CB10 chair declares war on GentilePAGE 6 INSIDE Including The Bensonhurst Paper Caribbean fest under way Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 © Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol.26, No. 34 BRZ • September 1, 2003 • FREE Devils may join Nets in arena An artists’ rendering of a Carnival Cruise Line ship docked at a refurbished Pier 7 at the foot of Atlantic Ave. on Atlantic Ave By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers Mayor: No tax breaks Brooklyn is in competition to win not just a professional basketball team — the New Jersey Nets — but also a professional hockey team — the New Jersey Devils. for B’klyn cruise ships In a written statement responding to ques- tions by The Brooklyn Papers, Deputy May- or for Economic Development Dan Docto- By Patrick Gallahue en out virtually any tax breaks to Most of the necessary work in- roff confirmed Tuesday, “Over the last few The Brooklyn Papers keep businesses here. … You don’t cludes cosmetic improvements and a weeks, the ad- After an era of city administra- have to do that. This is a very attrac- new bumper for the pier to protect ministration has EXCLUSIVE tions using tax abatements and tive place.” boats when they dock, Israel said. been reviewing Giora Israel, executive director of The entire proposal is expected to a proposal for the relocation of two profes- subsidies to woo businesses to the New York Cruise Alliance, said cost about $110 million with the ad- New York City, Mayor Michael sional sports teams to Downtown Brooklyn.” the company is not actively seeking ditional $75- to $85-million needed Doctoroff spokeswoman Jennifer Falk Bloomberg has made clear that tax abatements, but rather capital to demolish a storage shed and erect identified those teams as the National Bas- Carnival Cruise Lines shouldn’t money for improvements to the piers an ornate passenger terminal and a ketball Association’s Nets and the National expect the same treatment if they themselves. 1,000-car parking lot at the site. Hockey League’s Devils. decide to drop anchor at Pier 7 at “The investment is about $20- to “We understood from the deputy “If realized, this proposal would be a boon the foot of Atlantic Avenue. $25-million in upgrades on the infra- mayor [Dan Doctoroff] in discus- to the Brooklyn economy,” Doctoroff said. Callan / Tom “We’ve got to convince Carnival structure of the piers,” Israel said. sions with him and his team … the Doctoroff’s office estimated the project that it is in their interest,” Bloomberg “The pier is generally in good condi- city is not in position to subsidize could spur over a billion dollars in private in- said. tion but it needs some work never- anything,” he said. vestment in the vicinity of a proposed arena “But I’ll say this, we have not giv- theless.” Israel added Carnival has already near the junction of Flatbush and Atlantic av- expressed a willingness to swallow enues, Downtown. Papers The Brooklyn the terminal costs while the city is In an interview on Aug. 14, minutes before While plans are in motion to move the New Jersey Nets — and possibly the Devils — to a being asked to pay for the pier up- the blackout began, Mayor Bloomberg told site near Atlantic and Flatbush avenues, at Montero Bar and Grill on Atlantic Avenue near grades. See NETS AND DEVILS on page 8 Hicks Street, several blocks away, bartender Renee Sulsenti saddles up for her ride home. City Economic Development Cor- After corrupt judge, poration (EDC) spokeswoman Janel Patterson said the agency is undertak- ing a study on the cruise ship indus- try and declined to discuss the pro- another day in court posal until the studies were finished. Since Carnival’s intention to come to By Deborah Kolben to afford counsel and we shouldn’t Brooklyn became public late last year, 150 rip Carroll Gardens The Brooklyn Papers be putting it on them to provide there has been no shortage of enthusi- Litigants whose divorce cases counsel,” Silbermann added. asm for the proposal, with Bloomberg went before an indicted Brook- Of the New York Bar’s Associa- and Borough President Marty lyn judge may be able to get tion 70,000 members, 24 attorneys in Markowitz speaking highly of the plan. and around Brooklyn have agreed to another day in court. “The city certainly has mecha- shelter for Asian women take on Garson’s cases. nisms for helping Carnival Cruise The New York State Bar Associa- See IN COURT on page 7 See NO BREAK on page 7 tion announced this week that mem- By Patrick Gallahue 20-person shelter for battered women and As a matter of course, addresses of battered bers would be providing pro bono The Brooklyn Papers their children, faced a mostly angry crowd