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Audit: $175G ‘slush’ funds to Ridge, Hurst By Jess Wisloski er this month, charges that the $175,000. That 2002 allocation was advantageously redrawn by the used for an ongoing Fifth Avenue chief of staff, Greg Hanlon. “We see it,” Condren said, adding that he The Brooklyn Papers Bloomberg administration diverted from the city Economic Develop- Republican leadership in Albany. beautification project that was fund- were blindsided by [the audit’s find- had not read Thompson’s report. more than $22 million in city funds ment Corporation came during a tu- Afew months later, Gentile won ed, at the behest of Golden, during ings], and it certainly doesn’t seem Using a tax scheme that he “We’ve had beautification grants collected through a financing multuous election year in Bay a special election to replace Golden the 2002 crossover from the Giu- to be in line with — it had all the here for years, from a wide number called a private “slush fund” for scheme known as PILOTs — pay- Ridge when then-Councilman Mar- in the City Council. liani administration to the Bloom- appearances of a political gift.” of sources,” he said, and they act as the mayor, City Comptroller ments in lieu of taxes — which as- ty Golden, a Republican, unseated Gentile said he was floored by berg administration. Patrick Condren, director of the a conduit for the funds coming William Thompson has charged sist economic development proj- the incumbent Democrat represent- Thompson’s finding on the “I wasn’t privy to where the Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst Preserva- from Golden, Gentile, Assembly- that $175,000 was illegally dis- ects. ing the neighborhood in the state $175,000 allotment. money went in Bay Ridge-Benson- tion and Beautification Alliance, man Dov Hikind and Rep. Vito tributed by the city to Bay Ridge Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst was the Senate, Vincent Gentile. Bloomberg “I found out when [a newspaper hurst,” he said. said he wasn’t sure exactly where Fossella. and Bensonhurst projects. only area mentioned in the Thomp- campaigned for Golden, for whom, reporter] called me,” he said. “It’s a huge allocation for a sit- the lump sum of money went. The largest project of late, he Thompson’s audit, released earli- son report, with an allotment of political insiders believe, the district Gentile believes the money was ting elected official,” said Gentile’s “I’ve heard about it, but I want to See FUNDING on page 13 BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Bensonhurst Paper Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages •Vol.28, No. 34 BRZ •Saturday, August 27, 2005 • FREE 18 ON COUNCIL JOIN TISH TO ATTACK LAND / Greg Mango / Greg The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Staten Island Yankee Kyle Larsen, who had tripled in a run earlier in the game, shatters bat his second time up during the first-ever New York-Penn League All-Star Game, which took place at Keyspan Park Tuesday night. GRABS CONEY’S STARRY NIGHT Bill would axe city cash Penn League’s best a hit at ballpark for Ratner’s Nets plan By Vince DiMiceli star baseball game in Brook- down in order in the top of the icans, Steven Pearce, of the The Brooklyn Papers lyn since 1949. first. Williamsport Crosscutters, singled By Jess Wisloski environmental approval for his At- James has unwaveringly opposed And while no major leaguers But in the second, a single by to center. After Jamestown Jam- The Brooklyn Papers lantic Yards plan, could cut half of the Atlantic Yard proposal, and did Fireworks lit up the sky in took the field, the capacity crowd Ryan Patterson, of the Auburn mer Jeff Van Houten struck out, Abill was introduced in the the $200 million committed to the not hedge when expressing how the streams of red, white and blue was treated to a well-played con- Doubledays, was followed by a Davis got a little wild, walking project by the city and state. The bill would affect the project. and balloons were let fly into test that pitted the best players the booming triple to dead center Clay Harris, of the Batavia Muck- City Council this week that Ratner project calls for construc- “It would be used for the pur- the twilight as the final verse New York-Penn League (NYPL) field by Yankee Kyle Larsen, who dogs, before Cardinal Chad would bar the city from using tion of a 19,000-seat basketball are- poses of the Atlantic Yards and oth- of “The Star Spangled has to offer. was booed ferociously by the Gabriel was hit by a pitch. eminent domain solely for eco- na and a 17-tower office and resi- er takings throughout the City of Banner” was sung at Keyspan