INSIDE World of dance Including The Bensonhurst Paper at B’klyn Center Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 26 Court St., Brooklyn 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 AD fax 718-834-1713 • N EWS fax 718-834-9278 © 2002 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 14 pages including 8 pages GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 25, No. 44 BRG • November 11 , 2002 MARTY KNOCKS OUT VINNIE • FREE Wins ‘his’ Senate seat decisively By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers Like so many storefronts, windowpanes and lawns in the redrawn 22nd state Senate while declining to specify what dis- District, the tallies in favor of illusioned him. Marty Golden far exceeded “What he pulled in that debate This time, GOP is those for incumbent Vincent really motivated me to endorse Gentile. Marty.” By 10:30 pm, at the Bay Ridge The race for the redrawn district, Manor on 76th Street between which includes Gerritsen Beach Fourth and Fifth avenues, guests and Marine Park, in addition to too much for Vin numbering close to a thousand were Golden and Gentile’s home turf of celebrating Golden’s victory while Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst — fa- By Ruth Ford dining on honey chicken, shrimp vorably designed by the Republi- and scallops, baked ziti and lasagna. can majority for a Golden run — for The Brooklyn Papers It was a fitting display of opu- has been one of the most con- Democratic state Sen. Vin- lence for a campaign that cost tentious and expensive in the city cent Gentile lost his bid for a around $4 million, most of it from and even the state. fourth term Tuesday night to the Senate Republican majority, While Gentile trumpeted Demo- Republican challenger Marty compared to his opponent’s rough- cratic values such as rent control, ly half a million dollars. Golden, the Bay Ridge coun- repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws cilman whose campaign was After reading the returns of a and downstate school funding, only a few election districts, Jack backed by millions of dollars Golden pledged to bring more Spatola, president of the Benson- from Albany Republicans money to the district as a member hurst-based Federation of Italian determined to re-establish a American Organizations, who Councilman Marty Golden celebrates his state Senate win at Bay of the Republican majority, an ar- gument that even some Democrats foothold in Brooklyn. served as emcee for the evening, Ridge Manor Tuesday night. didn’t quarrel with. The two candidates, both pop- announced, “It’s been confirmed, ular in the heavily Italian and Marty Golden has decisively won!” “I said from the very beginning, The Brooklyn Papers ‘Hey, Vinnie’s a decent guy,’” said Irish neighborhoods of Bay The victory speeches began, / Tom Callan Ridge, Bensonhurst and Dyker even before Gentile had made the See GOLDEN Heights, which make up the heart ceremonial concession call. on page 4 of the Republican-crafted state In addition to expressions of senate district, wrapped up their gratitude that lasted for around half hard fought campaigns Tuesday an hour, Golden announced, “We More trouble for night doing last-minute canvass- are facing some of the toughest ing, then huddled with supporters times the city and state have ever Vincent Gentile at his campaign office on 84th Street and 15th to watch the results roll in. Avenue Tuesday night. seen and I am looking forward to Around 7 pm, a beaming being able to work with great peo- Golden arrived at his Election The Brooklyn Papers ple ... to balance this budget.” Day campaign headquarters at Bay Ridge-Staten Island Rep. / Greg Mango Unofficial election results had Vito Fossella. Golden earlier in Dist. 20’s Grippo the Knights of Columbus Hall on endorsing Golden. Golden winning 56 percent to 44 the day made get-out-the-vote 86th Street at 13th Avenue By 10:40 pm, at Gentile’s percent as this went to press. flanked by his wife, Colleen, and appearances in Bay Ridge with Although the evening was a victo- both Mayor Mike Bloomberg campaign headquarters four long-time friend and political op- blocks away, the three-term state ry for Senate Majority Leader Joe PTA moms erative Larry Morrish, an aide to and former Democratic City Bruno, the crowd featured prominent Councilman Sal Albanese, who senator got up on a chair to tell Democrats who had crossed party the past been mentioned as a candi- last week shocked everyone by his gathered supporters, including lines to endorse Golden, including mull suit date for schools chancellor. Borough President Marty Marko- Midwood Assemblyman Dov Hi- Altieri and De Lisi are consult- See GENTILE kind, Sheepshead Bay and Midwood ing the same lawyer handling the