women shelters are usually kept confidential service to clients who had matrimoni- upset that the facility was sited in the neigh- to protect the residents. al matters decided by Brooklyn A crowd of close to 150 people showed borhood without their input. “It’s unfortunate that a group of people felt Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson. up at a community meeting at Scotto But opponents of the planned shelter are so angered by the lack of notification that “As they did in responding with- Funeral Home on First Place and Court now facing questions of whether or not their they betrayed the confidentiality of what is out hesitation to the needs of families Street Thursday night to denounce plans efforts to deter the project have gone too far. supposed to be a safe haven for endangered during the aftermath of the 9-11 to install a battered women’s shelter on In their efforts to block the plan, some resi- women,” said Park Slope-Carroll Gardens tragedy, our Family Law Section is Clinton Street in Carroll Gardens. dents exposed the address of the shelter, list- Councilman Bill DeBlasio, who had a repre- once again in the forefront of efforts Board members and staff of the New York ing it in press releases and in flyers posted on sentative at the meeting. to respond to a community in need,” Asian Women’s Center, who are outfitting a lampposts advertising Thursday’s meeting. See SHELTER on page 7 said New York State Bar Association president Thomas Levin. Judge Jacqueline Silbermann, ad- ministrative judge for matrimonial matters, reached out to several bar associations asking them to lend a hand with the dozens of litigants looking to reopen their cases in light Gowanus Xway outrage of charges brought against Garson. Garson was indicted in May for Callan / Tom knocked down and replaced with a tunnel. “We are facing a crisis,” said Scotto, a vocal allegedly turning his judge’s cham- Fear state plans to Some community groups believe the re- Carroll Gardens resident and business owner bers into a marketplace where liti- pairs are an attempt to undermine efforts to who is concerned that cars which can no longer gants could proffer cash and cigars in fix it, not replace it knock the expressway down. be accommodated by the expressway are clog- ging the streets of Brooklyn neighborhoods. exchange for a favorable ruling. The Brooklyn Papers “It’s a way to skirt around the whole process that’s underway to consider a tunnel “The Gowanus Expressway cannot handle “There were people who were Papers The Brooklyn complaining to the inspector general, The state Department of Transportation alternative,” said Michael Cairl, vice-chair- the traffic it has right now, and that traffic is but complaints alone don’t offer any is planning to invest $344 million to repair man of the Gowanus Stake Holders Group, building up 4 to 5 percent every year and nobody relief for those litigants who think they the deteriorating Gowanus Expressway, the organization representing community in- is doing anything about it,” Scotto said. “Putting were aggrieved by decisions. The only Home at last which they say is falling to pieces. terests in plans for the Gowanus Expressway. more money into this [expressway] is insane.” thing we can do is bring them back Marine Corporal John Heaney gets a kiss from wife Lorretta and But the plans to fix the expressway have out- Buddy Scotto, a Gowanus activist and Tunnel proponents argue that while initial into the courts,” Silbermann said. son Jory, 11, while strolling down Atlantic Avenue on Aug. 15. raged local community groups, which have been founder of Gowanus Expressway Community costs of repairing the expressway might be “Some people might not be able John had just returned after a six month tour of duty in Iraq. fighting for years to have the elevated highway Coalition, couldn’t agree more. See GOWANUS on page 7 Travolta, polyester greet Ridge b’day By Deborah Kolben members hollered as shots of neigh- “Saturday Night Fever” hit the theaters night, City Councilman Vincent Gen- on Third Avenue near 73rd Street The Brooklyn Papers borhood landmarks flickered across in December of 1977. Six years later, tile said he would have donned his where they unanimously agreed to the screen. Travolta and the film crew returned to disco best, but his white polyester change the name to disassociate the What better way to usher in a While many of the establishments make the sequel, “Staying Alive.” jacket had grown a bit too snug. town with the Yellow Fever epidemic birthday than with a legion of featured in the movie are now defunct “He was just so nice,” Pierce said Bay Ridge also got a vocabulary spreading across the country.