Judge's Victims
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Including The Bensonhurst Paper Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • NEWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2003 Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc. • 14 pages • Vol.26, No. 27 BRG • July 7, 2003 • FREE Cyclones write a check Judge’s City audit: Brooklyn, SI Clones take 3 teams owed big bucks from SI Yanks By Gersh Kuntzman In the Cyclones’ case, the team for The Brooklyn Papers failed to pay the city its share of By Vince DiMiceli victims rent it collects from retail estab- Apparently, the sweetheart lishments on the Surf Avenue side The Brooklyn Papers deals weren’t sweet enough. of Keyspan Park, the $40 million While the Yankees have dominated Women paying Both the Brooklyn Cyclones and beachfront edifice that the city the Mets during inter-league play this the Staten Island Yankees — teams built for the Cyclones’ exclusive year, the fortunes have been flipped that don’t pay rent on their city-built use. The retail spaces are current- down in the minor leagues. price in scandal facilities if their attendance falters ly occupied by a bar and a pizze- The Brooklyn Cyclones, a New York — have cooked the books to ensure ria. The city share of the rent is Mets affiliate, continued their domination of By Deborah Kolben that they pay even less to the city, $49,300. the Staten Island Yankees this week with The Brooklyn Papers two new reports show. The team also failed to pay wins Monday and Wednesday nights at Brooklyn Supreme Court In separate audits issued this $50,000 into a reserve fund for Keyspan Park and Tuesday night across the Judge Gerald Garson has been week, city Comptroller William future renovations or improve- Narrows — giving them six victories Thompson found that both the ments at Keyspan Park, a require- accused of turning his judge’s against the Baby Bombers in six tries this chambers into a marketplace 2001 New York-Penn League ment of the lease. An annual con- season. champion Cyclones and the 2002 tribution of $25,000 is required, On Wednesday night, with two outs in where divorce case litigants champion Yankees have routinely but the Cyclones have never the bottom of the ninth, shortstop David could proffer cash and cigars in Callan / Tom underpaid the city in rent, elec- made a payment. Reaver singled to left, scoring Travis Gar- exchange for a favorable ruling. tricity bills and other costs. After seeing a preliminary au- cia, to give the Cyclones a 4-3 win and a While District Attorney Charles The Yankees’ underpayments dit earlier in the week, the Cy- sweep of the series. Hynes has taken on the task of were far more egregious. Thomp- clones cut a check to the city that The hit bailed out closer Rober Paulk, prosecuting the case, the woman son found that the team did not re- covered its $87,500 debt in full who had the allowed the tying run to score who led the DA’s office to Garson Papers The Brooklyn imburse the city for more than — plus $29,783 against future in the eighth. Paulk, who retired the side in says her battle is far from over. Sigal Levi outside court Monday. $300,000 in electricity, short- charges. order in the ninth, picked up his first win of Freida Hanimov, 34, who wore a changed the city out of $25,000 of “The Brooklyn Cyclones do the season. He also has four saves. wire for prosecutors while preg- Dozens of women have come its share of signage revenue, rang not owe the city any money, On Monday, four Brooklyn pitchers nant, is still in the middle of the / Gary Thomas forward since Garson was caught up almost $36,000 in late rent- which was confirmed by the combined to shutout the Yankees 3-0, with custody battle that prompted her to on tape allegedly taking bribes to payment fees, and have not repaid comptroller’s office in today’s starter Matthew Lindstrom striking out five go to prosecutors. fix divorce cases. nearly $9,000 that the city over- press release,” Cyclones Senior over five and two thirds innings to earn the She said that while her case has Also indicted in the scheme paid the team in parking revenues. Vice President R.C. Reuteman win. been transferred to a new judge, were lawyer Paul Siminovsky, who The team’s total debt was close said in a prepared statement. “The The right-hander was helped some by she’s running out of cash. allegedly bribed Judge Garson on to $400,000. The Yankees have only issue in dispute relates to se- Papers The Brooklyn sloppy Yankee base running in the third “I am broke, I don’t have a pen- behalf of clients; Nissim Elmann, a recently paid $75,000 — but still lecting