In the end, the league’s first- Brooklyn-heavy crowd. Davis then followed with a sin- nomic development purposes dential complex emanating from New York, where a private devel- Park Tuesday night, kicking ever all-star game saw the Nation- The Nationals first hit didn’t gle to left that plated Harris, and and prohibit city funds from the intersection of Flatbush and At- oper is benefiting and it’s not for a off the first professional all- al League-affiliated squad defeat come until the third, when Chad Sutil followed with an RBI single being used for such projects. lantic avenues over a six-square- public use,” said James. the American League-affiliated Gabriel, of the New Jersey Cardi- to right. After Holden struck out Eighteen council members signed block swath of Prospect Heights. Co-signors of the bill included squad 5-4. nals, grounded a single up the on a high and outside fastball, on as co-sponsors of the legislation, It also threatens the use of emi- Brooklyn City Council members PAGE 7 Cyclones right-hander Bobby middle with one out. He got as far Jammer Gabby Sanchez singled drafted by Prospect Heights Council- nent domain to condemn up to 13 Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge, Parnell was handed the ball by as second thanks to a weak in two more runs with a liner to woman Letitia James. acres of private property. Bensonhurst), Charles Barron (D- National League manager Tom ground ball by the Vermont Ex- center, giving the Nationals a 4-1 The legislation came in response “Obviously it came in response East New York, Brownsville), Vito Prince, of the Williamsport Cross- pos’ Leonard Davis, but was left bulge. to a June ruling by the U.S. to the [Supreme Court’s] decision,” Lopez (D-Bushwick-Ridgewood), cutters, and he promptly struck stranded when Wladimir Sutil, of The Nats tacked on a run in the Supreme Court that affirmed the James said of the legislation. Al Vann (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, out two of the first three batters he the Tri-City Valley Cats, struck sixth when pinch hitter Mark Ori, right of state governments to take “I wanted to limit the use of Crown Heights) and James Oddo faced after allowing a hard liner to out on three pitches. of the Valley Cats, led off the in- private property in the name of public funds in a private taking, (R-Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, center fielder and Cyclone team- They took the lead in the fifth, ning with a single, was sacrificed economic development. and in a private development, for Bath Beach and Staten Island). mate Joe Holden. batting around and scoring three to second, went to third on a sin- The bill, if passed before devel- primarily private reasons, which is Eleven members of the 23-mem- Chucking for the American runs. gle by Harris and scored on a oper Bruce Ratner works out a deal different than for a public taking,” ber Land Use committee are co- Keyspan hosts Leaguers was Staten Island Yan- It started innocently enough grounder to second by the Cardi- to purchase development rights she said, speaking of the Atlantic sponsors of the bill, including the indie band fest kees right hander David Sec- when, with Hudson Valley Rene- nals’ Sean Danielson. from the Metropolitan Transporta- Yards project, which is planned for committee’s chairwoman, Melinda combe, who also put the side gade Wade Davis in for the Amer- See ALL-STARS on page 4 tion Authority and then gains state her district. See COUNCIL on page 5 A‘fine’ mess Owners Smith, Court eateries vow to fight city’s backyard cafe summonses defend By Jess Wisloski eted, helped organize the effort. The Brooklyn Papers “There may be some certain city codes that deal with this, but the ones [the Buildings Department] The simmering tension between the own- gardens is citing have nothing to do with what they’re talk- ers of bars and restaurants along Court and ing about,” said Schneider, who also owns several Smith streets and residents in Carroll restaurants in Manhattan, and did not want the By Jess Wisloski Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill name of his Brooklyn eatery disclosed for fear The Brooklyn Papers reached a boiling point last week when the of it being targeted by city inspectors. In the wake of surprise inspections of their city slapped fines on 12 out of 14 establish- “It’s strictly a code that deals with changing your building — changing the look, the size, the establishments by the city, several Smith and ments with backyard patio or garden space Court street restaurant and bar owners said this after neighbors complained about noise.

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