Paul Ragusa, a long-time associate of the Bonanno and Gambino families, at one time was No. 1 on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

By Michael V. Cusenza
Earlier this month, three indictments were unsealed in Brooklyn federal court charging four men with narcotics trafficking, loansharking, and firearms offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
And the name of at least one of those four defendants is going to sound quite familiar to longtime residents of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, and Rego Park.
Damiano Zummo, an acting captain in the Bonanno crime family; Salvatore Russo, an associate of the Bonanno crime family; Paul Semplice, a member of the Gambino crime family; and Paulie Ragusa, an associate of the Bonanno and Gambino crime families, were arrested and arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Ragusa, 46, was once a leader of the infamous Giannini Crew (named for the defunct Ridgewood café in which they congregated), a tight-knit group of up-and-coming La Cosa Nostra talent that the feds dismantled in the late ’90s after they terrorized Queens via mob staples like loan-sharking, extortion, and arson; as well as a series of armed robberies, assaults, and murder.
Ragusa and 13 other members were indicted in June 1996. But he went on the lam before authorities could cuff him. Months later, Ragusa, then 26, shot to the Number 1 spot on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list, where he remained for roughly a year until agents finally caught up to him.
Ragusa pleaded guilty to racketeering in 1998 and was sent to prison for 19 years. He had nearly completed his bid – he was living in a halfway house in Brooklyn when he was taken into custody a couple of weeks ago. According to noted American mafia expert and Gang Land News founder Jerry Capeci, an old Giannini Crew cohort recorded Ragusa, among other offenses, “buying a small arsenal of weapons…”
Ragusa is charged with being a felon in possession of nine firearms, including three automatic assault rifles and one silencer. As alleged in the indictment, Ragusa transported the firearms in exchange for $2,000 in cash. He now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
“Criminal enterprises, both national and international, contribute to the breakdown of a lawful society,” said FBI New York Assistant Director-in-Charge Bill Sweeney. “And yet, the allure of this gangland culture is often embraced and glamorized in movies and on television, where the threats posed to our economic and national security are seldom displayed.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The summer crime story of the 106th Precinct was a relatively blissfully quiet tale, according to command brass who on Tuesday delivered statistics to area residents at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting at St. Helen Catholic Academy.

“The summer was pretty slow,” said Capt. Michael Edmonds, executive officer of the precinct.

Overall, complaints for major index crimes – murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto – are down by more than 100, year to date, compared to the same period in 2016.

“That’s pretty much because of the eyes and ears of my cops,” Edmonds added.

The XO later extolled the benefits of Neighborhood-Based Policing, which was instituted in the 106 in July.

“It’s definitely been working out,” he said.

Captain Edmonds also noted that thanks in large part to the new Neighborhood-Based Policing approach, response times in the south Queens command has plummeted to approximately five minutes from nine minutes just a year ago. This statistic elicited loud cheers from all inside St. Helen’s cafeteria.

In other civic meeting developments, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) noted that she’s gearing up for an upcoming special conference in Albany to discuss the funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Pheffer Amato pledged to raise the subject of reactivating the long-defunct 3.5 mile Rockaway Beach Rail Line, which, before it was shuttered in 1962, connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Rockaway Peninsula.

The transformed track would be known as QueensRail.

“If it ever has the chance to get on the books, it’s kind of right now,” the assemblywoman said on Tuesday evening. “We can’t keep investing in the same system; we have to have an alternative.”

Pheffer Amato also mentioned that groups supporting the concept of the QueensWay project – converting the abandoned RBRL into a $120 million public park, similar to the Highline in Chelsea, boasting trails and amenities – have not been amenable to compromise.

“We met with them, and they really weren’t budging,” she said.

Still, the assemblywoman indicated that she has faith that the underfunded underdogs will emerge victorious.

“I’m not concerned with their fancy brochures and buttons – we are the voice of the people,” Pheffer Amato added. “I do believe in [the QueensRail]. I do believe transportation will prevail.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Hundreds of south Queens civic leaders, concerned residents, and business owners gathered in Woodhaven last Saturday to voice their opposition to the City’s Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevards Select Bus Service project.

Organized by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, Woodhaven Business Improvement District, and the Queens Public Transit Committee, the rally called more attention to the massive, transformative plan that, according to the Department of Transportation, aims “to implement Select Bus Service improvements that make existing bus service substantially faster and more reliable, while maintaining needed traffic flow and parking, and also making the corridor safer for all users. A combination of bus lanes, signal optimization, and transit signal priority can reduce bus travel times and greatly reduce the variability that congestion imposes on bus service. These measures will also improve schedule reliability and thereby improving overall transit quality.”

The groups that led last weekend’s rally disagreed.

“The de Blasio administration is planning dramatic changes that will ruin Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards,” they wrote on a flyer promoting the event.

The proposed SBS path is based on the existing Q52/53 bus route – a vital north/south thoroughfare carrying over 30,000 daily bus riders in the World’s Borough, along with heavy traffic volumes.

