WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. February 2, 2012:

White Plains Police apprehended 42 year old Daniel Mosca of 10 Bryant Crescent White Plains early Thursday morning 12:20 A.M. in possession of a anti-FASNY sign and charged him with petty larceny and fifth degree of stolen property.

Last Friday evening, approximately 30 Anti-French School of New York Development signs were removed from private home yards in the vicinity of Ridgeway Country Club, according to an e-mail from the President of the Gedney Farms Association, Terence Guerriere. (The school is planning to develop the former country club into a central campus, a project bitterly opposed by the neighborhood.)

LoHud Reporter Richard Liebson in reporting the arrest, cited a police report of the arrest as saying Mosca had thought the signs were put up by the French School in support of the project, and that he thought the signs were ugly and detracted from the neighborhood.

That the suspect admitted he was confused is interesting.

FASNY SIGNS RETURN TO LINE RIDGEWAY.

Last year, when the anti-FASNY signs first sprouted up in yards bordering Ridgeway avenue adjacent Ridgeway Country Club, the popular White Plains Week television news roundup show pointed out the ambiguous message of the design of the signs.

Many of the signs, pictured above featured the classic cross-out red circle (a negative) on top of the “FASNO” word, actually neutralizing the message of the neighborhood being against the FASNY project. The commentators agreed it was an ambiguous design which possibly sent the wrong message. Apparently in one case, it was misunderstood.

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WPCNR HEALTH NEWS. By Westchester County Roving Correspondent Nancy King. January 31, 2012:

CSEA workers at the Westchester County Medical Center held another press conference Tuesday.   Workers who attended were mostly employed at the Behavioral Health Center and who were recently laid off from their positions after BHC was privatized by Liberty Health Care Corporation.  This time, there are about 150 jobs on the chopping block, although Liberty and the WMC have invited current employees to re-apply for their jobs.  

According to Patrick Roche, a Senior Psychiatric Aide who has been employed by the WMC for 29 years, he would be eligible to retain his employ at the new hourly rate of 15.00.  He would also have the opportunity to purchase his healthcare through an HMO.  Westchester Medical Center Employees currently do not contribute to their health care benefits.

According to union leaders John Staino and Peter Piazza, negotiations with the Medical Center are at an impasse following a breakdown in talks with NYNSA (nurses union).  CSEA leaders expressed dismay that even after they offered concessions in their contract negotiations, hospital brass declined to meet to find a resolution to the problem.

Union leaders and those employees of the Behavioral Health Center, distributed a flier today citing a long history of problems that Liberty Health Care has had while overseeing other facilities.   Reports of high turnover rate, salaries that may be as low as 12.00 an hour and unsupervised patients were highlighted in the document.

However, the most unusual aspect of this press conference was the presence of not only three County Police Cars and officers, but a presence also by a number of the Medical Center’s own security staff.  Further away from the press conference, administrative staff could be seen in small groups observing the conference.   County Police Officers, explained to President Staino that because there was no permit filed, they would be unable to conduct the press conference on hospital property or on the road directly across the street which is Westchester County owned property. 

In the meantime, it appears that Westchester Medical Center in its entity as a public benefits corporation is being disassembled one piece at a time.  Prescription for Westchester residents; don’t get sick.

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WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. Special to WPCNR from Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. January 30, 2012:

David Buchwald was nominated to run against Robert Castelli for the New York State Assembly 93rd district Monday evening.

Democratic leaders met on January 30^th at the YWCA in White Plains to choose a challenger to run against current Republican Assemblyman Robert Castelli.  At stake is Castelli’s seat in what is currently the 89^th legislative district.  Under  new redistricting maps, this district will  renamed the 93^rd district and that means that lines will shift as well.   Going into tonight’s nominating session were three possible candidates.  David Buchwald, current Common Council member, White Plains lawyer Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Harrison resident Clifford Gevirtz. 

