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Brooklyn legal community says goodbye to longtime ADA

Ed Purce Moves to Bronx After 18 Years in Brooklyns DA’s Office

September 16, 2016 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Members of the Brooklyn legal community gathered to say goodbye to Ed Purce, who is moving to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office after working in Brooklyn for the past 18 years. Pictured is Michelle Kaminsky presenting Purce with a plaque to commemorate his time in Kings County. Eagle photos by Rob Abruzzese
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Longtime member of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Ed Purce is leaving the borough after 18 years to work for the Bronx District Attorney. Many of Purce’s friends and colleagues got together at Hill Country Barbecue in Downtown Brooklyn on Wednesday to say goodbye.

“Ed is a great person with the kindest heart,” said the Brooklyn DA’s Domestic Violence Bureau Chief Michelle Kaminsky. “Mensch is the word that comes to mind. He’s been a great friend to so many of us, and we’re really going to miss him.”

Purce, a SUNY Cortland graduate, has served Kings County as an assistant district attorney in the Homicide and Domestic Violence bureaus. He isn’t retiring; he is merely moving closer to his home in the Bronx after almost two decades of a long commute to Brooklyn.

With the Yankees game playing in the background, many party attendees shared stories about their colleague, and several commented on his love of sports. Purce always played on softball teams and participated in triathlons. In his days before the Brooklyn DA’s Office, he worked as a reporter in Catskills, N.Y., where he had the opportunity to interview Mike Tyson, who later became the world heavyweight boxing champion.

“He was always jet setting off to somewhere to do triathlons,” Nicole Itkin recalled. “You look at him, and you’re like, ‘Really? Triathlons?’ But he did. I remember he would cycle down from the Bronx, 17 miles, when he was training for the triathlon.”

Mark Pagliuco presented Purce with a customized Brooklyn Dodgers jersey that had his name and No. 18 blazed across the back.

“He’s a very excellent softball player who played on many teams — the office team, the domestic violence team — and he was outstanding,” Pagliuco said. “So we got you a Brooklyn jersey. It’s Dodgers colors, but I try not to think of it as a Dodger jersey. It’s more like a Brooklyn DA jersey.”

Those who shared stories described Purce as a good friend, a great co-worker and an excellent assistant district attorney.

“Ed Purce is one of the most experienced and accomplished trial lawyers in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office,” said Michael Farkas, president of the Kings County Criminal Bar Association (KCCBA). “His integrity is above reproach, and no one is more well-liked and respected. Brooklyn’s loss is certainly the Bronx’s gain. The KCCBA wishes him all the luck and success in the world — he deserves it.”

Purce joked that he was glad to have his wife on hand to hear all the great remarks made about him. It was clear that he was a bit overwhelmed by the many colleagues who came out to say goodbye, but he found a way to articulate his thoughts upon leaving his job in Brooklyn.

“I was already an old guy when I got here, but I felt that I was young and could keep up with everyone,” Purce said. “I’ve always loved being a prosecutor. I have a lot of good friends here who I will always keep in touch with and never forget.”

 

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