THE NEW
MACHINE THE BRONX ACTIVISTS BEHIND AOC ARE JUST GETTING STARTED
50 OVER FIFTY
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January 28, 2019
The Rules of Aging are Changing. AARP New York congratulates the 2019 50 Over 50 honorees for changing the conversation on aging, challenging outdated beliefs, and sparking new solutions so we can all choose how we live as we age. Join the conversation and inspire others to value people regardless of their age. disruptaging.aarp
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Let’s rethink aging.
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
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EDITOR’S NOTE
JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ has enjoyed an unprecedented level of news coverage for a first-term member of the House of Representatives, and not just because she ousted Joseph Crowley, the body’s then-No. 4 Democrat, en route to becoming the youngest woman elected to Congress. Since the elections, she has remained in the spotlight, thanks largely to her savvy use of social media. She has neutralized online distractions – a snarky tweet about her clothes, an old college video of her dancing, a fake nude selfie – even capitalizing on them to her advantage. More importantly, she has driven the national discourse with calls for universal health care, a “Green New Deal” and raising tax rates on America’s top earners to as high as 70 percent. But a more local story about her hasn’t been told: Who are the Bronx activists that got her elected? While the borough is heavily Democratic, it hasn’t had a strong reform movement and its party leadership has been criticized for excluding women and outsiders – making Ocasio-Cortez’s success there even more remarkable. In this week’s cover story, Bronx journalist Joseph Konig reports on the grassroots leaders who delivered us AOC – and who they’re looking to topple next.
CONTENTS NYC TO DC … 6
De Blasio’s eyes and ears in Washington
THE NEW BRONX WAVE … 10 The progressive activists behind Biaggi and AOC
50 OVER 50 … 16 The leaders who made New York
WINNERS & LOSERS … 62
CELESTE SLOMAN
Who was up and who was down last week
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January 28, 2019
Latest MTA MADNESS Under pressure from the governor not to impose a proposed fare hike, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board punted the issue by delaying the vote to February. While the MTA said the increase would provide needed funding, Cuomo questioned whether this was true and said any hike should be tied to service improvements. Another cause for MTA headaches are new reports that Cuomo’s reversal of the L train shutdown will still cause significant service disruptions without many of the alternatives originally proposed for the shutdown.
PROGRESSIVES ON THE MOVE It was another banner week for Democrats in Albany, who continued to pass long-stalled legislation with their new majority in the state Senate. On Tuesday, they passed the Reproductive Health Act, codifying abortion rights into state law. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law the same day. The next day, they passed the state DREAM Act, opening up state financial aid to young, undocumented immigrants going to college. It was renamed the Jose Peralta New York DREAM Act in honor of the late state senator who originally sponsored the bill. Additionally, the state Legislature passed a bill decoupling teacher evaluations from state test scores.
Back & Forth
A Q&A with Kasirer President
Suri Kasirer
The
Roger Stone, a longtime confidant to President Donald Trump, was arrested and indicted on Friday as part of the special counsel investigation. Federal prosecutors have charged him with seven counts, including lying to Congress and obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the arrest has nothing to do with Trump and downplayed Stone’s connection to the president.
Is it too soon to start thinking about 2021 in New York City? We all feel so steeped in the Bill de Blasio, Corey Johnson, Scott Stringer world, but it’s all going to look different with people in different places. I think it is the first time that this will be as significant. Obviously we had a big change in 2013, but it wasn’t as big as it will be. There were 31 new elected officials in 2013, and there will be 44 now. There were 22 new council members that were elected in 2013, but there will be 36 members that are termed out. So there will be a much, much smaller number that will be left out of the 51. In addition to that, we’ll have a new council speaker, all five borough presidents will be up, the mayor, the comptroller. Obviously we’ll have a new public advocate in the next few weeks, but that person will have to run again once that term is finished.
Kicker
“He really goes very far to make sure that productions come to New York – going as far as staging a prison break at Clinton.” — actor and director BEN STILLER, on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s support of the film industry and the prison break that inspired Stiller’s miniseries “Escape at Dannemora,” via The Associated Press Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email. Sign up at cityandstateny.com.
What kind of role will the next public advocate play? It’s going to be quite interesting that the public advocate, whoever that person is, will be in a situation of being a senior person in citywide office – perhaps one of the first times the public advocate will be tasked with keeping in check more than one mayor, because it’s a relatively new position. There are people talking about abolishing the public advocate, but the public advocate in 2021 might be a very significant person in the city of New York. Is this an argument against term limits? It is what it is. It’s a huge shake-up. It’s just a lot of change at once. Even if someone is for term limits, the question of having such a sea change at once, it’s a lot. And there’s not a lot of institutional memory, institutional history.
JAMES KIRKIKIS; PISAPHOTOGRAPHY; CORNELIUS O’DONOGHUE; KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK; KASIRER
The
GET ME ROGER STONE
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
NEW YORK’S TATTOOED LEGISLATORS TATTOOS MAY HAVE LOST a bit of their countercultural cred since then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the New York City Council legalized tattoo shops in 1997. In fact, there’s probably more ink than you think in the halls of power these days. Here’s a few politicians who weren’t afraid to commit to something permanent.
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BY JEFF COLTIN
JUSTIN BRANNAN The granddaddy of tattooed politicians, hardcore guitarist and now New York City Councilman Justin Brannan has tattoos covering both arms, plus some on his chest and neck. He even has the logo of the Finnish goth band HIM inked on his inner lip.
JEFF COLTIN; JULIA SALAZAR; RAFAEL ESPINAL JR.; JESSICA RAMOS; RAFAEL SALAMANCA JR.
JULIA SALAZAR Five tattoos adorn the new Brooklyn state senator. Three are nautically inspired: a sand dollar, a sea horse and a lighthouse. Then there’s an airplane on her bicep to honor her late father, a cargo pilot, and a rose on her shoulder – coincidentally the logo of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which she’s a member. “I just like the way it looks,” she said with a laugh. “It’s not a DSA thing, although I’ll take it! I don’t mind that significance.”
JESSICA RAMOS The newly elected Queens state senator has three tattoos: a crescent moon and stars on her ankle, two lines on her wrist, representing each of her boys, and on her forearm, Colombian indigenous Chibcha art, representing her family roots. She’s planning for more: a quote from Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus,” and, Ramos said, “Maybe I can convince (fellow Queens state Sen.) Toby (Ann) Stavisky to get the Unisphere with me.”
RAFAEL ESPINAL JR. The Brooklyn city councilman and public advocate candidate, known for championing the nightlife sector, has two tattoos. One says, “Alone, Together,” the title of a 2001 song by The Strokes. The other is a line from the visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s notebooks: “I feel like a citizen. It’s time to go and come back a drifter.” Espinal said, “I’m someone who tries to leave the city for a while to recharge and think about the work I’m doing, life in general.”
RAFAEL SALAMANCA JR. The Bronx city councilman and influential Land Use Committee chairman keeps it simple. “It was just a tattoo with my initials on it,” he said. “It’s nothing – I just wanted to get a tattoo.”
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ONALD TRUMP’S ELECTION as president put New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in an awkward position. On one hand, de Blasio vehemently opposed the man who he said sounded like “a Third World dictator” and whose tweets asserted multiple times that de Blasio was “the worst mayor in the United States.” On the other hand, Trump was living on Fifth Avenue, and it was the job of de Blasio’s government to protect the president-elect at all costs. “All costs” in the end meant $61 million spent on security for Trump in New York. And de Blasio was determined to get that money reimbursed by the federal government. Luckily for the mayor, he had a team in Washington to help him – a team very few other mayors have: the New York City Federal Affairs Office. The six-person office may be a little-known outpost of the sprawling de Blasio administration, but as City Hall wages a political war against Trump, this staff is the first line of defense – gathering intelligence, directing troops and setting up meetings with critical allies. “There’s a constant need and desire to make sure that we are influencing the process in D.C. so that no harm comes to New York City,” said Matthew McNally, the office’s director. “And so that we maximize the good outcomes for New York City.” These threats have come in waves since Trump was elected in November 2016. The city has faced a Republican Congress eager to cut funding streams to the city and a president who has taken aim at high-tax states like New York, sought to undermine reproductive and LGBT rights and repeatedly vilified immigrants, of which there are more than 3 million in New York City. De Blasio seemed wary a couple days after Trump was elected, saying that he expected challenges around reproductive rights and New York City’s status as a “sanctuary city,” but he struck a defiant tone. “We’re not going to take anything lying down,” de Blasio said. “Anything we see as a threat to New Yorkers, we will confront.” But Trump’s status as a native New Yorker initially offered a glimmer of optimism. “I take solace in the fact that the president-elect is a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker,” de Blasio said, “and I hope and trust he will remember the lessons of a life lived in New York City.” After two years of Trump, has the president’s New York roots ever helped the city? “No,” McNally said during an interview at the Washington office last month. “Hard no,” echoed McNally’s deputy, Rebecca Kagan Sternhell. The team works in nondescript fourth floor office a couple blocks from Union Station, the capital’s main train and bus station. The space serves as an oasis of New Yorkiness in the Washington swamp. There’s a New York City park bench at the office’s entrance underneath a genuine “Welcome to New York City” street sign. Photos of the city line the conference room, from the Fearless Girl to the Flatiron Building, and there’s an old FDNY call box on top of a filing cabinet. But the local touches have a limit – the TV plays C-SPAN, not NY1. In many ways, the federal affairs office is a typical lobbying operation. The staff keeps its ear to the ground to learn about proposals and rules that could affect their client, and coordinates a response. Often that response is a public comment, like one the office submitted in December opposing the proposed “public charge” rule change that would make it more difficult for some immigrants to receive legal status and could discourage them from seeking public services. New York City’s was just one of more than 200,000 comments submitted to the government. But sometimes the issues are more specific to New York, such as the $61 million in Trump Tower security costs. McNally led the city’s efforts to get its money back from the
Behi January 28, 2019
As the mayor wages a war on Washington, his agents in D.C. keep tabs on Trump’s government. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting last week in Washington, D.C. The mayor stays appraised of the goings-on in the nation’s capital through the work of the city’s Federal Affairs Office.
by J E F F C O L T I N
City & State New York
enemy
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BENJAMIN KANTER/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE
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McNally is an under-the-radar play
federal government. He pulled out all the stops, bringing House Appropriations Committee staff up to Manhattan to show them the security apparatus on Fifth Avenue. When de Blasio traveled to Washington in March 2017 to make his case in person, McNally guided the mayor as he met with the top lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee – Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen and Democrat Nita Lowey. In the end, New York got the vast majority of the security money that also went to Palm Beach, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, the sites of Trump’s other residences. It was a major win for McNally and his team on their first big job. Both he and Kagan Sternhell were appointed in January 2017, the week after Trump’s inauguration. They each make about $167,000 a year representing the city. Kagan Sternhell had bounced among government jobs for years, including a previous stint in the Washington office spanning both Michael Bloomberg’s and de Blasio’s mayoralities. Before rejoining the office, the California native was a deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Small Business Administration. McNally, who hails from Connecticut, had also bounced around political jobs in Washington. For a year, he worked as communications director for another tall, white progressive politician – U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. McNally is an under-the-radar player in de Blasio’s administration, rarely getting public attention, or mention from the mayor. His name wasn’t mentioned once during de Blasio’s 90-minute Jan. 17 press conference on the partial federal government shutdown. But the mayor appears to rely on his expertise in times of need. The mayor’s publicly released schedules show de Blasio on the phone regularly with McNally in 2017, including 14 calls in July 2017. The city was dealing with dueling threats that month. One, the proposed Faso-Collins amendment could have forced New York to reduce its funding for Medicaid. The other was a threat to cut federal policing grants to sanctuary cities like New York City. De Blasio threatened to sue the federal government over the policing grants, and a year later in July 2018, the city followed through on its threat. But by then, de Blasio’s contact with McNally – at least as revealed in the public schedules – dropped off precipitously. The mayor would go entire months – such as in February, April and June 2018 – without an official call or meeting with his director of federal affairs.
