YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS | westfaironline.com
July 7, 2014 | VOL. 50, No. 27
BUSINESSMAN: ANTI-ARAB BIAS BY JEWISH JUDGES
INSIDE
BY JOHN GOLDEN jgolden@westfairinc.com
DATABEAN READY FOR GROWTH• 17
O
rdered to pay nearly $10 million in two legal cases stemming from disputes with associates in a Shell gas stations venture, a Westchester businessman has claimed he is a victim of discrimination by Jewish judges in White Plains who have repeatedly denied him his civil rights because he is a “Muslim Arab of Palestinian descent.” Sammy Eljamal, owner of Wholesale Fuels in Thornwood and a longtime owner and operator of gas stations and convenience stores in the region, singled out state Supreme Court justices Lester B. Adler and Joan B. Lefkowitz in a rambling five-page complaint that Eljamal’s publicist said has been filed with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. An attorney representing Eljamal in an appeal of a case in which a Westchester jury in May awarded $4.75 million in damages to Eljamal’s opponent said his client told him the complaint also was
HV GOOD THINGS HAPPENING • 27
Eljamal, page 6
FACES & PLACES • 43
READY FOR TAKEOFF
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Bombardier Business Aircraft CEO Eric Martel and NetJets CEO Jordan Hansell.
LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP BY MARK LUNGARIELLO mlungariello@westfairinc.com
THE TWO MAJOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS in Westchester County said this year’s state legislative session showed progress for the local business community despite the defeat of several marquee initiatives and the glacial pace of lawmaking. The state Legislature concluded its 2014 session in a relatively quiet manner ahead of an election year. Lawmakers approved a series of bills heading to their legislative deadline, although pro-business groups were hoping for more action on some fronts. Legislative, page 6