the best method for track- New Cyclones mascot “Pee Wee” (right) with original mas- when, after Tyson Hanish led off with a ny,” said Hanimov, who just re- businessman who allegedly bro- contest the remainder. See AUDIT on page 11 cot Sandy the Seagull at Keyspan Park Monday. See SERIES on page 2 turned to work as a nurse in Mill kered deals for Siminovsky; Court Basin this week after giving birth Officer Louis Salerno, who al- to her fourth child in February. legedly assured that bribe cases Her husband, a jeweler, was not were heard in Judge Garson’s ordered by Garson to pay alimony. court; and Avraham Levi, 48, a Road to Nathan’s through Jersey Hanimov’s case is not unique. See WOMEN on page 13 than the average person), he en- July 4 contest 4th of July fireworks joys doing it. “I’m here just for the PAGE 9 fun of it,” he said. tryouts are Thanks in part to the growing popularity of the Nathan’s contest, Judge-pick held every July 4 in Coney Island. eating competitions have popped a mouthful In order to compete at Nathan’s up all around the country in the you must first win one of 17 qual- past few years. By John O’Connor ifiers, and so far Seiken, who lives To name just a few, there are for The Brooklyn Papers in Midwood, and goes by the contests for hotdogs, ice cream, nickname “Beautiful Brian” (it jalapeno peppers, hardboiled eggs, challengers Brian Seiken, the world pick- was written on his baseball cap), mayonnaise, oysters, matzo balls le-eating champ (2.5 pounds in had competed in three. 5 minutes), stood in the sun- and even pan-seared cow brains. By Patrick Gallahue Lewis on Tuesday in a rally outside “I failed to qualify last year,” he Fox TV and the Discovery Chan- baked parking lot of the Molly The Brooklyn Papers Brooklyn Supreme Court. “The said, scratching his salt-and-pep- nel have aired several contests, Pitcher Travel Plaza off the process of selecting judges is really per stubble, a pair of gold-rimmed and there is now a governing body The Working Families Party a farce.” New Jersey Turnpike last Fri- reflector sunglasses poised on the called the International Federation threw down the gauntlet this day, contemplating the best ap- Mango / Greg “What we’re trying to do here is tip of his nose. “It’s hard on the of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), week — or gavel as it were — offer an honest alternative,” said proach to speed-eating hot dogs. body, believe me. I just did one which claims to have 3,000 eaters, announcing it would screen Dan Cantor, executive director of He hoped to dispose of 16 dogs last week, and if I come up short or “gurgitators,” in its ranks and and run its own candidates for the Working Families Party. “Voters and buns in 12 minutes. today I’ll have to try again on more than 150 events planned for the bench against the Brooklyn can be assured that anyone who is The occasion was a qualifying Monday.” the coming year. Democrats. on Row E, the Working Families contest for the Nathan’s Famous Papers The Brooklyn But despite the rigors of com- As one might imagine, gurgita- “Everybody knows that we’re in Party line, is independent.” hot dog-eating championship, the Two contestants in this year’s hot dog-eating contest, “Crazy Legs” peting (Seiken hinted that he tors tend to be heavyset. Seiken a judicial crisis,” said Working Working Families Party leaders Super Bowl of competitive eating, Conti and Eric “Badlands” Booker, at South Street Seaport Monday. might consume a bit more Maalox See HOT DOGS on page 11 Families Party co-chair Bertha See JUDGE-PICK on page 13 4-year-old Flea circus at saved from David’s Bridal By Deborah Kolben Closed. Open for Pickups Only.” drowning The Brooklyn Papers Inside, two senior vice presidents and Forget the seven-year itch. several employees were discussing how to By Deborah Kolben address the flea problem. The Brooklyn Papers News of an outbreak of fleas at the David’s Bridal shop on 86th Street in Bay In the meantime, local media swooped A 4-year-old girl was saved from drowning Ridge had anxious brides scratching this down an the Ridge and parked themselves Monday by a lifeguard at an outdoor swim- week at the mere thought of a pest-ridden along the sidewalk. ming pool at the Poly Prep day camp in Dyker walk down the aisle. Despite a denial by a store manager, Heights. The fleas were first discovered in late company spokesman Gary Schwartz ad- The incident occurred during a free swim period Mango / Greg April, but the store’s management tried mitted a repeated problem over the last just after 2 pm at the camp, run by the Poly Prep their best to cover up the outbreak.