But the mayor reli If limiting contact with your man in Washington doesn’t sound like the actions of somebody gearing up for a presidential run, as de Blasio seems to be by courting national press and traveling to Iowa, McNally couldn’t tell you. “No,” he said with a laugh. “What the mayor mostly talks to us about is how to advocate for New York City best down here.” It’s no surprise that McNally was eager to deflect. De Blasio has a history of muddling the lines between political and government work, including in the realm of national politics. City Hall staffers worked to compile information for de Blasio’s now-defunct nonprofit, the Progressive Agenda Committee, Politico New York reported. And when de Blasio wanted to make a 2015 political trip to Washington, he asked staffers to find a governmental justification to pad his Progressive Agenda-focused schedule. They apparently couldn’t, and the trip was delayed. As much as de Blasio wants to have a national impact politically, he’s a rarity among mayors for having his own federal affairs team based in Washington. McNally said Los Angeles and Chicago are the only other cities with dedicated teams. Other cities rely on collectives like the U.S. Conference of Mayors and hire private lobbying firms to represent their interests. New York City has had a team in Washington since 1969, according to a 1991 New York Times article, which credited then-Mayor John Lindsay, himself a
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yer in de Blasio’s administration. Matthew McNally leads the New York City Federal Affairs Office. The office is relatively uncommon – Los Angeles and Chicago are the only other cities with dedicated teams in the nation’s capital.
sentatives for the State University of New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are based there too, for close access to the agencies that regulate them and the legislators that fund them. Cuomo’s team has been led by former lobbyist Alexander Cochran since 2012, but the office did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. McNally insisted that none of the personal animosity or political disagreements between the mayor and governor extend down to Washington. “We are just tight as a tick, because so many of our things are the same priorities,” McNally said of Cuomo’s office. “We talk all the time about whatever is facing New York City and New York state at that time.”
ies on his expertise in times of need. former congressman, with the office’s creation. The office seems to have taken on a different character with each administration. Gale Brewer, now Manhattan borough president, was director of federal affairs in New York City under then-Mayor David Dinkins and recalled focusing on winning federal grants and building relationships with other big-city mayors. The office was quieter during Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s tenure, as he largely ignored the federal government, according to a 2002 New York Times story, even as the city saw money roll in under President Bill Clinton. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who already knew about federal lobbying from running his company, beefed up the Washington office – but that brought its own problems. “I found Bloomberg’s people extremely arrogant,” said Rob Gottheim, who has worked for Rep. Jerrold Nadler for more than 20 years. “De Blasio’s people, they’re an open door.” The office, which prizes itself on collaboration, has seen some changes in recent years. Max Sevillia, who was appointed to lead the Washington office at the beginning of de Blasio’s first term, was replaced by Andrea Zuniga in 2016. Zuniga resigned after less than a year and McNally took over. Their office is mere blocks from the Hall of the States, an office building near the Capitol that hosts state governments’ federal affairs offices, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s. Repre-
What’s facing New York is always changing. One month it’s the state and local tax deduction cap, the next it’s proposed cuts to food stamps. Looking ahead, according to a document shared with City & State outlining the city’s federal priorities, the office is focused on securing more funding for public housing in an infrastructure spending plan. De Blasio and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson met twice in December to discuss the future of the New York City Housing Authority, which the federal government has threatened to take over. The pair had agreed to give the city until the end of January to come up with a plan, but the government shutdown halted negotiations. Last month, McNally had been optimistic about New York City’s fate in Washington: Democrats had won a House majority, elevating New Yorkers to key committee posts and giving the party a much larger influence over the federal budget. As the shutdown lingered into January, de Blasio had to confront a new threat from Washington. At a Jan. 17 press conference, he was once again thrust into an awkward position of publicly appealing to a former constituent. “I have to give a message to a New Yorker who, at this moment, is creating horrible pain for the people of his hometown,” de Blasio said. “A president is supposed to protect us. You’re making it worse.”
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RUMBLE in theBRONX The borough’s grassroots progressives broke through with stunning upset victories by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Alessandra Biaggi. Can they keep the insurgency going?
by J O S E P H K O N I G
COREY TORPIE/ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ; MOON BABY PHOTO/ALESSANDRA BIAGGI FOR STATE SENATE
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ROGRESSIVE GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS gained a significant foothold in the Bronx in 2018 with the election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi – and they say it’s just the beginning. The grassroots community now hopes to capitalize on the momentum of their victories and establish the infrastructure needed to keep their outsider movement growing. “The Bronx is where it’s at,” said Mia Pearlman, a co-founder of True Blue NY, a statewide coalition of local Democratic groups with the goal of keeping Republicans and conservative Democrats out of power in Albany. “That’s going to be a very exciting place for grassroots politics, and to develop candidates.” A groundswell of volunteer-driven organizations emerged in the Bronx after the 2016 election, inspired by Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, discouraged by a divided Albany in blue New York, or both. For many, believing that the Bronx Democratic Party leadership did not do enough to educate and involve its voters, their chief complaint is less about policy than procedure. “The leaders of the Democratic Party organization in the Bronx are, as a group, not committed to transparency and openness and activism at all,” said Diana Finch, a Northeast Bronx Biaggi supporter and a veteran of Sanders’ 2016 campaign. “Just try to look at their website. Try to find out information about the county committee. It’s impossible.” So new groups dedicated to educating and activating a disengaged populace came together. Now, with electoral successes under their belts, these groups are expanding, plotting out future elections and establish-
City & State New York
ing offshoots to focus on training the progressive campaign workers of the future. In just two years, in a borough characterized by one of New York’s most entrenched political machines, these activists have emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Unlike many of the progressive reformers who have battled machines in more gentrified boroughs, the activists aren’t affluent white newcomers to the neighborhood. There are relatively few lawyers or marketing professionals among them. Most work for social service organizations or other local nonprofits, with a few local small-business owners mixed in. They say they are committed to continuing the work of the previous election cycle into the next one and beyond, but how they will affect politics and policy, and whether they can replicate their startling success of 2018 remains an open question. THE BRONX, despite being New York City’s poorest and least white borough, is not nearly as liberal as it may seem from the outside. And critics say it isn’t welcoming of fresh blood. Since the so-called Rainbow Rebellion of 2008, when the party’s current leadership ousted Assemblyman Jose Rivera as party chairman, the demographic makeup of Bronx officials has better reflected the borough’s. Still, critics argue, the new leadership, now a decade in power, can be insular and resistant to change. Until recently, Bronx Democratic Party Chairman Marcos Crespo opposed same-sex marriage, while socially conservative Democrats like New York City Councilmen Fernando Cabrera and Rubén Díaz Sr. still hold office. Choosing your own successor is
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and Alessandra Biaggi, right, pulled off two of the most shocking victories in recent New York history in last year’s primaries. The progressives unseated two established Democrats: Rep. Joseph Crowley, one of the most powerful Democrats in the nation, and state Sen. Jeff Klein, who had until recently led the influential Independent Democratic Conference. Neither challenger received support from the Democratic Party, and instead relied on grassroots efforts.
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common practice for Bronx activist Michael Beltzer, departing elected ofwho founded Local ficials in the Bronx. Democrats of New That is why the vicYork, campaigned tories of Biaggi and with OcasioOcasio-Cortez were Cortez and Biaggi. such a shock to the system. The groups that backed Biaggi and Ocasio-Cortez before their primary victories did so when it meant going against deeply entrenched institutions and two of the most powerful men in the state. Losing meant ostracization and winning was hard to imagine. Ocasio-Cortez ousted Joseph Crowley, then the fourth-ranking Democrat in House of Representatives. Biaggi helped deliver the state Senate to Democrats by toppling Jeff Klein, who led the Independent Democratic Conference that caucused with Republicans – until a hasty reunification deal was struck in April 2018. “It is because of hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of volunteers from around this district and many politically courageous organizations … it is because of all of you, I am standing here today,” Biaggi said at the inauguration in her district on Jan. 6. “It took an entire community to unlearn the old ways of being to make this happen today. It took an entire community rediscovering their power and their voice.” Establishment support for Ocasio-Cortez was virtually nonexistent. Biaggi had a little more help with endorsements from liberal Democrats outside of the district, including New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, but not a single Bronx official backed Biaggi over Klein. Instead, powerful Bronx officials like Crespo, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz endorsed Klein despite his inconsistent relationship with Democrats in Albany and the sexual harassment allegation that surfaced in January 2018. “There’s a reason the Bronx is what it is,” South Bronx transit and housing activist Ramona Ferreyra told City & State. “(The Bronx Democratic Party) is male-led, condescending of a lot of women, extremely out of touch with the needs of the community and very selective in who they want to support.”
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Without the support of the party establishment, the progressive victories of 2018 came on the backs of volunteers with little power or influence – until now. Northwest Bronx Indivisible was founded in the wake of the 2016 presidential election and worked closely with the Biaggi campaign. The group will now transition to working with statewide organizations to lobby the upcoming state Senate health care hearings, co-founder David Knapp told City & State. Bronx Progressives, a 150-member group focused on local organizing, emerged in 2016 from the New York Progressive Action Network, a coalition of progressive groups in New York state, and Our Revolution, the national progressive advocacy organization founded by veterans of Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. The founders of Bronx Progressives themselves were Sanders sup-
porters, including Finch and Samelys Lopez, a lifelong Bronxite who previously served on Bronx Community Board 7. “After that election, we decided to stick together to basically organize and promote a progressive, but more importantly grassroots, agenda throughout the Bronx,” Lopez said. Lopez remembers seeing Ocasio-Cortez around the Sanders’ campaign’s Bronx office, where the now-congresswoman was an organizer. Later, when they ran into each other at a New York Progressive Action Network conference, Lopez invited Ocasio-Cortez to join the group. Ocasio-Cortez did, and they’ve worked together ever since. In October, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign and Bronx Progressives held a forum on criminal justice that featured the candidate and activists like Black Lives Matter of Greater New York President Hawk Newsome. “She was basically talking about all the issues that we care about,” Lopez said. “She’s a movement candidate.” Bronx Progressives endorsed only one other candidate in the 2018 cycle: Biaggi. They made phone calls, knocked on doors and educated Bronx voters about the IDC and liberal state legislative priorities like the Reproductive Health Act. After the primaries, the Bronx Progressives went throughout the city and state to campaign for other BIAGGI progressive candidates, such as An-
“It is because of hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of volunteers from around this district and many politically courageous organizations … it is because of all of you I am standing here today.” – STATE SEN. ALESSANDRA
MICHAEL BELTZER; JOHN MCCARTEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
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drew Gounardes, who knocked out a Republican state senator in Brooklyn, and Assemblywoman Christine Pellegrino, who ultimately lost her seat in Long Island. Now, Lopez wants to organize around local issues like landlord abuses and bail reform, while working on getting more people involved in the civic process. That way, the next time an election comes around, voters will be more knowledgeable and already active. “We’re going to keep getting people excited in participating in the political process,” Lopez said, “because the more people you have invested and participating in it, the stronger our political ecosystem is.”
