NYC Service partners with the GRAMMY Museum and the Recording Academy New York Chapter to mentor 50 students from music programs across the City.

The Recording Academy New York Chapter is also donating $2,500 to fund music programs in 10 high schools.

  Today, NYC Service is engaging 50 music professionals to mentor 50 New York City high school students as part of the national MLK Day of Service spearheaded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). All of the volunteer mentors are New York City residents with careers in music ranging from GRAMMY winning songwriters and producers to engineers. These individuals all serve on the Recording Academy NY Chapter board and will share their personal stories and careers in music with students in one-on-one mentoring sessions.

The students were selected from 10 high schools representing all five boroughs of New York City. In addition to participating in today’s mentoring session, each school will receive a $2,500 grant from the GRAMMY Museum as part of the GRAMMYS Signature Schools Grants program. The grant funding will support music programs in each school. 

Today’s event is part of a citywide initiative to increase mentoring opportunities for high school youth across the five boroughs. The initiative, launched in January 2017, aims to establish mentoring programs in 400 New York City high schools by 2022, annually engaging 14,000 New Yorkers as volunteer mentors to 40,000 high school students. It also supports the City’s Equity and Excellence plan to achieve 80 percent high school graduation and two-thirds college-readiness rates by 2026.

“Opportunities that connect young people to role models and adults that care are vital to achieving our goal of engaging thousands of New Yorkers as mentors,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Thank you to the volunteers for sharing your experience and career paths with our students. We know that if students have the opportunity to connect with caring adults from diverse walks of life while learning new career paths, they are more likely to succeed and reach their full potential.”

“Mentors can have a very positive impact on the success of high school youth,” said CouncilSpeaker Corey Johnson. “This MLK Day of Service, what better way to honor Rev. Dr. King’s legacy than through mentorship? We are deeply grateful to these volunteers for their service to young New Yorkers interested in music.”

“Volunteer mentorship is a strategy aimed at ensuring NYC students have an adult in their life who can expand their vision for the future,” said NYC Chief Service Officer Paula Gavin. “The opportunity to connect young men and women with caring adults is something NYC Service takes great pride in. We are thrilled to partner with the GRAMMY Museum and the Recording Academy New York Chapter to mentor students, inspire more New Yorkers to serve as volunteer mentors, as well as expose students to careers in the music industry.”

  

In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy of community solidarity and equity, speed mentoring is a way for underserved youth to discover new career and academic opportunities. Through a series of short conversations, professionals share their personal backgrounds and provide students with insights into college and career paths as well as tips for success.

NYC Service, with sponsorship from RBC Capital Markets, identified an opportunity for the Recording Academy to celebrate its return to New York City by supporting a critical need in the City. In addition to the impact volunteers are making on students today, the GRAMMY Museum is helping to shed light on this important initiative and inspiring more New Yorkers to serve as volunteer mentors.  The match was a natural fit as the GRAMMY Museum has a history of supporting initiatives that provide young people with opportunities to grow and develop.

“Mentorship is one of the pillars of our educational outreach, both in Los Angeles and throughout the country,” said Scott Goldman, GRAMMY Museum Executive Director. “Many of our programs are focused on pairing music industry leaders and executives with young people who hope to one day have a career in the industry. This opportunity with NYC Service gives us the extraordinary opportunity to reach youth in New York, and we are thankful to the city for their support in helping us to inspire and educate future generations.”

10 Participating NYC High Schools

·       Brooklyn Preparatory High School (Brooklyn)

·       Performing Arts and Technology High School (Brooklyn)

·      Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy 

    International High School (Kappa) (Bronx)

·     Renaissance High School for Musical 

    Theater & Technology (Bronx)

·      Repertory Company High School 

     for Theatre Arts (Manhattan)

·      Urban Assembly for the Performing Arts (Manhattan)

·      Channel View School for Research (Queens)

·      John Adams High School (Queens)

·      Curtis High School (Staten Island)

·      Susan E. Wagner High School (Staten Island)

About NYC Service

NYC Service, a division of the Office of the Mayor, promotes volunteerism, engages New Yorkers in service, builds volunteer capacity, and mobilizes the power of volunteers and national service members to impact New York City's greatest needs. To learn more about NYC Service and connect to volunteer opportunities across New York City, visit nyc.gov/service.

