Thursday, March 10, 2011

Halloran playing games with Whitestone rezone?

From the NY Post:

"Unfortunately, many Italian-Americans in my district get painted with a very broad brush," [Halloran] said during a closed-door meeting last month with concerned civic groups.

He conceded Franco, a construction and catering entrepreneur, may "know people."

What Halloran didn't say was that Franco, 58, a Flushing native, was fingered as a soldier in the Gambino crime family by the FBI in a 1998 hearing about his brother, Salvatore, a former asphalt workers' union president.

Their late uncle, Giuseppe "Joe" Arcuri, was a mob captain who helped run the family while godfather John Gotti was in jail, testified former agent Bruce Mouw, who led the FBI's Gambino squad.

Franco is "a Gambino soldier for the rest of his life," insisted a law-enforcement source who said Franco is more involved in white-collar high jinks than any thuggery.

Sid Davidoff, Franco's lawyer, said his client is no gangster and has "never been accused of anything, including a parking ticket."

But the reputation of Franco's previous joint, Caffe on the Green in Bayside, isn't so savory.

In 1992, Franco won the Parks Department concession to run the restaurant in a historic Queens mansion on the edge of Clearview Park. Ten years later, a patron was shot there in an apparent mob rubout attempt. In 2003, an alleged wiseguy and his wife were charged with a hate crime after attacking an Asian woman there.

In 2008, an audit by the city comptroller found that Franco cheated the city out of more than $120,000 in proceeds from tips and party deposits.

The city stripped Franco of his contract, but he never paid up the missing funds, said mayoral spokesman Jason Post.


From the Queens Chronicle:

Opposition to expansion plans for the White House restaurant in Whitestone is growing, with area residents saying they were deliberately misled that the application was going to be withdrawn. But who did the misleading?

Following approval earlier this month by Community Board 7 on the plan to upzone the area surrounding the restaurant at 10-24 154 St., the proposal went on to the Borough President’s Office. The hearing was last Thursday, but the evening before members of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association were erroneously notified that the developer was pulling the application.

Marlene Cody, a vice president of the civic group, said she was told by a staff member of Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) that he was notified by the developer’s attorney, Steve Sinacori, that the plan was off the table. “We had a lot less people go to the borough president’s hearing because of it,” Cody said. “I feel he [Sinacori] lied.”

The attorney denied the charge.

Halloran’s spokesman, Steven Stites, said Monday that the councilman expected the plan to be pulled and was just as surprised as residents to find out it wasn’t.

But on Tuesday Stites said that there was more to the issue and asked that Halloran elaborate. In a telephone interview, the councilman called it a miscommunication with the civic association. “They misunderstood my message,” he said.

Halloran said he told members at a meeting last week that he wanted the item pulled from the borough calendar this month, but found out later it was too late. “I told them that they don’t need to go in droves to the borough president’s hearing because even if she approves it, I won’t as the sitting councilman for the area,” he said. “I promised them that I would remove the two houses on the block for the upzoning. I gave them my word that the council member carries the day.”


From the Queens Ledger:

In his letter, Halloran wrote that he still supports the redevelopment of the restaurant site but won't vote for the project in its current state.

“To reiterate, I support the redevelopment of the White House Restaurant site, but I do not support, and will not vote for, the rezoning of the residential properties located on this block,” read the letter.

In an interview, Halloran said that he still believes that the best way to accomplish that is by upzoning the site. Opponents of the project have suggested that rather than upzoning the property the owner should apply for a variance, but Halloran argued that would put too much oversight in the hands of the Board of Standards and Appeals, which would make the final decision.

“At least with an upzoning there would be a greater degree of control,” said Halloran, referring to the fact that the City Council would make the call on any rezoning.

But Paul Graziano, an independent urban planning consultant, said that in most cases a variance offers greater certainties that a rezoning can't guarantee.

“With a variance, the developer can't deviate from the terms of the variance,” he said. "However, with a rezoning it doesn't matter what plans have been shown to the community, after the rezoning a developer can do whatever they want, as long as it is by law."


Photo from the Daily News

49 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

Turn it into an Applebee's.

Anonymous said...

