Terror on Ice in Hurst Feds: Slope Creamery Funded Qaeda by Jotham Sederstrom by Deborah Kolben the Brooklyn Papers an Unlikely Threat to National Security
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I N S BROOKLYN’S ONLY COMPLETE U • Bay Ridge author collects W L O P recipes of famous artists N • Ft. Greene home inspires Carla Cook Nightlife Guide • Sabre Mochachino’s fashion sense CHOOSE FROM 37 VENUES — MORE THAN 140 EVENTS! 2003 NATIONAL AWARD WINNER Including The Bensonhurst Paper Published weekly by Brooklyn Paper Publications at 26 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11242 Phone 718-834-9350 © Brooklyn Paper Publications • 14 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol.26, No. 46 BRZ • November 17, 2003 • FREE SHOT IN TOW DISPUTE Innocent bystander injured by bullet while returning video By Jotham Sederstrom The victim, a 35-year-old plumber from Benson- gunshots, and when I turned I got hit, boom,” said the in Bensonhurst, when the tow-truck driver, whose parently confused about the vehicle description he an- The Brooklyn Papers hurst, was returning movies to the Blockbuster Video man, who spoke to The Paper on condition of name was withheld by police, announced to diners in nounced. According to a manager at the restaurant, the store on 86th Street at Dahlgren Place around 11 pm anonymity. “After that, I crawled under my truck, and the Aussie-themed restaurant that an Audi was illegal- argument spilled into the parking lot across the street. An innocent bystander was shot in Bay Ridge Fri- on Nov. 7, when he was shot in the upper left leg. He I tried to get under it.” ly parked in a lot across the street, which is reserved Tommy Indrezzi, owner of Port of New York City, the day night following an argument between a tow truck spoke to The Bay Ridge Paper from his hospital bed He expected to be released by Friday. for Auto-Zone customers. tow company that employs the driver, said a knife was driver and another motorist that spilled over to the at Lutheran Medical Center Wednesday. The altercation started about five avenue blocks Police say a couple, who actually own a blue Ford pulled on his driver during that dispute. video store where the victim was returning movies. “As I was ready to get out of the car I heard two away, inside the Outback Steakhouse at 1475 86th St. Explorer, stood and began arguing with the man, ap- See SHOOTING on page 2 2 stabs, 6 collars Terror on ice in Hurst Feds: Slope creamery funded Qaeda By Jotham Sederstrom By Deborah Kolben The Brooklyn Papers an unlikely threat to national security. The Brooklyn Papers Police quickly arrested six teenagers He arrived in the United States 30 years The owner of a small Park Slope ice ago with a ninth-grade education, and following a Tuesday night attack that left became a citizen five years later. He two Bensonhurst men in Lutheran Med- cream shop was dishing out more than pralines and cream from his Fifth Av- was in the ice cream business for 20 ical Center with serious stab wounds. years, and had no previous arrests. The teenagers, who police said are enue storefront, federal prosecutors charge, he was helping fund al Qaeda. News cameras and reporters Russian, were quarreling with the two swooped in on the shuttered shop Mon- men, who police said are Asian, in front of Abad Elfgeeh, the Yemen-born propri- etor of the Carnival French Ice Cream day morning and workers in nearby an apartment complex on 85th Street at stores said they were in shock. 20th Avenue, just blocks from the home of store between 10th and 11th streets, who lived three floors above the store, fun- “I don’t know how somebody can one of the 17-year-old alleged attackers. launder $20 million out of a stupid ice All six live in Bensonhurst, police say. neled millions of dollars out of the coun- try, according to federal prosecutors. cream store,” said a salesman at Digi “Supposedly there was a fight that broke Acting on a tip, FBI agents discovered City, a cell phone store next door to out in the street,” said Sgt. Peter Moy. Elfgeeh’s shop. / Tom Callan / Tom that $20 million had passed through the One of the victims, 22, was listed in se- ice cream shop’s bank accounts between The salesman — who described him- rious condition after the alleged attackers 1997 and early this year. self as the “only Jewish guy in the stabbed him multiple times in the back and Elfgeeh pleaded guilty last month in block” — said he had a good relation- arms. The other, 21, was in stable condition a proceeding that escaped notice, per- ship with the family and often did busi- after being stabbed in the arm. haps because the illegal money-transfer ness with the son. On Wednesday