What’s News, Breaking: Monday, April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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JEREMY LECHTZIN NAMED NEW PRESIDENT OF BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION has a new president, the organization announced Thursday. Architectural historian and tech lawyer Jeremy Lechtzin was named president of BHA’s Board of Governors for 2024-2026. Lechtzin is currently writing a data-driven analysis of every house built in Brooklyn Heights and creating a digital map of the lost streetscape of the Village of Brooklyn as it existed in 1816, BHA notes. (Read his memorable piece in The New York Times about how in 1870 nearly every street address in Brooklyn was changed, and that move’s knock-on results.)

To see Lechtzin’s priorities for his term, visit thebha.org.

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SENATE BILL WOULD PROTECT BIDEN’S
STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM

CAPITOL HILL — LEGISLATION TO CODIFY AND PROTECT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S HISTORIC STUDENT DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM is the subject of a virtual press conference in Washington, DC that U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) will host on Tuesday, April 2. Sen. Gillibrand will announce legislation that would codify into law the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, and protect it from being rolled back under future administrations. Currently, more than 7.7 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the program, including nearly 300,000 New Yorkers.

During the press conference, Senator Gillibrand will also urge borrowers in New York to apply for the SAVE Plan to lower the cost of their student loan payments.

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COPS CATCH MAN SUSPECTED OF PUNCHING, ROBBING SENIOR ON ‘F’ TRAIN IN DUMBO

DUMBO — POLICE ARRESTED A FAR ROCKAWAY MAN on Thursday for allegedly attacking and robbing a 73-year-old man on an F train as it approached the York Street station in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Police said that on Tuesday, Feb. 13, around 9:45 a.m., Dupreme Williams, 42, approached the senior straphanger and punched him in the face, breaking his eyeglasses. He then stole the man’s cell phone before fleeing on foot at the station. Williams is charged with attempted robbery, assault, criminal mischief and criminal possession of stolen property.

This is not the only case in which Williams is charged. See brooklyneagle.com for more details about his other criminal charges.

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NOTED JURIST ANALYZES FEDERAL JUDGE’S RULING
ON ‘PROBABLE CAUSE’ IN GUN CASES

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SEEKS RECONSIDERATION of a decision from a federal judge here in the U.S. district court for the Eastern District of New York that set a new legal standard for probable cause in gun cases in New York. The Hon. Barry Kamins, a former Kings County State Supreme Court judge, wrote an analysis on this standard on probable cause for the Monday, April 1, New York Law Journal, related to the case United States v. Homer, 2024 WL 417103 (EDNY 2024). Examining both the Homer case and the government’s reconsideration, Judge Kamins points out “Homer demonstrates how Bruen has had a significant impact on numerous areas of the law outside the Second Amendment…Ultimately, however, the Supreme Court may need to resolve how the issue of licensure affects if at all, the probable cause calculus.”

Judge Kamins is the author of “New York Search and Seizure” and writes the Criminal Law and Practice column for the New York Law Journal.

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MAIMONIDES HEALTH LAUDED FOR SURPASSING
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FINANCE GOALS

BOROUGH PARK — MAIMONIDES HEALTH HAS BEEN NAMED as a 2024 Top Hospital for Fair Share Spending. The Lown Institute, in its annual sprint report, has ranked Maimonides Heath Maimonides Medical Center and Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital among the top 20% of hospitals nationwide meeting — or exceeding — its obligations for community investment, underscoring the hospital’s commitment to holistic care and healthcare excellence. The report showed that Maimonides Medical Center had a “fair share” surplus, which means it spent $2,137,709 more on financial assistance and community investment than the estimated value of its tax exemption. Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital’s fair share surplus totals $20,670,995.

The Lown Institute is an independent healthcare think tank that analyzes nonprofit hospitals’ community investments.

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CHARGED WITH SALE OF LETHAL DRUGS
AND GUN POSSESSION

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A BROOKLYN MAN AND HIS ACCOMPLICE HAVE BEEN CHARGED in a four-count indictment for the sale of a lethal drug combination that caused the death of New York transgender activist, Cecilia Gentili. United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom was scheduled to preside at the arraignment in federal court Monday afternoon, April 1, of Michael Kuilan, 44, of Brooklyn and Antonio Venti, 52 of West Babylon. According to the indictment and court documents, NYPD officers responding to a 911 call from Gentili’s partner on Feb. 6, 2024, found Gentili dead in her bedroom. A medical examiner determined that Gentili died due to the combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine and cocaine. Text messages, cell site data and other evidence revealed that Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on Feb. 5, 2024, and Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics.

Kuilan is also charged with unlawful gun possession. Law enforcement officers searching a Williamsburg apartment belonging to Kuilan found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun and ammunition.