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“(The Bronx Democratic Party) is male-led, condescending of a lot of women, extremely out of touch with the needs of the community and very selective in who they want to – RAMONA FERREYRA, SOUTH BRONX support.” TRANSIT AND HOUSING ACTIVIST
LIKE THE CANDIDATES they supported, many of the activists that helped fuel the Biaggi and Ocasio-Cortez campaigns felt spurned by the Bronx establishment. In interviews with City & State, they said they now feel empowered by their successes in 2018 and plan on engaging more new participants in the often-overlooked, low-turnout Democratic primary elections. Some are looking to change the machine from the inside out. Lopez’s partner, Michael Beltzer, founded Local Democrats of New York in 2018. The group is focused on educating and training Democrats on how to get involved with their county committees and community boards. Beltzer, a Parkchester resident and the owner of Bronx Beards, a line of beard oils, spent the past year training people to run for community boards, county committees and other elected offices. According to Beltzer, the Bronx Democratic Party has little interest in fostering an active and informed Democratic base, preferring instead to keep power consolidated among a chosen few. In September, Lopez and Beltzer, along with others, disrupted a Bronx Democratic Party meeting with a series of motions and proposed amendments involving the committee’s transparency and party rules. Their efforts earned them the public mockery of Dinowitz, the party’s secretary, who emceed the meeting. “They’ve always wanted to make it personal,” Beltzer said of his often-antagonistic relationship with party leaders like Dinowitz and Crespo. Beltzer insists that he has no personal animus toward his adversaries, but is motivated purely by a desire Activists say New to further democratize York City Councilthe county commitman Rubén Díaz tee. “It wasn’t so much Sr., a socially conthat it’s the person. It’s servative pastor, is what’s been going on next on their list of lawmakers to oust. with the power and
where the power has been siding with. It hasn’t been siding with the people in the community as much as it should.” In a last-minute effort, Beltzer and Lopez tried to get themselves elected to the party’s executive committee, but were defeated by voice vote. Their allies who ran as vice chairs met the same fate. The one concession they did get was that the rules committee agreed to consider a series of amendments that would allow for more input from committee members, including a requirement that the county committee meet at least twice a year, as opposed to once every two years. Nearly four months later, Beltzer has heard nothing from the committee. “The best way to get people educated and actually effective, is to have more meetings,” Beltzer said of the 1,600-per-
son committee. The more engaged people are, Beltzer argued, the better candidates the party will produce. “The way that they traditionally support candidates should be opened up to the committee’s approval, but that’s not happening,” Beltzer said. “Right now the county leader just decides … these are the people we’re going to endorse and then they get all the money.” While Beltzer works at democratizing the institution from the inside, other veterans of the 2018 campaigns are working to build structures outside of the official Bronx Democratic Party. Ilona Duverge is planning on launching a “movement school” with ambitious aspirations. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Duverge got involved in Bronx politics at 19.
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movement in the Bronx. “The Bronx has emerged as a bastion of progressive thought and activism,” Torres told City & State. “Biaggi’s victory reshaped politics in New York state. (Ocasio-Cortez’s) victory has reshaped politics in the United States.” Despite his kinship with the progressive grassroots, Torres does not see the county committee as the bogyman some in the activism community do. “As a Bronx elected, who is known to agitate, who is known to cause trouble … I have never had to face resistance to advancing the causes I care about,” Torres said. “I’m not clear that your standing with the county organization is predictive with how closely you cooperate with advocates on the ground. It depends on the individual.” In response to questions from City & State for this article, Bronx – NEW YORK CITY COUNCILMAN RITCHIE TORRES Democratic Party Political Director Daniel Johnson said elected officials’ “progressive values and Cabrera’s anti-LGBT stance and 2014 trip people because I’m not trying to build more deep commitment to our communities” to Uganda, where he praised the Ugandan followers, I’m trying to build more leaders,” had brought prosperity to the borough, citgovernment’s internationally condemned Duverge said. “And I want those leaders to ing “billions of dollars in infrastructure investment,” low unemployment figures, anti-LGBT laws, stood out as particular- come from these communities.” New York City Councilman Ritchie education aid increases in the state budget ly egregious in her mind. Abreu, a lawyer who worked for Democrats on the House Torres, a young progressive with aspira- and “record funding for public projects.” Judiciary Committee and in President tions for higher office, was frequently cited Johnson did not address specific questions Barack Obama’s U.S. Department of Ener- by grassroots activists as an example of about the inclusiveness of the party organigy, is a progressive who is now working on an ideal Bronx politician. In turn, he was zation or the role conservative Democrats equally complimentary of the progressive play in the party. “Despite the unfortuthe “Green New Deal” for Ocasio-Cortez. After Abreu’s campaign, Duverge linked up with Ocasio-Cortez, running Bronx field strategy for her challenge to Crowley leading up to the June congressional primary. After that victory, she migrated to the Biaggi campaign for the September state primary, before once again returning to the Ocasio-Cortez campaign as deputy organizing director at the end of the election cycle. She was proud of her successes but walked away with concerns about the talent pool of campaign operatives native to the Bronx. “I kept thinking to myself, Ilona Duverge from Scranton, Pennsylvania, should not be running field in the Bronx,” Duverge, now 21, told City & State. “Campaign leadership staff is very male and very white. It just didn’t sit right with me the fact that some white guys from Brooklyn were trying to tell us how to run a campaign in the Bronx.” Duverge is starting a 501(c)(4) nonprofit called Organize for Justice, a sister organization of Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that recruited Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive canBronx City didates for congresCouncilman sional seats across the Fernando Cabrera country. Within Orearned activists’ ganize for Justice, Duire for praising the verge plans on running anti-LGBT laws in a movement school to Uganda. While studying forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Duverge worked on Randy Abreu’s unsuccessful primary challenge to New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera in 2017. Cabrera’s conservative views reflected poorly on the Bronx, Duverge thought.
help train organizers on how to be campaign managers, field directors and communication directors. Her goal is to train 10,000 activists in 2019, beginning with “10 intensive boot camps in New York City,” according to a draft proposal obtained by City & State. “I want to forge that path for other
“The Bronx has emerged as a bastion of progressive thought and activism. Biaggi’s victory reshaped politics in New York state. (Ocasio-Cortez’s) victory has reshaped politics in the United States.”
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WILLIAM ALATRISTE, EMIL COHEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
nate agenda of a few Bronx activists have their sights who choose to sow on City Councildivision over unity, man Mark Gjonaj, Bronx Democrats who they say is too have worked together cozy with the real to bring unprecedentestate industry. ed growth to our borough,” Johnson wrote in an email. “Chairman Crespo welcomes all of his newly elected colleagues and he is looking forward to working with them and everyone else to continue delivering progressive change for the Bronx.” FOLLOWING THEIR DRAMATICALLY successful 2018, Bronx grassroots activists say they are willing to work with establishment and centrist Democrats to pass progressive legislation. No longer will a Republican majority in the state Senate, empowered by the IDC, be able to delay ethics reform or the Reproductive Health Act. If they can deliver on these and other issues, the incumbents can make peace with the insurgents. “It’s a new day and we need to enter this giving people the benefit of the doubt,” said Pearlman, of True Blue NY. But those who stand in the way of their agenda may face primary challenges. “I’m interested to see how it plays out over these next two years, to see if they get that courage and learn from Alexandria and Alessandra,” Duverge said, speaking generally of Bronx politicians aligned with the party machine. “Hopefully, other people start turning around or, if not, we’re voting them out and I’m not sorry about it.” Biaggi seems to hold the same view. In her inaugural address, she called for the end of “cynical and dismissive leadership” and warned that those who did not heed the message might go the way of her primary opponent. “The time for intimidation and arm-twisting as the main way things are done is over,” Biaggi said. “And those who rely on these methods, instead of good faith transparency, will find their time as public servants may come to an end very soon.” While most Bronx officials will have a grace period, some are already past the point of redemption in the mind of the Bronx activists and many are not willing to name names quite yet. But some are. “Mark Gjonaj,” Duverge said when asked who could next draw the ire of the grassroots. “He definitely, definitely has to go.” The New York City councilman’s name came up more frequently than any other Bronx elected official in discussions with progressive activists. He is a centrist and too cozy with the real estate industry, they said. He’s a real estate developer himself, and he accepted more money from the real estate industry than anyone else in the 2017 City Council elections. Gjonaj has floated the expansion of a federal program that
would allow private developers to take over the operation of NYCHA buildings. In the past few months, it has been reported that Gjonaj used campaign funds for a lawsuit against the city, city funds to hire donors to renovate his district office and personal funds to go into business with the owners of a trash hauling company while proposing industry-friendly legislation. “As a Democrat, Councilman Gjonaj will continue fighting for the values of our party and community,” Gjonaj’s chief of staff Reginald Johnson told City & State in a statement. “With new majorities in both Congress and the state senate, he looks forward to advancing Democratic values and principles to keep our community cleaner, safer and better.” Activists who spoke to City & State took particular exception to his actions during the Klein-Biaggi primary. Gjonaj and Klein are longtime friends with an intertwined political, personal and financial relationship that stretches back decades, as City & State documented in a profile of Klein last year. In a now infamous video, Gjonaj can be seen yelling “Shame! Shame! Shame!” through a bullhorn outside of a Biaggi campaign event last August. At the time, Gjonaj told Gothamist he was upset about Biaggi’s support of a proposed pedestrian safety improvement plan that was opposed by local groups. “Gjonaj is a creature of Jeff Klein and the IDC and the worst elements of the Bronx machine that was in deep cahoots with the IDC,” Democratic operative Gus
Christensen said. Christensen is the chief strategist for the progressive grassroots organization No IDC NY that helped recruit and support the primary challengers to the eight IDC members in 2018. “He’s corrupt. He’s a harasser. Why is this man serving the people of the Bronx?” Activists also identified New York City Councilman Rubén Díaz Sr. – a Pentecostal minister who is vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion – as a potential target. Despite his district’s overwhelming support of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, Díaz Sr. supported no candidate and has praised President Donald Trump. When asked if his views on abortion and same-sex marriage would hurt him in such a deeply blue district, Díaz Sr. was unconcerned, arguing that his personal popularity and record of delivering for his district’s needs have been demonstrated by his electoral success and will continue to protect him. “They overwhelmingly voted for me too,” Díaz Sr. told City & State. “I’m the one that’s helping people. I’m talking to people to protect the community and to help the community.” Gjonaj and Díaz Sr. won’t go down easy. And not every year will be as successful as 2018 was for progressive grassroots activists. But a new era of organizing has dawned in the Bronx and those who are driving it plan on sticking around for the long haul.