154 street will be the next Flu Shing(union street @ northern blvd). example of multicultural shopping.

it is almost all commercial except for the zoned ( A-5) two story buildings,some residential,some business with residential on second floor.

a new professionally operated ,upscale dining site might bring the three block section into the 2012 status.

many sections in the queens area have the same situation at the commercial/residential combination blocks.

if criminals are involved and it can be proven,disallow the purchase. slandering a businessman is not the American way to act , in my opinion.

the f.b.i. seems to be arresting many n.y.c. politicians
in recent years. who is next on their disgrace list?

Anonymous said...

"slandering a businessman is not the American way to act , in my opinion."

Oh NO! They are always so upstanding..or is that stand up.

How much campaign or "Rangel money" did Hollerin' Halloran get from this POS.

BTW: "White House" seems to be a populr name in mafia circles. Some "don's" house over in Brooklyn was called that.

Whenever some mobster was summoned there, they went shakin' in their Gucci's...and often they were never seen again.

"He conceded Franco, a construction and catering entrepreneur, may "know people.""

Halloran should be ashamed of himself for trying that old dodge.

Babs said...

"Halloran should be ashamed of himself for trying that old dodge."

TOTALLY AGREE!

And what Halloran said below is a disgrace. Speak for YOURSELF Halloran:

"Unfortunately, many Italian-Americans in my district get painted with a very broad brush," [Halloran] said during a closed-door meeting last month with concerned civic groups."

Babs said...

"georgetheatheist said...
Turn it into an Applebee's."

bite your tongue.

Anonymous said...

So it all boils down to Halloran being a mob mouthpiece by supporting Franco's project over the wishes of his constituency.

TIME TO CIRCULATE A RECALL PETITION!

Have "doofy" Dan removed from office.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Halloran owes the mob for helping him get elected.

Could they be bailing Dan out of his enormous debts under the table?

That's what happens when a Theod chieftan overspending cross dressing libertarian tea bagger gets elected councilman.

Maybe we would have done better with Ackerman's stooge Kevin Kim.

Anonymous said...

Oh, but George...then the Gambinos won't get the table linen and carting contracts if it becomes an Applebee's.

They could use a good White Castle in the area.

I have to travel all the way to Bell Blvd. to get my "sliders"...yummy!

At least then they can retain the "white" portion of the restaurant's name.

Anonymous said...

So let me get this straight.

Halloran is calling the FBI a liar regarding Joey "d'or" Franco being a mob "soldieri"?

Dan, as an attorney, is an officer of the court.

Some respect he's showing for law and order.

Anonymous said...

Dan appears to be a second rate ambulance chaser.

Wattsa matter counselor...can't get a decent legal gig in NYC and have to locate your law practice in far off Mineola?

Anonymous said...

Maybe somebody ought to put in a complaint to the bar association regarding Halloran's game playing...and I don't mean any of the bars he frequents.

Anonymous said...

He talks out of both sides of his mouth, there is an article out there that says he is against it? Bottom line is, look at who is backing Franco's move: Sinacori, Forcina, Maimone, Ring, Carpentiere, Kelty, Apelian, Bitterman.

Need I say more?

JOE said...

There's a tangled web here people.
Sinacori is a close personal friend of a guy named Bonelli. Bonelli is a friend of Halloran. As a matter of fact, this guy Bonelli was involoved in the whole BS story when Halloran decided to make up a story about the DSNY intentional blizzard slowdown. So let's connect the dots. ACTUALLY, the fact that we have to connect the dots in itself is reason enough. Let's get some real PEOPLE into office. Not career politicians.

Anonymous said...

And Bonelli is friends with Zuccarello. Who owns the building Hallorans office rents, who is friends with Delia, who rents the same building to Delias wife, who owns the building where Forcina and Ring have their law offices , who owned the property on 154 th street up the block from the Whitehouse restaurant, who sold that property to a "developer" from Manhattan, whose wife is Dennis Rings sister, and the web weaves bigger and bigger.

FEELS LIKE THE CAT THAT ATE THE MOUSE THAT ATE THE CHEESE SONG.

ex.gov.a.schwarzenegger said...

Ach, yoor bringing beck old memories. Zat vas a zong I zang when I was a yoot. Mit der Maus und der Cheez. Hahr-hahr-hahr. Zee? Yoo ken go hoam again.

Anonymous said...

rereading the queens ledger paragraph "to reiterate" may clarify Halloran's statements. and stop the misinformation provided by some commenters. the election is over. stay on the topic.

stop the innuendo and smears. if you have identifiable sources, list them.

we need this to make a rational decision on approving or denying this project.

the area needs a refurbishing. some of it looks like the south bronx in the 1970's.check out the abandoned whitestone market on 11th avenue.