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RESTAURANT DELIVERY WORKERS
WILL SEE INCREASED PAY RATE

CITYWIDE — THE CITY’S MINIMUM PAY RATE for app-based restaurant delivery workers is increasing effective immediately to at least $19.56 per hour before tips, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga announced on Monday. The $19.56 rate reflects the 2024 phase-in rate of $18.96 and an inflation adjustment of 3.15% — increased from an average of just $5.39 per hour before enforcement began. Since the Dept. of Consumer and Worker Protection began enforcing the minimum pay rate in December 2023, apps have paid the city’s delivery workers $16.3 million more per week across the workforce — an increase of 165% — totaling an additional $847.6 million annually.

When the rate is fully phased in on April 1, 2025, workers will earn at least $19.96 per hour with an adjustment for inflation.

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POLISH COMMUNITY CELEBRATES TIME-HONORED
TRADITION OF BLESSING EASTER BASKETS

BROOKLYN DIOCESE/MASPETH — THE BLESSING OF EASTER BASKETS, a time-honored tradition originating during the 15th century, among Brooklynites of Polish, Lithuanian and other Baltic region heritage, took place on Holy Saturday within the Diocese of Brooklyn. Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski presided over the annual blessing of Easter food baskets at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Maspeth, which is part of the diocese. The baskets by tradition contain a sampling of Easter foods including bread, eggs, ham and sweets.

“It was great to see so many children and families on this Holy Saturday morning, giving thanks to God for their many blessings, and bringing their Easter food to church to be blessed,” said Bishop Witold Mroziewski.

Bishop Mroziewski sprinkles holy water over the worshipers’ Easter baskets.
Photo courtesy John Quaglione/DeSales Media

These Easter basket contains ham, sausage, eggs and bread as well as sweets.
Photo courtesy John Quaglione/DeSales Media

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FIRE MARS EASTER CELEBRATION
AT EAST WILLIAMSBURG CHURCH

EAST WILLIAMSBURG — A FIRE THAT BEGAN IN A CHURCH DURING EASTER MASS services in East Williamsburg quickly spread to the adjoining rectory, causing worshippers to evacuate, and injuring several, including three firefighters, reports Gothamist. The fire reportedly broke out around 1:47 p.m. during the liturgy, with smoke forcing about 150 parishioners to evacuate Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii at 225 Seigel St., according to the NYPD. The fire then rapidly spread through the adjoining rectory, the priests’ residence. At least six people sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

As of press time, the fire’s cause is still under investigation. The Monday after Easter is usually treated as a day off for most church employees across denominations, and the diocese has not yet responded to requests for a follow-up.

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MISSING TEEN IN BROWNSVILLE

BROWNSVILLE — POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO HELP FIND missing girl Sydney Snead-Herron, age 15, who was last seen on the morning of Thursday, March 28, at her home on Prospect Place near P.S. 12 in Brownsville. Sydney is described as 5′ 2″ and 140 pounds, and is Black, with a medium complexion, black hair and brown eyes; she was last seen wearing a purple bubble jacket, blue jeans and gray Jordan brand sneakers with an orange mark on the side.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing teen Sydney Snead-Herron. All calls are strictly confidential.

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DOGGY MEETUP IN PROSPECT PARK

PARK SLOPE — FIDO OF BROOKLYN IS HOLDING its monthly coffee bark meetup this weekend, offering dogs and dog owners a chance to socialize with others in Prospect Park’s Long Meadow. The doggy welfare group will offer coffee, snacks and doggy biscuits rain or shine at the Picnic House from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, along with information about off-leash play and activities.

FIDO is a nonprofit group of dog lovers dedicated to keeping Prospect Park a safe place for dogs and people, as well as advocating for free play and socialization, along with other welfare issues.

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WOMAN STALKED, BEATEN IN SUBWAY

CYPRESS HILLS — A WOMAN WAS BEATEN BY AN UNKNOWN MAN after being stalked on a Queens-bound J train earlier this month, reports PIX News. After boarding at the Cypress Hills station on the morning of March 19, the man sat too close to her and then followed as she tried to move away, telling her “You look cute, you smell good.” When she got off at Jamaica, the man chased her, sprinting after her into her workplace, where he physically assaulted her until a security guard was able to chase him away; the victim was left injured and emotionally distraught, telling PIX, “I’m terrified, I can’t sleep, I have nightmares… I fear for a lot of other women on the train because he’s out there.”

Police are searching for the suspect, who is described as in his early 20s, around 5’5” and 140 pounds, with a light complexion and black hair, and was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue sweatpants and light-colored sneakers.

The unknown man accused of stalking and attacking a woman on the J train earlier this month. All calls to police tiplines are strictly confidential.