“South Queens is in danger of cardiac arrest because its main artery is clogged,” said Mike Scala, first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee.

“The corridor is served by several local, limited, and express bus routes,” the DOT has said. “Many travelers use these routes to connect to intersecting subway services in addition to going directly to businesses and schools along the corridor; however, the bus service is not as effective as it could be, as buses can be caught in congestion and the layout of the street makes bus stops difficult to reach for neighborhood residents.”

However, SBS project concerns include the removal of a lane of traffic on both sides of the boulevards, banning left-hand turns at certain intersections, and the addition of bus stops to medians.

“We want the de Blasio administration to know how unwanted the SBS plan is,” said Alex Blenkinsopp in the days leading up to the rally. “We want to educate the many people who are unaware of this plan and allow them to register their opposition. And ultimately, we want DOT and MTA to wake up and scrap this proposal, replacing it with something that actually accounts for the community’s concerns and needs.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The following op-ed piece was submitted to The Forum by Alex Blenkinsopp of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

Transportation in southern Queens must be improved. The question is whether the Select Bus Service plan for Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards is the right approach. The answer is clear: This plan is foolish, expensive, dangerous, and absolutely wrong for the Boulevard.

That’s why multiple local organizations are hosting a rally this Saturday, Aug. 6, to fight the plan. The rally will be held at noon at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, at the southeast corner (outside the bank), rain or shine. We hope to see you there.

It’s also why there’s a petition against this plan, which you can sign online at WWW.SAVEOURSTREETS.NYC or by calling (718) 296-3735.

Consider what the SBS plan will do:

First, it will eliminate two lanes of traffic 24/7, allowing only buses to use them. This means the same amount of traffic, squeezed into fewer lanes. It also means tickets for drivers who enter the bus lanes. It promises more congestion.

Second, this plan will move major bus stops off of sidewalks and onto medians. Bus riders will wait on islands with traffic passing by on both sides. Someone running to catch a bus at a median stop will now need to cross traffic, which is dangerous. In the winter, the snow is not currently cleared for pedestrians who rely on these islands for safety, so why should we expect them to be clear when bus riders are waiting there?

Third, this plan will prohibit left turns onto cross streets like Union Turnpike, Rockaway Boulevard, Penelope Avenue, and 101st Avenue. This will hurt nearby businesses. It will also divert drivers down side streets, increasing traffic on residential roads. This will be dangerous to families and detrimental to quality of life, especially because many vehicles diverted down residential streets will be delivery trucks.

Fourth, this will likely reduce parking. The Department of Transportation and MTA, which are guiding this plan, have been evasive about the parking impact. But consider Hoffman Drive by the Queens Center Mall, where the design plans erase more than a dozen parking spots.

Fifth, the proposal will cut half a dozen bus stops from the Q52/Q53 routes. DOT has been unclear about the proposal’s pricetag. DOT initially said a whopping $200 million. Then DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg reportedly testified that it was $400 million. Amid uproar, DOT backpedaled. We taxpayers can’t know how high the cost will climb.

DOT and the de Blasio administration are shoving this plan down our throats. They claim to want community feedback, but they ignored input from residents and local organizations; “feedback sessions” were really just attempts to sell their proposal. DOT fails to provide requested data or to reply to correspondence.

DOT also refuses to examine alternatives to the SBS plan, like running bus service along the inactive Rockaway Branch train tracks. And it won’t try easier solutions first—like extra-long “articulated” buses, off-board fare payment, synchronizing traffic lights, running more buses, a high-occupancy vehicle lane, or better enforcement of traffic laws.

DOT’s track record in our community is dreadful. They’ve taken four years to install a speed bump in Woodhaven. DOT causes traffic jams outside a local school by denying parking to school buses transporting special-needs children. DOT persistently failed to fix its broken lights in Forest Park, even when there was a serial rapist prowling the park. I can go on and on.

We don’t trust DOT, and we doubt their competence. It’s time to scrap this foolish plan and go back to the drawing board, this time with true community input. Until then, we’ll continue to fight.

Blenkinsopp is the director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Two months later, it seems the bloodhounds got their burglars.

Three Brooklyn men this week were arrested for their roles in two bold bank burglaries earlier this year – including the Maspeth Federal Savings heist in May that crippled the Woodhaven Boulevard branch for days, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.

Michael Mazzara, Charles Kerrigan, and Anthony Mascuzzio on Monday were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and one count of bank burglary. Mazzara and Kerrigan have also been charged with a second count of bank burglary.

According to the complaint, between April 2016 and the present, Mazzara, Kerrigan, and Mascuzzio were part of a crew that burglarized banks in Queens and Brooklyn by cutting into the vaults and stealing a total of approximately $5 million in cash, jewelry, diamonds, stock certificates, and other valuables, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

Specifically, Bharara noted, from about April 8 to April 10, Mazzara, Kerrigan, and others burglarized an HSBC Bank branch in Brooklyn. And from about May 19 to May 22, Mazzara, 44, Kerrigan, 40, Mascuzzio, 36, and others hit the Maspeth Federal branch on Woodhaven Boulevard and 64^th Road.