on page 3 Councilman Mike Nelson and former vs. super teachers’ lawsuit, for a suit of their Bay Ridge Councilman Sal Albanese, own against Grippo. By Ruth Ford whose endorsement late in the race De Lisi, a fulltime mom who CB10 fumes over Rx shocked borough Democrats. for The Brooklyn Papers volunteers regularly at PS 180, and “I’m a Democrat, it wasn’t an Banned, humiliated and under Altieri, a real estate broker, say easy thing to do,” Albanese told investigation. their trouble with Grippo first start- The Brooklyn Papers on Tuesday ed brewing last spring, when they night. “I didn’t take it lightly and I That’s the way two Bensonhurst mothers describe their state of life complained about PS 180’s princi- By Patrick Gallahue gave it a lot of thought, so that’s pal, saying she failed to control un- why I waited so long. these days, since they spoke up in The Brooklyn Papers support of a group of Community ruly students who were physically, Albanese said in a statement dis- verbally and emotionally harassing The Board of Standards and tributed by the Golden campaign School District 20 teachers who say Vincent Grippo Appeals has approved a variance they were discriminated against by their elementary-age peers. last week that it was Gentile’s de- BP / FIle photo Grippo removed the principal, both for the Genovese Pharmacy mand during a live NY 1 debate the long-time district superintend- ent, Vincent Grippo. half of 22 teachers who filed a fed- Altieri and De Lisi said, after they or- being built at the corner of 65th that Golden open up his police Street and Fort Hamilton Park- Jackie De Lisi and Betti Altieri, eral age discrimination suit against ganized a group of PTA parents to records to scrutiny that prompted meet with him. After that, they allege way, giving the go-ahead for the his endorsement of the Republican. the president and vice president, re- him. spectively, of the Parent-Teacher Those teachers allege that they their problems started to mount. drug store chain to resume “I’ve been disillusioned with De Lisi, 40, said the backlash progress on its 9,200-square-foot Vinnie Gentile’s leadership for sev- Association at PS 180, at 5601 16th were fired from their jobs as they Ave., told The Brooklyn Papers this neared retirement age and were started over the summer, when she store despite a rejection by eral years and I’ve made that well was warned via an anonymous known,” Albanese told the press, week that they have experienced then replaced by younger, prettier Community Board 10. repeated harassment from Grippo teachers handpicked by Grippo. phone call that her daughter’s The approval left CB10 mem- since they spoke up this fall on be- The highly regarded superintendent fourth-grade math level scores were bers irate that the company pro- whose district is traditionally unusually low. ceeded with construction despite among the best in the city, and in “She brings home nothing but 90s the fact that half of the lot is zoned on her tests, and she was graded at a residential. See GRIPPO “It’s a split lot,” said Steve Har- on page 5 The Genovese drugstore on Fort Hamilton Parkway at 65th Street rison, chairman of CB10. “A por- has been built very close residential property. tion of it is commercial, and a very significant portion is on the resi- The Brooklyn Papers dential side. They built this proper- / Mango See GENOVESE In Hurst, Verizon service a messon page 4 By Patrick Gallahue The Brooklyn Papers Hill with members of the Com- Can you hear me now? munications Workers of Ameri- ca to reveal some of the sources service troubles that have not No, according to 150 people been rectified in 48 hours has who’ve complained to Assembly- of faulty phone service. jumped nearly 125 percent. woman Joan Millman’s office, Boxes called Asynchronous and it’s about to get worse, accord- Multi-Lines (AMLs) make up for The union now warns of an ad- burned out lines or antiquated ditional cut of 4,000 employees ing to the union that represents statewide in mid-December and many Verizon employees. telephone hubs that cannot handle the increased demands of fax ma- claims customers will suffer even The Communications Workers more than they already have. of America, seeking to alert thechines and internet service, by splitting one line into two. John Bonomo, a Verizon public to the layoff of 4,000 Veri- spokesman, said this week that the zon employees by mid-Decem- Those boxes can also be found in Bensonhurst and Dyker company was not imminently ber, is going around promoting preparing to layoff employees, but the shortcomings of the telephone Heights, for example, at 79th Street and 10th Avenue and at had recognized a “surplus.” company’s service throughout the “We’ve identified a surplus of state.