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Joseph Konig is a journalist based in the Bronx.
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OVER FIFTY The leaders who made New York profiles
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Four years ago, former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum asked us why City & State only honors people under 40. From this innocent question, City & State’s annual 50 Over 50 Awards were born. This is the fourth year we have partnered with AARP in honoring 50 leaders who have distinguished themselves by helping New York in civic affairs. From crime prevention to education reform to vital nonprofit work, we are highlighting a wide array of leaders – some widely known and others who have become influential behind the scenes. In this issue and at a gala event on Jan. 29, we recog-
k ay d e rv i s h i nize and thank these 50 people for making our city the greatest big city in America. We also highlight the work of 10 Lifetime Achievement award winners, including longtime Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez, New York City First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, former New York City Public Advocate Mark Green and six other great New Yorkers. If you know of a colleague or another New Yorker who deserves to be on this list next year, please email me: tallon@cityandstateny.com. Tom Allon, City & State President and Publisher
l i f e t i m e ac h i e v e m e n t p o r t r a i t g a l l e ry
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Congratulations to Patrick Purcell Jr. on being chosen as one of City and State’s 50 Over Fifty
Patrick Purcell Jr. Executive Director Greater New York / New York State Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust
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Nydia Velázquez
C ong r e ss wom a n Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s interest in politics goes back to her childhood in Puerto Rico. She was inspired by her father, a sugar cane worker who became a political activist, organizing fellow workers to ask for better conditions. “Later on, I connected the dots,” she said. “If you wanted to bring fairness, change, you needed to put in energy and effort.” After earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico, Velázquez received a scholarship to New York University. Several years later she made her foray into New York politics, eventually becoming the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress and the first Latina to chair a full congressional committee. Over the course of her 25 years in Congress, Velázquez has worked on a variety of measures – most recently advocating on behalf of Puerto Rico for relief funding in the wake of Hurricane Maria. “I remember at the beginning, when some of the members kept saying ‘congressman’ and I kept telling them, ‘congresswoman, practice it, because we’re going to be here for years to come,’” she said.
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Joseph Crowley
Chairman Queens Democratic Party During his two decades in the House of Representatives, former Rep. Joseph Crowley held powerful positions as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Ways and Means Committee. “It’s an honor and a privilege to represent almost three-fourths of a million people in the House of Representatives,” he said. His efforts helping to pass the Affordable Care Act and the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to assist 9/11 survivors and workers are among his proudest accomplishments. While Crowley’s time in Congress has ended – he lost his seat to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the primary last year – he continues to have a political impact on New York as chairman of the Queens Democratic Party. Asked to weigh in on his successor and the future of the 14th Congressional District, Crowley said: “I think that none of us owns the seat that we are elected to. I think we need to take the time to recognize we’re there on behalf of the people, not just one particular sector of the society but all people.”
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Greenberg Traurig congratulates our own Mark S. Weprin, for being recognized on City & State’s 2019 “50 over 50” list. We congratulate all the honorees for their achievements and thank City and State for its service.
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Meet the Real Power of the Labor Movement;
The Rank and File
Latonya Crisp Recording Sec’y
Earl Phillips Sec’y Treasurer
Tony Utano President
TWU Local 100 | Union Headquarters | 195 Montague Street | Brooklyn, NY 11201 | Tony Utano, President
Nelson Rivera Administrative VP
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
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Alfonse D’Amato
Fou n de r a n d M a nag i ng d i r e c t or Park Strategies In the 1970s, when gas shortages plagued the country, Alfonse D’Amato was the supervisor of Hempstead on Long Island. Concerned about residents who depended on their vehicles to get around, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Sen. Jacob Javits. But Javits was not available, and instead D’Amato was relegated to speaking with a disinterested aide. “I said to myself, this is not what we should have in terms of representation,” he said. The experience inspired D’Amato to run for the Senate. He won a seat he would end up holding for 18 years, and at one point was dubbed “Senator Pothole” for his focus on constituent services. He took the nickname in stride, remembering the experiences he had as a local official. “We never let partisan politics get in the way,” he said, reflecting on the work of New York lawmakers. He pointed to one success in particular: a 1991 transportation bill he worked on with Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, which set aside money for highway construction and mass transit.
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Dean Fuleihan
F i r s t D e p u t y M ay o r New York City During his 33 years working in the Assembly, Dean Fuleihan was the “right-hand man” of Speaker Sheldon Silver and the go-to adviser on the state budget. He took on a similar role in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, before stepping into his current role. “I do very much enjoy dealing with budgets and the problems that poses and the challenges that poses,” Fuleihan said. “It gives you an opportunity to help in the development of policy, just to do it in a fiscally responsible way.” Asked to describe his proudest professional achievement, Fuleihan pointed to the many measures he has worked on during his decadeslong career – among them recent successes like universal pre-K and improved high school graduation rates. “In a time and period where people are very negative about what government can accomplish, but I think we’re showing here, under this mayor, that we can make accomplishments and we can do so in a responsible way,” he said.
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Congratulations to all of City & State’s 50 over Fifty honorees who have committed their lives to making New York a better place. A special salute to our Founder & President Mike Klein!
Urban Strategies LLC provides strategic planning, advocacy counsel, and government affairs consulting to major companies, non-profit organizations, and cause-related efforts.
To learn more, visit www.urbanstrategiesllc.com or email Mike Klein at mike@urbanstrategiesllc.com
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Mark Green
F o r m e r N e w Yo r k C i t Y P u bl iC A dvo C At e One evening during his second year of law school, Ralph Nader called Mark Green to offer him a job with the advocacy organization Public Citizen. The conversation not only led to Green working as one of Nader’s Raiders – a group of activists who investigated the Federal Trade Commission – but also inspired him to work in politics. Nearly 50 years later, Green is best known for being New York City’s first public advocate. He has also authored or edited 23 books, served as president of Air America Radio and worked on several presidential campaigns. “While I’ve been a pretty consistent progressive advocate, I’ve done it in a pretty eclectic way,” he said. Some argue that it is better to be an advocate than a politician, but Green said he enjoys both roles. Green said many of his proudest accomplishments come from his work in city government, including changes he and his staff were able to bring after suing then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani over police misconduct records, his push for the removal of cigarette vending machines and giving women more rights in divorce proceedings.
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FIGHTING
— FOR THE —
HEALTHCARE NEW YORKERS
DESERVE!
SAFE STAFFING SAFE RATIOS SAVE LIVES RATIOS
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Lorraine Grillo
P r e s i d e n t a n d C eO New York City School Construction Authority A couple of months after Lorraine Grillo started working at the New York City School Construction Authority in 1994, she visited P.S. 721 in Queens – a newly built school for students with disabilities. The experience solidified her love for her work. “Watching the joy on their (the children’s) faces was the best compensation you could possibly want,” she said. Grillo has since become president and CEO of the School Construction Authority and was recently appointed commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Under her leadership, the SCA produced more than 75,000 new school seats and opened 35 pre-K centers in less than six months. She also started the Opportunity Academy, a training program for youth interested in working in construction administration. “Construction is a really, really great profession,” said Grillo, who divides her day between her two roles. “Why? Because you get to see and feel and touch the result of your work. So even if you work in the back office, you know you had a part in building something very special.”
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CONGRATS To Our Members! ALL THE HONOREES OF CITY & STATE ’S 50 OVER 50
FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT THE NEW YORK BUILDING CONGRESS
For more information about the Building Congress and to join our growing membership, visit buildingcongress.com or call 212-481-9230
@bdgcongress @NewYorkBuildingCongress
The Doe Fund family congratulates our Executive Vice President & Co-Founder
Harriet Karr-McDonald on being recognized by City & State for her outstanding work in changing the lives of formerly incarcerated and homeless men in NYC. Congratulations to all of the 50 Over Fifty awardees!
The Doe Fund’s mission is to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism by providing holistic services, housing, and work opportunities.
www.doe.org
January 28, 2019
Carolyn Maloney
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C ong r e ss wom a n A record 127 congresswomen are now serving in the House of Representatives after the historic 2018 midterm elections. But when Rep. Carolyn Maloney and fellow Lifetime Achievement honoree Rep. Nydia Velazquez joined the House in 1993, there were fewer than half that number. Maloney was the first woman to chair the Joint Economic Committee and – during her time on the New York City Council – the first councilwoman to give birth while in office. “Thanks to the women and like-minded men who came before and supported me, I was able to be part of a movement to shatter that glass ceiling in the male-dominated world of New York City politics,” she said. After 25 years in Congress, Maloney’s key accomplishments include passing a law to provide various services to first responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks and helping to secure federal funding for the Second Avenue subway. “If you’re passionate about the bill you’re trying to pass,” she said, “you have to keep looking forward and rise above the fray.”
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Keith Wright
D i r e c t or , G ov e r n m e n t r e l at io ns G r ou p Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP Keith Wright was only 8 years old when he joined the March on Washington with his parents, who often took him picketing for civil rights. When the Harlem native saw news reports about protests he had attended, he realized he was doing important work. He was inspired to pursue a career in public service. Wright served in the Assembly for 24 years and chaired various committees, including housing, social services and labor, among others. He worked on bills to help protect tenants’ rights as well as end the practice of requiring fingerprints from food stamp recipients. Several years ago, Wright led fellow tenants at Riverton Houses in Harlem in suing the landlord for illegally increasing rents. “One thing I learned early on is if you get 75 percent of what you want, that’s a good deal,” Wright said. Earlier in his career, Wright worked for the Manhattan borough president’s office and New York City Transit. Since 2017, he has been the director of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron’s government relations group.
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on behalf of
CORDO & CO. we congratulate
JOHN CORDO and all of the honorees for
CITY & STATE’S 50 OVER 50
G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S & L AW AGILITY - EXPERIENCE – RESULTS NEW YORK BUSINESSES | UNIONS | TRADE ASSOCIATIONS | NOT-FOR-PROFITS www.cordolaw.com 119 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210
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John Miller
Deputy Com m ission er of i ntelligenCe a n D Cou nterter ror ism NYPD Growing up as the son of a journalist, John Miller dreamed of becoming a reporter with WNEW-TV and CBS’ “60 Minutes.” But he was also inspired by author Robert Daley – a former deputy commissioner of the New York City Police Department – and decided he would like to pursue a career in law enforcement as well. In the end, Miller fulfilled both dreams. He worked at the stations that had been on his radar growing up, as well as at ABC News, where he interviewed Osama Bin Laden in 1998. But he interspersed his journalism work with various roles in law enforcement – at the NYPD, LAPD and FBI. In his most recent move, in 2014, Miller left CBS to take a position as head of New York City’s counterterrorism operations. “I thought, ‘What would it be like on the other side of the yellow tape? In the inner perimeter?’” he said. “And that was kind of an extension of, ‘Why sit in the front row when you could sit in the ring?’”
