Family Recalls DWI Tragedy Cops Eye Drug Dealers
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THIS WEEK IN CROOKED JUDGE COPS PLEA FOR 3-TO-9 IN BRIBE CASE: P.3 COOL BITES Chill out with these ceviche concoctions WWW Our neighborhood’s independent voice .BROOKLYN INSIDE Published weekly by PAPERS Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, .COM 26 Court St., Brooklyn 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • N EWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2002 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages Cops eye drug dealers including 4 pages GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 25, No. 31 BRG • August 12, 2002 68th Pct, Narcotics respond to Dahlgren Place complaints • FREE By Heather J. Wilson The Brooklyn Papers Police are keeping a close eye according to the commanding offi- on the streets near the northern cer of the 68th Precinct, Deputy Inspector Matthew Pontillo. Pontillo said, police have not discov- edge of the Fort Hamilton Army ered anything out-of-the-ordinary. Base after residents complained of Pontillo said both the 68th Precinct Pontillo could not say whether the and Brooklyn South Narcotics have “Some of this could just be that local drug dealing youths in the vicinity youths are displaced,” Pontillo said. “It’s narcotics team from Brooklyn South been patrolling the area, which is near was conducting an undercover inves- of Dahlgren Place and 90th Street a private-home area, very residential, at a July 31 neighborhood meeting, Victory Memorial Hospital and the tigation. Brooklyn South Narcotics Dyker Beach Golf Course, since the but very safe. We had a meeting last refused to comment on the matter. complaints came in last week. So far, week with the community and Council- Pontillo, however, cautioned that the man [Marty] Golden and since they re- worries are not baseless. ported it, we’ve been investigating.” “It is a complaint we often get,” Pontillo said. “We take investigative steps and follow a protocol.” In the meantime, residents in the Gentile plans area continue to talk about the influx of teens who speed in and out of the neighborhood on a regular basis, often walking into a particular house and quickly walking out with packages. for Sept.11 One Dahlgren Place resident told The Brooklyn Papers of kids counting money, smoking marijuana and waiting By Heather J. Wilson for people to meet them at their car window on a regular basis — activity The Brooklyn Papers will also speak. seen as possible drug dealing. Bay Ridge will honor the vic- Gentile will also collect old flags at “These are young kids,” the resident tims of Sept. 11 with a memorial the event, which he will present to lo- said, speaking on the condition of William Ruiz kneels at a memorial made for the four Sunset Park family members who, a year march down Third Avenue on cal veteran groups for proper retire- anonymity. “They range in age from ago Sunday, were killed by a drunken off-duty police officer on Third Avenue. Sunday, Sept. 8, followed by a ment. 14 to 15 to 17. In the beginning, I saw memorial service and candlelight On Sept. 9, Gentile will hold a rib- people go into this house, get the stuff, vigil at John Paul Jones Park, bon-cutting ceremony for a perma- roll it in the car and smoke it.” state Sen. Vincent Gentile nent Brooklyn Reading Room, which Pontillo said officers would contin- BP / Tom Callan announced this week. will house photos, periodicals and ue to investigate the area and anyone who would like to report suspicious The next day, Gentile told The other items related to the events of Sept. 11. The reading room will be at activity should call the precinct at Family recalls Brooklyn Papers, he will cut the rib- (718) 439-4211. bon to a memorial reading room with See GENTILE State Sen. Vincent Gentile has “Certainly, kids, especially in the photographs, periodicals and books on page 7 plans for Sept. 11. summer, during the week, have no relating to the events of Sept. 11, BP / Tom Callan place to go,” Pontillo said. “Usually 2001. they are just being disorderly.” As this went to press, Gentile was scheduled to announce the plans at an DWI tragedy Aug. 8 press conference. He said that deciding how to commemorate the Cop pleads not guilty event and honor the memories of those who perished required walking a fine line between the neighbor- By Patrick Gallahue hood’s collective grief and the private The Brooklyn Papers grief of the victims’ families. in DWI death of biker “I think respect for the victims and Close to 100 people gathered Sunday, a year ago to the day that a drunken off-duty police their families has been our overarch- By Heather J. Wilson officer struck and