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QUESTIONS ON CITY PICK OF ADAMS DONOR FOR FUEL CONTRACT

CITYWIDE — NATIONAL FUELING COMPANY SPRAGUE OPERATING RESOURCES HAS FILED a lawsuit against the city over a canceled contract to keep city vehicles fueled, reports The City, alleging that the Department of Citywide Administrative Services flouted the law in backing out of negotiations to instead award the lucrative $91 million two-year contract to a competitor, Approved Oil of Brooklyn, whose CEO is a three-time donor to Mayor Adams’ campaign. The suit claims that DCAS was obligated to continue negotiations with Sprague, the city’s current vehicle fuel vendor; and that by awarding Approved Oil the contract without searching for other bidders, taxpayers will have to shell out an extra $21 million in higher per-gallon prices.

The lawsuit also alleges that the city’s decision was influenced by Approved Oil hiring law firm Pitta Bishop as a lobbyist; Pitta Bishop advises the mayor’s campaign.

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DEVELOPER OF BROOKLYN TOWER DEFAULTS ON LOAN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — DEVELOPER MICHAEL STERN OF THE NEW BROOKLYN TOWER, which last summer completed work on its Gothic facade, has defaulted on loans taken to finance the building’s construction, reports the Real Deal, leading lender Silverstein Capital Partners to schedule a foreclosure auction for its interests in the building this June. Silverstein had issued a $240 million loan to Stern in 2019, and this year purchased additional debt in the building from Otera Capital; Stern last year attempted to sell off part of the building, but failed to secure any buyers.

A memo issued by property auctioneer JLL on Wednesday specifies that the sale will be for the entirety of the holding company that owns the tower.

The Brooklyn Tower, set to be sold at auction after a foreclosure.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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IN MEMORIAM: CONEY ISLAND NATIVE LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. DIES, 87, STARTED ACTING CAREER IN HS

CONEY ISLAND AND LOS ANGELES — LOUIS GOSSETT, JR., THE BROOKLYN-BORN FIRST BLACK MAN TO WIN an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died on Thursday night, according to several news reports. Born in Coney Island on May 27, 1936, Gossett earned his first acting credit in his Brooklyn high school’s production of “You Can’t Take It with You” after an injury sidelined him from his basketball team. After recovering, he would prove successful at both basketball and acting and made his Broadway debut at age 17 — a year before graduating from high school after an English teacher encouraged him to audition. He later won an Emmy for the TV miniseries “Roots,” and, in 1983, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a stern drill sergeant in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” Having experienced police stop-and-frisks even after gaining fame and wealth, Gossett later established the Eracism Foundation, working to create a world without racism.

As an alumnus and first Black student president of the Mark Twain Intermediate School in Brooklyn, Gossett gave a talk to students there in 2015 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame, according to the Eracism Foundation’s website.

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OFFICIALS: FREE BROOKLYN FERRY TO GOVERNORS ISLAND RUNNING OUT OF FUNDS

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — BROOKLYN OFFICIALS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS GATHERED AT PIER 6 IN BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK on Friday to call for funding for Brooklyn ferry service to Governors Island in this year’s state budget. Without support from the state, the Trust for Governors Island only has enough funding to offer ferry service from Memorial Day through the end of June this year, and no funding at all to run it in Fiscal Year 2025. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes successfully fought to include $625,000 for the ferry service in the Senate One-House Budget Resolution. On Friday, Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Lincoln Restler asked the state legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to include this funding in the final state budget.

Five of the six most-represented ZIP codes in citywide Governors Island Ferry ridership come from Brooklyn, the officials said in a release. The Island features over 120 acres of open space, activities for kids, free public art and cultural programming, and environmental and educational offerings for all ages.

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BROOKLYN ARTIST ROBERT MOSKOWITZ DIES, 88, CREATED NOW-ICONIC SKYSCRAPER PAINTINGS

MANHATTAN — BROOKLYN-BORN ABSTRACT ARTIST AND PAINTER ROBERT MOSKOWITZ, WHO INTERPRETED NEW YORK CITY’S SKYLINE WITH A UNIQUE VISION, died last Sunday, March 24, in Manhattan, at age 88, reports New York Times arts writer Will Heinrich. Born as Robert Stephen Moskowitz on June 20, 1935, he had to support his siblings starting at age 12 or 13 after his father abandoned the family and his mother was absent for long stretches to work. His sister’s employment with an engineering company inspired him to attend Mechanics Institute to become a draftsman. Securing a job at the Sperry Gyroscope in Lake Success enabled Moskowitz in turn to study at Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill, as a student of Adolph Gottlieb and Robert Richen, which transformed his life. Inspired by a marriage of collage and painting, Moskowitz created his distinctive style, after finding a particularly unusual window shade that he glued to a canvas. His works were exhibited at the 1961 Museum of Modern Art show “The Art of Assemblage.” He later painted the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building and the World Trade Center.

However, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the buildings that had given him such joy to paint became somber and traumatic to the point where he sought new themes for his art.

