Friday, May 18, 2012

Avella calls for LiMandri's resignation

From the Daily News:

A Queens lawmaker called on Thursday for the city buildings commissioner to step down, charging he has done little to clip the wings of notorious developer Tommy Huang.

State Sen. Tony Avella rallied with local leaders in Elmhurst at a construction site for one of Huang’s projects where a worker died last year when a wall collapsed.

The city has done little since then to curb Huang, they said, and called for

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri to shape up or ship out.

“This is the perfect example of how the city has failed,” said Avella. “Here we have a notorious, unscrupulous developer who continues to develop illegally, create violations and cause damage to neighboring properties.”

Avella (D-Bayside) called on LiMandri to take action and adopt a policy similar to that of the state, which has barred Huang from selling condos and co-ops. Huang is still allowed to pursue other kinds of developments.

“If you can’t solve this issue, maybe you should step down and let someone else do it,” Avella said of LiMandri.

“In 30 years, not one project he’s undertaken has had a successful outcome,” said urban planner Paul Graziano.

Graziano suggested that Huang’s ties with City Controller John Liu could partially explain the city’s inaction. Alice Liu, Huang’s wife, is John Liu’s cousin.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I want to clarify some things in this Daily News article:

After the press conference was over, a few reporters from the Chinese Press came over to me as and several other people who attended as we were about to leave.

They asked us this question: "Does anyone know if John Liu is related to Tommy Huang or not?"

My response was "Yes. John Liu is the cousin of Alice Liu, Tommy Huang's wife. It's easily confirmed, been discussed for over a decade and I'm surprised that this is the first time that this is being asked."

Apparently, the Daily News scribbled that down, simplified it and added it into the text as if it was part of the official press conference - which it was not.

And, while mentioning that Huang "was chided by activists in the 1990s for illegally bulldozing the landmarked staircase of the RKO Keith's Theatre in Flushing and was fined for allowing thousands of gallons of oil to seep into the historic movie theater," they failed to mention that he was A) stopped from developing the Keith's because of what he did to the landmarked portion of the building; B) is a convicted felon for the contamination of the basement; and C) is an utter sociopath who has blatantly focused his energies on destroying key properties in high-profile locations, including the RKO Keith's, across the street from Poppenhusen Institute, the Klein Farm, undermining TWO firehouses and others - the list goes on and on.

Sloppy reporting, but what can you expect from a newspaper that continues to call John Liu the "Controller" instead of his correct title of "Comptroller" even when they have been corrected time and again by other news organizations and the public.


Paul Graziano

Jerry Rotondi said...

I regret that I was unable to attend yesterday's news conference.

Here are some of my
thoughts relating to the subject of Tommy Huang.

As many of you already know,
I've had personal experience with Huang's shenanigans over the years--regarding the historic (partial interior municipal landmark) RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre.

Huang is on the books
as being a convicted criminal--
and he's been wreaking havoc
throughout our borough for decades.

Will he--or can he--
be stopped by the methods that are currently being employed?

I can recall a press conference held in front of then Councilman Avella's district office years ago, which I attended.

The councilman and some of Huang's victims were calling for
NYC to put an end to Huang's repeated law breaking.

I can recall another rally held on
Mazeau Street in Maspeth, which I also attended.
Tommy Huang was building there
and breaking the law once again.

That day Councilman Avella called upon New York City to bar Huang from building anywhere within the confines of the city.

We were--and I'm sure we still are--
in agreement on that.

There have been many
well documented transgressions which have been perpetrated
by Tommy Huang--
and now (perhaps?) his son Henry--
over the years.

Yet,
it seems that it will take much more than a demand that DOB chief Li Mandri step down--
to completely unravel this
Byzantine tapestry.

This is, most certainly, a very important first step to take-- removing the current DOB chief from his post--for not taking action in this dreadful matter.

However,
Huang appears to remain extremely well protected.

Hasn't he eluded many other
DOB chiefs---well before
Li Mandri's tenure?

Could someone
very high up be covering for Huang--
and giving Li Mandri his marching orders to, "lay off"?

What a puzzlement!

It's as if Huang
has been dipped in Teflon.

Everything bounces off him,
and he keeps on bouncing back.

Maybe one day Huang will be developing a site adjacent to
Mayor Bloomberg's townhouse.

Perhaps an "accident" might occur-- that could directly affect either Mike or his property.

Will "hizzoner" then step in and take action against this criminal builder?

Or--as some have already claimed--
does Huang have a "back door" into City Hall?
----------------------------

JERRY ROTONDI,
Committee to Save The RKO Keith's Theatre of Flushing, Inc.

Anonymous said...

This amounts to
farting in the face of a hurricane!

What will that accomplish?

The FBI needs to step in...
that is if Huang's long time pal
Gary Ackerman...hasn't already persuaded the feds to leave Tommy alone.

a TH victim said...

