“The de Blasio Administration has consistently failed the residents of NYCHA. Independent monitoring is long overdue, along with management reforms and emergency repairs. Mayor de Blasio has without a doubt been NYC’s worst landlord, and NYCHA residents deserve better. We cannot allow the Mayor to mislead New Yorkers about the deplorable conditions in public housing, nor will we stand idly by as he lies about the reasons for his careless neglect. I applaud the federal government for its bold action, and I’m optimistic that the new monitor will do a better job than the Mayor, who has proven to be incapable of making things right.”
Thursday, January 31, 2019
DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo, Council Members I. Daneek Miller, and Rafael Salamanca Host Ribbon Cutting for the New Civil Service Exam Testing Center.
The new NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Civil Service exam testing center at 1932 Arthur Avenue (off East Tremont Road) opened today with a ribbon cutting ceremony by DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo, Councilman I. Daneek Miller Chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, and Councilman Rafael Salamanca whose council district serves as the location.
Bronx residents no longer have to go to another borough to take a civil service test as they had to in the past with the opening of this new Bronx civil service testing center. DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo said that there are now testing centers in each of the five boroughs of the city. Councilman Miller said that with the expected turnover in city employment that is expected from retiring this civil service testing center was needed to provide the people of the Bronx with better options to take civil service tests.
This address 1932 Arthur Avenue is home to other city agencies including Bronx Community Board 6.
Above - DCAS Commissioner Camilo, Council members Miller and Salamanca are joined by two workers from the new Bronx Civil Service Testing Center for the ribbon cutting.
Below - The ribbon is cut, and the new Bronx Civil Service Testing Center is open for business.
Wave Hill events February 14-21
Sat, February 16
Visit Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House and leave winter behind as you dream of warmer places. Spend some time sketching and painting exotic desert dwellers and tropical inhabitants, then use sand and vibrant tempera paint to make a desert or tropical mirage. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM
Sat, February 16
Take your birding adventures to the next level by participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count! This global “citizen science” research project engages bird watchers of all ages in helping to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Using smartphone apps and official, field-data forms, track and record the birds in Wave Hill’s backyard, guided by naturalist Gabriel Willow. Share your observations with fellow participants over cocoa and coffee at the conclusion of the program. No experience necessary; bird watchers of all levels are encouraged to participate. Free with admission to the grounds.
Meet at Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM
Sat, February 16
This winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed again into studio spaces for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their studio practice with the public on this open studio day. This year’s session 1 artists are Melissa Calderón,Nandini Chirimar, Elana Herzog, Christopher Ho, Tijay Mohammed and Shervone Neckles. Free with admission to the grounds.
Glyndor Gallery, NOON–3:30PM
Sun, February 17
Visit Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House and leave winter behind as you dream of warmer places. Spend some time sketching and painting exotic desert dwellers and tropical inhabitants, then use sand and vibrant tempera paint to make a desert or tropical mirage. Free with admission to the grounds.
Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM
Sun, February 17
Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Mark Twain Room prior to today’s concert in Armor Hall. The Café at Wave Hill pairs a classic menu with an assortment of green, black and herbal teas. This traditional tea service includes the four classic elements of savory, scones, sweets and tea. The menu, presented by Great Performances, includes an array of tea sandwiches, scones and bite-sized desserts. Afternoon Tea also includes a glass of sparkling wine. Afternoon Tea Service is $36. Wave Hill Members receive a 10% discount. Advance registration is required by calling 718.549.3200 x95 or by emailingwavehillreservations@
Wave Hill House, NOON
Sun, February 17
Jazz artist Marika Hughes has returned to her chamber music background with her new project, The New String Quartet. Alongside Charlie Burnham (violin and voice), Marvin Sewell (guitar) andRashaan Carter (bass), the band sets out to celebrate the sounds, vibrations and resonances of acoustic, unamplified, raw strings. Rooted in the standards of the western string quartet tradition, The New String Quartet's setlist will also weave throughout Hughes’s varied musical heritage, from classical and jazz songs to pop music and impromptu sketches. With a selection of songs both old and new, Hughes and The New String Quartet tip their hats to love, to loss, to family and to gratitude. A granddaughter of Emanuel Feuermann, one of the 20th century's greatest cellists and a Holocaust refugee, Hughes grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and was a regular on "Sesame Street." Her recent albums include "New York Nostalgia" and she recently toured with Adele. Ticket Prices: Adults: $28 (includes admission to the grounds) / Wave Hill Members 10% discount / $12 children ages 8-18, unless otherwise noted. Order tickets online, or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. For additional information, please call 718.549.3200 x251.
