The mayor also touted past initiatives taken by his administration to prevent and address youth homelessness, including Marsha’s House in the Bronx, the first-ever DHS shelter for LGBTQ young people in the five boroughs.

By Forum Staff

The City will adopt new investments to help youth experiencing homelessness transition off the streets into shelter and from shelter into permanent housing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday.
According to the administration, through collaboration across multiple agencies, including the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Department for the Aging, and the Department of Social Services, youth experiencing homelessness will have access to an array of new resources, including a new mobile service that will help youth experiencing homelessness find and access relevant support. Hizzoner said he will also establish a senior advisor for Youth Homelessness responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and expansion of the interagency initiatives.
The new resources include:
• The Department for the Aging for the first time will connect youth experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities through their Home Sharing program (program already operating, effective immediately);
• A new mobile service that will help homeless youth more easily find and access support. The design of the service will be informed by youth with lived experiences of homelessness in the five boroughs, developed through a human-centered design process led by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, with $200,000 allocated for research, scoping, and design to begin this fall;
• A new cohort of pregnant or parenting youth participating in the outcome-driven Parent Empowerment Program through the Department of Youth and Community Development, which provides access to childcare to young parents while they pursue their high school equivalency diploma and earn workforce credentials.
According to de Blasio, his administration is:
• Piloting the provision of DSS prevention resources within a DYCD 24-hour drop-in center in Queens
• Working with DYCD to connect certain eligible young people transitioning out of DYCD shelters and entering Department of Homeless Services shelters with CityFHEPS rental assistance
• Bidding out a two-year contract through the Department of Social Services-Human Resources Administration to support the NYC Youth Action Board, which will integrate people with lived experience within the NYC Coalition on the Continuum of Care
• Ensuring that DYCD providers are trained by DSS-HRA in applying to NYC Supportive Housing units;
• Partnering with members of the NYC Youth Action Board, DYCD and homeless service providers so that HRA can update the assessment for Supportive Housing applications to include specific eligible experiences of young people; and
• Relaunching the Youth Experiencing Homelessness page on Generation NYC, co-designed by Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity with members of the NYC Youth Action Board, DYCD, and homeless service providers so that there is an online resource guide specific to youth experiencing homelessness (no cost, to launch this summer, the mayor noted).
On Friday, de Blasio also touted past initiatives taken by his administration to prevent and address youth homelessness, including the NYC Unity Project, a $9.5 million investment to prevent and address homelessness for LGBTQ youth across the five boroughs; 500 new beds for homeless youth and expansion of youth drop-in centers; Marsha’s House in the Bronx, the first-ever DHS shelter for LGBTQ young people in New York City; and the commitment to allocate 1,700 supportive housing units for youth through the Supportive Housing NYC 15/15 Initiative.

By Michael V. Cusenza

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please be aware that the details contained in the following report are extremely graphic.

A Woodhaven man has been convicted of sharing dozens of videos of children as young as 6 engaging in sexually explicit acts via an online file-sharing network, Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan announced on Monday.

The explicit videos—and additional images of children as young as 2 participating in vulgar sex acts—were retrieved from a computer and other electronic devices recovered from the defendant’s 87th Avenue residence.

Following a two-week trial, a jury found Diego Guerra, 41, guilty of 68 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 30, at which time Guerra faces up to seven years in prison, Ryan noted.

According to the charges, while utilizing an internet software tool on Jan. 5, 2017, law enforcement officials linked Guerra’s Internet Protocol address to a series of files containing images of child pornography uploaded to ARES, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Detectives assigned to the City Police Department’s Special Investigations Division determined that Guerra shared multiple videos of children between the ages of 6 and 12 engaging in explicit sexual acts with other underage children and several adult men. Some of the videos depicted children as young as 6 being vaginally penetrated by adult men, while others showcased teenage boys between 10 and 12 engaging in lewd sexual acts.

On Jan. 19, 2017, authorities retrieved an additional video from Guerra’s account. The video—which was 24 minutes in length—showcased a teenage boy performing a sexual act on a girl whom authorities believed was between the ages of 6 and 8 years old. The video then depicts a man giving instructions to the boy as he continued to vaginally penetrate the young girl. Shortly after obtaining this file, authorities subpoenaed records pertaining to the IP address associated with the account. It was subsequently determined that Guerra was sharing the videos.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Guerra’s home on July 27, 2017. Once inside the residence, authorities encountered the defendant who admitted to owning a laptop and several other electronic devices retrieved from the house. A forensic exam performed on the laptop recovered 60 additional images of children between the ages of 2 and 12 with their genitals exposed and engaging in lewd sexual acts.

“This defendant partook in the vile act of sharing lewd videos of children on the internet. These horrifying crimes should serve as reminder to all that the internet must be policed in order to prevent further instances of children being violated and degraded in the worst imaginable ways,” Ryan fumed. “The defendant deserves to be adequately sentenced for his role in this despicable crime.”

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, a non-profit corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization, as of November 2018, its CyberTipline has received more than 43 million reports of child sexual abuse imagery; its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 267 million photos/videos; and more than 15,800 victims have been identified by law enforcement.