On both occasions, Bharara said, the crew used acetylene blowtorches to cut into the top of the banks’ vaults from the roof of the building. At the Maspeth Federal job, they shielded their activities from view by constructing a plywood shed on the roof of the bank. They then entered the vaults from above, broke open safe deposit boxes, and took both cash and valuables.

The crew obtained approximately $330,000 in cash and an unknown amount in valuables from the HSBC job, and approximately $296,000 in cash and $4.3 million in valuables from Maspeth Federal, forcing management to shutter the branch for several days for repairs to the roof and deposit boxes.

Surveillance footage captured some of Mazzara, Kerrigan, and Mascuzzio’s activities as they prepared for and executed the burglaries, authorities said. Financial records and video surveillance also showed Mazzara and Mascuzzio purchasing some of the hardware and supplies that appear to have been used in the Maspeth burglary.

“These heists resembled scenes from the movie ‘Heat’ – the work of a crew that was well organized, meticulous, and elusive to law enforcement,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “This investigation was conducted with painstaking persistence. Left with few clues after the heists, our Crime Scene teams hunted for every shred of evidence. From the plywood purchased at a nearby Home Depot, to the torches from a Brooklyn welder used to muscle into the vault, the picture slowly came into focus, resulting in today’s arrests and charges.”

Bharara said the investigation is continuing.

“In the dark of the night, these defendants allegedly blowtorched their way through the roofs and into the vaults of two different banks, stealing over $5 million in cash and customer valuables kept in safe deposit boxes,” he added. “Through their brazen bank heists, the defendants allegedly stole not just people’s money, but their memories too, leaving in their destructive wake gaping holes and looted vaults. But these bank jobs also left enough of a trace for the FBI and NYPD, whose good old-fashioned police work led to the charges and arrests announced today.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Crews last week installed long-delayed security cameras around Forest Park, three years after a prolific sexual predator – who remains at large – terrorized the borough green space.

Fourteen high-tech surveillance cameras owned and operated by the City Police Department were posted in several spots on the perimeter of the 544-acre park, including at the intersection of Forest Parkway and Park Lane South; the Carousel; and Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) secured $250,000 for the equipment in 2013. That same year, detectives released a sketch of the attacker, who they said has struck half a dozen times from March 2011 to August 2013 during daylight hours inside the expansive flagship green space. His last known assault occurred on Aug. 26, 2013, when he used a stun gun to subdue and rape a 69-year-old woman near Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Road.

The painfully slow wheels of bureaucratic procedure over the past three years only served to heighten the anxiety of park patrons and area residents. Still, many members of the community last week were thrilled at the sight of the new security measures.

“It was terrific finally to see the cameras being installed after years of waiting,” said Alex Blenkinsopp, director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. “I had to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating!

“Sometimes patience and persistence are rewarded,” he continued. “That was the case here, and now we’ll have a safer park. Thanks to Assemblyman Miller and Senator Addabbo for funding the cameras. And special thanks to Assemblyman Miller for staying on this for so long.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz (third from r.), City Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski (fourth from r.) civic leaders and other guests helped break ground last week on $1.45 million in upgrades to the Joseph DeVoy Playground in Forest Park.

The upgrades are being fully funded by the Borough President’s Office and feature the addition of dynamic playground equipment, including steel drums, accessible swings and a new tire swing. The playground’s main entrance will also be regraded and the entrance gate will be replaced with one that allows for better access to the site. The upgrades are scheduled to be completed by next summer, Katz said.

Joining Katz and Lewandowski at the groundbreaking were (l. to r.) Michael Palermo, president of the Forest Park Trust; Doris DeVoy (widow of Joseph DeVoy, for whom the playground is named); Heather DeVoy (granddaughter of Joseph and Doris DeVoy); Bishop David Benke of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church; Community Board 9 Chairman Raj Rampershad; and Barbara Stuchinski, chair of the Parks Committee of Community Board 6 and co-president of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association.

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Woodhaven civic organization is urging the City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to head back to the Rapid Transit drawing board, and pointed to “overwhelmingly critical” comments heard at the recent Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor Select Bus Service open houses as the latest exhibits of evidence to support its suggestion.

According to the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, last Wednesday evening, at the SBS workshop at PS 306 in Woodhaven, “scores of residents and business owners…asked for significant changes to the SBS plan. Many expressed concern about forcing bus riders to wait on medians in the middle of the boulevard, removing a lane of traffic 24/7 for use by buses only, and banning left turns onto major cross streets.”

