From The Real Deal:Huang left his native Taiwan in 1974 at age 20 and settled in Flushing, Queens. A few years later, he married Alice Liu, heiress to Taiwan’s Haw Di-I Foods and Bull Head Barbecue Sauce fortunes and cousin to City Comptroller John Liu, a Democrat who is running for mayor.
While studying business at Queens College, Huang saw opportunity in Flushing’s many vacant properties and decided to go into the real estate business.
“I could not believe it,’’ Huang told the New York Times in 1997 of the empty land he saw around him. “How come nobody wants to buy it?’’
With the help of his wealthy father-in-law, Huang built seven high-rises and hundreds of houses. By the late 1980s, he had been credited with helping to revive downtown Flushing with projects such as the Golden Shopping Mall and Main Street Tower, a nine-story office building. In 1986, Huang paid $3.4 million for the dilapidated RKO Keith’s movie theater on Northern Boulevard in Flushing. Huang closed the landmark and began work on the site, with plans to develop it into a major shopping center.
Soon, Huang caught the eye of the Democratic political machine, which at the time was led by then-Queens Borough President Donald Manes. Working with Manes to encourage business development, Huang solidified his ties with the Queens political establishment, which helped him evolve into one of the most powerful real estate developers in the borough.
“They were grooming Tommy to be the fair-haired boy,” said Jerry Rotondi, a member of the Committee to Save the RKO Keith’s and a long-time critic of Huang.
“He was the symbol of the revitalization,” State Senator Leonard Stavisky told the New York Times in 1997. “But it was wrong to entrust so much of it to Tommy Huang.’’
It’s been suggested that Huang’s political ties with the city comptroller and others could partially explain the city’s inaction.
9 comments:
Let me preface my comment by stating that conspiracy theories don't normally gain my attention.
However, I am of the opinion (which is supported by many other savvy observers) that there was some sort of a Taiwanese "pipeline" which ran to the shores of the USA (branching more locally to Flushing) back in the mid 1970s. Most likely--it still remains--though somewhat clogged up a bit.
Did oil flow through that "pipeline"?
No--it wasn't "black gold"--but green cash!
Where did a lot of the greenbacks wind up?
In politicians' pockets, in the form of campaign donations.
It's been said that former Congressman Gary Ackerman and Tommy Huang were joined at the hip in this manner. Ackerman slyly retired, just in time, to secure his Congressional perks and pension--maybe a few steps ahead of the recent federal investigations into election rigging and money laundering.
It's obvious that Manes and Huang were more than friends. Claire Shulman, Manes' most apt protege, likely benefited from Huang's close association with her former boss.
Which other politicians might have been bought and paid for by the convicted criminal Tommy Huang?
Then there's the matter of Cecilia Chang--recently suicided--former dean at SJU. Was she tied to the "pipeline"? We'll never know now.
An overlooked little item:
I believe it was Norman Hsu--who once proclaimed at a gathering in Flushing's Sheraton East Hotel, years back--"Money is the mother's milk of politics". Indeed it is!
Wasn't it Norman Hsu who "bundled" for Hillary Clinton--and who was arrested on the west coast--then jailed? Was the Democratic party hooked up to that Taiwanese "pipeline"? It sure looks like it!
We badly need some improved political watch-dogging. It seems like we have too many "bundlers"and too many bungling officials to catch the thieves who are abusing the system.
Fast forward
to Taiwanese-American, NYC comptroller John Liu:
Is John Liu Tommy Huang's cousin? Though not personally confirmed by me--it's been said by many within the Asian community that Liu and Huang are indeed related to each other--though none would speak out publicly about the relationship.
Liu currently has a problem with his own "bundler" Oliver Pan. Then there's Jenny. Both were recently convicted. Liu dodges the bullet for the moment, but his mayoral aspirations are dashed to splinters.
For a former financial actuary and comptroller of NYC--how can Liu claim that he didn't know what was going on within his own political campaign?
Only 2 possibilities can explain this.
#1
Liu is unqualified, by his ignorance, to hold any public office.
#2.
Liu is, himself, a crook--who simply looked the other way--so as to not know what was going on.
Somebody always gets thrown under the bus to protect the big fish. In this case was it Oliver and Jenny? Justice may grind slowly--but in the end, justice gets served.
For the moment let's be grateful that John liu will never see gracie Mansion.
A warning though:
There's a "Mr. big" still at large. It's not Liu. He's small fry.
It's somewhat gratifying to see that Tommy Huang has made the history books--though not the way he'd like. I'd be most content to see him do some jail time instead.
A suggested title for the historic compendium:
"The Rise And Fall Of A Wannabee".
Chapter One:
"Greed, arrogance, law breaking and corruption in the Shul-Manes administration".
Section One:
"How to buy a politician. Advancement through arson. Money laundering".
But, the history of Tommy Huang is best written on the walls of a public toilet. It's as dirty as all that!
Huang and his spawn, will continue breaking the law by acquiring a new front for their nefarious operations.
His son Henry has been tagged.
Maybe his other son John or daughter Tiffany will run the family business.
Maybe cousin John Liu can suggest someone else.
If you want to see a great change in Tommy Huang's appearance, check out a 1987 article written by reporter Alexis Jetter for Newsday RE the RKO Keith's Theater.
A more confident looking Tommy is pictured then. This is far from the wrecked countenance you see before you here today. Ugly is as ugly does!
Growing old is a bitch when you've destroyed your own family's name and replaced it with a bad reputation.
What do we have in the end but our good family name?
Someday Huang's grand childeren will be asked by a classmate, "Was your grandpa that famous old developer crook"?
Is John Liu Tommy Huang's cousin? Though not personally confirmed by me--it's been said by many within the Asian community that Liu and Huang are indeed related to each other--though none would speak out publicly about the relationship.
You mean aside from the fact that Huang is married to Liu's cousin?
The late 1970s were like Detroit is now. Ladies and Gentlement the bronx was burning. Plenty Iranian refugees became South Bronx slumloards and sold out for fifty times just before 9/11
There goes that tired old line of BS being slung around again...that fictitious, mysterious, "blight"!
Flushing was never "blighted" in the 1970s.
There was merely a turnover of businesses that were started by businessmen after the end of WW II.
A lot of them got old and retired. Some passed away.
Opportunistic real estate outfits like "Kent Realty" pumped up and used the "blight" invention to invite Taiwanese to Flushing. These Taiwanese payed high rents for the properties that they owned.
It was Kent's own Bob Murani who ran early ads in Taipei newspapers...stating that Flushing was a golden land and a place of opportunity to do business.
Let's not forget that Donald Manes appropriated the money that was alloted for Flushing's upgrading, and put it into Jamaica, his home town, instead.
So we looked to Taiwan to bring their own money to Flushing...and drive out the African-Americans who were considered a long time pariah among the old town fathers.
Unfortunately what steeped off the airplane was a venomous Asiatic viper named Tommy Huang and a few other Taiwanese renegades.
Nice words, Senator.
But didn't State Senator Leonard Stavisky take campaign contributions from Tommy Huang?
The Stavisky dynasty continues to be all show and no blow.
These oratorically talented liars need to be bounced.
Dump the dynasty or it's business as usual.
Moby Stavisky currently supports clubhouse Vallone for the 19t district. The whole damn Dem Machine sure have their noses up each other's asses.
Yep...strong words but weak action against Tommy Huang from the Stavisky camp...for the record.
Now there's a family of pathological blowhards for you.
Post a Comment