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her colleagues recently voted 47-0 in favor of instituting a public alert system for hit-and-run incidents.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City Council recently approved several pieces of proposed legislation, including a bill that calls for the creation of a public alert system for hit-and-run incidents.
Introduction 1463-A, which passed the City’s legislative body last week by a 47-0 tally, would require the City to establish a system, similar to America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts, to notify the public and media of hit-and-run incidents resulting in serious injury or fatality, in order to assist in the identification of drivers responsible for these events.
“From January to September, 42 hit-and-run crashes were reported and only 18 arrests were made. We cannot tolerate these crimes knowing that families are left destroyed and mourning the loss of a loved one,” said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), chairman of the Council Transportation Committee and the sponsor of the measure. “This irresponsible driving behavior has triggered me to advocate for an alert system for the purpose of increasing the number of hit-and-run arrests in NYC. Using technology already available to us to make New Yorkers aware of hit-and-run crashes that resulted in severe physical harm or death will make the more than eight million New Yorkers a resource for the NYPD in finding the suspect.”
The bill was inspired by Jean Paul Guerrero, a.k.a. DJ Jinx Paul, a popular Latin radio personality who was killed in Brooklyn in a hit-and-run on Dec. 19, 2016. He was 39 years old.
Kevin Ozoria, 28, has been charged as the alleged driver in the fatal accident.
Additionally on Thursday, the council voted in favor of a bill that would officially deem “revenge porn” illegal. Sponsored by Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest), Intro. 1267-A would prohibit the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit videos or images of another person, with the intent to cause harm to the person depicted in such videos or images. The bill also prohibits any legitimate threat to do so. The measure creates both a criminal penalty and a civil cause of action, and contains limited exceptions, Lancman noted.
“With passage of this landmark legislation, New York City finally calls revenge porn exactly what it is: a crime,” said Lancman, chairman of the Committee on Courts and Legal Services. “For too long, our laws failed to keep up with our technology, leaving victims of revenge porn unable to seek justice and hold perpetrators accountable. That changes today. Criminalizing revenge porn will ensure New Yorkers are protected and those who take part in this despicable conduct will face serious consequences. I commend the victim advocates, law enforcement personnel and revenge porn survivors who raised their voices to make this day a reality.”
The council also approved legislation that would require City employees and contractors to protect all identifying information—including contact information, sexual orientation, religion, and immigration status—by limiting its collection, disclosure, and retention, except where required by law. Requests for the collection or disclosure of identifying information would be processed by a newly established privacy officer within each agency who would analyze whether the collection or disclosure would further the purpose or mission of the agency.

The funding has been allocated through the DOJ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

By Forum Staff

Internet predators will face closer scrutiny after a Department of Justice (DoJ) grant to the NYPD, which will funnel $430,440 in federal (DOJ) funding into the coffers of the New York Police Department (NYPD)’s New York City Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NYCICACTF).

Specifically, the funds will help the NYPD increase the number of affiliate agencies within the task force and better utilize the resources of the NYPD in peer-to-peer, child enticement, child prostitution and human trafficking investigations.

The funding is targeted to expand the membership in both local and federal agencies and facilitate members receiving available resources and extending the strength of the task force’s jurisdiction across state and international borders.

and their involvements within the task force, in order to receive their resources and extend the task force’s jurisdiction across state and international borders.

In addition, the offices of the five District Attorney’s across the state will now be utilized to enhance the coordination of the enforcement and prosecution of crimes against children cases.

Other resources within the NYPD will be further utilized, including the Vice Enforcement Division’s Sexual Exploitation of Children Squad, the Vice Major Case Squad and the Youth Services Section.

The integration of the Vice Major Cases Squad will enhance the task force’s ability to investigate peer-to-peer, child enticement, child prostitution, and human trafficking investigations. Additionally, by using the NYPD’s Youth Services, the task forces ability to spread its awareness and outreach programs to a larger audience within each community will be greatly increased.

The announcement of the grant came last week came from U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. “This federal funding will help the NYPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force better protect our children from being targeted online,” said Senator Schumer.

The National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program consists of State and local law enforcement task forces dedicated to developing effective responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, child obscenity and pornography cases.

 The Vetrano family this week announced that they are getting a team together to participate in the 2016 Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk in honor of murder victim Karina Vetrano.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 After a somewhat scattered end of August, the Karina Vetrano murder investigation seemed to slow down this week as it embarked on its second month.

The excitement ignited by the Aug. 31 release of a composite sketch of an individual whom investigators have characterized as a witness to the brutal crime has been blunted over the past seven days by a dearth of solid leads.

Still, Karina’s family remains convinced that the break that everyone is clamoring for is right around the corner.

“Keep those $11 [donations] coming,” Karina’s dad, Phil, wrote on Sunday on the GoFundMe page of the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund, which has raised more than $270,000. “We are getting close in the investigation.”

Vetrano, 30, was beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted in the evening hours of Aug. 2 on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park.

Additionally this week, Phil Vetrano, a retired FDNY firefighter, announced that family and friends are organizing a team to participate in this year’s Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk on Sept. 25 in honor of Karina.

Proceeds from the annual event are used by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to support programs which honor first responders and military personnel who make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of duty.

“As we near the 15th anniversary of 9/11,” foundation leaders wrote in a message posted on its website, “we continue to urge Americans to honor our first responders, all who lost their lives on that fateful day, and those who have been catastrophically injured while fighting for the country. It’s imperative that we celebrate these heroes and honor their legacy forever.”

The two bumps will be placed on 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Could these long-awaited bumps in a Woodhaven road be headed for a mountain of trouble?

The City Department of Transportation this week began to prepare 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South for the installation of two raised speed reducers – speed bumps – and perhaps some well-earned peace of mind for the area residents that have been begging for the safety measures for nearly five years.

According to DOT, a raised speed reducer is a raised area of a roadway that deflects both the wheels and frame of a traversing vehicle with the purpose of reducing vehicle speeds.