David Buchwald is a current member of the White Plains Common Council and acts a liason between City Hall and a variety of city departments.  Frei-Pearson is a lawyer who specializes in workplace complaints. Harrison resident Dr. Clifford Gevirtz also has also made clear his intentions to run for office. Though all three shared the same Democratic principles in regards to same sex marriage, reproductive rights and adversion to hydro fracking each had a different vision quest going into this race.

Dr. Gevirtz stated that he was concerned with reforming health care here in New York State.  Though he spoke about Medicaid and Medicare reform, it was unclear as to whether he supported said reform and just how it would be implemented.  Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, Assembly members Amy Paulin (D) and Robert Castelli (R) did roll out legislation prior to this summer’s legislative break.  It is also believed that this reform for those receiving Medicaid would take place over an eight year period of time.  Dr. Gevirtz also stated that the bulk of his campaigning would be at Senior Centers where he would be hosting  “Dr. Days”.

Jeremiah Frei-Pearson  was next up to speak to the Democratic leaders from White Plains.  As reflected on his website, Frei-Pearson reiterated that he wanted future residents of the 93^rd to have the same opportunities that he enjoyed as a youngster growing up in Northern Westchester.

There was a small problem with this statement however; Frei-Pearson’s biographies are inconsistent as to where this chap actually grew up.  He says that he is from the Katonah – Lewisboro area and his online bio says that he grew up in Baltimore Maryland. 

 He also touts himself as a political newcomer but has run for elected office twice while living in Astoria Queens.  When queried about those two inconsistencies, Frei-Pearson attempted to stay on message about young Westchesterites having  the same great experiences he had growing up…but he neglected to say where he actually did grow up.   His campaign, would have centered on the Katonah – Lewisboro area because he felt that since he graduated from high school in that area, he had the advantage of understanding those who reside in that area of the county.

The final candidate who spoke was David Buchwald. Buchwald, a current member of the White Plains Common Council spoke about how government, no matter how large or how streamlined, must work for everybody no matter what their need was.  Apparently this resonated well in a room of District Leaders and Proxy holders as this statement garnered applause from everyone.  Actually, if he stays true to this mantra, Buchwald “gets it”.  In public service, no one’s concern is ever too small.

With a verbal vote taken by chair Liz Schollenberger, Buchwald was this committee’s choice to run against Bob Castelli.

The evening ended with Assemblyman George Latimer addressing the crowd.  Latimer  has expressed interest in running against Scarsdale businessman Bob Cohen for retiring state senator Suzi Oppenheimer’s seat. 

 Latimer, who is a former chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators lamented that his run against Cohen is going to be a tough one .  Cohen still has a hefty sum of cash on hand and has the state committee ready to throw however much money it takes to make sure they don’t lose this seat again.  Latimer was quick to add that Cohen, a wealthy real estate owner and manager had already self-financed over 100K  of his own money and was actively campaigning.  Latimer acknowledged that unless he raised a boatload of cash he would have difficulty staying in this race.

It’s the last doggone day of January 2012 and this election cycle looks like it already  may be one of those “bloodbath” cycles. With redistricting, a gubernatorial veto possible, and those cwazy Republicans trying to unseat Barack Obama, and the upcoming grudge match between Ken Jenkins and Rob Astorino, it’s time to buy the largest bag of popcorn available and sit back and watch the show.

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WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. January 30, 2012:

The splitting of White Plains as envisioned by the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reappointment released last week, currently threatened with a veto by Governor Andrew Cuomo if eventually adopted in anything close to its present form will give White Plains two State Senators (Senate Districts 35 and 37) and give less weight to the White Plains vote in the new 93rd Assembly District.

The splitting of the White Plains constituents between the 35th and 37th districts will also possibly mean those Senators in 35 and 37, don’t have to pay that much attention to White Plains needs.

That 93rd District assembly race will take shape tonight when Democratic District Leaders hear from White Plains Councilman David Buchwald, new Westchester resident political activist from Queens, Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, and Harrison resident, Clifford Gevirtz, all seeking the nomination to run against Roert Castelli in the race for the 93rd.