Wave Hill House, 2PM
Sun, February 17
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 2PM
Mon, February 18
Closed to the public.
Wed, February 20
This year’s three lectures illuminate how deeply an intimate garden like Wave Hill is embedded in the larger world of horticulture. Lisa Roper has devoted 28 years to gardening at Chanticleer, a public garden in Wayne, PA, where for the last five years she has been developing Chanticleer’s Gravel Garden, on a site created in 2000 and planted with a mix of grasses, Mediterranean plants, drought-tolerant perennials and annuals and hardy succulents. Roper will speak about how form, texture, color and rhythm are carefully considered as she plants and edits, photography serving to inform her design decisions. Roper holds a BFA in Fine Art from The Cooper Union, and trained at Longwood Gardens. Wave Hill’s annual horticultural lecture series is held at the New York School of Interior Design. Three-lecture series: $72. Wave Hill Members and students save 10%. Individual tickets: $30, with a 10% discount for Wave Hill Members and students. Seating is limited, and advance reservations are recommended, online. Student tickets available lecture evening only, at the door, space permitting and with a valid student ID. The final lecture of the series takes place on March 20, when Coralie Thomas will speak about the evolution of her career as a young gardener.
New York School of Interior Design, 6PM
A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.
HOURS – Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM, November 1–March 14. Closes 5:30PM, starting March 15.
ADMISSION – $10 adults, $6 students and seniors 65+, $4 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.
PROGRAM FEES – Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.
Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/
DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.
Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.
STATEMENT FROM BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBEN DIAZ JR. RE: NYCHA/HUD AGREEMENT
"It’s about time the city and the federal government came together to deliver for the residents of the New York City Housing Authority.
"Today’s agreement is by no means a panacea, but it does represent progress for the more than 400,000 residents of our city’s public housing who for decades have gone without basic necessities—like heat, hot water, mold abatement, lead testing, garbage pickup and others—and have been neglected by all levels of government.
"The New York City Housing Authority is broken. Today’s agreement is the first step towards fixing it, while also keeping the city in control of NYCHA and providing it with billions of dollars in new funding that the agency so desperately needs.
"As we move forward, it is important that we keep the rights of the tenants of public housing at the forefront of the decision-making process. Timelines and deadlines must respect the rights of the families who live within NYCHA and who need our help. The city, HUD and the newly-appointed monitor must prioritize the elimination of bureaucratic waste, spend money swiftly and efficiently, and make necessary repairs with a true sense of urgency.
"This agreement must be the spark that finally brings real reform to the New York City Housing Authority and dignity to its residents. After years of inaction, we can no longer accept excuses," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
MAYOR DE BLASIO, HUD SECRETARY CARSON ANNOUNCE NYCHA AGREEMENT
Secretary Benjamin Carson, Department of Housing and Urban Development: We’re delighted to be here in this frozen tundra on this day because we have warm news, and that is that NYCHA, and the City of New York, and HUD, along with SDNY have reached an agreement. Now, interestingly enough, the whole concept of public housing largely got started right here in New York many decades ago. And, you know, the idea was to be able to provide safe, and clean, and nurturing environments to give people an opportunity to move up the ladder.
Over the course of the years, some things have happened that have been unfortunate and have resulted in environments that sometimes are not completely safe, with lead, and mold, and vermin, elevators that don’t work properly, and heating issues that put people’s lives in jeopardy. And we all recognize that this is a problem, and, you know, we have a couple of options, some of which are not particularly pleasant, but one of the best options, which is extremely pleasant, is when you have people who are willing to put the people first and then needs of the people first – and that’s what I found with the Mayor. We were able to put aside any political differences and think about, what would provide the right kind of environment for the people here? What had been the things that precluded that in the past? What kinds of things can we do now that are controlled at a local level and empowered by all of the various components to make sure that the people’s needs are taken care of?