But these southern borough bumps might not be ready for their close-up just yet.

Community Board 9 Member Alex Blenkinsopp on Tuesday noticed something strange about the designated positions of the speed bumps and made the City and Woodhaven residents aware through social media.

“Oddly, @NYC_DOT is placing 1 speed bump at very beginning of the block, & 1 at very end. A 1,000-foot straightaway separates them. Why?” Blenkinsopp asked.

DOT answered with a link that contained information on “speed reducer criteria & feasibility.”

“Doesn’t make sense to slow cars before they can pick up speed, & to hide a bump just beyond a curve after a long uninterrupted stretch,” Blenkinsopp said. “@NYC_DOT took YEARS to pick locations for these bumps & this was what they came up with? I don’t get it. Why not consult the residents?”

The agency has yet to respond to that last inquiry.

Blenkinsopp told The Forum on Wednesday that he’s already heard from multiple residents who are “scratching their heads” over the placement of the bumps.

“The first bump will be at the very beginning of the block, before cars can pick up any speed,” he noted. “AftАer that, there’s a very long, uninterrupted straightaway – no speed bump planned for this area. Then the road curves, and hidden right around that curve is the second planned speed bump.  Nearly 1,000 feet separate the two speed bumps.

“The long, uninterrupted stretch has been the primary concern of the block’s residents for years,” Blenkinsopp continued. “The anticipated locations of the speed bumps will do little to address that concern. 98^th Street would continue to bear an uncanny resemblance to a racetrack.

“Through Community Board 9, these concerns have been communicated to DOT. I hope they respond soon, and ideally change the planned locations for the bumps.

“DOT already postponed installation of these bumps once, supposedly due to an issue with the locations. They’ve had years to figure this out, and this was the best they could come up with? I know that there are a bunch of technical requirements governing where speed bumps can go, but why doesn’t DOT ask residents – those with the deepest knowledge of what would work and what wouldn’t – for input and help?”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Former Queens Congressman and serial sext-fiend Anthony Weiner once again let his fingers do the dirty talking — however this time wife Huma Abedin let her feet do the walking…all the way to an official separation.

Abedin, a close confidant of Hillary Clinton, made the announcement on Monday following a New York Post report featuring an alleged Weiner crotch-selfie that also captures the couple’s son Jordan, 4, who is lying next to his indecent dad. Weiner allegedly sent the pic, and several others, to a woman with which he had been sexting some months ago.

That, apparently, was the final straw for Abedin, who was “furious and sickened” by the picture, according to a CNN story that quoted two people close to the family.

“After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband. Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy,” Abedin said in a statement.

Wait. It gets even worse.

According to several reports, the City Administration for Children’s Services has launched an investigation into Weiner and the prurient pic. The Post also reported that Catholic League President Bill Donohue filed a complaint of suspected child abuse with the state Office of Children and Family Services.

This latest salacious scandal could not have come at a more precarious time for Abedin. The presidential campaign is rounding into the home stretch with just two months to go. Clinton holds a fairly commanding lead over GOP dumpster fire Donald Trump, but some polls indicate that Trump has been gaining ground lately, especially in certain swing states.

On the other hand, some might even say that Abedin, by now, should be used to her husband’s behavior and the subsequent fallout. She certainly has been here before.

In the summer of 2009, Weiner now (in)famously mass-tweeted a d*ck-pic instead of messaging an image of his member directly to the intended target: a Seattle college student. Initially, the former Forest Hills resident claimed he had been hacked.

Send in the clowns.

After a self-imposed two-week leave of absence, the seven-term congressman decided to resign and step down from the 9^th District seat.

“I am here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused,” Weiner said. “I am announcing my resignation from Congress, so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and most important so that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused.”

Weiner (somewhat) triumphantly returned to the political fray in 2013 to run for mayor. His promising campaign was violently derailed when fresh sexts and compromising photos – sent under the bizarre alias “Carlos Danger” – forced Weiner to once again abandon his career in public service.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Queens Library this week unveiled the new location for its Archives and launched the Digital Archives website that pledges online access to more than 12,000 items from the QL collection.

The Archives has moved down to the lower level of the Central Library in Jamaica from its second-floor space. On Tuesday morning, Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott, elected officials, library staff, Queens historians and members of the community toured the new location, which features climate-controlled storage to better preserve the thousands of valuable items that document the social, economic, and political history of the four counties on Long Island: Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk.

“These archives…are an opportunity to learn from the contributions of others,” said City Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans).

The Library describes its Digital Archives as “the online repository” for selected maps, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers and books documenting Queens, Brooklyn and greater Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties).

“The site is constantly growing to provide researchers from around the world with expanded and enhanced access to the Library’s local history collections,” according to QL.

For example, Forum staff browsed the Newspapers and Periodicals collection (naturally). Almost immediately we were afforded access to editions of the Corona/East Elmhurst Transition Press from the 1970s, issues of The Wave of Long Island from the late 19^th Century.

“There are so many people in Queens with so many personal stories, and journeys,” added State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

Also at digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org is a link to the Queens Memory Project: a collaboration of the Archives at Queens Library and Queens College Libraries’ Department of Special Collections and Archives. Among QMP’s goals are “to record borough history as it happens and empower residents from all ethnicities and walks of life to document their lives in the borough.”

The Project combines historical and contemporary photography, maps, news clippings, and other documents with oral history interviews of current “World’s Borough” tenants. The Memory Team needs you to help create and maintain the projects digital archives by contributing memories, photos and stories.