Should the new redistricting lines be vetoed by Governor Cuomo the districts would have to be renegotiated in some manner, a process that will be unwieldy at best, according to Assemblyman Robert Castelli’s office.

 Mr. Castelli’s Saturday news release revealed the lopping off of the southend of White Plains (south from Martine Avenue), from the Castelli district, and gave him North Salem.

 Castelli said “In essence, the gerrymandering remains. I believe there is still time for us to do better, though, because when politicians are choosing their constituents, instead of the other way around, it’s the people that lose.”

Elizabeth Schollenberger, head of the White Plains Democratic City Committee, told WPCNR she had not run the numbers yet to assess the impact of how many votes Tom Roach received from the White Plains areas lopped off from the former 89th District (now redesignated the 93rd), when Roach narrowly lost to Castelli in 2010.

According to Councilman Buchwald who is in the hunt for the Democratic nod to face Castelli, Tom Roach carried White Plains by 2,000 votes in his attempt to oust Castelli in that 2010 race.

Buchwald, speaking to WPCNR Saturday said he is in the race to stay, but did acknowledge that ” I don’t think Mr. Castelli has much to complain about (the redistricting).” Buchwald said it was “clear” the loss of a substantial block of White Plains voters, being replaced with North Salem, was favorable to Castelli, but said he (Buchwald) felt he could run very well in North Salem.

If the newly defined 93rd District remains in place for the November election, future Republicans from the 93rd should do well, due to the loss of White Plains southend as a voting factor in the district. The 88th Assembly District where Amy Paulin is the incumbent is bolstered by getting those White Plains southend votes that should assure Paulin of more popularity.

White Plains may be seriously hurt by splitting the city east to west between Andrea Stewart-Cousin’s 35th District and the former Suzi Oppenheimer seat in Senate District 37. Robert Cohen who nearly ousted Ms. Oppenheimer two years ago in a close race, now no longer has Oppenheimer as opposition, the Senator choosing to retire. Cohen seems sure to benefit from the inclusion of a large section of Scarsdale in the new Senate District 37 and from a newly included southend section in White Plains. With all of Yonkers (a very needy city according to Yonkers), Greenburgh and some of Tarrytown to worry about, Ms. Strewart-Cousins, may not be able to advocate as strongly for White Plains as Ms. Oppenheimer did when White Plains was her baby.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. January 27, 2012:

A 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed this morning in Brooklyn federal court charging five members of the Bonanno organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Bonanno family”) variously with racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling, and conspiring to distribute marijuana. An associate of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Gambino family”) was also charged with loansharking.¹

The defendants were arrested earlier today in New York and are scheduled to be arraigned FRIDAY afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joan M. Azrack, at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. The case has been assigned to United States Chief District Court Judge Carol B. Amon.

An indictment of 5 MS-13 members was unsealed January 23 at the U.S. Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, charging five members of La Mara Salvatrucha street gang (the MS-13) with murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, armed robberies, firearms offenses, and related conspiracy charges.

The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Field Division; Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

As alleged in the indictment and a detention memorandum filed by the government today, defendant Vincent Badalamenti, also known as “Vinny TV,” is a made member of the Bonanno family and a current member of the family’s administration, who until his arrest, was the highest ranking member of the Bonanno family at liberty.

Defendants Anthony Graziano, also known as “TG,” and Nicholas Santora, also known as “Nicky Mouth,” are captains in the Bonanno family and former members of the Bonanno family administration. Defendant Vito Balsamo is an acting captain in the Bonanno family, and defendant Anthony Calabrese is a soldier in the Bonanno family.

 The indictment is the result of a multi-year joint investigation by the DEA and FBI that utilized a variety of techniques to gather evidence, such as consensual recordings of the defendants discussing their charged crimes, cooperating witnesses who were formerly members and associates of organized crime, and surveillance.

