monkey House.” 

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NY or NJ Giants?

Should NY be throwing the parade?

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, Feb. 6- Giants’ football fans should remember this important aspect of their Super Bowl Championship. When was the last time the team played an NFL game in New York City? Therefore, with no disrespect, why again are New York tax payers contributing to another Canyon of Heroes Parade?

Again, this is not to take away from quarterback Eli Manning, a fourth quarter wizard who is a major reason why the Giants have the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. Or four years based on what year determines the NFL football season.

Pardon the reminder, but 1973 was the last time a Giants football team played a game in New York. And that was at the old Yankee Stadium before they sought greener pastures and went across the Hudson River, to a swamp in East Rutherford New Jersey known as the Meadowlands.

Yet they are still known as New York. The organization corporate offices are in East Rutherford. The team pays taxes to the state of New Jersey and gains revenue shared with the state from interests of their new stadium, Met Life that is shared with another team once in New York, the Jets.

So why are, the Giants still considered New York, and not known as the Jersey Giants as should be appropriately named? The National Football League, according to a statement from their guru publicity department said, the league would not authorize a shift of franchise from one state to another. In addition, they consider the distance from midtown Manhattan to the stadium as the New York tri-state area.

Yes, but the Giants still consider New Jersey as their home. When reached Monday for a comment, an employee in the Giants publicity department said, “We are too busy right now to discuss the question. This has been addressed in the past and the NFL will direct you further.”

Apparently the Giants staff, occupied with arrangements and a parade in Lower Manhattan, which will conclude in East Rutherford, can’t be bothered with this issue. New York is the team, though more appropriate they should be tagged as a team from New Jersey.  Truth is, the NFL views New York City, as do other major professional sports leagues as a revenue grabber, and New Jersey does not fit that bill.

But the only legitimate professional football team that represents New York is a bill, known as the Bills up in Buffalo. Hence, we have an issue. The Giants, with home grown fans, from the Bronx and New York City, by virtue of NYC officials, will be honored with an elaborate ceremony outside City Hall.

First it will be the parade. Similar to the one they had in February 2008, this parade will be estimated to a cost of over a million dollars, contributed also, as the Giants say, from their pockets and various sponsors. All for a team that does not punt, throw, or kick a football in New York City.

An accomplishment by this team that will be remembered as The Giants will go down as one of those teams that had a historic run. The last six weeks they surmounted all odds against them, the first 9-7 team to win a Super Bowl and fighting the last week of their schedule to make the post season.

So, we can’t fault the team. The political leaders who make a decision to host the Super Bowl champion parade in New York City, and perhaps for their own personnel interests should be at fault. They will be on the steps sitting comfortably at City Hall as the Giants receive their Key to the City.

The merchandise is being sold with a New York Logo. The team is in New Jersey including a majority of the roster that own homes across the Hudson River. They are not New York City, or the Bronx where plenty of their rich tradition is documented.

So, go to the parade and enjoy the moment. Remember, it is your tax dollars contributing to a celebration that should be held in New Jersey. Because the Giants are a New Jersey team despite the NY logo that is on their helmets.

Celebrate the Giants' Super win over the Patriots with Giants gear. 

 Click on Bronx Deals 

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Superbowl Champs gear

NEW YORK, Feb. 6- Celebrate the Giants' Super win over the Patriots with Giants gear.

Click on Bronx Deals

BxDeals