Anonymous said...

No one says it doesn't need refurbishing.

what it doesn't need is a catering hall. Restaurant yes. Catering hall no.

A catering hall is completely inappropriate for the area. There is a school right up the block. Truck deliveries directly across teh street from school yard. ridiculous

Anonymous said...

"if you have identifiable sources, list them" ??????? I'm confused? Sources of what? It is a fact, information in readily available if you look. It's all public record, no sources needed, no alegations made, just connecting the dots.

"check out the abandoned whitestone market on 11th avenue" Funny you mention another Property that was owned by Zuccarello, sold to a developer in Manhattan, Mr. Ring was an attorney on the deal, and has represented the current owner, as they tried to quietly market the property to a group of Russian Doctors out of Brooklyn that wanted to build an office building/Medicaid clinic on the site.

Oh Sh_t! That explains the Rezoning of the entire area! BINGO! I THINK I JUST STUMBLED ONTO SOMETHING FOLKS!

Anonymous said...

"Truck deliveries directly across the street from school yard. ridiculous"
Yes, because all those schools in Manhattan are not located in the immediate proximity of businesses and hospitals that get many truck deliveries.
Let's not forget the former restaurant didn't get truck deliveries, and a future restaurant won't be getting any truck deliveries either.
Ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

if someone wanted to build a medical building on thar site,they could. it is a b.s.a. ruling that has been used to squeeze many out of zone facilities into the residential zoned communities.
the term is "as of right" and "community facilities". ie.day care centers, public schools , nursing homes,medical offices.

cpb's 11 and 7 are loaded with them, and local residents can only yell and watch them build.

ie. the daycare center for 200-300 ,2-5 year olds,owned by the Shu family of flushing (kon wah daycare). it is now two stories underground and two above with elevator access to the cellar. it is located in a R-2a(formerly R-3-2) at 196-29 42 avenue @ f.lewis blvd.

approved by the B.S.A.,even though there is no parking space or child drop/off or pick/up space.

rejected by c.p.b. 11 .

donations were made to CM John liu and new CM Peter Koo? kon wah (flushing),is located in the same building space as liu and koo's cm offices. shu's may own the building off of main street and 37th avenue?

check this out with former cm and new senator T.Avella. i do not recall a local crowd led by he and Graziano during the planning proposals.

Anonymous said...

wow, this guy Halloran is a walking disaster. sounds like he is next on the list to get indicted.

Anonymous said...

Halloran the blow hard strikes again. Maybe he'll blame this on anonymous DSNY workers too.

Anonymous said...

"ie. the daycare center for 200-300 ,2-5 year olds,owned by the Shu family of flushing (kon wah daycare). it is now two stories underground and two above with elevator access to the cellar. it is located in a R-2a(formerly R-3-2) at 196-29 42 avenue @ f.lewis blvd."

Anonymous - The zoning is not R2A - it was never changed from R3-2.

Medical offices are banned in R1 and R2 zones, but not in the others. Under the current zoning in that part of Whitestone (R2A) they cannot be built. In fact, variances are unable to be obtained for that particular use according to the Community Facilities zoning reform laws that were passed in 2006.

BTW - The BSA variance was for building in the bed of a mapped street, not for the use of the site as a day-care center. And, yeah, the whole thing sucks ass.

Anonymous said...

Franco made Halloran an offer he couldn't refuse.

Anonymous said...

bonelli forcina, delia, zuccerelo

dan halloran has alot of support in the itlalian american community

expect halloran to beat avella for state senate. then watch a city council special election where paul vallone takes the council seat

Anonymous said...

it figures tony avella would discriminate against his own kind

he thinx hes an fbi agent

tony avella go away and hold a press conference about the plight of seagulls under the whitestone bridge

in 2012 you wont have coumo at the top of the ticket you will have barack obama bye bye parkside hack

Anonymous said...

Anon Nos. 24 and 25: In your dreams.

Anonymous said...

And didnt't the Zuccarellos throw a big Bowne Park Halowween bash for Halloran to help him get elected!

Wasn't it a Zuccarello employee at their "Queens Garden Center" that beat up a city inspector ?

It made the papers...years ago during a water shortage when restrictions were imposed.