According to the Library, project coordinators want to know about your life in Queens now and in years past, so it can be documented and preserved for future generations. Did you emigrate from another country? What did you experience? Do you have photos of your neighborhood from years ago? What was your school or your children’s school like?

Library customers are invited to bring in their family photos, documents and other memorabilia. Staff will digitize the materials on-site and return them the same day. Customers with receive a free flash drive containing the digital copies of their materials. The scanned images become part of the Queens Memory website and will be shared with the Digital Public Library of America.

“Many items that can help add to the history of Queens are sitting in closets and basements all over our borough,” said Joanne King, recently retired director of Communications at the Library.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

As the Vetrano family this week raised the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect who brutally murdered daughter Karina in Spring Creek Park earlier this month, investigators expanded their search into Brooklyn and indicated that the case may not reach a conclusion any time soon.

“It’s a tough one,” a law enforcement official familiar with the case told Newsday. “It isn’t going to be a question of good detective work, it is going to be a question of luck.”

Karina Vetrano, 30, was beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted in the evening hours of Aug. 2 on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park.

On Tuesday, Karina’s father, Phil, bumped up the reward to $200,000.

“Please share and spread the word,” he wrote on the reward’s GoFundMe page. “And please keep the donations coming.”

As of Wednesday evening, the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund had raised more than $265,000 in two weeks. The NYPD’s reward also increased in recent days to $35,000.

Additionally, St. John’s University, Karina’s alma mater, announced on Monday that a memorial Mass for the Howard Beach native has been scheduled for next month.

“The St. John’s University community is deeply saddened by the recent deaths of alumna Karina Vetrano and current student Arshell Dennis III, who lost their lives due to senseless acts of violence in New York City and Chicago this summer,” the school posted to its Facebook page.

“We mourn the passing of Karina and Arshell and send our heartfelt condolences to their families, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.

“Join us for the Memorial Masses at St. Thomas More Church in their honor. The Mass for Karina Vetrano is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on Friday, September 2, 2016. The Mass for Arshell Dennis III will take place at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, September 9, 2016.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A bizarre social media message sent directly to the Queens borough president last week prompted her to alert authorities, as the note contained a reference to her children, according police and published reports.

The creepy correspondence was sent to Borough President Melinda Katz’s Facebook account last Tuesday, around 1:30 a.m. It was a “DM” or direct message – a private digital missive that only Katz and the sender could see.

“You know who you are,” the message said, according to a New York Daily News report, later mentioning Katz’s two sons with radio personality Curtis Sliwa: Carter, 6, and Hunter, 4. “You know why you have (them). If you don’t want to answer this question we will meet Times Square August 18, 10 p.m.”

The person’s name was not made public by police, but the News indicated that Katz told cops that she did not recognize the name. She also said she did not know why the suspect referenced Times Square.

“Out of an abundance of caution, given that the message noted a specific time and place, we felt it our duty – as any New Yorker should – to bring it to the attention of the proper authorities,” said Katz spokeswoman Sharon Lee.

Katz has been in the public eye for years. Prior to succeeding Helen Marshall as borough president in January 2014, she was a member of the City Council from 2002 through 2009; and from 1994 through 1999 the Democrat represented the 28^th District in the Assembly.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

In the span of roughly 60 hours, last Friday evening to Monday morning, it seemed that Jon Greenfield put the finishing touches on the coda to one chapter of his professional life, and embarked on the introduction to a new one.

Friday marked Greenfield’s last day as communications director and policy advisor for Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach), who announced in June that he will serve out the rest of his third term in office and not seek reelection.  And on Monday, Greenfield joined Democratic consulting firm Red Horse Strategies as communications manager for the Brooklyn-based organization’s election and advocacy work across the state.

“I’m honored to join the Red Horse family and bring my experiences in communications to their work across the state,” Greenfield said. “Red Horse has set the standard for engaged, successful media campaigns in New York politics and being a part of this process is an exciting opportunity for me. I look forward to applying the lessons learned during my time with Assemblyman Goldfeder to this new chapter.”

Greenfield told The Forum on Tuesday that he soaked up as much as possible in his three years in the 23^rd Assembly District.

“I was proud to have been a part of each and every effort by Assemblyman Goldfeder to improve the community and fight for the issues that mattered most to families,” he said. “It was a truly great experience for me to witness firsthand the Assemblyman’s depth of knowledge and passion for making the community a better place. It was a lesson in public service that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Goldfeder said Red Horse now boasts one of the best in the business.

“I have always highly valued my communications operation as the best way to connect with families in southern Queens and Rockaway, and drive the conversation on issues that matter most,” said Goldfeder, who is slated to step in next year as director of Government Relations for Yeshiva University. “Jon was a tremendously valuable member of my staff, a first class Communications Director and most importantly, a great friend. He brought such professionalism and creativity to his role with my office that he made my work easy. He has a bright future ahead of him and I wish him all the best in this new role.”

As part of his work for Red Horse, Greenfield will be providing press and communications support for Stacey Pheffer Amato, who is seeking to succeed Goldfeder; and with Adrienne Adams, who is running for State Senate in the 10th District, which overlaps Goldfeder’s district.

Asked what event, issue, project from his time serving AD 23 really resonated with him, Greenfield said it’s difficult to pick just one, “though I am especially proud of our fight to reactivate the Rockaway Beach Rail Line because improving transportation touches so many parts of people’s lives. It opens up access to new employment opportunities, helps spur economic growth for neighborhoods still struggling from [Superstorm] Sandy, and connects families across the borough. I spent so much time on the fight to reactivate the line – from attending rallies, walking the length of the right-of-way, digging up old planning documents and meeting with advocates – that it will always stand out in my mind.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

It has been a formidable, faith-testing fortnight for our beloved borough.