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Michael Zetlin
S e n i o r Pa r t n e r Zetlin & De Chiara LLP Michael Zetlin was prepared to follow in the footsteps of his father, Lev Zetlin, a world-famous engineer who left his mark on New York City with projects like the Roosevelt Island Tramway and the New York State Pavilion in Queens. But when he watched his father testify in a construction failure case, he became fascinated with the law. Zetlin – who holds degrees in both engineering and law – combined the two fields to become a construction lawyer. Since founding the law firm Zetlin & De Chiara LLP with Michael De Chiara in 1992, he has represented clients like American Airlines and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Zetlin had a few words of advice for young people entering his field: “Recognize that as a construction lawyer, you are a pivotal player in shaping the landscape of this city. Whether the construction is related to a tunnel, an airport, a power plant, a museum, an office building or a condominium, your efforts are instrumental for project success.”
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Jonathan Abady
F o u n d i n g Pa r t n e r Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP “I chose the law because I wanted a profession that would allow me to engage as an activist in the world,” Jonathan Abady said. The civil rights attorney represented the family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy fatally shot by Cleveland police in 2014, and is one of the lead lawyers in class-action lawsuits that led to reform on Rikers Island. Named one of the Best Lawyers in America, Abady has represented high-profile clients, including Harry Belafonte and Carl Bernstein.
January 28, 2019
Omar Alvarellos
Vi c e P r e s i d e n t Kasirer Prior to joining lobbying firm Kasirer in 2008, Omar Alvarellos worked in Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration – acting as a City Hall liaison and helping formulate policy on community relations and development issues. As director of New York City government affairs for Keyspan Energy, one of the nation’s largest distributors of natural gas, he led the company’s government relations strategy on environmental issues, such as brownfield remediation and the cleanup of manufactured gas plant sites.
CONGRATULATES OUR PRESIDENT DR. JOANNE PASSARO AND ALL THE RECIPIENTS OF CITY AND STATE NEW YORK’S 2018 50 OVER 50 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD mcny.edu | 212.343.1234 MCNY is a non-profit institution
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LESLIE KAHAN; DON POLLARD; BOB SACHA; BROOKLYN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
METROPOLITAN COLLEGE OF NEW YORK
January 28, 2019
Sarah Bartlett
Dean Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY Under Sarah Bartlett’s leadership, CUNY’s journalism school secured a $20 million endowment from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. The funding will help the school further its mission of educating the next generation of journalists. An accomplished journalist who has worked at Fortune and The New York Times, Bartlett said young journalists “have to be prepared for long hours and low pay, and they have to be self-directed learners, as the tools of the trade are changing constantly.”
Congratulations to this year’s NYC 50 Over 50 Honorees, especially Kasirer team member Omar Alvarellos! Kasirer is the #1 lobbying and government relations firm in New York. We advocate on behalf of a wide range of clients who seek local expertise in navigating the City. We advance our clients’ goals—building coalitions and consensus and influencing decision-makers in the dynamic political landscape that defines New York. And our team of professionals, whose careers intersect at politics, policy and government, achieve victory on behalf of our clients with an unwavering commitment to the highest standard of ethics in the industry.
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Hector Batista
P r e s i D e n t a n D C eO Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Hector Batista is just beginning his tenure as head of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, but his history in Brooklyn economic development goes back several decades. In the 1980s, he worked with former Borough President Howard Golden to help develop the borough’s MetroTech Center office complex. His advice to people entering the profession? “Don’t put so much focus on the job description. Be open and take on any challenge at your company,” he said.
Kasirer LLC Suri Kasirer Megan Wylie Julie Greenberg Mendel Zecher Carla Matero Tracy Fletcher Omar Alvarellos Denisse Giron Ilona Kramer Benjamin Kelly Peter Krokondelas Malené Walters David Lobl Katie Wilson Jovia Radix Jennifer Rivera Jennifer Shafran Omar Toro-Vaca Richard David Claudia Filomena Lester Marks Varun Sanyal Samantha Jones Fallon Parker Jennie Frishtick Jessica Madris Alexander Spyropoulos
321 Broadway, 2d Fl New York, NY 10007 T: 212 285 1800 F: 212 285 1818 kasirer.nyc info@kasirer.nyc
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Howard Becker
Vi c e P r e s i d e n t o f M e M b e r s h i P The Business Council of New York State “I am proud that I can say my career includes working for both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the state Assembly,” Howard Becker said of his 25-year career working in the state Legislature. “Not too many people can say that.” Currently in charge of member recruitment for The Business Council of New York State, Becker previously worked as finance director for the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee and as a fundraiser for U.S. House and Senate campaigns.
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A.R. Bernard
s e n i o r Pa s t o r Christian Cultural Center Dubbed the “Power Pastor” by The New York Times, A.R. Bernard served as an adviser to then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and recently joined Mayor Bill de Blasio on a tour of NYCHA buildings in need of repair. “Over the years I’ve learned that it is not what you do in life that makes you great,” said the founder of New York City’s largest church. “It’s what you inspire others to do.”
She and the other distinguished honorees are putting the pieces of the puzzle together to make New York — and the world — better connected, increasingly livable, and more secure.
engineering.nyu.edu
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THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF NYS; CHRISTIAN CULTURAL CENTER; DAVID BARREDA; MIRRAM GROUP
We congratulate Jelena Kovačević, our first woman to lead the School of Engineering since its founding in 1854, on being named a City & State 50 Over 50 Honoree.
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Andrew Breslau
S e n i o r V i c e P r e S i d e n t, c o m m u n i c a t i o n S a nd m a rk eting Alliance for Downtown New York Looking back on his career in public policy, media and communications, Andrew Breslau said the best advice he received as a young person was twofold: “One, mercilessly edit oneself, and two, if you find a sympathetic editor, don’t be defensive and learn all you can from them.” Decades later, the advice seems to have served him well. Breslau has held leadership positions at The Nation Institute, City Futures, CNN and the Democratic National Committee.
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Eduardo Castell
m a n a g i n g Pa r t n e r MirRam Group Seasoned political strategist Eduardo Castell made a name for himself running three historic New York City campaigns: Bill Thompson’s campaign for comptroller in 2001, Eric Gonzalez’s campaign for Brooklyn district attorney in 2017 and Letitia James’ campaign for public advocate in 2013. But Castell’s expertise doesn’t stop with politics. He chairs the board of directors of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and serves on the board of education organization Math4Science.
Congratulations to our dear friend and colleague RICH KASSEL And to all the honorees of City & State’s 50 Over Fifty Awards
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Carmen Charles
Tony Constantinople
John Cordo
Danny Donohue
Pr esident Municipal Hospital Employees Union Local 420 A native of Guyana, Carmen Charles started her career with New York City Health + Hospitals as a nurse’s aide at Coler-Goldwater Hospital. As president of the 10,000-member Municipal Hospital Employees Union Local 420, Charles has earned a reputation as an advocate for education. “My proudest achievement is being elected president and serving the members of Local 420,” she said. “I am most proud that we have not lost a single member to layoffs in 17 years.”
P r i n c i Pa l Cordo & Co. LLC Since establishing Cordo & Co. LLC in 2007, John Cordo has successfully advocated for projects as varied as casino resort development and health care mergers. The seasoned lobbyist was previously a partner at Featherstonhaugh, Wiley, Clyne & Cordo, and has also served as special counsel in the state Senate. “By far the most profound change I have witnessed over the last three decades is the amount of public interest and concomitant press attention paid to what happens in Albany,” Cordo said.
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Pa r t n e r Constantinople & Vallone Consulting LLC Since the 1970s, Tony Constantinople has worked in both the private and public sectors, advising one of the world’s largest banks as well as serving as treasurer to various New York City Council, mayoral and New York gubernatorial campaigns. “My proudest professional achievement has been launching (Constantinople & Vallone Consulting LLC) in 1997,” said the finance professional. “We have helped dozens of clients achieve their goals in contributing to the greater good of our city.”
Pr esident Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000 Since becoming president of one of New York’s leading labor unions about 25 years ago, Danny Donohue has led the Civil Service Employees Association’s fight for workplace safety, helping secure historic legislation like the 2006 Worksite Security Act. “Be ready to work and work hard, and don’t expect anything to be handed to you,” is Donohue’s advice to young people entering his profession. “Don’t back down if you know you’re right and you believe in what you’re doing.”
LOCAL 420; BILL ALATRISTE; HP PRODUCTIONS; ADAM KISSICK
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Congratulations to Lorraine Grillo from SCA and DDC on being named one of City & State’s 50 Over 50
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CityAndStateNY.com
Michael Garner
Ch i ef Di v ersity OffiCer Metropolitan Transportation Authority “With the growth of a diverse population, New York City leads the way in doing things bigger, better, more diverse and affording opportunities to those who have been historically shut out,” Michael Garner said. It is in that spirit that Garner serves as chief diversity officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where his responsibilities include developing programs for minority- and women-owned businesses. He previously worked at the New York City Housing Authority and the New York City School Construction Authority. 2 1
January 28, 2019
Carl Ginsburg
C O m m u n iCat iO ns D i r e C t Or New York State Nurses Association A former journalist, television producer, attorney in whistleblower lawsuits and pro bono counsel to Dialysis Advocates – Carl Ginsburg is now communications director for the 42,000-member New York State Nurses Association. His advice to young people entering his field? “Read the news from many sources and get comfortable with a writing style … you will stay a step ahead. Most important of all: listen.” Ginsburg received a 2000-2001 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.
2 1
Constantinople & Vallone Consulting Constantinople & Vallone Consulting LLC.
LL
We congratulate Peter F. Vallone Sr. and the res
City & State’s fifty We congratulate Constantinople We congratulate Peter F.Tony Vallone Sr. 50 andover the rest of honorees! City & State’s 50 over fifty honorees! From Your Family and Friends at Constantinople & Vallone Consulting
Perry Vallone Keith Powers Peter F. Vallone Sr. Steve Williams Anthony Constantinople, III Jones Kevin Perry ValloneAycan Kaptaner Steve Williams Jake Potent Carol Swift Kevin Jones Gema Garcia Jake Potent Andrea Reres Carol Swift Scott Karolidis
III
Andrea Reres www.candvconsulting.com Scott Karolidis Jordan Press Lauren George Mariana Espinoza
www.candvconsulting.com
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MTA; NYSNA; QUEENS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
From Your Family and Friends at Tony Constantinople Constantinople & Vallone Consulting: Anthony Constantinople,
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
Thomas Grech
P r e s i d e n t a n d C eO Queens Chamber of Commerce Thomas Grech worked in the publishing industry, taught business at Farmingdale State College and handled business development for an energy company before taking the reins at the Queens Chamber of Commerce several years ago. “For purposes of the chamber, we’ve been able to greatly increase membership over the last few years, and just came off 2018 where we hosted 320 events, which is a record for us,” he said. He is a trustee of the Malverne Public Library.