QGC was caught watering their plants and shrubs during water use restricted hours and were caught by this NYC inspector (issuing a fine?) who was subsequently beaten.

Are they Gambino friends too?

Anonymous said...

"expect halloran to beat avella for state senate. then watch a city council special election where paul vallone takes the council seat"

what are you smoking?

halloran is done

Anonymous said...

Halloran has proven himself to totally inept at doing anything for the people of the community he serves, and worse he doesn't care.
Name one thing he has done to improve the quality of life in this community. He's too busy taking junkets to Bulgaria, paid for by far right wing foreign political parties,and preaching the virtues of Democracy, which he doesn't practice or know anything about. There's a certain person in queens counting the days to the next election.

Anonymous said...

as long as we have steve behar to tell the public the truth about the vallones north queens will be saved

Anonymous said...

as long as we have steve behar to tell the public the truth about the vallones north queens will be saved

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


HAS HE LEARNED TO TIE HIS SHOES YET?

Anonymous said...

bonelli forcina, delia, zuccerelo

dan halloran has alot of support in the itlalian american community

expect halloran to beat avella for state senate. then watch a city council special election where paul vallone takes the council seat

WHO SAID THAT? SOUNDS LIKE A VILLONE STOOGE TO ME.

HOWEVER, BIG PAULIE IS SETTING UP THAT WAY AND DONT BE SURPRISED IF PETER IS INVOLVED IN IT, HE DID TAKE HALLORAN UNDER HIS WING AFTER ALL.

Anonymous said...

the teens now have use of the p.s.159 play space. before halloran ,they were locked out 24/7 by the principal and custodian.

RE: the xmas snow fall , many of us homeowners observed the d.s.n.y. (slacker employees only) run their plows on our streets ,with the shovel up and not doing their jobs.

going public ,other than anon calls, would mean dealing with the thug group in their union. they visit us weekly during the trash pick up.

Anonymous said...

HE DID TAKE HALLORAN UNDER HIS WING AFTER ALL.

As a stool pigeon? The stool is piling higher and deeper.

bayside watch said...

vallone is a douchebag. cant name one thing baldie has done for community

hallorans days are numbered. everyone knows this except him

Anonymous said...

steve behar is a rising star

Anonymous said...

matt silverstein will beat vallone in primary

Anonymous said...

matt no

steve yes

Anonymous said...

Anon no. 33:

At some point he has to go public. Just saying three guys from Sanitation told him something doesn't make it so. Otherwise, the good people get painted with the same brush as the "Thugs" and we are left to question if the three people who showed up at his office actually exist.

At some point, the three people that Halloran is supposedly protecting will have to testify under oath if the people who did wrong (if, in fact, anyone actually did anything wrong) are to be punished. Until that point, we're dealing with people who may only exist in Halloran's imagination.

Anonymous said...

did elio forcina even make the ballot for assembly ? mario delia from astoria ? steve behar ? who are all these people that sit around all day and write these things. do any of them have two nickels to scratch together. how sad.

Anonymous said...

RU kidding?

Chipmunk-cheeks Steve Behar couldn't beat his own mother in an election.

He's invisible and powerless...just another "big mouth".

Paul Vallone WILL RUN AGAIN and take the field!

I'll vote for him because he'll get actually get some things done.

We've gotten nothing but empty promises in our district from our past under performing pols who were supposed to be representing us.

Numerous press conferences don't deliver results except to boost a pol's photo ops.

Anonymous said...

vallone is a worthless slug

Anonymous said...

HOW COME EVERY POLITICIAN IN NORTHEAST QUEENS IS IN THE POCKET OF LOBBYISTS? VALLONE, AVELLA, STAVISKY, BRAUNSTEIN?

Constantinople & Vallone, Parkside and Brian Meara own our politicians.

Anonymous said...

GET YOUR STORYS STRAIGHT THE HALLOWEEN EVENT IS A CHARITABLE EVENT IN BENEFIT OF SAINT MARYS AND RUN BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND GARDEN WORKS AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ZUCCARELLOS BESIDES THEM GIVING A CHECK

Anonymous said...

can some one please tell me who this "Zuccarello" guy is...? i hear that name thrown around Whitestone like its going out of style.

Anonymous said...

North Queens United. enough said!!!

Anonymous said...

That loser wanna be politician Sal Bacerela hosts that Halloween party.

Anonymous said...

Hey Dan, Been ta Brooklyn lately? Hu? wa?