Two weeks that most of us wish we could simply hit an existential Delete button and be done with forever.

Alas, no, we are saddled with these last 336 hours – and the raw, emotional aftermath of the soul-scarring events contained therein.

The Howard Beach community has been wracked by palpable grief, anger, and anxiety since the violent, vicious murder of Karina Vetrano, who was beaten, raped, and strangled while out on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park on Aug. 2.

Two weeks later. No suspects. No person of interest. No durable lead.

Asked if his family has had time to heal, Phil Vetrano replied that he doesn’t believe they’ll ever truly be able to.

Then, on Aug. 13, a sweltering summer Saturday in the city, an admired imam and his assistant are gunned down on Liberty Avenue as they walked home from afternoon prayers at their mosque.

The alleged perpetrator has been caught. But investigators still don’t have a motive.

The question on many minds: Is it hate?

While the answer at the moment is uncertain, we definitely witnessed simple acts of unmitigated love this week that give us hope for the next fortnight and forever.

As a result of the assassination of the cleric and his assistant in Ozone Park, Muslims across the country have expressed anxiety over walking to and from their houses of worship. No worries, said so many on social media.

I’ll walk with you.

And a movement of hope was born out of a dire need for humanity and humility.

“I’m big and tall and scary looking, and I love you and I want you to feel safe #IllWalkWithYou” Willem Smith tweeted to any Muslim having second thoughts about going outside alone.

This simple, gargantuan gesture made me think of a line of dialog I cribbed from a recent film.

“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane.”

These last two weeks have been the ultimate sh*t-storm for our southern Queens communities. But I see so many unbreakable kites on the horizon…and hope is not far behind.

By Michael V. Cusenza and Patricia Adams

The angst-ridden father of a Howard Beach woman who was brutally murdered last week as she jogged in Spring Creek Park made an impassioned plea to the public on Wednesday, imploring those who can identify her assailant to call the NYPD tip line and directing anyone who wants to help to donate to a newly formed reward crowdfunding campaign.

Philip Vetrano, who discovered Karina’s body in the park marsh on Aug. 2, appealed to the city to visit the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund page on GoFundMe.com – and the response seems to have struck a chord nationwide.

In just under 24 hours, the site garnered more than $162,000 in donations.

Vetrano thanked the community leaders who organized the online campaign: The Forum Publisher Patricia Adams, Phyllis Inserillo, Cathy Napolitano, and David and Michelle Schwartz.

“We are a committee of 5 people who represent the Howard Beach community, and we are joined by Karina’s parents, Cathy and Phil, in establishing this page,” they wrote in the Story section of the site. “The money that we seek to raise here is to supplement the $20,000 reward currently offered by the NYPD. While we greatly appreciate the help of the police, Howard Beach is a community not known for sitting back while other people work on our behalf. Karina has become the ‘daughter’ of the entire community and we are committed to seeing justice served in her memory.
“We need your help in bringing this vicious animal to face the most severe punishment allowable by law.”

Vetrano, during the Wednesday press conference announcing the GoFundMe page, urged those with information on his daughter’s killer to do the right thing.

“Somebody knows something, somebody’s got to say something,” he said. “And with this amount of money, maybe they will.”

Asked if he’s had time to heal, Vetrano replied that he doesn’t believe he’ll ever truly be able to. But until a certain “vicious predator” is brought to justice, he indicated that he has to keep busy.

“If I wake up and there’s nothing for me to do – that’s when the bottom is going to drop out,” he said. “I have to stay involved, every day in every way. Today it’s this…this is keeping me alive.”

Visit the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund page at gofundme.com/2javwd7g.

You can also donate to the fund at any TD Bank branch.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

This December, when the world drags Howard Beach back 30 years, back to a time when this community was branded with the scarlet “R,” and characterized the world over as the Ground Zero of racism – think about the past nine days.

Think about Karina Vetrano—not as she met her demise in our backyard—as the vibrant, expressive, creative soul who was proud of her hometown.

Think about that hometown, that proverbial tight-knit community, and how it has grown even closer in the oft-divisive wake of tragedy. Think about how Howard Beach, since that awful Aug. 2 evening, has sought to shelter the Vetranos from that singular, unimaginable sorrow in a communal embrace.

And think about how many times – in recent years, even – Howard Beach has emerged stronger than ever in the face of soul-crushing adversity.

Think back four years to October 2012. Superstorm Sandy. Everybody has their own silver-screen ready tale of unmitigated calamity, of helping neighbors escape sure death, and of the struggle to bounce back in the days, months, and years since Mother Nature reminded south Queens and Rockaway who runs what.

But Howard Beach has bounced back. Together. Stronger than ever.

Think back 15 months ago, on that May day, when we learned of the death of little Valentina Allen, the tenacious 2-year-old who succumbed to the heart disease that had cast a pall over her brief life since she was in the womb.

Howard Beach mourned with Danielle and Ryan, but the community didn’t stop there.

The many fundraisers organized in Valentina’s name have helped to raise awareness of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“I love that people still want to support her and come to her events,” Danielle Allen told The Forum earlier this year. “I feel it’s easy to get behind a little girl who’s still fighting, but the fact that people are behind her and supporting her hospital even though she’s gone, is just amazing. We are so thankful!”

#HowardBeachStrong.