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Linda Johnson
P r e s i d e n t a n d C eO Brooklyn Public Library As president and CEO of the country’s fifth-largest library system, serving more than 1 million patrons each year, Linda Johnson has overseen significant technological upgrades as well as the renovation and expansion of several library branches throughout the borough. “It’s important that libraries are centers for learning, for job-seekers, for new Americans, for people who are learning to speak English,” she said in a talk at The Aspen Institute. She was previously president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.
���� ������������������������������������������ ��������������� ������������������������’�������������������������� PUBLISHER’S SECTION
CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
Harriet Karr-McDonald
Rich Kassel
Seth Kaye
Charlie King
C o -f o u n d e r The Doe Fund For the past three decades, Harriet Karr-McDonald has overseen fundraising and strategic planning at The Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization co-founded with her husband, George McDonald, to serve people with histories of homelessness, incarceration or substance abuse. “There are so many opportunities to make a positive impact in your community,” said Karr-McDonald, who met her husband at the funeral of a homeless teenager they both knew. “Pursue an issue that sparks your passion … dedicate your life to it.”
Vi C e P r e s i d e n t f o r Po l i C y a n d i n f r a s t r u C t u r e Tonio Burgos and Associates Seth Kaye said his work coordinating the introduction of the MetroCard during his time as director of the New York City mayor’s transportation office in the 1990s is one of the highlights of his career. He also worked on Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 1993 election campaign, and at the New York City Economic Development Corp. “The way that New York has changed most in the last three decades is that New York City has become a true five-borough city,” he said.
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
e x e C u t i V e Vi C e P r e s i d e n t Capalino+Company In the mid-1990s, Rich Kassel said he would ride his bicycle to work at the Natural Resources Defense Council, often breathing in diesel bus fumes. The experience inspired him to create the Dump Dirty Diesels campaign, convincing the MTA to clean up its buses and inspiring future regulation of diesel emissions. “If you look at a ranking of the 500 cities with the highest pollution levels, New York isn’t even on the list,” he said. “That’s incredible progress.”
Pa r t n e r Mercury Charlie King spent more than 25 years in New York’s political sphere – as executive director of the state Democratic Party, adviser to the Rev. Al Sharpton and adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s re-election campaign – before joining the lobbying and public relations firm Mercury Public Affairs. He advises young people entering his field to take the initiative. “The difference between being ordinary or extraordinary is the degree to which you rely on legitimate excuses for inaction,” he said.
THE DOE FUND; LEIGH BECKETT; DON POLLARD PHOTOGRAPHY; MERCURY
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CityAndStateNY.com
Andrew Kirtzman
January 28, 2019
Pr esident Kirtzman Strategies Before he founded the political communications firm that bears his name, Andrew Kirtzman, winner of multiple Emmy awards, was one of New York’s best-known political journalists. He covered more than a dozen national political campaigns and authored books on Bernie Madoff and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. “I’ve loved every job I’ve ever had,” Kirtzman said. “If you’re lucky, a career should be an adventure, and thus far that’s what it’s been for me.”
Mike Klein
Fou n de r a n d P r e si de n t Urban Strategies Mike Klein has spent nearly 30 years in leadership positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including working for then-Gov. Mario Cuomo and then-Rep. Charles Rangel. The former deputy county executive of Nassau County has been recognized for his efforts to improve parks and the community as a whole. “In the noble effort to clean up New York, we have lost some of our soul,” he said. “We have never been stronger, but we can still be better.”
50 who give 100% Congratulations to David Weinraub and all who are being honored
50 State Street – Albany, NY 518 427 7350 | brownweinraub.com
Government Relations | Strategy | Healthcare Consulting & Advocacy | Corporate and Legal Affairs
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KYLE FROMAN; MIKE KLEIN; NEIL VAN NIEKERK; NYU TANDON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
for City and State’s 4th Annual 50 over 50 Awards this year.
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
Alan Klinger
C o - m a n a g i n g Pa r t n e r Stroock In 2014, Alan Klinger served as lead counsel for the New York City Municipal Labor Committee, negotiating a health care agreement, which saved about $3.4 billion in health care costs. The deal remains his proudest accomplishment. Now co-managing partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Klinger leads the firm’s representation of public sector unions and employee benefit funds. “There remain plenty of opportunities to ‘do good,’ whether you opt for public or private sector work,” he said.
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Jelena Kovačević
D e a n , ta n D o n S C h o o l o f e n g i n e e r i n g New York University Recently installed as dean of NYU’s engineering school – the first woman ever to hold the position – Jelena Kovačević brings decades of scholarship, technological know-how – she has 20 patents to her name – and a forward-thinking vision to the post. “Having been a New Yorker for more than three decades, I feel excited to give back to the city where I met my husband, got my Ph.D., and raised my daughter,” she said.
The Board and Staff of the Alliance for Downtown New York congratulates the entire City & State 50 Over 50 and our very own Andy Breslau Black nega tiv e e vrsion Final tar4/29/05
www.DowntownNY.com
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
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CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
Brian Lehrer
H o s t , “t H e B r i a n L e H r e r s H o w ” WNYC One of the best-known reporters in New York, Brian Lehrer has been called a “master interviewer” by The New York Times. The host of WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” regularly interviews powerful figures like Mayor Bill de Blasio and is often tasked with asking questions in New York City mayoral debates. “Part of what I’m proud of,” he said, “is helping to create an environment on the show where people may actually listen to each other as well as talk.”
Patrick Lynch
Pr esident New York City Police Benevolent Association Patrick Lynch heads the largest municipal police union in the nation, advocating on behalf of about 24,000 New York City police officers in contract negotiations and in politics. The Bayside, Queens, native briefly worked as a subway conductor before joining the police force. Since becoming a union leader, he has clashed with city officials, including being a thorn in the side of Mayor Bill de Blasio. The organization recently changed its name, replacing “Patrolmen’s” with “Police.”
Lisa Linden, President & CEO • lakpr.com
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
MARCO ANTONIO; A KATZ/SHUTTERSTOCK; NYC MISSION SOCIETY; RITA THOMPSON
WE SALUTE MICHAEL S. ZETLIN and all of tonight's outstanding honorees
January 28, 2019
City & State New York
Elsie McCabe Thompson
Pr esident New York City Mission Society Elsie McCabe Thompson came to the New York City Mission Society in 2014 with a varied resume, including posts as chief of staff to then-New York City Mayor David Dinkins and president of the Museum for African Art. “Public service is in my DNA,” she said on “Reaching Out,” a public affairs show created by Teamsters Local 237. “If you really want to do it well and do it right, you have to live and breathe it. And I do.”
OUR MISSION IS TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, HELP SPIRITUAL SEEKERS BECOME TRANSFORMED
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Mike McGuire
dir ector Mason Tenders’ District Council Political Action Committee Twenty-five years ago, Mike McGuire helped eliminate the influence of organized crime within the Mason Tenders’ District Council, turning the 15,000-member labor organization into what he calls “a model union.” The union’s political action committee is among the top 10 PACs in the state. McGuire’s advice to young people entering his profession is this: “Surround yourself with extraordinary people; and this business is all about relationships. Build them. Respect them. And when it’s appropriate, end them.”
The Mercury team would like to congratulate Charlie King on being named a 50 Over 50 honoree.
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PUBLISHER’S SECTION
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CityAndStateNY.com
Rick Ostroff
P r e s i d e n t a n d C eO Ostroff Associates Rick Ostroff founded Ostroff Associates in 1995 after 12 years working for then-Gov. Mario Cuomo’s administration, first as assistant for regional affairs and later as assistant for legislative affairs. “For those working in government, the ability to get news online is a monumental change,” he said. “I remember Mario Cuomo would call senior staff at 6 a.m. looking to talk about what was in the day’s news.” Ostroff represents clients in various areas, including economic development and financial services.
January 28, 2019
Andrew Pallotta
Pr esident New York State United Teachers Andrew Pallotta was elected president of New York’s 600,000-member teachers union in 2017, and he has been a labor leader and activist throughout his career. A former elementary school teacher, Pallotta created the Pipeline Project to train union members to run for public office and bolstered efforts to recruit and engage more members. “Our members are sticking with our union, and we are having more impact on their behalf than ever before,” he said.
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January 28, 2019
City & State New York
Joanne Passaro
Pr esident Metropolitan College of New York A cultural anthropologist and higher education leader who is dedicated to improving educational opportunities for adult students, Joanne Passaro will soon wrap up her first year as president of Metropolitan College of New York. Previously, the New York native spent more than a decade at Carroll University in Wisconsin, serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs. “There is nothing I would rather be doing than serving this mission,” she said of her current role.
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Jeffrey Plaut
F o u n d i n g Pa r t n e r Global Strategy Group When Jeffrey Plaut and colleagues Jon Silvan and Jefrey Pollock founded the public affairs consulting firm Global Strategy Group in the apartment of Silvan’s late grandmother 24 years ago, they had to run down to the lobby every time a package was delivered. Now Plaut’s clients include members of Congress, national labor unions and major corporations. “On our best days, (we) are doing something to make our country and our democracy just a little bit better,” he said.
EMERY CELLI BRINCKERHOFF & ABADY LLP congratulates our partner
JONATHAN S. ABADY on his accomplishments and recognition in City & State New York’s 50 Over Fifty. EMERY CELLI BRINCKERHOFF & ABADY LLP 600 Fifth Avenue at Rockefeller Center 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10020 (212)-763-5000 www.ecbalaw.com
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
Patrick Purcell
Ex Ecuti v E Dir Ector Greater New York LECET As head of the Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, Patrick Purcell oversees the organization’s advocacy efforts. In 2017, Purcell pushed for new construction safety regulations in the New York City Council. Previously, he worked at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500. “Politics is a nasty business and it feeds off young people who spend too much time watching ‘House of Cards’ for advice,� he said. “The survivors are the ones who stay true to themselves.�
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
Mark Schienberg
Pr EsiDEnt Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association When Mark Schienberg first started at the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association in 1985, he was one of only three staff members. Now he leads the nation’s largest regional automobile dealer network. “Young people entering the industry today should know that supply and demand is in their favor,� he said. “There are so many well-paying, high-tech jobs in the automotive field that need filling, especially as vehicles get more and more technologically complex.�
Start hiring now on New York’s highest-quality job site! City & State Jobs helps hundreds of job seekers and employers find the right fit every day.