killed four Sunset Park family ing rule here,” Gentile said. “You The Brooklyn Papers have to do everything with a rever- son will be acquitted in this matter.” members as they crossed Third Avenue, to ence and a respect for those who A Staten Island police officer Leaving Brooklyn Supreme Court remember the victims and call for societal and were killed and the families of those pleaded not guilty this week to Thursday Wilson maintained the toxicated, misdemeanor reckless en- legal changes that might prevent such a tragedy victims. charges that he drunkenly ran a same somber facial expression he dangerment, passing a red light and from happening again. reckless driving. “It is horrid, because I have talked red light causing the car-versus- held in the courtroom. He never ut- The intersection of Third Avenue and 46th Street had to families of those victims and Sept. motorcycle crash that took the tered a word but to enter his plea. The defense contends Kiladitis been the site of previous vigils and furious protests in “unfortunately and tragically” is to 11 is going to be a very difficult time life of a 21-year-old Bay Ridge Kiladitis was taken off life support the days after former cop Joseph Gray, now serving a for them, and you don’t want to con- at Lutheran Medical Center by his blame for the crash because he was man last June. speeding and raced through a red five- to 15-year prison sentence, crashed his van into tribute to that but you want to tell parents on Saturday, June 22, three six-months pregnant Maria Herrera, 23, her son Andy, them we are not forgetting, and we As police officer Victor Wilson light. left the Downtown Brooklyn court- days after Wilson, 43, of Staten Is- 4, and her sister Dilcia Pena, 16. are pulling together and we are here land’s 120th Precinct, allegedly ran a But Assistant District Attorney for you,” he said. room on Aug. 1, his lawyer ex- Maureen McCormick contends that Sunday’s scene, however, was more a demonstration pressed his client’s sympathy for the red light around 10:30 pm and struck the victim did not pass through a red of the tragedy’s evolution, its social implications com- The Sept. 8 memorial march will Kiladitis as he rode his Kawasaki ing into focus. proceed down Third Avenue from family of Stefanos Kiladitis, thrown light, although he was traveling fast. from his motorcycle and killed after ZX9. Kiladitis was heading west on “But he did not blow the red light. “I’m interested in seeing changes, I’m interested in 86th Street to Cannonball Plaza at seeing people stop drinking and driving, killing,” said 101st Street, beginning at 6:30 pm. Wilson’s car struck him. He affirmed Fort Hamilton Parkway when Wil- If you are speeding down a roadway Victor Herrera, whose wife, son and unborn child were Around 7:30 pm, Gentile said, the Wilson’s innocence, as his client son slammed into him with the dri- and you don’t jump a red light, you killed in the accident. candlelight vigil service will begin. stood silent. ver’s side of his 1995 Chrysler Cir- don’t die,” McCormick said follow- Clergy from throughout the commu- “We emphatically state that Mr. rus, as he made a left turn from 88th ing the arraignment. Among Sunday’s assembly were family members of nity will be invited to participate. Wilson was not intoxicated,” said at- Street onto Fort Hamilton Parkway. Wilson, McCormick said, was / Tom Callan victims in similar incidents, such as Kalliopi Kiladitis, Several relatives of Sept. 11 victims torney Todd Greenberg, patting his The12-year NYPD veteran plead- drunk and is the one to blame for of Bay Ridge, whose 21-year-old son Stefanos was client’s back as they exited the court- ed not guilty to second-degree vehic- blowing the red light and killing Ki- killed by an off-duty police officer alleged to have been room. “We are convinced Mr. Wil- ular manslaughter. He also pleaded laditis. She said her prosecution team driving while intoxicated, and Jamilah Hazim, whose not guilty to charges of criminally would prove Wilson was DWI by husband, Afif Hazim, was killed on the Throg’s Neck Bridge in 1999 by off-duty Capt. James O’Connor, negligent homicide, driving while in- submitting — for what she believes The Brooklyn Papers who was drunk at the time. is the first time ever in New York Kalliopi Kiladitis, holding a photo of her Last week, O’Connor pleaded guilty to charges of See DWI DEATH son, Stefanos, killed by an allegedly on page 7 manslaughter in exchange for a sentence of one to three Beep names Weber DWI cop. years in prison, to the Hazim family’s vocal displeas- ure. The investigative methods employed against Offi- See TRAGEDY to education panel Pataki kids axed at Golden digson page 7 By Heather J.