police arrested and Papers The Brooklyn charge never mentioned terrorism. “I still see them around all the time,” charged with assault: Shnitman Vygch- But a review of court files by the Asso- Mango / Greg the salesman said of Elfgeeh and his eslav, 17; Perparim Rexha, 17; Alexander ciated Press revealed that prosecutors be- family. Zhornitsky, 17; Yusef Suleymanov, 17; Ani Meet the vets lieve Elfgeeh was an associate of a fellow “They were so nice, I can’t under- stand,” said Pat, an employee at Almars, a Zyka, 18; and a 15-year-old boy whose Yemeni, Sheik Mohammed Hasa Al- Former New York City Police Commissioner 50-year-old card shop across Fifth Av- name was not released because of his age. Moayad, who is charged in Germany with Bernard Kerik meets with members of the enue. “He’s a very good kid,” said Ralph Suley- helping bankroll al Qaeda in the years be- Brooklyn Chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of Papers The Brooklyn “I used to buy my milk there, it seemed manov, the uncle of one of the suspects. fore the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Feds have charged the owner of Carnival Ice Cream, on Fifth Avenue normal,” added Eileen Perez, an assistant “He’s always home. He’s always playing War during Veterans Day ceremony honoring Elfgeeh has denied any connection to basketball. I don’t know how this happened.” Kerik at the Bay Ridge Manor Tuesday. al Qaeda. between 10th and 11th streets, with funneling money to al Qaeda. See TERROR on page 5 His attorney, Dawn Cardi, has ac- cused the government of having “a vendetta” against her client, who is awaiting a possible 10-year sentence. “It’s really despicable and disgusting, quite frankly,” she said at a recent hear- ing. Cardi has petitioned the court to al- New Nets bid low Elfgeeh — who was released under It’s not a toy! house arrest after posting a $5 million The Brooklyn Papers Times reported Tuesday that the It remains unclear when or if bond — to attend mosque prayer ses- Three investment groups new bidder had formerly ex- a deal will be made with any of sions twice a day during the holy period seeking to buy the New Jersey pressed interest in buying the the bidders. of Ramadan. Kids found playing with rocket launcher Milwaukee Bucks but is not If Ratner emerges the winner, In his plea, Elfgeeh, 48, said he began Nets — including Metrotech The Brooklyn Papers Identified as an M136 AT-4 rocket A Bensonhurst man noticed the kids developer Bruce Ratner — known in most sports circles. It he has proposed a 20,000-seat informally transferring money for family also was not known if the arena and 5,500 units of residen- and friends in 1995 for a fee. As “the An army rocket launcher was found launcher, the weapon was found in a playing with the launcher and took the have submitted revised bids, Dumpster Monday by two teenagers 15-pound spent weapon from them. but another unexpected fourth unidentified bidder had spent tial housing over the Metropoli- money grew,” he “intended to get a li- this week, not in the trenches of Iraq, walking near the Most Precious Blood He delivered it to the 62nd Precinct bidder has also reportedly time with Nets management or tan Transportation Authority’s cense, but never got around to it,” he said. but in Brooklyn — near a youth cen- examined the team’s finances. Elfgeeh, on the surface, would seem ter in Bensonhurst. Church at 70 Bay 47th St. at 1925 Bath Ave., where a Bomb made an offer for the NBA See NETS BID on page 5 Squad team determined it wasn’t a team. threat. The bids were received Mon- “It’s a one-shot deal, meaning once day by YankeeNets, the sports you shoot it, it can never be used conglomerate that owns the Nets again,” said Sgt. Peter Moy, of the 62nd and the NHL’s New Jersey Dev- Precinct. ils. Apparently, it had been given to an The Downtown Brooklyn de- More to remember area resident as a gift by a veteran who veloper submitted a revised bid, was stationed at a military base in the as did Charles Wang, founder of United States. Computer Associates and owner Expanded ballpark ‘Wall’ to be dedicated next week The recipient tossed the weapon, and of the New York Islanders hock- that’s when the kids found it. Nobody and dozens of other emergency responders who died ey team, although specifics of By Jotham Sederstrom See ROCKET on page 2 those bids were not made pub- The Brooklyn Papers on 9-11, lived in Brooklyn but were stationed in other lic. Firefighter Joseph Patrick Henry, of Gravesend, boroughs. None of the four bids exceed- was just 25 when he died in the World Trade “It was magnificent and it was beautiful,” Alice Henry INSIDE THE PAPER ed $300 million, and the highest Center attacks.