CRUISE WINNERS IN BACK PAGES BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Bensonhurst Paper Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications, 55 Washington St, Ste 624, Brooklyn 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • ©• 20 pages •Vol.28, No. 24 BWN •Saturday, June 11, 2005 • FREE The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn COPS SHUT STAB BAR CB10 wants Samba to close for good By Jotham Sederstrom Now, complaining of fighting, trouble since at least 2003, when a Along with a letter from Communi- pital. That incident, which drew The Brooklyn Papers late-night noise and public urina- police officer was beaten after re- ty Board 10 Chairman Craig Eaton, complaints to the liquor authority, A Third Avenue nightclub tion, residents and community lead- sponding to a brawl outside. which chronicles years of violence happened less than one week after ers are lobbying the State Liquor Last week, more than 100 neigh- and subsequent violations, residents new owners began operating the with a history of noise and vio- Authority to deny it a license for bors signed a petition demanding hope their efforts will persuade the establishment. lence complaints was abruptly good. that the club be denied licensing, State Liquor Authority to reject Deputy Inspector William shut down last week after police Renamed Samba last July, and which was terminated last month new requests for a liquor license. Aubry, commanding officer of the found that the raucous bar and sold to new owners last month, the when previous owners sold the bar Afight inside Samba on May 14 68th Precinct, said that the brawl discotheque was operating with- club on Third Avenue at 96th to an entrepreneur who owns an- spilled outside, ending with a stab- drew seven violations from the out liquor or cabaret licenses. Street, they contend, has drawn other tavern on Staten Island. bing that sent one patron to the hos- See STAB BAR on page 6 SHAME! Cops guard Ridge church where support our troops banner was vandalized By Jotham Sederstrom splashed across the sign. A similar The Brooklyn Papers desecration — without the “murder” Police are stepping up efforts — occurred one week earlier. “It’s uncharacteristic of the neigh- to find the vandal who twice borhood,” said Councilman Vincent poured red paint on a patriotic Gentile. “I really believe the culprits Mango / Greg banner draped outside of the are coming from elsewhere, and I’m Church of St. Bernadette in totally supportive of the efforts of the Dyker Heights. police to track these people down.” This week, police officers stood Deputy Inspector William Aubry, / Tom Callan / Tom guard outside of the 170-year-old the commanding officer of the 68th The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Catholic church on 13th Avenue at Precinct, declined to comment on 82nd Street, next to a brand new sign specifics of the investigation, except that reads, as did its two predeces- to say that it is “ongoing.” sors: “Support Our Troops. God Before last week’s incident, many in Sing it! The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Bless America.” Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights were Jessie Diamond, of Jessie Diamond & The Thousand, performs The increased detail comes fol- angered by the desecration, but still un- during the Five Borough Indie Battle of the Bands at Grand Army lowing an incident on June 3. Parish sure whether it was a message of reli- Plaza Sunday. The contest was part of Borough President Marty Just ducky officials discovered thick red paint gious intolerance, petty vandalism or Markowitz’s Best of Brooklyn festival held in and around GAP and Twins Ethan and Ava Gelfand, 3, play with rubber duckies during the Fifth Avenue Fair Sunday. — and the word “murder” — See SHAME on page 6 at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. Last go ’round for / Greg Mango / Greg Coney’s carousel The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn By Jotham Sederstrom In a photo taken last year, one of 11 trolley cars sits in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. They were hauled away earlier this month. The Brooklyn Papers Coney Island’s last carousel, tucked inside a Surf Avenue arcade for nearly 75 years, is heading for the auction block later this summer when, say carnival his- TROLLEYS SCRAPPED torians, the ride could fetch several million dollars. Bidding for the Bishoff & Brienstein “Carousell,” one of only 100 authentic horse-and-pony rides still operating nation- Left in Navy Yard 4 years, wide, will commence in August, said Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey’s, the Manhattan-based auction house commis- 11 cars will be destroyed sioned to make the sale. “It’s the sole surviving Coney Island carousel,” said Et- By Jotham Sederstrom / Greg Mango / Greg tinger, who described his auction house as the leading dealer The Brooklyn Papers in carnival curios. “As such, it could certainly be argued that No one will ever be dodging these trolleys. it’s the most important, historically significant, carousel in the After four years of sitting in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, 11 entire world.” 