GREATER NY LECET; DOMINICK TOTINO PHOTOGRAPHY; LOCAL 237; JAYNE WEXLER
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January 28, 2019
Phyllis Shafran
City & State New York
D i r e c t or of c o m m u n ic at io ns a n D Pol i t ic a l c o or Di nat or Teamsters Local 237 Phyllis Shafran’s career serving New Yorkers spans four decades – from teaching high school to working for two mayors, two borough presidents and in the New York City Council and Assembly. Shafran currently manages communications for Teamsters Local 237. “I take great pride in knowing that whether I was working in government or in labor, I could help change people’s lives in a positive way on things that matter to them both big and small,” she said.
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James Sterngold
Vi c e P r e s i D e n t f o r u n i V e r s i t y r e l at i o n s Pace University “I have had the very good fortune of being able to build my career pursuing interests that really matter to me,” James Sterngold said, reflecting on his work in communications and journalism. Sterngold oversees communications, marketing, media relations, special events and government relations at Pace University. Previously, he spent 18 years as a reporter at The New York Times and has written for publications like Fortune and Mother Jones. He has also written two books.
Congratulations to Alan Klinger and all of this year’s City & State 50 Over Fifty honorees
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP New York | Miami | Los Angeles | Washington, D.C. www.stroock.com
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
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CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
Tony Utano
David Weinraub
Pr esident Transport Workers Union Local 100 Tony Utano was 19 and attending one of his first union meetings with Transport Workers Union Local 100 when a union organizer who would become his mentor gave him a piece of advice he remembers to this day: “How about you stop complaining and get involved instead.” Now head of the transit union that represents 41,000 New York City transportation workers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to avoid the L train shutdown could mean more work for Utano’s members.
C o -f o u n d e r Brown & Weinraub David Weinraub met Patrick Brown while working as thenGov. Mario Cuomo’s director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs. The two founded Brown & Weinraub PLLC in 2000, representing clients across many industries, including health care, economic development, education and technology. “Today, you cannot be effective without a strategy that includes utilization of the latest technologies and a savvy understanding of social media,” he said.
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TWU LOCAL 100; BROWN & WEINRAUB; NYPL; WILLIAM ALATRISTE/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
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January 28, 2019
Iris Weinshall
C h i e f O pe r at i n g O f f iC e r a n d t r e a s u r e r New York Public Library Iris Weinshall is the New York Public Library’s point person in charge of budgets, construction projects and a $1 billion endowment serving libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. “We do have the premier research libraries here in the city of New York,” she said on CUNY TV’s “CityWide.” “But really it’s about the 88 branches throughout these three boroughs, which if you ask me, are a crucial part of what the NYPL is all about.”
City & State New York
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Mark Weprin
sh a r ehOlder Greenberg Traurig A former New York City councilman, assemblyman and deputy secretary of legislative affairs for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mark Weprin now works for Greenberg Traurig, where he reportedly represents Amazon, among other clients. Reflecting on how New York has changed in the past three decades, he said: “Social media has affected just about everything we do. With regard to New York politics, it truly has become a game-changer for both government officials and the people they serve.”
Congratulations to all of the honorees and our very own PHYLLIS S. SHAFRAN
Director of Communications, Political Coordinator and Editor, Newsline and Retiree News and Views
GREGORY FLOYD President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President-at-Large on the General Board of the IBT
Local 237’s Executive Board Ruben Torres-Vice President Edmund Kane-Secretary/Treasurer Jeanette I. Taveras-Recording Secretary Curtis Scott-Trustee Benedict Carenza, Jr.-Trustee Catherine Rice-Trustee
PUBLISHER’S SECTION
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CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES
January 28, 2019 For more info. 212-268-0442 Ext.2039
legalnotices@cityandstateny.com A. REBECCA KELLY LAW PLLC filed Articles of Organization with the Department of State of NY on 5/18/2018. Office Location: County of New York. The Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any such process served to: The LLC, 64 W. 15th St., Apt. 6W, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of Franks Tribe LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/24/2018. Office location, County of New York. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 155 Wooster St., Apt. 7F, New York, NY 10012. Purpose: any lawful act. GJD ENTERPRISES LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/22/18. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 14 Jackson Street, Suite 4E, New York, NY 10002. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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R. Coker Consultants, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/26/2018. Office: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: R. Coker Consultants, LLC at 170 Martine Avenue, PO Box #8352, White Plains, NY 10601. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of {tbsp} LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/12/18. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 134 N. 4th St., Brooklyn, NY 11249. Purpose: all lawful purposes.
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Notice of Formation of Numad Business, LLC filed with SSNY on August 22, 2018. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Legalcorp Solution : 11 Broadway suite 615, New York City, NY 10004. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
January 28, 2019
Notice of Qualification of OLYMPUS PEAK ASSET MANAGEMENT LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/14/18. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/30/17. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Doreen Mochrie, 745 Fifth Ave., Ste. 1604, NY, NY 10151. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with The Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of LAYTON ROAD GROUP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/12/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/27/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Full of Flavor Tapas, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 12/06/2018. Office loc: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Maricarmen Lopez , 111 Sedgwick Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10705. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
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Notice of Qualification of EAN.com, LP. Authority filed with S e c y. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/05/18. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/30/03. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: National Registered Agents, Inc. – 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011. Address to be maintained in DE: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Name/address of genl. ptr. available from SSNY. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Qualification of VINELIGHT HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/11/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/18/17. Princ. office of LLC: 535 Madison Ave., 30th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Jason Garmise at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 980 EAST 149 PROPERTY LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/05/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/26/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF8 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff against JOSEPH FIORE AKA JOSEPH FRANCIS FIORE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 26, 2018. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 31st day of January, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the building and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 1389 Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11214. (Block: 6468, Lot: 49). Approximate amount of lien $ 386,141.96 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 500657-17. Charlene Brown, Esq., Referee. Stern & Eisenberg, PC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff Woodbridge Corporate Plaza 485 B Route 1 South – Suite 330 Iselin, NJ 08830 (732) 582-6344 *For sale information, please visit www.auction.com or call 800-2802832*
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Notice of Formation of KAZMIERSKI HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/18. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Michael Kazmierski, 415 W. 47th St., Apt. 3E, NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 116 JOHN STREET NEW MASTER LEASE LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/20/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/14/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St.-Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM EIGHT VEGAN, LLC filed with SSNY on 09/18/2018. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: PAOLA BELTRAN 1760 LEXINGTON 4B NEW YORK, NY 10029. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Bright Future Montessori Daycare, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 10/01/2018. Office loc: Westchester County, N.Y. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Jailene Torres, MBA., 249 Lee Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10705. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
Notice of Formation of CWu Property, LLC filed with SSNY on January 1, 2019. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: Cara Wu, 1642 Bath Ave #2, Brooklyn, NY 11214. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice is hereby given that a license, number 1314591 for an “On Premises Liquor License” has been applied for by the undersigned to serve Liquor at retail in the restaurant under the Alcohol Beverage Control Law at Eisenberg’s S.S. LLC d/b/a Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop NYC, located at 174-176 5th Ave, South Store, New York, NY 10010 Notice of Formation of Leaders of the Wave, LLC filed with SSNY 12/28/2018. Office: West. County. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 10 California Road, Mt. Vernon, NY 10552. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of MDA PRODUCTIONS LLC. Articles of Organization filed with SSNY on 11/02/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the LLC at 1430 Broadway, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10018. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
THE CALAVERAS GROUP, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with SSNY 11/06/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to LLC: 2445 8th Avenue, 33A, NY, NY 10027. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
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Notice of Qualification of ATLAS IMPACT FUND, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/19/18. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/13/18. Princ. office of LP: Attn: Richard Billig, 164 W. 79th St., Apt. 11C, NY, NY 10024. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Efrem Kamen, 888 Seventh Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10106. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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Notice of Qualification of ATLAS IMPACT FUND GP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/19/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/13/18. Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Richard Billig, 164 W. 79th St., Apt. 11C, NY, NY 10024. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Robert Brown, 164 W. 79th St., Apt. 11C, NY, NY 10024. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF FORMATION of 1134 Fulton Street Investor LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/18/18. Off. Loc.: NY County. SSNY has been desig. as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy to is: The LLC, 515 Ocean Ave, Lawrence, NY 11559 . Purpose: Any lawful act Notice of Formation of APMD Properties 122 LLC filed with SSNY on December 5th 2018. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: United States corporation agents, inc. 7014 13th Avenue suite 202, Brooklyn, n.y. 11228 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of Amber Vittoria, LLC filed with SSNY on January 1, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 61 Lexington Avenue, Apt. 6A, NY, NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. DB Printing & Promotional Products LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 9/26/2018. Office loc: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: LLC: United States Corporation Agents, inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose
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Notice of Formation of AB telecommunication Specialists, LLC filed with SSNY on August 17th, 2018. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 316 East 83rd Street, 3B New York NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Song Family LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 8/24/18. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 482 Greenwich St., NY, NY 10013. General Purposes.
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Notice of Formation of W7W Real Estate Holdings, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/17/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: C/O Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP, Att: Perry Cohen, 1350 Broadway, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of formation of Klarbach Capital LLC. Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of N.Y. (SSNY)on 1/2/2019. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at1430 BROADWAY STE 1615, New York, NY10018. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qual. of CORPORATE ACCESS GROUP, LLC, Authority filed with the SSNY on 12/18/2018. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 12/14/2018. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 902 Broadway, Ste 1611, NY, NY 10010 Attn: Tamer Farooqui. Address required to be maintained in DE: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert of Formation filed with DE Div. of Corps, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Formation of The Perez Agency, LLC filed with SSNY on December 6, 2018. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 23 Mackellar Ct., Peekskill, NY 10566. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of NEVIS GERMANY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/18. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 1501 Broadway, 24th Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Adventureland Limited Liability Company at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS MTGLQ Investors, LP, Plaintiff AGAINST Oliver Barrett; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated November 28, 2018 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on February 21, 2019 at 2:30PM, premises known as 1740 East 54th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of NY, Block 8493 Lot 71. Approximate amount of judgment $685,206.78 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 500455/2016. Jack Segal, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: December 14, 2018 59942 Notice of Qualification of Setauket Energy Storage, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/20/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 12/12/18. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc. (CGI), 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016. DE address of LLC: CGI, 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.
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Notice of Qualification of Nassau County Energy Storage, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/20/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 12/12/18. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc. (CGI), 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016. DE address of LLC: CGI, 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. LADY STARDUST, L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 01/03/2019. Office loc: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Katherine Blumm, 45 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn NY 11201. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Blue Lagoon Hospitality, LLC filed with SSNY on August 30, 2018. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 328 E 51st Street, NY, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
Notice of Qualification of BOOKSMART PROPERTIES LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/28/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Connecticut (CT) on 11/15/13. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Village Suds, 627 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. CT addr. of LLC: Booksmart Properties LLC, 3 Happy Hill Rd., Stamford, CT 06903. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of CT, 30 Trinity Street, P.O. Box 150470, Hartford, CT 06115-0470. Purpose: Any lawful activity. VIBE SUPPLY, LLC, Art. of Org. filed with SSNY 01/03/2019. Office: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: VIBE SUPPLY, LLC Attn: Mickel Dussuaud., 5 Clinton PL 2A New Rochelle NY 10801. Purpose: Any Lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of Nova Styles, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/14/18. Office Location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC: 229 E. 85th Street #165, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
Notice of Qualification of Rakuten Commerce LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/21/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/03/1998. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 800 Concar Dr., Ste. 175, San Mateo, CA 94402. Address to be maintained in DE: 3500 South DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, Division of Corporations; John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities.
