Vinnie Sez It Ain't So

SATURDAY • SEPTEMBER 25, 2004 Including The Bensonhurst Paper Brooklyn’s REAL newspapers 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 • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages • Vol. 27, No. 37 BRZ • Saturday, September 25, 2004 • FREE VINNIE SEZ IT AIN’T SO Gentile denies gay sex harrass claim City Council to probe ‘Sharks’ male staffer’s charge By Jotham Sederstrom ed by the council’s Fair Intervention Committee. The Brooklyn Papers Rose would not comment on the nature of the claim circle or the identity of the complaintant. A male aide to Councilman Vincent Gen- Sources said the complaint stemmed from invi- tile filed a formal complaint this week tations to share hotel rooms on a personal trip to charging the Bay Ridge legislator with sex- Maine and a business trip to Washington, D.C. ual harassment. Martin resigned two weeks ago, Gentile said, amid Sources said the complaint alleges that Gentile to study for the Law School Admission Test. Al- made unwanted advances toward his chief of though the resignation was to be effective Sept. staff, specifically pressuring him to share a hotel 28, Martin left the office as his name began sur- room and accompany the councilman home. facing as the source of the complaint. There is no allegation of physical contact be- As reporters questioned Gentile in his Bay scandal tween Gentile and his accuser, who sources iden- Ridge office on Tuesday night, Martin was still at tified as John Martin, 26. work. He left shortly after and did not come to Martin could not be reached for comment. work on Wednesday, Gentile staff members said. Gentile said on Wednesday that he had no Martin is the third Gentile aide since the start Gentile rumor mill knowledge of the claim except what had been told of summer to leave the office. Former spokesman to him by reporters in the previous 24 hours. He Scott Gastel resigned in June. He was later hired has City Council denied having done anything inappropriate and as a spokesman for Public Advocate Betsy Got- said he did not know either who had filed the baum. Gastel declined to say why he quit his post wannabes lined up claim or the nature of the complaint. with Gentile and also declined to comment on the “It’s absurd,” said Gentile, 45, who during a complaint against his former boss. By Jotham Sederstrom special election in 2003 fended off rumors that he Sam Cooper, another Gentile aide, left shortly / Jori Klein The Brooklyn Papers was gay. “We know how we conduct ourselves in after for what he has called a hiatus to work on this office,” the councilman said Tuesday. the John Kerry campaign in Florida. Cooper did News that the City Council would be inves- Asked if he was gay, Gentile told The Bay not return calls seeking comment for this article. tigating a sexual harassment claim against Ridge Paper, “Absolutely not.” Martin, whose father retired after 40 years as a Councilman Vincent Gentile reached an inner Gentile went on to say that questions about his city police officer, began working for Gentile a lit- circle of Bay Ridge politicos a week before Papers The Brooklyn sexuality were misguided and revealed a double tle more than a year ago. He was a community li- the complaint was actually filed, say both Councilman Vincent Gentile speaks at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon celebrating the reopening of standard. aison, spending several evenings each week at Democrats and Republicans in the area. the Bay Ridge Library, at Ridge Boulevard and 73rd Street, after a two-year renovation. “The presumption is that if you’re a man in civic association and community board meetings, Between Sept. 14 and Sept. 22 — the day the al- your 40s and single, you must be gay,” he said. before being promoted two months ago to Gen- legations first surfaced in daily newspapers — the “If it was a female in her 40s, this wouldn’t even tile’s chief of staff. story had gathered enough momentum that at a Sun- election should Gentile resign. Of those lining up for his seat, he said, “There are be an issue. It’s the press asking this question.” Asked a general question about the complaint, day luncheon at the Bay Ridge Manor it was the pri- Gentile, who denies any knowledge of the com- sharks in the water every day.” Council spokesman Paul Rose confirmed that a Gentile said on Tuesday, “If it’s John Martin — I mary topic of conversation, especially among a plaint, allegedly filed by his male chief of staff, said Nonetheless, following rumors of a Ridge council claim was received on Monday by an Equal Em- don’t even know that much.” handful who