1940s trolley cars were hauled away to a scrap yard in Queens Lest purveyors of Coney Island’s storied history part ways where they will be salvaged for parts, representatives of the with the 50-horse ride, Ettinger believes the relic could draw a The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn flood of solicitations, enough, in fact, to ensure that the win- Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation told The Brook- This door is all that’s left of the Navy Yard trolleys. lyn Papers this week. ning bidder is one who is dedicated to preserving the carousel Salvagers lugged away the trolleys, which were owned by the intact. Should the auction garner enough interest, Ettinger Brooklyn Historic Railway Association, following an unsuccess- a marketing effort targeting trolley museums, trolley brokers and promised bidding would be confined to those willing to keep ful campaign to temporarily relocate the cars for the purpose of transit systems around the country. the ride in one piece, as opposed to salvaging and selling its showcasing them in museums — or even reintroducing them to “No one expressed interest in taking possession.” valuable ponies. the streets of Brooklyn. The trolleys, say Navy Yard officials, had For several trolley advocates, the decision ended the hunt for “It’s a crown jewel and the hope is that it does stay com- languished for far too long on land slated for commercial devel- someone willing to donate space for an indefinite stretch of time plete and does stay in Brooklyn,” said Ettinger, of the carousel opment. while permanent housing for the cars was located. known familiarly as the “B&B.” “Right now, it’s sort of one “For more than a year, the Navy Yard worked hard to find a “It’s very sad,” said Arthur Melnick, a member of the Brook- step at a time, and the first step is generating interest.” new location for the trolley cars,” said Navy Yard spokesman lyn City Streetcar Company, an organization that hopes to one Coney Island preservationists fear, however, that the auction Steve Vitoff. “We advertised their availability and we engaged in See TROLLEYS on page 4 See CAROUSEL on page 4 Walentas Nats bid lentas, a principal at his father’s wants us commenting too much Joins contest to development company, Two on the process. We certainly buy Washington Trees Management, which paid wouldn’t want to go through this if $100,000 last month to secure the we didn’t have a didn’t have a sin- Callan / Tom right to bid on the team. cere interest in it.” baseball team An article in the June 2 Wash- He would not disclose how ington Times reported the Walen- much the bid was for. By Jess Wisloski tas bid had not yet arrived one The Natonals, formerly the The Brooklyn Papers day before the deadline, but Wa- Montreal Expos, is expected to The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Brooklyn developer David lentas told The Brooklyn Papers sell for as much as $400 million, Walentas and his son Jed have that a bid had been submitted. topping the highest price ever placed a bid on Major League “We certainly took the process paid for a major league team. seriously, and we have an interest Last Tuesday was the deadline 500 rally Baseball’s Washington Nation- in getting involved in major league for bidders to submit an offer. Protesters of Bruce Ratner’s planned Atlantic Yards als, The Brooklyn Papers con- baseball,” said Walentas. “I’m not Competition faced by the Wa- arena, housing, and office development downtown firmed this week. at lots of liberty to discuss specific lentases include investment marched over the Brooklyn Bridge Tuesday before Rickie Lee Jones kicks off this summer’s Celebrate Brooklyn series on Wednes- “We sent a package to Major stuff with the Nationals. I don’t groups with such high-profile rallying near City Hall. They joined by those protest- day, June 15, at the Prospect Park Band shell. Admission is $3. See Page 9. League Baseball,” said Jed Wa- think Major League Baseball See NATS on page 17 ing other Ratner projects. See page 6. ©The Brooklyn Papers. Established 1978. Phone 718-834-9350. Celia Weintrob, Publisher (ext 104) • Neil Sloane, Editor (ext 119) • Lisa J. Curtis, GO Brooklyn Editor (ext 131) • Vince DiMiceli, Senior Editor (ext 125) • Ed Weintrob, President (ext 105) 2 BRZ THE BROOKLYN PAPERS • WWW.BROOKLYNPAPERS.COM June 11, 2005 Regina Opera Company Be unique. Bethlehem Presents VERDI’S Stabbed in LUTHERAN CHURCH An authentic rock crystal chandelier OTELLO by Schonbek is one-of-a-kind, You’re welcome because every rock crystal gemstone With Full Orchestra it displays is unique in the universe.