Notice is hereby given that a license, number 1313621 for an “On Premises Liquor License” has been applied for by the undersigned to serve Liquor at retail in the restaurant under the Alcohol Beverage Control Law at Metz Zutto Ramen Inc. DBA: Zutto Japanese American Pub located at 77-79 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
MARISCOS CHELSEA, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/26/2015. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Watchale LLC, 63 Bank St. Apt 1B, NY, NY 10014. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
January 28, 2019
Notice of Formation of WHITE UNICORN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/10/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 104 E. 10th St., NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of Sugar Maple Solar, LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/13/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/30/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 Eighth Ave., 13th Fl., NY, NY 10011. Address to be maintained in DE: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with the Secy. of State, Div. of Corporations, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1314865 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 600 S. OYSTER BAY ROAD HICKSVILLE, NY 11801. NASSAU COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. POTASIA HICKSVILLE LLC Global S Contracting LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 10/03/2017. Office loc: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, New York, 11228. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1315700 F O R LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 28 GARTH RD SCARSDALE, NY 10583. WESTCHESTER COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. SCUE CORP.
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1315742 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 195 DEKALB AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11205. KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. ANITAFOREVER LLC. NOTICE OF FORMATION of 50 WEST 14B HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Org. filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/2018. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. Original address of process was 50 West Street, Apartment 14B, NY, NY 10006 as amended by Cert. of Amendment filed with SSNY on 12/31/2018. SSNY shall mail process to: 280 Stonewall Lane, Fairfield, CT 06824. Purpose: Any lawful activity. The LLC is to be managed by one or more managers. E Conn’s Magic Mirror Photo Booth, LLC, filed with SSNY 01/09/2019. Office loc: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Registered Agent: Naomi Halevi., 10 California Rd., Mount Vernon, NY 10552. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
STORAGE NOTICE Midtown Moving & Storage Inc. will sell at Public Auction at 810 East 170 Street, Bronx NY 10459 at 6:00 P.M. on February 12th, 2019 for due and unpaid charges by virtue of a lien in accordance with the provisions of the law and with due notice given all parties claiming an interest therein, the time specified in each notice for payment of said charges having expired household furniture & effects, pianos, trunks, cases, TV’s, radios, hifi’s, refrigerators, sewing machines, washers, air conditioners, household furniture of all descriptions and the contents thereof, stored under the following names: -AZAZ AHMED -CLAVERO, FELICITA/ VELEZ JOSE CRUZ -CAMPBELL, ANTHONY -COYLE, JANE -DELGADO, HENRY -ELLIS MCKAY, SHANAY -FATOUMATA, BAH -GARCIA MARGARITA/ GARCIA DAVID -GARBACZ, EDWARD -GUZMAN, JOSE -GILLESPIE, SARA -STEPTOE, TERRY APP FOR AUTH for SHAKE SHACK NEW YORK LLC App for Auth filed with SSNY 9/3/15 LLC. Registered in Delaware on 5/12/15 Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served & shall mail process to: c/o Shake Shack Enterprises LLC, 24 Union Square East, 5th Fl., New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. The Loft Party, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed w SSNY 1/14/19. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: M.P. Moore, 335 Carroll St, 1D, Brooklyn, NY 11231. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Formation of MasterPlan Studio, LLC filed with SSNY on 12/17/18. Office: NY Co. SSNY des. agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 1009 Park Ave, NYC 10028. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
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-GOLDMARKS, SEAN -HOLLINGS WORTH MARILYN AS DAUGHTER AND RAY OF KIN TO WHITE/SARAH DECEASED -JUDY, MCEACHIN -MCMILLAN, LEROY -PENA, MARIA -URBANSKI, MICHALEWIZ -VELEZ, HARRY -WILLIAMS, LYNVAL -MYLES, ASHANTI Notice of Auction Notice of Auction Sale is herein given that Access Self Storage of Long Island City located at 29-00 Review Avenue, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 will take place on WWW.STORAGETREASURES.COM Sale by competitive bidding starting on February 08, 2019 and end on February 21, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. to satisfy unpaid rent and charges on the following accounts: Contents of rooms generally contain misc. #1702-Quinsessa Harrison; Bags, boxes, totes, 2 crates with vinyl records #3708-Gabriella Galvan; 10 bags, 2 benches, clothing rack, 30+ boxes, #4802-Speedimpex USA, Inc.; 50+ banker boxes, 7 plastic bins, printer, adding machine. The contents of each unit will be sold as a lot and all items must be removed from the premises within 72 hours. Owners may redeem their goods by paying all rent and charges due at any time before the sale.
LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1315787 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 662 9TH AVE NEW YORK, NY 10036. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. BOYYTHAI CORP.
PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS SRP 2012-4, LLC, Plaintiff, Against Index No.: 520351/2016 EZEKIEL AKANDE, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/11/2018, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, in Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on 2/28/2019 at 2:30 pm, premises known as 34 Jackson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 1055 and Lot 42. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $376,471.69 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 520351/2016. Leonard Spector, Esq., Referee. Richland & Falkowski, PLLC, 35-37 36th Street, 2nd Floor, ASTORIA, NY 11106 Dated: 1/18/2019 PB
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PUBLIC NOTICE New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 2 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for WB CAFE INC. to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 134 W BROADWAY IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 42 BROADWAY, 5TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR 1414 HOLDINGS, LLC TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE AN SMALL UNENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFÉ AT 1414 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004.
ALON ADIKA/SHUTTERSTOCK
A D TUDOR LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/11/18. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Agulnick & Gogel, LLC, 1129 Northern Boulevard, Suite 404, Manhasset, NY 11030. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of Method and Practice LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/16/19. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Solomon Blum Heymann LLP, 40 Wall St., 35th Fl., NY, NY 10005, principal business address. Purpose: all lawful purposes.
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CityAndStateNY.com
January 28, 2019
CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson, Administrative Assistant Jenny Hochberg
Who was up and who was down last week
PRODUCTION Art Director Andrew Horton, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi
RUDY GIULIANI It’s been a rough week for the former New York City mayor, even by his own diminished Trump-era standards. He contradicted his boss, President Donald Trump, saying that Trump had actually been involved in talks over Trump Tower Moscow for the entire presidential campaign. Then he tried to walk things back, saying his comments were “hypothetical.” Does he have any idea what he’s talking about? Who needs BuzzFeed when you have lawyers like this?
THE BEST OF THE REST
THE REST OF THE WORST
RUBEN DIAZ JR. & GEORGE LATIMER
CYNTHIA BRANN
Brooklyn is in transit limbo, but the Bronx and Westchester are getting improvements!
ANDREW PALLOTTA
NYSUT gives Albany an A+ as teacher evaluations revert to district control.
JOSE PERALTA
The late state senator saw one last victory, with the DREAM Act renamed in his honor.
STEVEN ROTH
Talk about a room with a view. He just sold America’s priciest apartment, at $238M.
At $302K per inmate, NYC’s correction chief could buy them all houses instead.
STANLEY BREZENOFF
It must’ve been hard to hold steamy sex parties when NYCHA units had no heat.
ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Event Sponsorship Strategist Danielle Koza dkoza@ cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillanGrace cydney@cityandstateny.com, Junior Sales Executive Caitlin Dorman, Junior Sales Executive Shakirah Gittens EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Sales Director Lissa Blake, Events Manager Sharon Nazarzadeh, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Director of Events Research & Development Bryan Terry
Vol. 8 Issue 3 January 28, 2019
THE NEW
MACHINE THE BRONX ACTIVISTS BEHIND AOC ARE JUST GETTING STARTED
50 OVER FIFTY
CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
@CIT YANDSTATENY
January 28, 2019
Cover photo Corey Torpie
TIMOTHY DOLAN
Roe v. Wade is being codified and the church lost a suit over abortion coverage.
CHRISTOPHER KAY
The New York Racing Association CEO turned the agency a little too private, making staff do his personal yardwork.
WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email. Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.
CITY & STATE NEW YORK (ISSN 2474-4107) is published weekly, 48 times a year except for the four weeks containing New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to City & State New York, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. General: (212) 268-0442, subscribe@cityandstateny.com Copyright ©2019, City & State NY, LLC
KEVIN P. COUGHLIN/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR; ALI GARBER; MARK REINSTEIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
LOSERS DEBORAH GLICK & LIZ KRUEGER The sponsors of the Reproductive Health Act finally got it enacted after years of effort. State Sen. Liz Krueger fought back tears as Senate Democrats announced that they were ready to pass the legislation that codified Roe v. Wade in state law. There was also a special guest star on hand as lawmakers voted – attorney Sarah Ragle Weddington, who argued Roe in 1971, and now will see her legacy protected – at least in New York – if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the decision.
OUR PICK
OUR PICK
WINNERS
It’s not all that hard to find agreement in politics. The legislators in Albany and City Hall pass bills unanimously all the time. But in baseball? Fuhgeddaboutit. Hizzoner won’t even put on a Yankees cap. So let’s all – Yankees fans, Mets fans, Sox fans – tip a cap to Yankee legend Mariano Rivera for being the first player unanimously elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. If only choosing a winner of the week was that easy.
EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Senior Editor Ben Adler badler@cityandstateny.com, Special Projects Editor Alice Popovici, Digital Director Derek Evers devers@ cityandstateny.com, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg, Staff Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Zach Williams zwilliams@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Rebecca C. Lewis rlewis@cityandstateny. com, Tech & Policy Reporter Annie McDonough amcdonough@cityandstateny.com
SUMMIT 03 . 21 . 19
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENCOUNTER 226 W 44TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10036 City & State’s Diversity Summit will offer industry executives, public sector leaders and academics a full-day conference dedicated to fostering business partnerships between the state and local government, prime contractors and MWBEs. PANEL TOPICS: THE FUTURE OF MWBES IN NEW YORK FUNDING AND RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS BECOMING A PART OF NEW YORK’S BIGGEST MWBE PROJECTS DIVERSITY IN GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, TECH AND HEALTH CARE FEATURED SPEAKERS: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Chairwoman, House Small Business Committee State Sen. James Sanders, Chairman, MWBE Task Force Lourdes Zapata, Chief Diversity Officer, Office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Jonnel Doris, NYC Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women Owned Businesses Gregg Bishop, Commissioner, NYC Dept. of Small Business Services
RSVP at CityAndStateNY.com/Events For more information on programming and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lissa Blake at lblake@cityandstateny.com
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
The New York State Trial Lawyers Association Congratulates Ken Riddett and Patrick Jenkins and all the Albany Power 100 honorees
Congratulates City & State’s
50 Over Fifty Protecting New Yorkers Since 1953 www.NYSTLA.org| @NYSTLA
David M. Oddo
President Okun, Oddo & Babat, P.C