And so now the community again finds its resolve, its sense of self, its familial identity tested. Karina, a native daughter of Howard Beach, torn violently from her communal embrace – and almost immediately, members of this large family unit spring into action, thoughts laser-focused on the Vetranos, true justice…and feeding the folks who are sworn to do everything humanly possible to track down the cold-hearted culprit. Neighbors and Cross Bay cornerstones like Lenny’s Clam Bar and Rag Time sent myriad trays of food to the investigators tasked with dragging such vermin in front of Cathy and Philip for some measure of closure.

So, four months from now, remember these days. Remember the power in our numbers.

Remember #HowardBeachStrong.

By Forum Staff

Six men, including five borough residents, last week were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of minors, and conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce and use facilities in interstate commerce to promote sex trafficking, according to Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

The indictment charging Nashean Folds, David Hightower, Gregory Luck, Tremain Moore, Corey Roper, and Antwone Washington was unsealed last Thursday morning. Roper is also charged with kidnapping a female victim in or about February 2016.

Folds, 20, is from Staten Island; Luck, 20, Washington, 24, Roper, 24, Hightower, 23, and Moore, 22, are all from Queens. Hightower and Moore were arrested on June 13, pursuant to a criminal complaint containing related charges and have been in federal custody since that time, Bharara said. Luck, Folds, and Roper were arrested last Wednesday. Washington remains at large.

According to the indictment, beginning in or about February 2015 through the present, each of the suspects agreed to engage in sex trafficking of minor female victims, and actually did traffic at least four minor female victims in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, and also agreed to travel in interstate commerce and use facilities of interstate commerce to promote their sex trafficking activities.

“The six defendants in this case allegedly trafficked minors for the purpose of using them as sex workers,” Bharara said. “The defendants’ alleged crime is particularly insidious in that they selected the victims specifically because of their vulnerable nature and their inability to fend for themselves. This office, along with our law enforcement partners at the FBI and NYPD, will continue to find, investigate and prosecute those engaged in sex trafficking.”

As explained in the complaint, Bharara noted, sex traffickers like the defendants typically recruit vulnerable minor victims who lack education, a stable home, family support, and who have suffered past physical and emotional trauma. Sex traffickers often use their minor victims’ need for shelter, stability, and affection as a means to sexually exploit their victims for their own financial gain. Similarly, such sex traffickers or pimps often prey on young adult women who suffer many of the same vulnerabilities. Once these sex traffickers have recruited victims, they advertise them on websites dedicated to “escort” services and on classifieds websites. To evade detection by law enforcement, advertisements are posted in the adult entertainment section of the website and purport to offer individuals as mere escorts, but the advertisements signal that they are, in fact, offering individuals for sale for commercial sex acts.

It is also common for domestic sex traffickers to set rules for their victims, control their actions, and take their earnings, Bharara added. Often, if a victim violates one of the rules set by a sex trafficker, punishment is meted out in the form of physical violence. A violation of the rules could include, among other things, failing to answer the trafficker’s phone calls, leaving the area where the victim is supposed to be soliciting or servicing customers, not making enough money for the day, or holding back money from the sex trafficker.

If convicted, all of the suspects face a maximum term of life in prison.

By Forum Staff

An indictment charging nearly four-dozen leaders, members, and associates of several organized crime families, including at least two borough residents, with wide-ranging racketeering offenses was unsealed last week in federal court, according to Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

The 32-page indictment charges 46 defendants for their alleged roles in a long-running racketeering conspiracy composed of leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia families of La Cosa Nostra, who worked together to engage in criminal activities throughout the East Coast between Springfield, Mass., and Southern Florida, Bharara said.

Thirty-nine of those charged were taken into custody last Thursday. During the arrests, law enforcement officers recovered, among other items, three handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia, and more than $30,000 in cash, the U.S. Attorney noted.

The suspects are charged with racketeering conspiracy, arson, illegal trafficking in firearms, and conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering.

Bharara said that the “charges against 46 men, including powerful leaders, members and associates of five different La Cosa Nostra families, demonstrate that the mob remains a scourge on this city and around the country. From loansharking and illegal gambling, to credit-card and healthcare fraud, and even firearms trafficking, today’s mafia is fully diversified in its boundless search for illegal profits. And as alleged, threatening to assault, maim and kill people who get in the way of their criminal schemes remains the go-to play in the mob’s playbook.”

Among those taken into custody last week were Queens residents Frank Barbone, 44, and Israel Torres, 66.

According to the indictment, the suspects have been involved in gambling, extortionate collection of loans, other extortion activities, arson, conspiracies to commit assaults in aid of racketeering, trafficking in unstamped and cigarettes, gun trafficking, access device fraud, and healthcare fraud for several years.

To protect and expand business and criminal operations, as alleged in the indictment, members and associates assaulted, threatened to assault, and destroyed the property of people who engaged in activity that jeopardized: the power and criminal activities of the organization and the power and criminal activities of their respective LCN families; the power of leaders of the organization; and the flow of criminal proceeds to the leaders of the organization.

Members and associates promoted a climate of fear in the community through threats of economic harm and violence, as well as actual violence, including assault and arson.  Members and associates of the organization at times engaged in criminal conduct or coordinated their criminal activities with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN families. At other times, members and associates of the organization met with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN families to resolve disputes over their criminal activities.

And in order to avoid law enforcement scrutiny, members and associates conducted meetings surreptitiously, typically using coded language to make arrangements for meetings, and meeting at rest stops along highways and at restaurants, according to the indictment.