And I’m very excited about what we have agreed to here, because I think it sets a great precedent for what can be done in other places around the country. You know, public housing, assisted housing, these are things that we need to be concerned about – affordable housing especially we need to be concerned about because the cost of rents are going up about 20 percent faster than the cost for inflation and other things. And obviously, we’re going to have to get to the root causes of these things and fix them, because having a safe and nurturing environment is key to the human development. And our most important resource are our people, and if we want our people to be developed appropriately, we need to provide those basic resources to get them there, to show them there, because when they are developed it makes our country much stronger.
So, it’s been – I have to tell you, it’s been a pleasure, actually, working with the Mayor, with SDNY. You know, this has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans – it has everything to do with the people.
And with that, I’ll turn it over to the Mayor.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. I want to affirm the statement you just made. You know, at the beginning of this process, I’m sure that there are many who would have predicted that Secretary Carson and I would not have been able to work together well and communicate and find common ground. But I want to thank Secretary Carson for his tremendous commitment to getting to an agreement. We put a lot of time in and I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary. I also want to thank your staff here and in Washington. I want to thank as well U.S. Attorney Berman and his team.
This has been going on for many weeks and it’s taken a lot of work, a lot of focus. The Secretary and I have met in person several times here and in Washington. We’ve spoken constantly on the phone. And I actually used to work at HUD – I know something about HUD. I want to say, this Secretary has shown me a level of focus and concern that I deeply appreciate. And most importantly, the 400,000 New Yorkers who live in public housing I know will appreciate because we were able to get to a cooperative and constructive outcome.
400,000 people who are the backbone of this city – I want to remind people, sometimes in the public discourse folks who live in public housing are stereotyped, and, I think, often stereotyped negatively and unfairly. They are the backbone of this city. They are every-day people who get up and work hard, many of them two jobs or more to keep this city running, and we owe it to them to provide them decent housing.
Secretary Carson and I inherited a situation that was many decades in the making, and I wish we didn’t. I wish that over those decades there had been consistent focus and support for public housing at all levels of government, but there was not. We inherited a very troubled situation. But we resolved from the beginning to do something different and to find a way to cooperate in the interest of the people. What we have done here today I think creates a strong path forward and a very tangible path forward. As we met, we were both committed to very specific goals that would change and improve the lives of public housing residents. There was equal commitment, it was not something that one side wanted and the other one didn’t. We both wanted tangible and specific goals and timelines. We wanted to make sure there would be results. And I want to thank the Secretary also because I know he believes in something I believe in, which is local control – the power and the accountability that comes with local decision-making.
I mentioned to the Secretary that just this week I was a town hall meeting in the Bronx, and NYCHA residents came up to me to talk about their concerns and issues, and that’s the way it should be, that they are demanding of their local leaders’ accountability and results. This agreement continues that and strengthens that.
The agreement was made possible also by tremendous hard work not only by members of the City Hall team, but also the Office of Management and Budget, Operations – a number of City agencies participated – but most especially, everyone at NYCHA. And I want to thank Stan Brezenoff, Vito Mustaciuolo, and their entire teams who worked tirelessly over many, many weeks to put together this agreement. But I especially want to thank them for the progress that has been made, and is real and tangible – the NYCHA 2.0 plan, the progress we’ve made in reducing heating outages and speeding along repairs and recovery from any outage. Real changes are happening at NYCHA and this plan will help them to happen faster.
Just a few quick points – we are 100 percent committed to providing the resources that we originally committed to back last summer. In over a 10-year timeframe, that is $2.2 billion in City money, and that is money that will be well spent on behalf of the people who live in NYCHA. This is on top of $4 billion in previous commitments we made that had nothing to do with the proceedings we’re addressing here, but were all about the commitment this City government feels to those residents.
We are going to continue with our new 2.0 plan, it is going to allow us to fully renovate 175,000 apartments. We need HUD’s cooperation through the RAD program. We know that we have to in each case win approval development by development, but we also know that the Secretary and his team are committed to the principles of the RAD program, and they’ve been very receptive to working with us.