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STATE MONUMENTS WERE LIT HONORING VIETNAM WAR VETERANS

GREENPOINT AND BROOKLYN WATERFRONT — THE KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE, CONNECTING NORTHERN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, AND THE ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER BUILDING WERE AMONG MORE THAN A DOZEN TO BE ILLUMINATED IN GREEN, YELLOW AND RED on Friday night, March 29, to honor Vietnam veterans in New York State. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a proclamation declaring March 29, 2024, as Vietnam Veterans Day in New York State, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of our state and nation’s Vietnam Veterans and marking 51 years from the date that the final American combat troops departed the Republic of Vietnam. Landmarks across the state were illuminated in the vibrant colors of the Vietnam Service Medal, symbolizing the valor of those who served during this historic period. The green, yellow and red hues represent the courageous service members who served on the ground in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, or in the surrounding waters and airspace.

The Brooklyn Eagle’s daily Milestones column for today provides more background on the departure of soldiers and POWs from Vietnam.

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FDA WARNS OF IMPELLA PUMP DANGERS THAT COULD RUPTURE HEART VENTRICLE

NATIONWIDE — THE U.S. FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION, WHICH FOR THE THIRD TIME HAS HAD TO ACT ON IMPELLA DEVICES, has issued its alert about a left-side blood pump that has caused 49 deaths and more than 100 injuries, according to the agency and several news reports on Friday, yet the devices will remain in use. Abiomed is recalling its Impella Left Sided Blood Pumps because the pump catheter may perforate (cut) the wall of the heart’s left ventricle in the heart. Although the use of affected Impella pumps (Impella 2.5; Impella CP; Impella CP with SmartAssist; Impella 5.0; Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist; Impella LD) may cause serious adverse health consequences, including left ventricle perforation or free wall rupture, hypertension, lack of blood flow, and death, the device is permitted to stay in use.

The FDA blamed the maker Abiomed for not notifying them publicly when the defect was found more than two years ago, but instructed that the product is not being removed from patients in whom it has been inserted. Instead, new precautionary instructions have been issued on inserting the catheter pumps.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILES NEW AMICUS BRIEF TO SAFEGUARD EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE

NATIONWIDE — A MULTI-STATE COALITION OF 24 ATTORNEYS GENERAL IS FIGHTING TO SAFEGUARD AMERICANS’ ACCESS to abortion care during medical emergencies. New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading the coalition, has filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in Idaho v. U.S. and Moyle v. U.S., urging the court to maintain a preliminary injunction that required Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortion care consistent with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which covers all U.S. hospitals with emergency departments that participate in Medicare. The EMTALA requires emergency rooms to provide all patients who have emergency medical conditions with the treatment required, including administering abortion care, in order to stabilize a patient’s condition.

However, the near-total ban in Idaho criminalizes abortion care even when a pregnant patient could otherwise die or experience serious harm to her health. Two other amicus briefs had already been filed in Idaho since 2022, and another in Texas for its law.

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BROOKLYN POLS BRING HOME THE BACON FOR BROOKLYN VIA EARMARKS

BOROUGHWIDE — THE RECENTLY FINALIZED FEDERAL BUDGET contains more than $500 million for hundreds of community projects (i.e. “earmarks”) across New York state, according to Spectrum News NY1. An analysis by the Brooklyn Eagle found that Brooklyn officials brought home the bacon for projects benefiting the borough via earmarks: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries secured funding for the Billion Oyster Project site in Paerdegat Basin and for security upgrades at a Brooklyn NYCHA project. Rep. Yvette Clarke received funds for anti-violence programs in East Flatbush, for the 67th and 77th Precinct Clergy Councils and the YMCA. Rep. Nydia Velazquez funded a crime reduction program at Boricua College, youth initiative programs and fresh start programs for previously incarcerated individuals. The Brooklyn D.A.’s Office received millions for a mental health program. Schumer brought in money for NYPS’s youth boxing program in Brooklyn.

The full list of appropriations can be found on the House website.

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29 NYC COUNCILMEMBERS PUSH STATE FOR MORE AUTHORITY TO CRACK DOWN ON WEED SHOPS

CITYWIDE — A LETTER TO GOV. KATHY HOCHUL, LEADER STEWART-COUSINS AND SPEAKER HEASTIE — signed by 29 City Council members from across NYC — asked Albany to remove the block that stops the city from adopting local laws for unlicensed cannabis enforcement, Assemblymember Gail Brewer posted on Twitter/X Friday. According to data provided to the City Council on March 14, there were 10,573 inspections for unlicensed cannabis, tobacco, e-cigarette and flavored vape sales in 2023 conducted by three city agencies: the NYC Sheriff, NYPD and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the agency doing the most enforcement (72%). But DCWP has no authority over cannabis, Council members complained.

“Limiting enforcement to police and courts excludes thousands of city employees who already regulate unlicensed activity and unsafe products,” Brewer wrote.