These requests and concerns were lodged a couple of weeks after DOT announced that, in light of feedback from the community and elected officials regarding the SBS plans, it would institute several major changes to the proposal, including, among other suggested alterations:

Preserving the Jamaica Avenue left turn from Woodhaven Boulevard

At this Vision Zero priority intersection, DOT had originally proposed banning left turns onto Jamaica Avenue.  Instead, the agency has said that safer left turns will be achieved by re-engineering the left turn bays around subway columns to decrease blind spots and the frequent occurrence of north-south left-turn collisions. Wide bus stations will be added with passing lanes, according to the department, and additional parking/loading will be created near Jamaica Avenue.

Preserving other left turns

Current left-turn configurations from Woodhaven will also be preserved at 62nd Road (southbound), 64th Road (northbound and southbound), 67th Road (southbound), Metropolitan Avenue (northbound and southbound), Myrtle Avenue (southbound), Forest Park Drive (northbound), Rockaway Boulevard (southbound), and Pitkin Avenue (northbound and southbound).

However, Alex Blenkinsopp, WRBA director of Communications, said that’s not enough.

“There continue to be major problems with the proposal,” he noted.

According to the WRBA, other concerns expressed at the meeting include the City’s poor track record of clearing snow from bus stops and crosswalks, the SBS plan’s failure to consider alternatives arbitrarily placed outside the scope of the project, buses’ tendency to speed, buses’ failure to use existing bus lanes on the boulevard, lack of transparency regarding data the DOT and MTA are using, impact on parking, and locations of individual bus stops.

According to the civic, some attendees expressed concern that DOT personnel were not taking their feedback seriously. On numerous occasions, residents told the WRBA, they needed to ask DOT employees to write down their input, because the city officials didn’t seem to be recording the feedback. And many residents felt that DOT staff were brushing off any feedback that was critical of the SBS plan, the civic said.

“Many residents and business owners from Woodhaven and beyond made clear that they oppose the plan as it currently stands. There’s no way DOT and MTA can move ahead in good faith without taking this feedback seriously,” said WRBA President Martin Colberg. “There has been virtually no genuine community feedback in favor of this plan, but as we saw last [Wednesday], there’s plenty in opposition.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The design phase of the first half-mile of the proposed QueensWay Park will be getting underway this summer, Friends of the QueensWay and the Trust for Public Land announced last Thursday.

The QueensWay project involves converting the long-abandoned Rockaway Beach Rail Line of the Long Island Rail Road—a 3.5-mile, 47-acre swath of the borough, from Rego Park to Ozone Park—into a $120 million public park, similar to the Highline in Chelsea, boasting trails and amenities.

Plans call for the 47-acre park to include a bike, jogging and walking path, upgrades for the facilities of local Little Leagues, schools, community and cultural comforts; and promises “a significant improvement to the environment and quality of life of those living in Central and Southern Queens.”

Phase 1 will focus on a central half-mile section of the QueensWay, from Metropolitan Avenue to Union Turnpike. This section, known as the Metropolitan Hub, will enhance pedestrian and bike access to Forest Park, and will include outdoor classrooms for more than 2,000 students in the adjacent Metropolitan Educational Campus. It will also provide enhanced facilities and new access to the Ridgewood/Glendale Little League.

“I am excited to see that we are now ready to start the design phase of the first part of the QueensWay project,” said Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills). “I am proud to have helped fund this phase, and I encourage the construction of phase 1 after the design is done. The Queensway Plan will benefit our local economy, allow an additional green space in our urban landscape, and will literally link local communities together through the 3.5 miles of property that this project will connect. I look forward to continuing to work with the Friends of QueensWay and my colleagues in government to make this plan a reality.”

More than $1 million from public and private sources has been raised for the project, including a $444,000 grant from the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council; $250,000 from Hevesi; and $250,000 from City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills).

Recent contributors to the QueensWay include The Tiger Baron Foundation, The Scherman Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Altman Foundation, and Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., according to Friends of the QueensWay.

The design process will be led by Susannah Drake at DLANDstudio Architecture & Landscape Architecture. The design process will involve experts in engineering and environmental sciences, and will provide many opportunities for the community to engage, Friends of the QueensWay promised.

“The QueensWay represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the quality-of-life of Queens residents and provide a helpful boost to many of the Borough’s incredible businesses,” said Thomas Grech, Executive Director of Queens Chamber of Commerce. “The Queens Chamber of Commerce has been a proud supporter of the QueensWay since its inception and we are thrilled to be part of a diverse coalition advocating for its success and calling on the City to make the project a reality.”

Supporters of the QueensWay are urging the City to allocate the necessary funds to complete Phase 1.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The push to reactivate the Rockaway Beach Rail Line was the main point of order last Thursday at the Queens Public Transit Committee’s April meeting in Howard Beach.

Civic Chairman Phil McManus said the group is planning “at least one rally a month to educate and motivate public opinion for the QueensRail and more transportation funding and services for Queens and the region.”

McManus asked that all attendees bring friends and family to future gatherings.

“Twenty rally volunteers is a good start, but we need 200 and then 2,000 rally volunteers to make a political difference,” he said.