expressed quiet interest in a special this week he had no intention of resigning See SHARKS on page 16 ployment Opportunity officer and will be investigat- See GENTILE on page 16 Seniors want their Moose Lodge already By Jotham Sederstrom the process of negotiating a five-digit then-Councilman Golden tangled was put toward renovations that in- The Brooklyn Papers sum for the annual operating costs, with Abbate in a blame game in cluded new floors and handicap-ac- the initial figure was erroneously which both officials claimed the oth- cessible bathrooms. When renova- Two months after completing made public in a March 2003 press er was holding up funding. tions were completed in July, Sam renovations at the Loyal Order of release by state Sen. Marty Golden, On Tuesday, Golden acknowl- Mazza, the chief administrator at the the Moose Lodge, sources say the source charged. edged the long rode toward opening Moose Lodge, said he was deluged the plan to open a part-time sen- “It was a miscommunication, but the Moose Lodge as a replacement by seniors hankering to settle at the ior center at the Bensonhurst it’s being worked out,” said the for the Narrows Senior Center. hall, which is closer by a mile than social hall has stalled once again. source, who is familiar with both “It took two years for the con- the Angel Guardian Home, in Bor- A reliable source familiar with the parties and would only speak on struction and approval,” said Gold- ough Park. project, which has been plagued since condition of anonymity. en. “And the frustration level is “Something has to be done,” surfacing as a replacement to the Nar- Golden and Bensonhurst Assem- starting to rise a little bit. But these Mazza said, about opening the lodge rows Senior Center five years ago, blyman Peter Abbate secured a total type of things do take time to get ne- on New Utrecht Avenue at 79th THIS WEEKEND said that $100,000 widely believed to of $300,000 after a political merry- gotiated out, and its only been since Street. “The goddamn thing is driv- be pledged by Mayor Michael go-round that began spinning near the end of July, so it’s not even 45 ing me bananas. They promise you Bloomberg was never on the table to the end of 2002. Following a cam- days. That’s not so bad.” something, they spent all this money begin with. Although Bloomberg is in paign promise to raise $225,000, The money, $300,000 in total, See MOOSE on page 5 CURB CUT MADNESS New crosswalks confuse parkers By Jotham Sederstrom ries that people in wheelchairs touched more than a decade after The Brooklyn Papers could be left darting into traffic. congress passed a law calling for “In more than 30 years in gov- the installation of curb cuts on 30 years of Antics A wave of inconspicuously ernment I’ve never seen anything every street in America. Although By Lisa J. Curtis Other live music oases include Sahadi’s “Amer-Aba placed curb cuts, recently like this,” said Howard Feuer, dis- the effort was to be completed by GO Brooklyn Editor stage” with returning Antic performer Eddie the Sheik installed as part of a sweeping trict manager of Community Board 1995, by 1994 the city had yet to and belly dancers (pictured from last year) between plan to outfit the city’s 158,738 11, which encompasses Benson- install two-thirds of those ramps. The Atlantic Avenue Local Development Cor- Clinton and Court streets; the rock ’n’ roll stage at Mag- hurst, Bath Beach and Gravesend. The settlement in 2002 called for poration has pulled out all the stops to make this netic Field; a blues stage at the Waterfront Ale House street corners with handicap- year’s 30th anniversary Atlantic Antic street fair accessible sidewalk ramps, has “People don’t know they’re there, the remaining cuts to be placed by between Henry and Clinton streets; and a kids stage at not in any way. There’s no traffic 2008. — this Sunday, Sept. 26 — one to remember. Urban Monster between Hoyt and Bond streets. elected officials, residents and a While the festival runs from 10 am to 6 pm along Hefty competitive eater Eric “Badlands” Booker veterans group reeling. signal, not even a crosswalk. It’s The “construction blitz,” as the such a terrible, terrible thing.” method of signaling out one area of Atlantic Avenue between Hicks Street and Fourth will return to defend his title at the Cheesecake Eat- / Tom Callan / Tom Although the effort targets street The rash of new curb cuts the city at a time is called by De- Avenue, the party goes on until dawn at places ing Contest at the Downtown Atlantic restaurant between Hoyt and Bond streets.

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