About the GRAMMY MUSEUM

The GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment.

Bronx Council for Environmental Quality - Protect Our Rivers & Parks: Jan 31 & Feb 24

  Dear Friend of our Rivers and Parks

Within the next few weeks, there will be two very important meetings.  Large attendance at both meetings is essential for protecting important quality of life issues in our City.

1.  At the end of the month your actions are needed to make a real difference for our rivers and streams, as the City undertakes the beginning of the Long Term Planning for how they manage our water and waste.  See the information below for the January 31, 2018 DEP Kick-off meeting in the Bronx.

Also see BCEQ's two page list of comments -- put in your own words and use for your own comments.  click here:   http://www.bceq.org/2018/01/15/bceqs-map-for-clean-rivers-lake-and-streams/

2.  Next month there is another critical meeting about protecting parkland.  The 24th Bronx Parks Speak Up will include a discussion of how to stand up for your park, and not let it get eaten up by the developers.  See the information below for the February 24, 2018 Speak up meeting in the Bronx.

3.  Finally, there will be follow up meetings at BCEQ's Annual Spring Membership Meeting in April.  We have not finalized the speakers, but you can hold the date:  April 11, 2018.

BCEQ Communications, Karen, IC, Christina, Joyce

---

Details to sign up for the meetings on the links below

 

Public Meeting - Citywide & East Rivers/Open Waters Long Term Control Plan  Manhattan College Leo Engineering, Room 215 3825 Corlear Ave. Bronx, NY 10463 January 31, 2018 6:30pm  RSVP ALSO - New York City is currently developing a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) to better understand the impacts of combined sewer overflows (CSOs*) and to propose appropriate solutions to improve water quality in the New York City Harbor.  The Citywide & East River/Open Waters plan will encompass the Harlem River, Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, Lower New York Bay, the East River, and the western portion of Long Island Sound. This first public meeting will focus on the Harlem River and Hudson River.  Visit the Citywide LTCP page on the DEP website to view a map of water quality sampling locations. This page will also feature dates and times of future meetings  Sometimes when there are heavy rains and the sewer system is at full capacity, a mixture of rain water and sewage, also known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are released into local waterways.  To learn more about DEP's CSO Program visitwww.nyc.gov/dep/ltcp.   Protect Parkland 24th BRONX PARKS SPEAK UP 2018 Saturday, February 24, 11 am to 5 pm S A V E THE DATE Lehman College

GOVERNOR BROWN ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CONTINUE EXPEDITING RECOVERY EFFORTS IN COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES AND MUDSLIDES

1-12-2018

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an executive order to further assist recovery efforts in Southern California related to the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides. The order helps ensure there’s the staffing and resources needed to continue to respond to the ongoing disaster and expedite debris removal.

Governor Brown yesterday announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the state’s request to expand the recently approved Presidential Major Disaster Declaration in the areas affected by the wildfires to include damage caused by flooding and mudslides.

The full text of today's executive order is below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER B-46-18

WHEREAS on December 5, 2017, I proclaimed a state of emergency to exist in Ventura County, and on December 7, 2017, I proclaimed a state of emergency to exist in Santa Barbara, due to the Thomas Fire; and

WHEREAS the Thomas Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 structures, burned nearly 300,000 acres, and is the largest fire in California history; and

WHEREAS the Thomas Fire caused massive burn scars, exacerbating the potential for mud and debris flows; and

WHEREAS beginning on January 8, 2018, a storm system swept across Southern California, bringing high winds, substantial precipitation, and flooding to Santa Barbara County; and

WHEREAS this storm system caused dangerous flash flooding, erosion, and substantial mud and debris flows throughout the burn scar areas, forcing the evacuation of residents; and 

WHEREAS the mud and debris flows have caused fatalities, damaged critical infrastructure, destroyed homes, and forced the closure of major highways and local roads, including Highway 101; and 

WHEREAS the local health officers of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties have proclaimed a local health emergency pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 101080, as a result of this hazardous debris; and