The evidence revealed a pattern of violence and intimidation employed by the defendants to further their enterprise’s economic interests, including Badalamenti allegedly directing the hostile takeover of a bar located on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, as a result of its owner’s failure to repay a debt owed to Badalamenti.

The charges in the indictment also demonstrate the recidivist nature of organized crime defendants. For example, as detailed in the government’s detention memorandum, Santora allegedly participated in his charged crimes following his prior conviction and incarceration, and while released on supervised release, and Graziano allegedly committed his charged crimes within weeks of being released to a federal halfway house.

During one consensual recording, a cooperating witness (“CW”) told Graziano that during Graziano’s most recent prison term, the CW was sent to collect money from one of Graziano’s loanshark victims who “was crying hysterical.” The CW and Graziano also discussed how the CW was sent on multiple occasions to collect money from the same victim by a member of the Bonanno family’s ruling panel, to which Graziano responded, “Yeah, well, he was trying to collect my money.” On another occasion, Graziano allegedly directed the CW to meet a second extortion victim and “open him up.”

The charges and arrests announced today are the latest in an ongoing investigation that has resulted in the prosecution of more than 175 members and associates of the Bonanno family in the Eastern District of New York. Since March 2002, more than 10 Bonanno family bosses, acting bosses and administration members have been convicted in this district on racketeering and racketeering-related charges.

“Members of organized crime continue to exploit their victims the old-fashioned way—through violence, threats, and intimidation. Learning nothing from their incarceration, two of the defendants allegedly sought to regain their money and influence on the street while still under federal supervision. But because they learned nothing, they find themselves back in custody again, along with their co-defendants,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.

 “As law enforcement has so successfully done before, we will employ our own time-tested techniques to bring them to justice to account for their crimes. We will not rest in this pursuit until the Bonanno crime family and La Cosa Nostra have been completely dismantled.”

DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Plummer stated, “These arrests prove that justice comes to those who have abused the system. The five defendants arrested with RICO charges will face the consequences of their alleged illegal actions in the court of law. The New York Drug Enforcement Task Force worked diligently with the United States Attorney’s Office in order to keep our city and state crime free.”

Mr. Plummer thanked the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, New York State Police and the New York City Police Department for their hard work on this investigation.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Fedarcyk stated, “Today’s charges confirm that La Cosa Nostra families continue to engage in the bedrock money-making activities like extortion and loansharking, and are not shy about resorting to violence as a method. As long as mobsters continue their predatory ways, the FBI will continue to target the mob.”

NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, “This case demonstrates that the FBI, DEA, and NYPD in partnership with federal prosecutors, are relentless and will continue to dismantle organized crime and protect the public from its insidious effects.”

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole M. Argentieri and Stephen E. Frank.

The Defendants:

VINCENT BADALAMENTI Age: 53

VITO BALSAMO Age: 55

ANTHONY CALABRESE Age: 44

ANTHONY GRAZIANO Age: 71

JAMES LAFORTE Age: 35

NICHOLAS SANTORA Age: 69

¹ The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

5 MS-13 GANG INDICTMENTS

¹Two of the defendants, Jose Alvarenga, also known as “Fosforo,” and Hector Torres, also known as “Smiley,” are charged with the murder of 15-year-old Christopher Hamilton in 2009, and the murder of Rigoberto Gomez in 2010, both in Brentwood, New York. All five defendants are in custody. Alvarenga and Torres will be arraigned later today before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco, and the other three defendants will be arraigned later this week. When Torres was arrested, law enforcement authorities recovered a defaced 9mm semi-automatic handgun, 9mm ammunition, .22 caliber ammunition and 12 gauge shotgun shells.

The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; and Edward Webber, Acting Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department.