“The charges applied today to these 46 individuals deal a significant blow to La Cosa Nostra, which the NYPD is committed to putting out of business,” added Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “As alleged, in typical mob fashion, the rackets ran from Springfield to South Florida and left no scheme behind. These mobsters seemed to use every scheme known to us, from arson, to shake-downs, violence, healthcare fraud, and even untaxed cigarettes to keep the racket going.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The owner of Neir’s Tavern, a historic Woodhaven watering hole that has stood sentry at the corner of 78^th Street and 88^th Avenue for more than 130 years, told The Forum this week that he plans to appeal the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s recent decision to deny the bar’s application for official landmark status – and he apparently has plenty of support, even in City Hall.

“I think it’s an absolute slap in the face that they landmark a Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City over Historic Neir’s Tavern,” fumed Loy Gordon, a lieutenant in the FDNY who bought the bar in 2010. “We’re going to appeal this decision, and we’re glad the Mayor’s Office is now involved into looking into this travesty, and we’re trying to raise funds to pay for a consultant. I’m so tired of Queens not getting the recognition it deserves, and that’s why when Neir’s was three days from closing down forever, I jumped in to save it. Now it’s LPC’s turn to do their job by landmarking NYC’s oldest bar [that has] a tremendous amount of film history, Civil War history, horse racing history, architectural history and the community’s history, plus so much more original artifacts.”

Indeed the LPC granted landmark status to the giant Pepsi-Cola sign that was installed on the borough waterfront in the 1930s. But what truly angered Gordon was the commission’s explanation of its decision regarding the bar: It “does not rise to the level of significance to warrant landmark status.”

“The LPC reasoned that landmarking Neir’s Tavern will not protect it from future development and that Neir’s Tavern ‘does not rise to the level of significance to warrant landmark status’—but I guess the Pepsi sign does?” Gordon said. “Even though the Pepsi sign in its current location (1988) doesn’t even meet the basic requirements for landmark status, considering you have to be around at least 30 years. Neir’s has been around for 187 years!”

The Neir’s faithful are also appealing to the public via an online petition at change.org. As of Wednesday night, “Let’s Make Historic Neir’s Tavern a NYC Landmark” had 194 supporters.

“Sign the petition to tell the Landmark Commission Neir’s Tavern matters, Queens matters and we’re all part of the fabric of NYC history,” the petition reads.

Gordon said he feels that this is just the latest example of elitist Manhattan making a mockery out of the World’s Borough.

“This is another economic blow to Queens County,” he added. “Manhattan has four-times more landmarks than Queens, but yet is almost five-times smaller. These Manhattan landmarks have helped bring a record-setting 60 million tourists to NYC, which adds billions of dollars to the economy. By denying landmark status to Queens’ own Neir’s Tavern, you are denying thousands of potential jobs to Queens and this is the reason why we have the longest commuting time to work in the United States.”

For more information on the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/landmarks-preservation-commission-lets-make-historic-neirs-tavern-a-nyc-landmark.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday urged the Federal Communications Commission to work with wireless service providers to implement Text-to-911 services throughout the Empire State, including in New York City and Long Island.

Text-to-911 is the ability to reach 911 emergency call centers via text message. Schumer said that this service can provide invaluable help to those with disabilities or to those who are in situations in which initiating a voice call may be too dangerous. Schumer said that the recent terror attack in Orlando further proves how crucial the service is.

“Some of the first facts we learned about Orlando were generated via a text message to a loved one. These texts did what the voice could not in that instance—communicate,” Schumer said. “When there’s an emergency, we should be using text messaging to save lives by informing 911 dispatchers of critical details that can guide first responders. Whether it’s a person hiding in a closet during a burglary, or a person with a disability or someone in the midst of something far more sinister, like a mass shooting, a single text could be a godsend that gives law enforcement the upper hand. Furthermore, this is New York City. We build skyscrapers. We innovate better than anyone and we have some of the smartest collection of minds all in one place. We should—without a doubt—be able to make texting 911 a reality sooner rather than later.”

Schumer went on to say that “it is imperative” for 911 systems to possess full cellular capabilities that ensure a text, pictures, or video message can be sent to emergency call centers, because these capabilities get more information to first responders in real time. They would also allow location information from mobile devices to be more accurate while mitigating routing errors (e.g. calls going to the wrong 911 center.)  Despite the clear benefits, Schumer said barriers still remain to cities seeking new 911 capabilities.

Next Generation systems (NG911), like New York City is working towards, would aim for a modern 911 system with the full technological capabilities Schumer says are essential to public safety and need to be sped up, with the FCC leading the charge.

New York’s senior senator has sent a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, imploring the commission to act quickly, because “there is no time to waste” when it comes to ensuring that messaging tools are available to dispatchers and first responders.

“Recent events have shown the need to increase the ways we can access 911 dispatchers. In fact, during the Orlando shooting, many individuals were able to use their cell phones to contact loved ones; however they were unable to contact 911,” Schumer wrote. “In areas where call centers experience high call volumes, 911 technologies like NG911, which supports voice, text, data, and video communication, can help overburdened emergency centers better handle their response.”

On Sunday, Schumer pointed to several examples in which Text-to-911 services helped people in a dangerous situation. In Nebraska, earlier this year, two children may have saved their own lives when their father was driving drunk. After refusing to pull over – and barely escaping a head on collision – the children texted 911 and police were able to catch up with the vehicle and arrest the father.

Around the same time in Indiana, a woman was able to text 911 dispatchers during a domestic violence incident in which a gun was pulled on her and speaking on the phone would have put her in more danger.

