Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr. - Things We Should Take Note of This Hispanic Heritage Month

 

 You should know that, during this Hispanic Heritage Month, we should make emphasis not only on triumphs and victories of the Hispanic Community, but unfortunately, we should not forget the losses and misfortune, such as our community’s loss of the Bronx Borough President during the last Democratic primary election.   

Due to the divisions, gender agendas, and personal ambitions of certain Hispanic individuals, who knowingly had no chance to win, but anyway decided to run solely to prevent a fellow Hispanic from winning the office of Bronx President. These are issues to be remembered and discussed during this Hispanic Heritage Month and during the next “SOMOS” Convention in Puerto Rico.   

 

We must analyze how is it that the Hispanic Community being the ethnic group with the largest population in Bronx County and having cast a total of 60,784 votes on election night, lost the seat of the Bronx Borough President.  

 

It is important for you to know that the actual number of votes cast for the Bronx Borough president on Election Night are as follows.  

 

·      Vanessa Gibson ...... 40,097

·      Fernando Cabrera... 34,022

·      Natalia Fernandez... 14,397

·      Luis Sepulveda......... 10,407

·      Sammy Ravelo...........1,958

 

When you, my dear reader, study these figures, you may notice that the Hispanic Community cast 60,784 votes, among the four Hispanics vying for the position.  That’s approximately 2/3 of the overall votes cast.  

 

The election has come and gone.  That’s past and Vanessa Gibson will be the next Bronx Borough President for the next (4) four years.   We wish her the best.  Although Ms. Gibson and I never have seen eye to eye due to my Pro-Life, Traditional Marriage, and conservative positions.  Nonetheless, we will be praying that these next (4) years, Ms. Gibson will be a leader to our community, where everyone is included, even if we have differences of opinions and beliefs.

 

On the other hand, during this celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and the next annual “SOMOS” convention in Puerto Rico, which is held during the month of November, I sincerely hope that the divisions that happened during the Democratic primaries, will be among the issues our leaders discuss and bring to the table.  

These vital issues will prevent the Hispanic community from repeating future losses.  Our young and new Hispanic Leaders should be aware of what "La Vieja Guardia" (the old guard) fought for and achieved.   Obviously, it’s something that they don’t seem to understand, but they should, so that they will insure and protect our Hispanic political legacy in the future.

 

I Am Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz at least for 78 more days, and this is what you should know.  

78 Days and Counting

 

Charlene, We only have eleven more weekends with me as mayor. Let's enjoy this weekend, so break out some of that money I gave you, and have a good time, since the party will be over very soon. Very soon the next mayor will be in office replacing me.

We may be forced to sell our Brooklyn home to pay for the New York City Police Moving Department, and Private Security Force for Presidential Candidates. We may wind up homeless, and in a Bronx shelter I forced on those communities. I hope we don't wind up in Community Board 11 in the Bronx, because they booed, jeered, called me all sorts of names, and would love that to happen.

Long Island Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for $1 Million Bank Loan and Credit Card Fraud Schemes

 

 Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Marcello Sozio, the former operator of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber business based in Great Neck, New York and Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley to 36 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud banks, his business partners and a customer who allegedly received services from Sozio’s business.  The Court also ordered Sozio to pay approximately $1.1 million in forfeiture and restitution to the victims of his crimes. 

The sentence was announced by Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the sentence. 

“Today, the defendant has been deservedly sentenced to prison for the financial harm he caused by defrauding his business partners and lenders and stealing from the parents of a young patient,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis. “In conjunction with its law enforcement partners, this Office will continue to seek compensation for victims and prosecute defendants like Sozio who, out of greed, commit fraud for their own financial gain.”

“Mr. Sozio is a classic example of a fraudster, who schemed and used others to obtain funds based on nothing but lies. Now Mr. Sozio will spend his time behind bars soaking in the air from a jail cell instead of one of his hyperbaric chambers,” stated USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Bartlett.