As detailed in the indictment and the government’s detention letter filed earlier today, on November 20, 2009, Alvarenga, the leader of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (BLS) clique of MS-13, ordered several MS-13 gang members to attack suspected rival gang members at a house party on American Boulevard in Brentwood. After arming the MS-13 members with a .22 caliber rifle and a semi-automatic handgun from the BLS clique’s arsenal, Alvarenga led them the American Boulevard house. Minutes after arriving, at least three rifle shots were fired by gang members into a crowd of people outside the house—one of them striking Christopher Hamilton in the temple, killing him. Alvarenga is the fifth MS-13 member involved in the Hamilton murder to be charged federally, including the shooter who was a juvenile at the time of the murder and whose case remains under seal.

The indictment and detention letter also allege that in August 2010, members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 suspected that MS-13 member Rigoberto Gomez was cooperating with local law enforcement. As a result, the Sailors put a “green light” on Gomez, authorizing other MS-13 members to kill Gomez on sight. In the early morning hours of August 31, 2010, defendant Hector Torres, then second in command of the BLS clique, together with a Sailors clique member, who has also been charged federally, spotted Gomez as they drove through Brentwood. They lured Gomez into the car, inviting him to smoke marijuana with them at the nearby Freeman Avenue Park. After exiting the car, Torres stepped behind Gomez and fired a bullet from a .357 caliber revolver into the back of Gomez’s head, and fired a second shot into Gomez’s head after the victim fell to the ground. Torres then handed the gun to the other MS-13 member, who fired a third shot into Gomez’s head.

The indictment also charges Alvarenga and Francisco Ponce, also known as “Spoiler,” with a non-fatal shooting that took place on July 24, 2008, in Timberline Park in Brentwood; Ponce, Freddy Fuentes-Gonzalez, also known as “Pitufo,” and Joyser Velasquez, also known as “Baby Boy,” with the February 15, 2009, conspiracy and armed robbery of the Pollo Campero restaurant in Lindenhurst, New York; Ponce and Velasquez with the December 19, 2009, conspiracy and armed robbery of the Wilson Express Corp., a check-cashing and money transfer business in Patchogue, New York; and Velasquez with a January 20, 2010, conspiracy to rob a McDonald’s restaurant in Smithtown, New York.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. In addition, Alvarenga and Torres, who are charged with the Hamilton and Gomez murders, respectively, each face mandatory life in prison, or the death penalty.

“The MS-13 thrives on violence—violence directed at suspected rivals, as in the Hamilton murder and Timberline Park shooting, violence against its own members, as demonstrated in the Gomez murder, and violence directed at innocent, hard-working Long Islanders, as demonstrated in the armed robberies charged in this indictment,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Today we mark the latest product of the tenacious investigations conducted by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force.” Ms. Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Fedarcyk stated, “The indictment illustrates two ongoing themes. MS-13 continues to use violence, including cold-blooded murder, to intimidate rivals and enforce discipline within its own ranks. Charges include the point-blank execution of an MS-13 member suspected of cooperating. And, the FBI and the Long Island Gang Task Force will continue to make cases and arrest MS-13 leaders and members.”

“Gangs are like a cancer on our communities, and unless we deal with them directly, effectively and immediately they will continue to grow,” said Suffolk County Police Department Acting Commissioner Webber. “We will steadfastly work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to put an end to their violent criminal acts.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham and Raymond A. Tierney.

The charges announced today are the latest in a series of indictments by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York against members of the MS-13, a violent international street gang. Over the past decade, more than 150 MS-13 members, including the leaders of a number of the MS-13 cliques on Long Island, have been arrested and convicted on federal felony charges in this district, including federal racketeering and murder charges. These prosecutions are the result of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and the Suffolk County Probation Department.

The Defendants:

JOSE ALVARENGA (a/k/a “Fosforo”) Age: 22

FREDDY FUENTES-GONZALEZ (a/k/a “Pitufo”) Age: 28

FRANCISCO PONCE (a/k/a “Spoiler”) Age: 29

HECTOR TORRES (a/k/a “Smiley”) Age: 20

JOYSER VELASQUEZ (a/k/a “Baby Boy”) Age: 27

¹ The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.