The organization also discussed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s planned feasibility study of the reactivation of the Line – a defunct, 4-mile spur that was put into service in the late 19th Century under the control of the Long Island Rail Road. The RBRL connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, and provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Peninsula. In the early 1960s, parts of the railroad service were condensed, sectioned off, and eventually closed in 1962.

“We want to be involved in the study.  We want to see a comprehensive study that includes all options: Busway, subway, light rail, LIRR,” McManus told The Forum.

The Rockaway Beach resident has said the QueensWay is critical to reinvigorating borough “transportation deserts.”

“If we can get the political support, the financial support will follow,” McManus posited. “The public must demand the railway. We will not stop until we reopen the QueensRail. We shall prevail.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has pledged its support of a Rockaway Beach Rail Line Feasibility study, according to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach).

MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast sent a letter late last week to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, indicating that the agency is committed to completing an evaluation of the Line – a defunct, four-mile spur that was put into service in the late 19th Century under the control of the Long Island Rail Road and connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Peninsula. In the early 1960s, parts of the railroad service were condensed, sectioned off, and eventually closed in 1962.

Last month, in what many heralded as a major step toward what might be a seismic shift in borough transportation, the Legislature’s Lower Chamber released its spending plan for the 2016-2017 state budget and the proposal included language directing the MTA to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of the reactivation of the RBRL. Language in the budget proposal text justified the appropriation on the grounds that “constructing new mass transit routes and services reduces vehicle traffic and alleviates congestion.”

Prendergast noted that the examination will include an assessment of transportation options and issues identified with restoring the so-called Queens Rail, and promised to submit the study to Heastie by no later than June 30, 2017.

“For tens of thousands of Queens families forced to endure some of the longest commutes in the city, this announcement by the MTA is real progress. A comprehensive study of the Queens Rail will give voice to our transit concerns and bring Queens one step closer to having the transportation infrastructure we need and deserve,” Goldfeder said. “I have no doubt that this study will prove once and for all that reactivation is the best and most cost-effective way to speed commute times for our families and boost our local economy. I applaud Chairman Prendergast and the MTAfor their foresight in recognizing the value of this old right-of-way, and I look forward to working with them as they complete this study.”

The proposed MTA study would build upon previous efforts to review the Line and transit issues in surrounding communities, Goldfeder said. In November 2014, a Queens College analysis indicated that a reactivated Line could generate half a million rides per day, and that a majority of local business owners supported the plan. Around this time, a report by the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation ranked many communities in the 23^rd Assembly district among the lowest citywide for access to job opportunities via public transportation.

Last year, Goldfeder secured the signatures of the majority of the Queens Assembly delegation in a letter to Heastie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo urging for the feasibility study.

“The right-of-way exists, the tracks exist, and the infrastructure still exists. It’s about time we reactivate the Rockaway Beach Rail Line and bring real improvements to the transit network our families depend on,” Goldfeder said.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) this week announced that they will be hosting their annual Spring Recycling Fair later this month at Forest Park.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, crews will be on hand at the Forest Park Bandshell to accept items – electronics, paper, clothing and certain household articles – to be safely and properly recycled.

Addabbo, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, said he cosponsors the event each year as a way to not only encourage more residents to recycle as much as possible, but to create an easier and more convenient method by making it possible to responsibly discard many different items all in one central location.

“There are so many things that people may not know can be recycled, or things that don’t get recycled simply because it’s a hassle to do so,” said Addabbo. “This eliminates those hurdles and provides our constituents with a stress-free way to take care of all their recycling needs. In years past, this annual fair has proved to be one of the most popular events I’ve ever held, and I am confident that will continue into this year and for many to come. I thank our vendors for their support and participation year after year, as well as Assemblyman Miller for his partnership and the Department of Parks and Recreation for their cooperation as we hold this great community event.”

The fair will also feature a paper shredder that will allow documents to be safely and securely recycled on site while residents watch to ensure confidentiality. Electronics recycling will accept computers, monitors, cell phones, fax machines, televisions, PDAs, printers, batteries, cameras, power strips, wires, chargers, cable boxes, fans, telephones and VCR tapes.

However, cardboard and appliances will not be accepted.

Household items such as clothing, coats, bedding, paired shoes, dishes, silverware, lamps and curtains will be accepted. Addabbo and Miller have asked that all donations be clean and dry.

For more information, contact Addabbo’s Howard Beach district office at (718) 738-1111.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Two vital sections of the M Line will soon be getting long-overdue makeovers, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit.

The agency is set to rebuild two decades-old deteriorating overpasses in Queens and Brooklyn: a metal bridge between the Fresh Pond Road and Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue stations will require a two-month shutdown. The work will begin in summer 2017 in order to cause the least possible disruption for students at nearby Christ the King Regional High School, according to the MTA.

The second section of construction will occur at the century-old concrete viaduct that carries the M Line between the Myrtle Avenue and Central Avenue stations. That section will be shut down for 10 months beginning in summer 2017.