Between approximately March 2014 and December 2016, Sozio applied for and obtained approximately $770,000 in loans for a hyperbaric oxygen chamber business.  In the loan applications, Sozio claimed that his business partners had authorized him to apply for the loans on their behalf as part of their joint business venture.  The partners did not authorize the loan applications and Sozio obtained the unauthorized loans by forging the partners’ signatures on various loan documents, both by hand and electronically, and by impersonating one business partner during a telephone call with a lender.  As a result of Sozio’s actions, his partners were liable for approximately $770,000 in loans.  In addition, between September 2016 and December 2016, Sozio caused approximately $230,000 in credit card charges to the parents of a minor patient for services that were purportedly provided for medical reasons at a Great Neck facility that Sozio operated.  In reality, Sozio provided no services to the child in exchange for the fraudulent billings.  

Bronx Gang Member Sentenced For 2018 Playground Shooting Of A 13-Year-Old

 

Marvin Gamoneda Participated in a June 2018 Shooting in Which a Thirteen-Year-Old Child Was Struck By Gunfire

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MARVIN GAMONEDA, a/k/a “June,” was sentenced today to 13 years in prison in connection with a shooting in the Nelson Playground on June 6, 2018, in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.  On March 15, 2021, GAMONEDA pled guilty to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and a firearms offense before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, who also imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On June 6, 2018, Marvin Gamoneda participated in a shooting in broad daylight in a Bronx playground filled with people, including children.  During the shooting, two individuals, including a child, were hit.  Today’s lengthy sentence sends an important message that we will continue vigorously to investigate and prosecute gang violence.”

As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in open court:

Woodycrime was a criminal enterprise involved in committing numerous acts of violence, including attempted murders and assaults, as well as drug dealing, in the Bronx.  Members and associates of Woodycrime engaged in violence to retaliate against rival gangs, to preserve and expand the gang’s territory, and to protect the gang’s narcotics business.  Members and associates of Woodycrime enriched themselves by selling drugs, such as crack cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, and MDMA or “ecstasy.”  On June 6, 2018, GAMONEDA and others shot at a rival gang member in the vicinity of the Nelson Playground in the Bronx, during which two victims, including a 13-year-old child, were injured.

In addition to his prison term, MARVIN GAMONEDA, 34, of the Bronx, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - OCTOBER 14, 2021

 

58,526 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

40 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"As we look forward to the holiday season, it is important that New Yorkers remain vigilant in their fight against COVID," Governor Hochul said. "Wash your hands, wear a mask, get your flu shot and get your COVID vaccine if you haven't already - it's the best thing you can do to keep your community safe."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

•         Test Results Reported - 200,032
•         Total Positive - 4,401
•         Percent Positive - 2.20%
•         7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.52%
•         Patient Hospitalization - 2,105 (-4)
•         Patients Newly Admitted - 276
•         Patients in ICU - 460 (-4)
•         Patients in ICU with Intubation - 250 (-6)
•         Total Discharges - 204,365 (+272)
•         New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 40
•         Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 45,015

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

•        Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 57,288

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

•         Total vaccine doses administered - 26,090,625
•         Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 58,526
•         Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 378,877
•         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 82.9%
•         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 75.0%
•         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 85.3%
•         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.5%
•         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 70.2%
•         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 63.4%
•         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 72.3%
•         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 64.7%

Former Godfather Of Black Stone Gorilla Gang Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL DELAGUILA, a/k/a “Grizz,” was sentenced today to 12 years in prison in connection with his leadership of the Black Stone Gorilla Gang, a violent street gang that operated in New York City and elsewhere, and his participation in narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses.  On May 26, 2021, DELAGUILA pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy and a firearms offense before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who also imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Michael Delaguila was one of the Godfathers of a notoriously violent and lawless gang that terrorized communities across New York City and elsewhere.  Delaguila recruited other individuals into the gang and authorized acts of violence and drug trafficking in New York City for years.  Today’s lengthy sentence sends an important message to gang members who commit crimes that they will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

As alleged in the Indictment and based on statements made in open court:

MICHAEL DELAGUILA, a/k/a “Grizz,” was previously one of the Godfathers of the Black Stone Gorilla Gang, a racketeering enterprise that operated principally in the New York City metropolitan area and in the jails and prisons of New York City and the State of New York.  In order to enrich the enterprise, preserve and protect the power of the enterprise, and enhance its criminal operations, BSGG members and associates committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder and assaults; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics; committed robberies; engaged in bank fraud and wire fraud; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.  BSGG members also evaded prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by the gang.  DELAGUILA accepted responsibility for participating in a conspiracy to distribute quantities of cocaine, heroin, and cocaine base, and for using and carrying firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  

In addition to his prison term, MICHAEL DELAGUILA, 30, of the Bronx, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Department of Corrections, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Governor Hochul Continues Her Pledge to Afghan Evacuees by Opening Up Educational and Housing Opportunities While Assembling Local Partners to Provide Immediate Resources to Evacuees in Need

 

In Effort to Help Refugees Resettle in New York, Governor Hochul Announces SUNY to Open Educational Opportunity Centers to Refugees by Waiving the Residency Requirement for Admission In Order to Provide Free ESL Courses and Certifications to Connect Them to Local Job Opportunities

SUNY Buffalo State College Partners to Reserve Unused Dorm Space for Temporary Housing and Provides Excess Laptops On-Site

SUNY Working to Deliver Additional Computers in Order to Access Education Programs for Evacuees Across the State 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced partnerships and resources to provide a safe haven for Afghan evacuees in New York State, including educational resources and temporary housing to support evacuees as they seek to resettle in the United States.

"We can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with compassion, imagination, and grit, and there are vast resources across the State to give the Afghan evacuees a solid start here in the United States," said Governor Hochul. "This is a call to action, to uphold our state's proud history of sheltering evacuees from persecution and violence. The arduous journey that thousands of Afghans have taken over the last few weeks is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new chapter that we can help them write." 

Believing in and encouraging the civic contributions immigrants bring to our society, The State University of New York will open its 10 Educational Opportunity Centers across New York State to refugees, waiving the New York State 1-year residency requirement for admission. Any evacuee can, and is encouraged to, apply for free courses, certificate and credentialing programs, and mentorship for seeking a post-secondary education and skills for job opportunities. SUNY is partnering with Rochester-based Keeping Our Promise, to develop courses specific to supporting this refugee population, such as an English as a Second Language course tailored for Dari, Farsi, and Pashto speakers. 

Collaboration among refugee resettlement providers and federal and state programs such as the U.S. Department of State's Afghan Placement and Assistance Program, the New York State Department of State's Office for New Americans, and the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance's Bureau of Refugee Services will be paramount to establishing a process to identify skills, training, talents, and backgrounds of individual refugees and build plans for their education, training needs, or licensure qualifications to support their entrance into New York's workforce. 

To assist with temporary housing needs, SUNY's campus at Buffalo State College has partnered with local agencies to reserve vacant dorm space for transitional housing for up to 100 evacuees. Buffalo State and SUNY will also provide excess laptops to Afghan evacuees on site to assist them to access educational programming. It is expected that any individual age 12 and up will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before arriving on Buffalo State's campus. The arrival and support of evacuees while temporarily residing at the college will be coordinated by Buffalo United for Afghan Refugees, a coalition of five Buffalo area organizations leading the region's resettlement efforts. 

SUNY is also working to give additional computers that are being rotated out of service to potential students, to help support resettlement of evacuees. These assets would be used to set up computer labs in libraries, resettlement offices, or locations across the state offering services for evacuees. 

The Office for New Americans also has a hotline that can connect immigrants and refugees to free services across the state. The Hotline can be reached at 1-800-566-7636 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, with assistance available in more than 200 languages. 

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is working with the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance providers to track arrivals of Afghan evacuees. Afghan evacuees can be served under the agency's programs for services such as employment assistance, cultural orientation and school acclimation just to name a few. 

