Governor Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Lieber Commend Heroic MTA Workers at April Board Meeting

 

Hochul Makes History as First Governor to Attend an MTA Board Meeting

 Governor Kathy Hochul and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber today commended 18 heroic MTA workers for their life-saving actions responding to the shooting at the 36 St station on Tuesday, April 12. The decisive actions of these 18 MTA employees helped to ensure the safety of passengers during the Sunset Park subway incident. The ceremony marked the first time that a sitting governor visited an MTA Board meeting.

 

“During the tragic shooting that occurred on the subway on April 12, one man set out to divide us. In response, our MTA workers sent a clear message: Don’t mess with New Yorkers, because if you attack one of us, you attack all of us,” Governor Hochul said. “These workers stepped up without hesitation to do everything they could to protect their fellow New Yorkers, and today we honor their heroism. Time and time again we see the heroes of the MTA work around the clock calmly in the midst of mayhem to ensure New Yorkers have efficient and safe transportation, and I am incredibly grateful for all their hard work and courage.”

 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul for honoring our MTA colleagues for their role in responding to the April 12 shooting. Even with all the training that employees undergo, you can’t begin to appreciate what it’s like to experience something like this tragic incident until it happens. But these brave MTA employees stepped up – like they always do – to take care of New Yorkers and each other. They represent the best of New York. It is their hard work that keeps our system running day in and day out, in rain, in snow, and in all conditions – during a pandemic no less! – 24/7, 365 days a year. They are the heart and soul of the MTA, and we thank them, today and every day, for their service and dedication.”  

 

Governor Hochul presented commendations to the following MTA employees:  

  

·       David Artis, Train Operator  

·       Raven Haynes, Conductor  

·       Joseph Franchi, Train Operator  

·       Dayron Williams, Conductor   

·       Niall Maguire, General Superintendent   

·       Gilberto Rosado, Train Service Supervisor  

·       Jose Martinez, Conductor  

·       Mark Wolodarsky, Line Superintendent  

·       Sheila Hutson, District Customer Service Manager  

·       Rolando Hernandez, Group Station Manager  

·       Louis Lanfair, Group Station Manager  

·       Chantay Adams, Group Station Superintendent  

·       Angel Oquendo, Cleaner, NYC Transit Authority  

·       Charlene Gardner, Cleaner, NYC Transit Authority  

·       Peter Stone, Train Service Supervisor  

·       Tanyia Brand-Jones, Digital Communications, Staff Analyst II, Digital Communications Unit    

·       Annie Morrison, Digital Communications, Staff Analyst II, Digital Communications Unit   

·       Tyler Schow, Digital Communications, Manager, Customer Communications, Digital Communications Unit  

 

Artis and Haynes were the N train crew members who helped passengers to evacuate the Manhattan-bound train at the 36 St station. Franchi and Williams were operating a Brooklyn-bound N train one station away and stopped the R train at the 25 St station to ensure the train's riders were not heading into a dangerous situation.  

 

Schow, Morrison, and Brand-Jones were members of the MTA’s Digital Communications Unit, who rapidly responded to the incident by providing clear service information, and they responded to an enormous volume of customer inquiries. Brand-Jones wrote the initial delay message for this incident, keeping a cool head and gleaning the most important service impact information as multiple conflicting reports came in.  

 

Hutson, Lanfair, Hernandez, and Adams were station management team members who, upon notification of the incident, immediately made their way to 25 St and then 36 St to evaluate the situation. They provided support to MTA workers at the two stations and coordinated customer service to assist riders whose journeys were impacted by the incident. They also aided law enforcement by placing blue tarping around the station to allow the investigation to proceed securely.  

Stone is a Train Service Supervisor who was in Bay Ridge at the 95 St station at the time of the incident. He went to 36 St immediately, where his detailed knowledge of the station proved invaluable to the NYPD as the investigation proceeded. He also applied the hand brake on the incident train to keep it secured in the station and contacted train crews to make sure they would know to bypass 36 St during the period of the incident and investigation.  

 

Oquendo and Gardner were station cleaners on the scene at the 36 St and 25 St stations as the incident occurred. They calmly alerted booth agents and were among the first MTA employees to respond to the incident.  

 

Maguire, Rosado, Martinez, and Wolodarsky were at the 38 St Yard and headed right to the 36 St station after initial reports about the incident. Without knowing the full details of the situation and without hesitation, they were among the first MTA employees to arrive on the scene to respond. They ensured that all customers on incident trains, as well as those on stalled trains on the same line, were able to detrain safely.  

Statement from NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on New York City’s FY 2023 Executive Budget

 Following the release of Mayor Eric Adams’ FY 2023 Executive Budget, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement:

“The Fiscal Year 2023 budget is our chance to set New York City on a path towards an inclusive and resilient recovery. The Mayor’s Executive Budget includes several important steps forward on transportation, parks, and safe shelter to bring our city back stronger. But more work remains to achieve a budget that learns from this crisis to be more prepared for the ones to come.

“First, the City needs to spend its remaining federal COVID funds effectively, starting with the money allocated for our children’s academic, social, and emotional wellness. The Department of Education has billions of dollars intended for student recovery that remain unspent, and this budget does not include a clear action plan for how to make the best use of these funds. In addition, with unemployment among Black and Latino New Yorkers still higher than twice the national average, more of this finite federal funding should be targeted at stimulating our economic recovery.

