Serving Port Washington, Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Baxter Estates, Port Washington North and Sands Point
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Friday, December 24, 2021
Vol. 6, No. 52
Port WashingtonTimes NEW YEAR’S DINING GUIDE PAGES 23-26
DESENA BACKTRACKS ON BUDGET CLAIMS
COVID CASES CLIMB
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Leo Liebowitz, business exec, dies at 94
T R A C K AT TA C K
Longtime Sands Point resident founded, served as chairman of Getty Realty Co. BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Former Getty Realty Corp. Chairman and co-founder Leo Liebowitz of Sands Point died from the coronavirus on Sunday at 94. Liebowitz, who also served as Getty’s chief executive officer from 1985 to 2010, was born on Sept. 28, 1927, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. With a longstanding passion for automobiles, Liebowitz rebuilt and resold vehicles before he could even drive. He graduated from New Utrecht High School before enlisting in the Air Force at Eglin Field in Florida and later working as a weatherman. He received the Victory Medal as a result of his service. After becoming more involved as a mechanic, Liebowitz became a passenger bus maintenance worker for New York City. In 1955, Liebowitz and workshop partner Milton Safenowitz secured a franchise location of the Sunoco Oil Corp.
Sixteen years and a handful of other acquisitions later, including Power Test Corp., the team of Liebowitz and Safenowitz or, “LeeMilts,” continued to grow the company into the largest independent gasoline distributor on the East Coast. In 1985, Liebowitz secured all of Getty Oil Co.’s gasoline stations and terminals throughout the Northeast. Liebowitz ultimately sold the public company, Getty Petroleum Marketing, to Lukoil in 2000 for $71 million. According to Newsday, Liebowitz used the payday to fund construction of a boat, one of his other passions in life. All of the boats Liebowitz owned throughout his life went by the name of ‘MITseaAH’, including a 156-foot high-speed motorsailer frequently seen around Manhasset Bay in the summer. Now, according to its website, Getty Realty “owns and leases a Continued on Page 34
PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT WASHINGTON ATHLETICS TWITTER
Schreiber High School’s 4x400m Relay team took home first place in a winter track event held at St. Anthony’s last week.
North Hempstead opts out of retail cannabis sales BY R OB E RT PELAEZ The Town of North Hempstead opted out of permitting retail sales of cannabis in the unincorporated areas of the
town during a public meeting last Thursday night. Following the lead of other towns across Long Island, North Hempstead council members voted 6-0, with Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte not present
at the virtual meeting due to COVID-19. The decision came after several meetings conducted by the town’s cannabis task force, which ultimately provided the board with recommenContinued on Page 35
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