If the feds do their job right they'll tie Tommy Huang to his cousin John Liu's crooked schemes to defraud the American public.

Alice Liu Huang (Tommy Huang's wife)
is the family tie!

Only the department of justice
can put an end to all of this.

It's too bad that NYC Councilmen, NYS Assemblymen and Senators' etc. have little power here.

They've proved feeble in the past
against this monster..Huang.

NYS Senator Avella
and all of the other
affected lawmakers should band together and approach the FBI.

Bravo Tony!

Now,
please take this next needed step!

But maybe Huang has carte blanche from Washington D.C. ???

Anonymous said...

F--k the Daily News
and it's backwater Queens division semi-pro "reporters"!

The real stories come alive
right here on Queens crap!

Anonymous said...

Another press conference?
It will take a tactical nuke
to stop Huang!

Anonymous said...

Tommy Huang is a small part of the very BIG problem with the Buildings Department. I have been told by the Buildings Department that they have no powers to enforce or correct the laws. They can only issue violations. Unless it's a serious safetly issue,Good luck and wait while your communities are being screwed and the violations never get corrected.
WHEN ARE OUR LEGISLATORS GOING TO CHANGE THE LAWS THAT NEED TO BE CHANGED.
Communities are being ruined and everyone is blaming someone else.

Anonymous said...

Sure Tony, and you might as well ask for the DOT Commissioner to step down while you at it.

Anonymous said...

For your information:

NY1 Video of Press Conference

http://www.ny1.com/content/161460/elmhurst-developer-criticized-for-multiple-code-violations

Anonymous said...

Well...at least we have an answer when we're asked "How's it huanging?".

Anonymous said...

Herein lies the the seed
of the overgrown problem.

New York City makes
an awful lot of money
through DOB issuing permits.

The DOB doesn't really want
to be playing the role of cops
monitoring law breakers.

Oh, they'll collect fines,
because that's more money
that winds up
in the municipal coffers.

City lawmakers are not about to hamstring the DOB and thus slow down a lucrative revenue stream
for NYC.

Let's do some simple math.

What does it cost a developer to obtain a new building permit?

Then do the multiplication.

Voilla...
there's your answer as to why nobody will be successful,
in the near future,
in reforming the DOB.

Anonymous said...

A liu and koo donor with over 25 violations with $60,000. in unpaid E.C.B.and D.O.B fines ?location :196-29 42nd ave. @ F.L.Blvd, Auburndale. Owner is the former and present cm's landlord ,in Flushing,Main Street

Many dem. pols on this post were in office when this 250 child DAYCARE project was approved and worked on.

NO Photo-Ops . why? the Auburndale Improvement Assoc.has exposed this D.O.B. scam ,
with NO RESULTS ???

Anonymous said...

Tommy Huang's next project:
35-01 LEAVITT STREET. owner's name is listed as TIFFANY HUANG, who is the daughter of Tommy Huang.

Anonymous said...

So what's your next move
Senator Avella?

Just like the intrepid
"Eveready" bunny banging his drum
in that TV commercial...
Tommy Huang keeps on
going and going and going and going!

Anonymous said...

Tommy Huang has already used his son Henry...and now his daughter Tiffany takes her turn fronting for her crime dad on Leavitt Street.

Remember...
this bad seed even used his own mother (Su Yoo Yeh, I believe was her name) to cover for him.

He once put her
directly in legal jeopardy
by listing her as the owner of one of his properties.

In effect,
he was willing to screw his own mom!

What a "nice" son and father...huh?

And what are the lessons that Tommy's kids are learning from their daddy?

Maybe their children will become the 3rd generation of that criminal family.

The Flushing Phantom said...

I wouldn't hold my breath
waiting for Huang to be put in jail.

Flushing ex-patriots said...

We've watched Tony Avella
(and other career pols) jump into numerous press conferences,
with little effect over the years.

It finally convinced us to move north, far away from the noise and stench of an Asian colony.

Here you can breathe clean air
and not have your ear drums assaulted
by political bullshit!

Anonymous said...

Word is that the Queens D.A. has decided that there was no criminality involved with regard to the fatal collapse at the Huang's Queens Blvd. site.

Unbelievable, not really. More like predictable.

Anonymous said...

Our Queens DA midget is likely
being told go soft on Huang.

And so Avella is stuck in public view with his fly zipper broken
and his schvantz hanging out.

What an embarrassment.

Anonymous said...

From Manes through Ackerman and
on down the line to a few judges...
they were on Huang's payroll.

That's why nothing ever happened.
He will never wind up in jail.

As far as those "sterling" Stavisky's efforts...
Leonard (supposedly Huang's great nemesis) never did squat to stop Huang except issue statements and make a few public pronouncements
condemning him.