The MTA indicated that it will offer a shuttle bus and subway service changes to customers affected by the closures.

In the first phase of work during summer 2017, there will be no M service between Myrtle Avenue and Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue for two months.

Two new shuttle bus routes will serve closed stations along the line, while a third shuttle bus route will operate between the Flushing Avenue JM station and the Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue M station with an intermediate stop at the Jefferson Street L station.

When the metal bridge has been replaced, the second phase of work will start for eight more months until spring 2018. During this phase, an M shuttle will run between Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff avenues, where customers can transfer to the L train. The Knickerbocker Avenue and Central Avenue stations on the M Line will remain closed during this period, and will be served by a shuttle bus between Myrtle Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff avenues. Those stations are also within a 10-minute walk of alternate subway stations on the L and JZ lines, the agency pointed out.

During the shutdown, M trains to and from Manhattan will be rerouted along the J and Z tracks from Marcy Avenue to Broadway Junction, though peak hour frequency will be reduced by 25 percent. To accommodate displaced M customers, J and Z trains will make all stops between Marcy Avenue and Broadway Junction, while L trains will operate at peak frequency for extended durations each day.

“Both of these structures have deteriorated to the point that there is simply no other option than complete replacement, and undergoing this step will ensure a safe, more reliable experience for customers for decades to come. We will work closely with the affected communities, their elected officials and other representatives to minimize the disruption and address their concerns, and we will do our utmost to complete this work as quickly as possible,” said NYC Transit President Veronique ‘Ronnie’ Hakim.

By Michael V. Cusenza

A momentous development this week on the borough transportation front—a result that one Queens assemblyman has characterized as “gargantuan”—was actually crafted 162 miles away in Albany.

The Assembly’s one-house budget resolution will include funds for a study of reactivating the old Rockaway Beach Rail Line, according to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach).

The Lower Chamber on Monday released its spending plan for the 2016-2017 state budget; and the proposal includes language directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of the reactivation of the Line – a defunct, 4-mile spur that was put into service in the late 19th Century under the control of the Long Island Rail Road. The RBRL connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Peninsula. In the early 1960s, parts of the railroad service were condensed, sectioned off, and eventually closed in 1962.

According to the text of the Assembly resolution, the Legislature justifies the appropriation of funds for the analysis on the grounds that “constructing new mass transit routes and services reduces vehicle traffic and alleviates congestion.” The MTA would be required to complete the study and submit it to the governor and the leaders in both houses of the legislature no later than March 1, 2017.

“This study will provide us with an accurate picture of the state of the line and show not just what it would cost to reactivate, but also the impact this would have on thousands of commuters in the community,” Goldfeder noted, hailing Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for his work in allocating the funds in this budget.

With the study, Goldfeder said he expects the MTA to assess the current condition of infrastructure along the 4-mile right-of-way, as well as the full cost of reactivating the line for passenger service – which many have ballparked at around $1 billion.

Goldfeder, a Rockaway resident, also said he hopes that the study will weigh in on the benefits of reactivation, including potential ridership (could serve up to 250,000 commuters per day) and the economic benefits to surrounding communities.

Philip McManus, chairman of the Queens Public Transit Committee, said the civic organization is “extremely hopeful” after hearing Tuesday’s news, and that it intends “to actively participate” in the MTA probe.

“We need to change the mentality that we don’t deserve high quality railways,” McManus said. “The City and the MTA think they can reallocate our services and funding because we don’t have enough ridership. This mentality allows our services to disappear and forces commuters to drive and get tickets. We will never get new services with this type of thinking.”

There is, of course, another element to the saga of the Line. In 2014, Friends of the QueensWay and the Trust for Public Land released the QueensWay Plan, a project that involves converting the RBRL into a 3.5-mile, $120 million public park boasting trails and amenities, similar to the highly successful High Line in Manhattan.

“It is important to note the concept of reactivating the Rockaway Beach Branch has been studied multiple times by the MTA and Port Authority over its 60 years of abandonment and, in each instance, was found to be infeasible,” Friends of the QueensWay’s Andrea Crawford told The Forum on Wednesday. “We know the consequences – elimination of subway access to the Rockaways, harming of our quality of life including closure of our little leagues and significant distractions in our schools, increased commute times for Queens and Long Island residents, and billions of taxpayer dollars diverted from other transportation needs around the region. Meanwhile, it is the communities living along the QueensWay that are suffering from the property’s profound neglect. That is why, working together as a community and with the support of many elected officials who actually represent these communities and dozens of local community and citywide advocacy organizations, we have supported and made significant progress towards the creation of the QueensWay. When completed, the QueensWay will bring much-desired green space, transportation, economic development, environmental and health benefits to our communities.”

For now, regardless of its findings, Goldfeder is praising the proposed study as a step in the right direction for Queens families living in so-called transportation deserts.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City Department of Transportation found itself on the defensive this week, painted into the proverbial corner by comments made by the commissioner regarding estimates and cost of the polarizing Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor Select Bus Service Project.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) fired off a statement last Thursday, a day after DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg discussed budgets at a City Council hearing.