And we see this as a partnership now. And I want to end on this note, we see this as a partnership to get things done for the residents. As we all talked – and I want to certainly include our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office when I say this – we kept talking about the goals we had to reach and how we could all help each other to get there, and this plan allows us to do it. It has created an atmosphere of partnership and a sense of shared destiny that will bent the 400,000 people who live in public housing.
PEOPLE DESERVE DECENT HOUSING: COHEN, DINOWITZ, AND ANGRY RESIDENTS DEMAND RESTORATION OF GAS SERVICE
On a cold afternoon, residents who have been without cooking gas for four months gathered at a rally organized by their local Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and District Leader Eric Dinowitz. Their demand was simple: restore this basic service without further delay.
Gas service was disrupted after Con Edison responded to a leak in September 2018. The landlord received a NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) work permit on October 19, 2018 as a result, but tenants reported that they have received no updates from the landlord on the necessary gas line repairs since. Tenants filed numerous complaints with NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), resulting in the issuance of 16 separate violations for failure to provide an adequate supply of cooking gas. The property is managed by Park Drive Management, and HPD lists Jonathan Hoch and Joseph Hoch as the respective managing agent and head officer for the building.
For months, tenants patiently waited for their landlord to make necessary repairs before finally exhausting their patience and soliciting the assistance of their local elected officials. Tenants have been encouraged to file complaints with the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) seeking rent reductions for decreased services.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “I understand that gas lines can be tricky and I don’t believe that any tenant realistically expected the service outage to be resolved overnight. However, it has been four months and it does not appear that we are any closer to a resolution than we were in September. This is unacceptable and tenants have every right to be outraged.”
Council Member Andrew Cohen said: “For a building to be without gas for over four months is not only unacceptable - it’s cruel! In this instance the permit to make repairs has been obtained, official complaints have been filed by the tenants, and more than a dozen violations have been issued by HPD- and yet nothing has been done.
District Leader Eric Dinowitz said: "He will be working with the other local elected officials to try to get the gas service restored as quick as possible."
Above and Below - Residents of 3804 Greystone Avenue tell what it has been like not having gas service in the building to cook with. Heat is being provided sparsely through an oil furnace as is the hot water. It does not appear to be a matter of trying to move rent controlled tenants out to convert to a coop like many surrounding buildings converted to coop buildings years ago.
Two Individuals Arrested For Fraud Targeting Actors And Others
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that THOMAS IRIGOYEN and NICHOLAS OFEI COFIE were charged with conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud actors in New York City and elsewhere. IRIGOYEN was arrested in California and will be presented today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the Central District of California, and COFIE was arrested in New York City and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses in federal court in Manhattan.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Irigoyen and Cofie preyed on actors in New York and elsewhere, falsely offering their victims the chance to act in commercials, and ‘paying’ them upfront fees with fictitious money orders or checks. The victims were then allegedly duped into paying phantom ‘wardrobe consultants’ by withdrawing funds against the bogus money orders, and left liable for the withdrawals. The defendants’ own alleged role-playing performances have earned them arrests on federal charges.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “As alleged, this fraudulent scheme, operating out of New York and California, sought to exploit the aspirations of young actors, defrauding them of thousands of dollars. These two individuals allegedly used professional actors, misled them for their own gain while crushing their dreams in the process. But now, thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement, they will face the consequences of their alleged crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “These charges reflect the increasingly sophisticated ways criminals target people eager to find success in new and potentially lucrative careers. Something that will never change, however, is the focused determination of the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to keep people safe by fighting crime wherever it may lurk – including in the dark corners of cyberspace. I thank the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District and Homeland Security Investigations, whose members helped us uncover and identify the individuals named in this complaint. Together, we demonstrate time and again that we are patient and that our collaborative forces have a long reach. We will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these types of operations and bring those who run them to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint sworn out in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Between approximately December 2016 and the present, IRIGOYEN and COFIE participated in a conspiracy that took advantage of aspiring actors. As part of the scheme, IRIGOYEN and COFIE offered aspiring actors the opportunity to act in a commercial, provided those actors with an upfront payment in the form of a fake money order or check, and persuaded the actors to withdraw money against the fake money orders or checks and to transfer a substantial portion of the withdrawn money to so-called “wardrobe consultants” via wire transfer, the mail, and converting the money into cryptocurrency.