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said, "Public higher education empowers social mobility and social progress and it's part of our core mission to open our doors to individuals in need. The entire SUNY community thanks Governor Hochul for her leadership in opening New York's door to Afghan evacuees. We will do our part by providing high quality educational opportunities so they can be part of the American dream. We are made stronger by their stories and their heritage, and we welcome them with safety and opportunity." 

Buffalo State College President Katherine Conway-Turner said, "As a college committed to social justice, diversity, and inclusion, Buffalo State strives to be a steadying and compassionate force in a world riddled with chaos and injustice. We have made it part of our mission to reach out to local, national and global communities to help individuals from all backgrounds and ethnicities who may be suffering. Buffalo State thanks Governor Hochul and Chancellor Malatras for leading the way in New York State to welcome and support these individuals on their journey to a better life. We also thank Catholic Charities of Buffalo, the International Institute of Buffalo, Jericho Road Community Health Center, Jewish Family Services, and Journey's End Refugee Services for all of their efforts to welcome these cherished individuals to our region."  

Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, Interim Executive Director of the International Institute of Buffalo said, "We at the International Institute of Buffalo believe that New York State is made stronger by immigrants and refugees, and our mission is to resettle evacuees while providing them with safety, respect, dignity, education and employment opportunities. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul for welcoming the Afghan evacuees with open arms, and working with local partners such as IIB to usher in this incoming population and raise them up, giving them a new start."  

DEC ADVISES HOMEOWNERS TO CHECK FUEL OIL TANKS TO PREVENT LEAKS AND SPILLS

 

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today reminded homeowners that heating fuel oil storage tanks should be inspected for potential leaks or spills prior to receiving the first shipment of fuel oil for the upcoming heating season.

More than two million homes in New York are heated by fuel oil. Each year, the DEC Spills Hotline receives hundreds of reports of fuel oil spills from home heating oil tanks. These spills result in basement contamination, damage to basement contents, contamination of groundwater, wells, and soils, and expensive cleanups that are rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance.

Some of the most common causes of home fuel oil spills include: failing storage tanks; faulty fuel lines and connections; collapsing tank legs and supports; and overflows during delivery. Homeowners should consider using a company that offers a service contract to maintain tanks and heating systems. DEC also encourages homeowners to get their tank(s) inspected each year. An annual inspection can prevent impacts to human health and the environment from leaks and spills.

Homeowners are advised to look for the following concerns and contact their fuel oil service provider if they see any of the items from the lists below.

For above-ground heating fuel oils storage tanks, look for

• Bent, rusty, or wobbly tank legs or tank located on an unstable foundation;
• Signs of rust, weeps, wet spots, or many dents on the tank’s surface;
• Drips or any signs of leaks around the oil filter or valves;
• Fuel oil lines not covered in a protective casing – even if under concrete;
• Overhanging eaves where snow and ice could fall onto the tank;
• Stains on the ground or strong oil odor around the tank;
• Browning, dying, or loss of vegetation around the tank;
• Silent overfill whistle while tank is being filled – ask fuel delivery person;
• Fully or partially blocked tank vent from snow, ice, or insect nests;
• Signs of spills around fill pipe or vent pipe;
• Improperly sized vent pipes – ask fuel delivery person; and
• Cracked, stuck, or frozen fuel level gauges or signs of fuel around them.
  

For underground heating fuel oils storage tanks, look for:

• Water in the tank – ask fuel delivery person to check;
• Oil or oil sheen in your basement sump or French drain;
• Silent overfill whistle while tank is being filled – ask fuel delivery person;
• Fully or partially blocked tank vent from snow, ice, or insect nests;
• Signs of spills around fill pipe or vent pipe;
• Well water has strange tastes or smells;
• Complaints from neighbors of fuel oil smells; and
• Using more than normal amount of fuel.
  

Report any actual spill or leak of fuel oil to the DEC Spills Hotline at 1-800-457-7362. For more information on home heating oil tank stewardship, visit the Underground Heating Oil Tanks: A Homeowner's Guide webpage on DEC's website.