WHEREAS California will require immediate additional resources to assist in recovering from, and mitigating the effects of these wildfires and subsequent mud and debris flows; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8571, I find that strict compliance with the various statutes and regulations specified in this order would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the wildfires and subsequent mud and debris flows. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, and in particular, Government Code sections 8567 and 8571, do hereby issue the following order to become effective immediately:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1. The Governor's Office of Emergency Services shall ensure adequate state staffing to expedite disaster response and recovery efforts. Consistent with applicable federal law, work hour limitations for retired annuitants, permanent and intermittent personnel, and any overtime restrictions for state management and senior supervisors, are suspended. Furthermore, Government Code sections 21220, 21224(a), and 7522.56(b), (d), (f), and (g), and the time limitations in 

Government Code section 19888.1 and California Code of Regulations, title 2, sections 300-303 are suspended. The Director of the California Department of Human Resources must be notified of any individual employed pursuant to these waivers.

2. Any fairgrounds that the Office of Emergency Services determines are suitable for mitigating the effects or, or otherwise recovering from, the wildfires and subsequent mud and debris flows, shall be made available to the Office of Emergency Services pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, Government Code section 8589. The Office of Emergency Services shall notify the fairgrounds of the intended use and can immediately utilize the fairgrounds without the fairground board of directors’ approval.

3. Any state-owned properties that the Office of Emergency Services determines are suitable for staging of debris shall be made available to the Office of Emergency Services for this purpose.

4. The fourteen-day time period in Health and Safety Code section 101080, within which local governing authorities must renew its local health emergency, is hereby waived. The local health emergencies resulting from the December 2017 wildfire debris will remain in effect until each local governing authority terminates its respective health emergency.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 12th day of January 2018.

_____________________________

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

January 11, 2018

Dear Office of State Senator Jeff Klein and Members of the Media,

We fully support the brave women that have come forward in this historic moment to bring sexual misconduct to the forefront of our national conversation. Although we cannot comment on the specific facts of the allegation, we believe the conduct ascribed to Senator Klein is thoroughly at odds with our experience as women working with him as well as his strong support for women’s rights across New York and particularly in the 34th Senate District. For more than 30 years we have only known Jeff Klein to be a kind, passionate dedicated public servant, a true gentleman and a decent human being.

Respectfully,

Marcy Gross, CB 11 Member

Elizabeth Donofrio, Business Owner

Nathalia Fernadez, Former Chief of Staff to 80th Assembly District Office, 2013-2017

Elsa Lulaj, Small Business Owner 

Edith Blitzer, Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association

Mary Jane Musano, Waterbury Lasalle Community Organization

Monique Johnson, President of the Throggs Neck Houses Tenant Association 

Andrea Siegel, Female District Leader 80th A.D., and PP Neighborhood Association 

Loretta Masterson, President of Sack Wern Houses Tenant Association 

Geraldine Hopper, President of Clason Point Tenant Association

Kathy Zamechansky, Small Business Owner

Julia Rodriguez, Female District Leader 87th A.D.

Rosemary Durso, Former Director of RAIN Boston Road

Sally Caldwell, Tracy Towers resident

Sandra Erickson, Small Business Owner - Sandra Erickson Realty

Antonia Figueroa, Female District Leader 85th A.D.

Nelly Medina, Harding Park Senior Citizens Group

Sonia Melendez, 3555 Bruckner Tenant Association Leader

Yudelka Tapia, Female District Leader 86th A.D.

Vera Mjeku, Community Activist 

Aurora Carrion, President of the 43rd Precinct Community Council 

Zena Twyman, Morris Park AARP 5170

Paloma Hernandez, President & CEO of Urban Health Plan

Acting Boss Of Bonanno Organized Crime Family And 9 Other Members Of La Cosa Nostra Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Racketeering And Related Offenses

   Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael C. Mikulka, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, (“DOL-OIG”),Charles Brandeis, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office (“DSS”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 10 individuals with racketeering and other offenses in connection with the activities of the organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra.  The Indictment charges eight members of the Bonanno Family – Acting Boss JOSEPH CAMMARANO, JR., Consigliere JOHN ZANCOCCHIO, JOSEPH SABELLA, GEORGE TROPIANO, ALBERT ARMETTA, DOMENICK MINIERO, JOSEPH SANTAPAOLO, and SIMONE ESPOSITO – with racketeering conspiracy involving a wide range of crimes, including extortion, loansharking, wire and mail fraud, narcotics distribution, and conspiracy to commit murder.  Genovese Family member ERNEST MONTEVECCHI is charged with participating in that conspiracy as well.  Several of the defendants and Luchese Family member EUGENE CASTELLE are charged with conspiracy to commit extortion.  ARMETTA is additionally charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, and aiding and abetting the same.