In order to establish these new services in counties across the country, new and updated network systems must be installed, Schumer noted. The new system requires upgraded hardware and software.  Many counties do not yet have the technological capabilities to implement these new Text-to-911 services, even throughout New York, the senator said.

“While I understand that there are many complex elements to the updating of 911 systems,” Schumer wrote to Wheeler, “I believe your Commission has the authority to expedite the process and play a more substantial role in its progress…It is my hope that the FCC does everything possible to elevate this issue and facilitate a swift transition to a more advanced 911 system.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The State Senate and the Assembly recently approved legislation to legalize and regulate fantasy sports in New York, adding a new wrinkle to the narrative of the controversial, polarizing – and certainly popular pastime.

“After the attorney general shut down DFS operators DraftKings and FanDuel in New York State, legislators worked to draft a compromise on paid fantasy sports across the state,” said Sen. Robert Ortt (R-North Tonawanda). “The final agreement will utilize start-up fees from large season-long fantasy operators to fund education and should strengthen Western New York Off-Track Betting. This legislation achieves several key criteria for me. First, thousands of fantasy sports enthusiasts across my district will continue to enjoy their passion. Additionally, the 15 counties and two cities who receive funding from Western New York OTB should see their profit sharing revenue increase as fantasy sports partner with OTB establishments.”

In the Senate, the vote was 45-17; the Assembly voted 91-22.

“The measure, which classifies fantasy sports as games of skill rather than chance, contains a number of consumer safeguards to prevent people under 18 from playing, protect new fans from being taken advantage of by experienced participants, provide full disclosure about prizes and offer public information about problem gambling assistance,” added Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “In addition, the legislation requires companies that offer fantasy sports to register with the state.  Principals of the companies must undergo criminal background checks and would be automatically disqualified if convicted of a felony crime in New York or elsewhere associated with gambling or bookmaking.”

Addabbo, the ranking member of the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, said he was pleased that the Legislature took “action to regulate” something so many New York residents enjoy.

“Taxes and fees associated with fantasy sports would provide a new income stream for New York State to help bolster our educational system, much like revenues that now go to public schools through the state lottery,” he said. “Furthermore, the millions of fans of fantasy sports in our state will once again be able to legally participate in games they enjoy while helping to benefit New York’s economy with their activities.”

Nigel Eccles, FanDuel CEO and co-founder, said, “New York fantasy sports fans rallied – with more than 100,000 emails and thousands of phone calls to legislators – and legislators heard them and responded. The bill represents a thoughtful legislative process, where bi-partisanship and willingness to compromise carried the day, and we are extremely hopeful Governor Cuomo will sign this bill. We decided long ago to build FanDuel in New York because it’s the sports capital of the world and a thriving home for tech startups – a natural fit for fantasy sports. Our success is due in no small part to the people, infrastructure, partnerships and opportunities here, which very few locations in the world can offer.”

Not everyone was thrilled with the DFS legalization news.

“As I have said from the start of my office’s investigation into daily fantasy sports, my job is to enforce the law,” said State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “Today, the Legislature has amended the law to legalize daily fantasy sports contests, a law that will be my job to enforce and defend. We will nevertheless continue to pursue our claims that DraftKings and FanDuel previously engaged in false advertising and consumer fraud.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The 2016 legislative session was a mixed bag of bold moves and frantic, last-minute activity. State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) emerged from Albany to analyze the latest in Empire State lawmaking, and so we will look to him for help in navigating these choppy budget waters.

“It always seems to happen in the New York State Legislature, that the last hours of the six-month legislative session were marked by the appearance of ‘The Big Ugly,’ which can best be described as the kitchen sink of state government, with a wide variety of unrelated issues all thrown into one big piece of legislation and then served up on a platter for approval,” Addabbo said. “I still think this is a terrible way to do the public’s business, making and passing deals in the middle of the night, when important issues could have and should have been openly and honestly debated in the light of day over the last six months.”

On the bold moves side of this year’s legislative ledger is daily fantasy sports and the vote to legalize it in New York.

“The measure, which classifies fantasy sports as games of skill rather than chance, contains a number of consumer safeguards to prevent people under 18 from playing, protect new fans from being taken advantage of by experienced participants, provide full disclosure about prizes and offer public information about problem gambling assistance,” Addabbo explained. “In addition, the legislation requires companies that offer fantasy sports to register with the state. Principals of the companies must undergo criminal background checks and would be automatically disqualified if convicted of a felony crime in New York or elsewhere associated with gambling or bookmaking.”

In last week’s edition of The Forum, we highlighted the efforts of elected officials in Albany to use legislation to help combat the very real heroin and opioid epidemic in New York. The package of three bills features initiatives to address the current drug crisis, including provisions to limit the over-prescription of opioids and remove barriers to access for inpatient treatment and medication. The laws also aim to address issues and concerns raised by individuals in recovery, families, and treatment providers across NY.

Mayor Bill de Blasio could not have been thrilled at the one-year extension of mayoral control of NYC public schools; and as Addabbo noted, the 12 months comes with a string attached.

“For children in New York City schools, mayoral control has now been extended for one more year with a new requirement that detailed information be provided by the City on education spending for every individual school,” Addabbo said.

Additionally, for City schools, a “program is being put into place to require lead testing of school water systems throughout New York to protect all students from poisoning. School districts are being given an extra three months to develop teacher and principal evaluation plans before facing the threat of lost state aid, although I still strongly believe funding and educator evaluations should never have been tied together in the first place,” Addabbo added.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com