“With Commissioner Trottenberg’s admission that the cost of the SBS proposal for Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevard has risen to $400 million – double the original estimate – it is now more clear than ever that we must examine if the cost outweighs the benefit of the SBS proposal,” Addabbo said. “My constituents deserve better transportation, but is lengthy construction and an absurdly high price tag, paid for with money collected from taxpayers who remain divided with their stance on SBS, worth it? In my opinion, DOT’s plan for Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevard could wind up being nothing more than a careless and irresponsible use of city dollars and that should not be tolerated by residents who live and travel along this corridor every day. For $400 million, I believe the city can do better.”

Asked to clarify and if, indeed, a distended estimate is the new reality of the SBS plan, a DOT spokesperson answered, “Commissioner Trottenberg said at last week’s budget hearing that the potential price tag of the Woodhaven SBS project had grown, but that DOT’s adjustments had made the higher estimate no longer applicable. She also noted that DOT would work hard to keep the project on-budget, while at the same time bringing significant transit and safety benefits to Woodhaven/Cross Bay in the next year.  That short-term work, well within the original budget, will allow the project to work as planned – while we manage the long-term project’s cost and schedule. We are also confident that the Woodhaven capital project will be eligible for Federal transportation funds.”

Additionally, the agency noted, this particular SBS plan was split into a short-term and long-term project to bring short-term benefits, reduce overall project costs, and allow time to evaluate the effects of the short-term project.

According to the DOT:

The short-term operational project slated to be completed in 2017 is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $10-20 million.

The full capital project, while still in design, will be significantly less than the $400 million estimate.

And several factors drove higher potential costs, including infrastructure, final scope of capital project, availability of funding, and inflation projections. DOT has indicated that its focus is to reduce costs as the capital project moves forward.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

President Ivan Mrakovcic (l.) and the Richmond Hill Historical Society last Friday hosted Michael Perlman (r.) at the Leonard Center. The Forest Hills native, activist, and author signed copies of his latest tome, “Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park,” and regaled the audience with stories of Richmond Hill legends, including social reformer Jacob Riis, RHHS past President Nancy Cataldi, the Marx brothers, actor Jack Lord, Msgr. Thomas Hartman of the God Squad, and others.

By Forum Staff

As state lawmakers kick off another round of legislative work in Albany this month, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) has outlined some of his key priorities he hopes to help the legislature tackle over the next several months, including ethics reforms, paid family leave, and education reforms.

In 2015, New Yorkers watched leaders of both houses of state government be convicted on federal corruption charges including bribery, extortion, and conspiracy. As Addabbo returns to work in Albany this month, he expressed an interest in fighting for serious change to existing ethics policies, like outside income and influential campaign donations.

“Since 2000, 33 state elected officials have been removed from office in New York after being either investigated or convicted of ethical violations,” Addabbo said, citing a recent study by the good government group Citizens Union. “That number is outrageous and shameful, and it is time to send a strong message. Talk alone is not enough when it comes to ethics reform. We must take action and show New Yorkers that corrupt elected officials who abuse their power and take advantage of their jobs will not be tolerated.”

In addition, the Senator’s bill (S3004) to create Paid Family Leave in New York seeks to fund partial wage benefits for individuals who need time off from work to care for an ill relative or a new baby, while providing businesses with more productive employees.

“It is unfair and irresponsible for us to continue forcing workers to choose between their paychecks and their families at a time of need,” Addabbo said. “Enacting a Paid Family Leave bill into law will be a milestone for working-class families and businesses, and I look forward to being the lead advocate on this journey.”

Further, Addabbo prioritized the issue of raising minimum wage state-wide, along with improving senior health care, establishing more reliable veterans programs, and renewing mayoral control of city schools.

In addition, Addabbo restated a commitment to supporting reforms to Common Core, including altering a testing process that falls far short of credibly evaluating our children and their teachers.

“It is time to stop pretending that the success of students and educators can be properly measured simply by scores on standardized exams,” said Addabbo. “This process unfairly labels a students’ progress over an entire school year based on their performance on a few state tests, while also subjecting teachers to unreasonable evaluations.” The Senator gave credit to the teachers, administrators, parents, and students for speaking out on the Common Core issues and working with elected officials to effectuate the changes already implemented with the state tests.

Improved transportation in southern Queens, with an emphasis on public transportation, will be a major issue throughout the budget process and legislative session, according to Addabbo. Finally, other issues the Senator wants to promote during the session are assisting seniors and veterans, along with the need to create job growth.

Police on Tuesday pounced on a borough resident who allegedly lit three small-debris fires in roughly 10 minutes in Forest Hills last Wednesday night; but they quickly determined that he was not a copycat emulating the serial arsonist who has terrorized the central Queens community for the last two months.