Of the 10 defendants charged in the Indictment, nine were taken into federal custody this morning.  SANTAPAOLO was presented this morning before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  The rest of the defendants will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses later today.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. 

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”), also known as the “Mob” or the “Mafia,” operates through entities known as “Families.”  In the New York City area, there are five LCN Families, namely, the Bonanno Family, the Genovese Family, the Luchese Family, the Colombo Family, and the Gambino Family.  Members and associates of one La Cosa Nostra family at times work together with other La Cosa Nostra families in jointly undertaken criminal ventures.

The Bonanno Family, like other LCN Families, operates through a group of individuals known as “crews,” each of which are led by a “capo” or “captain.”  The crews are composed of “made” members, called “soldiers,” and trusted non-members called “associates.”  Above the Capos are the highest-ranking members – the Boss or Acting Boss, the Underboss, and the Consigliere, or counselor – who oversee the Family.

At times relevant to the Indictment, the defendants held the following positions with their respective LCN Families:  CAMMARANO was a captain and the Acting Boss of the Bonanno Family; ZANCOCCHIO was a captain and the Consigliere of the Bonanno Family; SABELLA was a captain of the Bonanno Family; TROPIANO was a soldier and an acting captain of the Bonanno Family; ESPOSITO was the Consigliere of the Bonanno Family; MINIERO, SANTAPAOLO, and ARMETTA were soldiers in the Bonanno Family; MONTEVECCHI was a soldier in the Genovese Family; and CASTELLE was a soldier in the Luchese Family.

Count One of the Indictment charges CAMMARANO, ZANCOCCHIO, SABELLA, TROPIANO, ARMETTA, MINIERO, SANTAPAOLO, ESPOSITO, and MONTEVECCHI with participating in a racketeering conspiracy.  Count Two charges ARMETTA with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, and aiding and abetting the same.  Count Three charges CAMMARANO, ZANCOCCHIO, SABELLA, TROPIANO, MINIERO, and CASTELLE with extortion conspiracy.

Set forth below is a chart containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants.  The maximum potential sentences 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. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, DOL-OIG, DSS, NYPD, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Berman also thanked the New York City Business Integrity Commission and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Swergold and Jessica Greenwood are in charge of the prosecution. 

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

United States v. Joseph Cammarano, Jr., et al., 18 Cr. 15 (AKH)

DEFENDANT	AGE	CHARGES	MAXIMUM PENALTY
JOSEPH CAMMARANO, JR., a/k/a “Joe C”	58	RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison for each count
JOHN ZANCOCCHIO, a/k/a “Porky”	60	RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison for each count
JOSEPH SABELLA, a/k/a “Joe Valet”	52	RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison for each count
GEORGE TROPIANO, a/k/a “Grumpy”	68	RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison for each count
ALBERT ARMETTA, a/k/a “Al Muscles”	48	RICO Conspiracy; Assault in Aid of Racketeering	20 years in prison for each count
DOMINECK MINIERO	85	RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison for each count
JOSEPH SANTAPAOLO, a/k/a “Joey Blue Eyes”	66	RICO Conspiracy	20 years in prison
SIMONE ESPOSITO	47	RICO Conspiracy	20 years in prison
ERNEST MONTEVECCHI, a/k/a “Butch”	72	RICO Conspiracy	20 years in prison
EUGENE CASTELLE, a/k/a “Boobsie”	57	Extortion Conspiracy	20 years in prison

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

Mobile Phone Industry Executive Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 5 Years In Prison For Role In Multimillion-Dollar Consumer Fraud Scheme