In the end, the jobs promised to the actors were fictitious, the financial instruments provided to the actors were fake, and the wardrobe consultants were non-existent. The victims of the scheme were left liable for the value of the fake financial instruments they had deposited into and transferred out of their respective bank accounts.
In the course of the conspiracy, IRIGOYEN purchased postage and mailed more than 450 envelopes from fictitious production companies to actors. IRIGOYEN also received payments that actors believed they were sending to “wardrobe consultants.” A bank account controlled by COFIE was presented to at least one actor-victim as an account affiliated with a “wardrobe consultant.”
In addition to the scheme described above, COFIE is also charged with one count of wire fraud for his role in defrauding a female who was tricked into believing she was entering a romantic relationship with a third party and who then transferred thousands of dollars into bank accounts under COFIE’s control.
IRIGOYEN, 51, of Kingsburg, California, and COFIE, 36, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. COFIE is separately charged with an additional count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and NYPD.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Attorney General James Announces Groundbreaking Settlement With Sellers Of Fake Followers And “Likes” On Social Media
Settlement is First in the Country to Find that Selling Fake Followers and “Likes” Is Illegal Deception and that Fake Activity Using Stolen Identities Is Illegal Impersonation
Attorney General Letitia James announced a precedent-setting settlement over the sale of fake followers, “likes,” and views on social media platforms, including Twitter and YouTube, using fake activity from false accounts. The settlement prohibits Devumi LLC and related companies (“Devumi”) from engaging in any of the same misconduct going forward. This settlement marks the first finding by a law enforcement agency that selling fake social media engagement and using stolen identities to engage in online activity is illegal.
“Bots and other fake accounts have been running rampant on social media platforms, often stealing real people’s identities to carry out fraud,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “As people and companies like Devumi continue to make a quick buck by lying to honest Americans, my office will continue to find and stop anyone who sells online deception. With this settlement, we are sending a clear message that anyone profiting off of deception and impersonation is breaking the law and will be held accountable.”
The fake followers, “likes,” and other activity that Devumi sold came from computer-operated accounts (“bot accounts”) or by one person pretending to be many other people (“sock-puppet accounts”). Such accounts, found on social media platforms including Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, and Pinterest, pretended to express genuine opinions of real people, when they actually reflected false, paid-for activity aimed at deceiving online audiences and the public. Some activity Devumi sold came from fake accounts that copied real people’s social media pictures and profiles without the knowledge or consent of the person whose identity had been copied.
Devumi ceased operations in mid-2018, shortly after the commencement of the Attorney General’s investigation and related publicity caused a major decline in its sales.
The Attorney General’s findings on Devumi are as follows:
Devumi LLC and related companies owned by German Calas, Jr. – including DisruptX Inc.; Social Bull Inc.; and Bytion Inc. (collectively, “Devumi”) – sold fake followers, “likes,” views and other forms of online endorsement and activity to users of social media platforms. Devumi supplied the fraudulent activity using bot and sock-puppet accounts. These bot and sock-puppet accounts falsely pretended to express the genuine positive opinions of real people. In some instances, Devumi supplied fake accounts that copied real people’s social media profiles without consent, including their name and picture.
In addition, Devumi sold endorsements from social media influencers without disclosing that the influencers had been paid for their recommendations. This is especially troubling when considering that the opinions of influencers can have particularly strong influence over the reputation and sales for any product, company, service or person they endorse.
These business practices deceived and attempted to affect the decision-making of social media audiences, including: other platform users’ decisions about what content merits their own attention; consumers’ decisions about what to buy; advertisers’ decisions about whom to sponsor; and the decisions by policymakers, voters, and journalists about which people and policies have public support.
Devumi’s practices deceived some of the company’s own customers who mistakenly believed they were paying for authentic endorsements, while many other Devumi customers knew they were buying fake activity and endorsements. Devumi also deceived the social media platforms, which have policies prohibiting fake activity.