“The increased commitments to Safe Havens and stabilization beds are a critical step, but a significant share of these rooms must be private—and must function as a step toward permanent housing—if we are to truly address the needs of unsheltered New Yorkers. Confronting our interconnected homelessness and housing challenges will require significantly more funding for permanent affordable and supportive housing.

“Despite better-than-projected city tax revenue, this budget only adds drops to the Rainy-Day Fund bucket we will need to face future storms.

“Meanwhile, the plan proceeds to hire 500 new Corrections officers without making urgent reforms to the staffing management failures that have left our jails in crisis with nearly a fifth of officers calling out sick each week.

“I look forward to reviewing the executive budget proposals closely, and ensuring that our public funds, including one-time federal stimulus dollars, are used effectively to secure a safe and sustainable future for every New Yorker.” 

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSING GHOST GUNS

 

Had Built Six Assault Rifles, Had Parts for Two More

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon for possessing six “ghost guns” --assault-style rifles that he built from parts-- as well as components to assemble two more.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant assembled deadly weapons that would have been untraceable, and could have unleashed havoc on our community. We continue our efforts to stem the proliferation of ghost guns and prosecute those who sell or use them.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Peter Rivera, 67, of 300 Reservoir Place, was sentenced Monday, April 25, 2022, to two years in prison, two years post-release supervision and 90 days of alcohol treatment by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Joseph McCormack. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon on March 16, 2022.

 According to the investigation, on November 20, 2020 inside the defendant’s home in the Norwood section of the Bronx, a search warrant was executed in which investigators recovered six completed assault-style rifles, none with serial numbers, as well as firearm components capable of being constructed into at least two other assault-style rifles. Investigators also found numerous imitation pistols, unfinished receivers, and a work bench and tools for the construction of firearms. The defendant purchased the weapons parts online.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Victor Cardona of the Criminal Intelligence Section for his assistance in the investigation.

Four Members And Two Associates Of The Genovese Organized Crime Family Charged With Racketeering

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, and Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging four members and two associates of the Genovese Organized Crime Family with racketeering. 

The Superseding Indictment charges NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO, alleged Captains in the Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA, alleged Soldiers in the Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI, alleged associates of the Family, with racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and extortion.

MESSINA was previously arrested and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang on April 12, 2022.  BALSAMO, CAMPANELLA, MICHAEL POLI, and THOMAS POLI were arrested today and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger this afternoon.  CALISI was arrested in Boca Raton, Florida and presented before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge John G. Koeltl.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “From extortion to illegal gambling, the Mafia continues to find ways to prey on others to fill its coffers.  Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to putting organized crime out of business.”

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said:  “For years, members of the Genovese crime family have terrorized New York communities with violence and illegal businesses. These individuals allegedly made their money through illegal gambling and loan sharking — saddling victims with incredible debt that they cannot repay. Today’s indictment makes clear that we will continue to root out organized crime wherever it exists, and I thank U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for their partnership in taking down these criminal enterprises.”

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said:  “Organized crime, and the illegal conduct that flows from its activities, remain a problem in Brooklyn and beyond. My Office is committed to continue working together with our law enforcement partners to investigate these criminal organizations, as we’ve done in this case. I thank the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Office of the Attorney General for their partnership and cooperation.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment, which was unsealed today[1]:

The Genovese Organized Crime Family is part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names, including La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”) and the “Mafia,” which operates through entities known as “Families.” 

Like other LCN Families, the Genovese Organized Crime Family operates through groups of individuals known as “crews”.  Each “crew” has as its leader a person known as a “Captain” and consists of “made” members, known as “Soldiers.”  Soldiers are aided in their criminal endeavors by other trusted individuals, known as “associates,” who sometimes are referred to as “connected” or identified as “with” a Soldier or other member of the Family.  Associates participate in the various activities of the crew and its members.  In order for an associate to become a made member of the Family, the associate typically needs to demonstrate the ability to generate income for the Family, and/or that the associate is capable of committing acts of violence.

A Captain is responsible for supervising the criminal activities of his crew, resolving disputes between and among members of the Family, resolving disputes between members of the Family and members of other Families and other criminal organizations, and providing Soldiers and associates with support and protection.  In return, the Captain typically receives a share of the illegal earnings of each of his crew’s Soldiers and associates.

At times relevant to the charges in the Superseding Indictment, NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO were Captains in the Genovese Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA were Soldiers in the Genovese Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI were associates of the Genovese Family.

Members of the Genovese Family, including CALISI, BALSAMO, MESSINA, CAMPANELLA, MICHAEL POLLI, and THOMAS POLLI, engaged in or agreed that others would engage in certain crimes, including making extortionate extensions of credit, financing extortionate extensions of credit, collecting extensions of credit by extortion, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and transmission of gambling information.

A chart containing the ages, residency information, and charges against the defendants, as well as the maximum penalties they face is attached.  The maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Rushmi Bhaskaran, and Justin Rodriguez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Murray, are in charge of the prosecution.  The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States v. Michael Messina, et al., S1 22 Cr. 212 (JGK)

DEFENDANT	AGE	CITY OF RESIDENCE	CHARGES	MAX SENT.
Messina, Michael	69	New Fairfield, CT	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Calisi, Nicholas	63	Boca Raton, FL	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Balsamo, Ralph	51	Tuckahoe, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Campanella, John	47	Bronx, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Poli, Michael	37	Hawthorne, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Poli, Thomas	64	Bronx, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years

 

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.