Instead, Samer Shuaib, 36, reportedly indicated to investigators that the mini blazes set on Austin Street near Yellowstone Boulevard were the result of an alcohol-fueled bender after a bad day.

Shuaib has been charged with three counts each of second-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree arson and second-degree reckless endangerment. According to the city Department of Correction, bail has been set at 20,000 cash or $40,000 bond. As of Wednesday night, Shuaib was still on Rikers Island.

Shuaib’s shenanigans, which NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce initially characterized as the handiwork of “obviously a copycat,” only fueled the fear that has gripped Forest Hills since late October.

Law enforcement officials from several agencies have intensified their search for the prolific firebug who they say is solely responsible for at least seven arsons—all on construction sites in a Bukharian Jewish neighborhood.

The perpetrator is believed to be a white or light Hispanic man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7, slim build, and dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

The Police Department reward is $12,500. A Bukharian Jewish group has put up $50,000 for information leading to an arrest.

“The string of arson that has occurred in Forest Hills over the last several weeks is putting our entire community at risk and must be stopped immediately,” state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said last week. “These fires that are deliberately being set are not just affecting vacant houses or construction sites, they are also causing serious damage to neighboring properties and putting the lives of innocent people at risk. While I am thankful that so far no one has been hurt by these senseless acts, I am hopeful that the person responsible for this will be found before a bigger tragedy occurs. I thank the FDNY and NYPD for working together on this and urge anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Law enforcement officials over the past seven days have intensified their search for a prolific Forest Hills firebug who they say is solely responsible for at least seven arsons—all on construction sites—since October.

He last hit the community early Sunday morning, lighting up a location on 69 Road.

Frustrated fire investigators reached out to the public last week to help them smoke out the arsonist who has left a normally quiet neighborhood on edge. Authorities initially only pinned four of the fires on him.

However, on Monday cops added three more to his ledger of destruction.

In each case, the suspect entered the site and ignited flammable combustibles before fleeing on foot, according to the city Police Department.

Incident 1: Approximately 9:30 am on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 68-60 112 St.

Incident 2: Approximately 10:10 pm on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 112-35 69 Rd.

Incident 3: Approximately 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 108-49 66 Ave.

Incident 4: Approximately 11:12 pm on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 108-47 67 Dr.

Incident 5: At approximately 12:18 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 112-35 69 Rd.

Incident 6: At approximately 10:27 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 70-35 113 St.

Incident 7: At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 108-13 67 Rd.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the reward was at $12,500.

The FDNY, 112th Precinct Detective Squad, and NYPD Arson and Explosion Squad have determined that the seven blazes began on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and have resulted in property damage and one minor injury to a firefighter. Three of the fires actually spread to adjoining properties, causing additional damage and the displacement of 13 people.

“The string of arson that has occurred in Forest Hills over the last several weeks is putting our entire community at risk and must be stopped immediately,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “These fires that are deliberately being set are not just affecting vacant houses or construction sites, they are also causing serious damage to neighboring properties and putting the lives of innocent people at risk. While I am thankful that so far no one has been hurt by these senseless acts, I am hopeful that the person responsible for this will be found before a bigger tragedy occurs. I thank the FDNY and NYPD for working together on this and urge anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible.”

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said she met with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton this week to discuss public safety issues, including the arson case. She encouraged her constituents to help investigators.

Based on video evidence, cops said, the perpetrator is believed to be a white or light Hispanic man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7, slim build, and dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

The reward has been jacked up to $12,500. All calls are strictly confidential.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Eight people were injured on Monday afternoon in Rego Park when a Resorts World NYC bus slammed into a three-story building just off Woodhaven Boulevard after swerving to avoid colliding with an SUV, police and published reports said.

Five passengers and the casino coach driver, who was pinned to his seat and seriously hurt, were taken to area hospitals. Fire Department personnel required the so-called Jaws of Life to extricate him, according to NBC News 4 New York. Two other individuals were treated at the scene.

Several accounts depicted the Resorts World vehicle traveling northbound on Woodhaven Boulevard in the newly minted bus lane when an SUV, which also was heading northbound but in the lane to the left of the bus, made a sharp right turn at 63^rd Avenue in front of the coach, causing the RW driver to swerve violently to the right, and the bus careening off the thoroughfare into the mixed-use edifice’s brick façade.

The rear of the 63^rd Avenue side of the building at 62-87 Woodhaven Blvd. bore the brunt of the impact, which sent bricks and debris cascading down on top of the bus.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the bus accident,” said a spokesman for Resorts World. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities in the investigation.”

The casino buses are operated by Trans Express Inc., which did not return calls seeking comment.

The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and was reportedly issued a summons for attempting to make the turn.

The Department of Buildings has issued a full vacate order, indicating that the “structure has been rendered unsuitable for occupancy.”

Traffic along Woodhaven Boulevard, one of the borough’s main transit arteries, returned to normal on Monday evening. The casino coach was towed away the same night.

By Michael V. Cusenza    michael@theforumnewsgroup.com