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRASER THOMPSON was sentenced today to five years in prison for his participation in a fraudulent scheme to charge mobile phone customers millions of dollars in monthly fees for unsolicited, recurring text messages without the customers’ knowledge or consent – a practice known as “auto-subscribing.”  The fraud committed by THOMPSON and his co-conspirators resulted in the theft of over $100 million from consumers throughout the United States.  THOMPSON was convicted by a jury on September 5, 2017, following a three-week trial, and was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by the Honorable Katherine B. Forrest. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “This was a gross ‘main street’ fraud.  Fraser Thompson and his co-defendants engaged in ‘auto-subscribing,’ forcing mobile phone users to pay for unsolicited and unwanted text messaging services.  They ripped off everyday cellphone users, $10 a month, netting over $100 million in illegal profits, of which Thompson personally received over $1.5 million.  Thanks to the diligence of the IRS and FBI, consumers are being safeguarded and perpetrators of large-scale criminal frauds are being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted.”

According to the Superseding Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, the evidence presented at trial, and statements made in connection with THOMPSON’s sentencing:

THOMPSON was the Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations at Mobile Messenger, a mobile aggregation company.  In the relevant time period, mobile aggregators like Mobile Messenger compiled, or “aggregated,” charges for premium text messaging services – such as monthly horoscopes, celebrity gossip, and trivia facts – on consumers’ mobile phone bills.  Between 2011 and 2013, THOMPSON and others engaged in a massive scheme to defraud ordinary consumers by placing unauthorized charges for premium text messaging services on their cell phone bills, through a practice known as auto-subscribing.

The auto-subscribing scheme essentially involved two main players in the cell phone industry: mobile aggregators, such as Mobile Messenger, and content providers, which sent consumers the unwanted text messages that ultimately resulted in them being billed for services they had not authorized.  Mobile Messenger worked with four different content providers in the scheme, each of which were essential to the scheme’s success.  THOMPSON participated in auto-subscribing through two of those content providers, CF Enterprises and DigiMobi, which were operated by one of THOMPSON’s co-conspirators, Eugeni Tsvetnenko, a/k/a “Zhenya.” 

The plan to auto-subscribe with Tsvetnenko came about in early 2012, in connection with discussions between THOMPSON and three other Mobile Messenger executives, co-conspirators Darcy Wedd, Erdolo Eromo, and Michael Pajaczkowki, a/k/a “Paj,” about how to increase revenue at Mobile Messenger in the wake of the decreasing profitability of premium text messaging services.  Tsvetnenko had been kicked off Mobile Messenger’s aggregation platform in the past due to suspicious subscribing practices, including past incidents of auto-subscribing.  Nevertheless, in early 2012, THOMPSON, Wedd, Eromo, and Pajaczkowski agreed to allow Tsvetnenko to establish two new content providers, CF Enterprises and DigiMobi, to conduct a scheme to auto-subscribe on Mobile Messenger’s aggregation platform. 

THOMPSON, Wedd, Eromo, and Pajaczkowski agreed to a revenue split with Tsvetnenko, pursuant to which Tsvetnenko would keep approximately 70% of the auto-subscribing proceeds generated by CF Enterprises and DigiMobi, and the remaining 30% of the auto-subscribing proceeds would be divided evenly among THOMPSON, Wedd, Eromo, and Pajaczkowski.  THOMPSON, Wedd, Eromo, and Pajaczkowski also devised a method of receiving and distributing the auto-subscribing money through multiple layers of shell companies, in an effort to conceal the nature and purpose of the money.  These auto-subscribing activities with Tsvetnenko, which began in approximately April of 2012, and continued into 2013, resulted in hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users being auto-subscribed through Mobile Messenger.  THOMPSON, moreover, personally received over $1.5 million in fraud proceeds as a result of his participation in the illegal scheme.

The auto-subscription scheme, through all of the content providers that it involved, affected millions of consumers and generated over $100 million in criminal proceeds. 

To date, seven defendants, Andrew Bachman, Lin Miao, Pajackowski, Eromo, Jonathan Murad, Francis Assifuah, and Jason Lee have pled guilty in connection with their participation in the fraud.  One additional defendant, Wedd, was convicted by a jury on December 15, 2017, following a two-week trial. 

In addition to the prison term, THOMPSON was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $1,552,114.56.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Federal Trade Commission for their support and assistance with the investigation. 

If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact the Victim/Witness Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900.  For additional information, go to:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.