 Borough President Vito Fossella issued the following statement regarding the postponement of construction on the Korean War Veterans Parkway:
“There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Korean War Veterans Parkway. After the initial delay, and a continued series of productive conversations with the State Department of Transportation and the Governor’s office, we are pleased to announce that the KWVP maintenance project is now being postponed until after Labor Day. In addition, there will be a concerted cleanup effort for the south-bound lane in the coming days, the barrels will be removed, and the right lane will be reopened. We are grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS DOT for hearing our concerns and those of our residents, and for being good partners throughout this process.”  The city is proposing a new dedicated bus lane on Victory Boulevard, which would eliminate parking spaces for residents, teachers, parents, students, and businesses along the busy corridor.
"Raise your hand if you want to eliminate parking on Victory Boulevard?" said Borough President Fossella during a recent walk along the Boulevard. "I didn’t think you did, but guess who does? The City of New York." The proposal would eliminate parking on one side of Victory Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and on the other side from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Bay Street to Little Clove Road. "So, if you happen go to Notre Dame Academy and park here, you’re out of luck; if you teach here, you’re out of luck; if you’re a resident in one of these buildings and you typically park on the street, you’re out of luck," said Borough President Fossella. "This is just one more page out of the book of insanity where the people of Staten Island are left out of the equation." Before decisions are made that affect our neighborhoods, Staten Islanders deserve to be heard. "Let’s work on solutions that make sense for our borough, not policies imposed from afar," said Borough President Fossella. " Let’s change this page once and for all." And, a secondary proposal would eliminate parking on Victory Boulevard from Bay Street to the College of Staten Island. "Seems radical to me or stupid -- or both," said Borough President Fossella.  Borough President Vito Fossella, NYD Borough Commander Melissa Eger, District Attorney Michael McMahon and interfaith leaders from across Staten Island took a stand against violent hate crimes committed against people for solely practicing their faith in peace.
They joined together in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of three worshippers at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. San Diego authorities have identified the shooting as a hate crime. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the first words that are given to the folks who live in this country, is basically the right to express their religion,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of Borough Hall. “They felt people should be able to express it without persecution, without condemnation, without being assaulted, without being jailed because that was the healthiest thing for this country. We pray for those who were injured, we pray for those who were killed.” Imam Tahir Kukaj, vice president of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center of Staten Island, said the reason for today’ gathering is to “pray for the victims of San Diego and to send a message of unity and respect that we share here on Staten Island.” “Wherever it happens, whatever type of hate or killing against anybody, we come together on Staten Island,” he said. “We are always together. We send our prayers to the victims and their families in San Diego. We pray that less of these events or zero of these events happen anywhere in the world. As long as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, one-by-one together, hate has no place on Staten Island.” NYPD Commander Eger said the prayers of the entire Staten Island police force are with the victims of the San Diego shooting. She said the NYPD has increased its presence and visibility at houses of worship across the five boroughs “to ensure we remain proactive and safeguard our communities at all times.” “Nobody should ever, ever fear gathering in prayer or in fear of practicing their faith,” she said. “The right to worship freely and peacefully is something that we, the NYPD, will always protect.” Borough President Vito Fossella called on the State Department of Transportation to suspend planned maintenance work on the Korean War Veterans Parkway until after Labor Day, citing increased volumes of traffic crossing the Outerbridge into New Jersey during peak summer months.
The state’s current plan involves shutting down the entire right lane of the southbound parkway for the duration of work, which is slated to begin on Tuesday and projected to take place through the summer. “We’re trying to avoid the summer of hell here on Staten Island on the Korean War Veterans Parkway,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference on the Tyrellan Avenue Overpass. “Right now, the state is proposing a construction project that will disrupt the lives of tens of thousands of people.” Borough President Fossella said he hasn’t been fully briefed on the scope of the project, nor has the NYPD. “Who was at the wheel when they decided to practically shut down the Korean War Veterans Parkway on Staten Island during the summer?” he asked. “You have people going back and forth and so many other reasons where traffic increases during the summer months -- and it’s only going to get worse, and dramatically worse.” He said the state “has an obligation to come forward to explain what they’re going to do” and called upon Staten Island’s state legislators to step in. “We implore those at the highest levels of the state of New York to say: ‘Listen to the people of Staten Island, their pleas, their concerns, who sit in this traffic every day,” said Borough President Fossella. “It’s time for the state to listen, to step forward, call a timeout on this proposed project and figure out a better way to implement it so you’re not inconveniencing tens of thousands of people on a weekly basis.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon, the Staten Island Performing Provider System, and MISSION grant partners announced the results of the first series of training, which provided tools to assess and prevent substance abuse and suicide.
Two years ago, Borough President Fossella unveiled a federally funded, first-of-its kind Mental and Behavioral Health Blueprint for Children and Young Adults. The Blueprint was designed to address an alarming increase in mental health conditions with the main goal of zero suicides and zero overdoses. Borough President Fossella linked the effects of isolation during COVID-19 to an increase in substance abuse and suicide. “We started to embark on a journey about two years ago to get to a point of identifying the correlation between substance abuse and mental illness and to truly get to a point of zero suicides and zero overdoses,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in Borough Hall. There were 320 participants from the mental health, education, and law enforcement communities who participated in the first six training sessions. “To me, what made this series so meaningful was seeing so many different people across systems coming together and willing to learn,” said Ileana Acosta, the director of Behavioral Health at the Staten Island Performing Provider System. “Sometimes, the difference is simply knowing what questions to ask, how to screen and assess, and where to connect someone for help, instead of feeling afraid or unsure of what to do. I think that is exactly what this series accomplished -- helping people become more prepared, more confident and willing to step into those conversations instead of avoiding them."  Borough President Vito Fossella and the Staten Island EMS Task Force were proud to honor emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency service instructors and students for their heroic, life-saving actions during the 32nd Annual EMS Recognition Ceremony in the Hilton Garden Inn.
"The training, the compassion, and the way you do things every single day needs to be acknowledged and recognized, and that’s why we do this, because we appreciate what you do,” said Borough President Fossella at the ceremony which coincided with National EMS Week. “There’s a family out there, probably today, that will be stressed, there will be an urgency, but they will be in good hands when one of you shows up.” FDNY Chief of EMS Operations Paul Miano said the entire EMS team on Staten Island works together for a common goal: To save the lives of Staten Islanders. “Please know that we acknowledge you every single day,” he said. “You wake up, you come to work, you change outcomes, you deliver babies, you save lives. You are a special breed of people. Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you. You are the heroes’ heroes, don’t ever forget that.” In a poignant moment, the parents of EMT Brianna Sison received commemorative military dog tags in her honor. She died last year following a courageous battle with cancer. Our congratulations to all the honorees -- and our thanks to all the men and women who put their own lives on the line to help their fellow Staten Islanders.  Borough President Vito Fossella thanked members of a volunteer search-and-rescue crew who found Barbara Martz, an 83-year-old woman who went missing from her West Brighton home last month.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was alerted to the retired schoolteacher’s disappearance through a social media post by Staten Island activist Scott LoBaido. The 27 volunteers followed tips, distributed flyers, and knocked on doors before safely finding her on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on April 14. “After following the situation, we thought it would be nice to recognize what you all did,” said Borough President Fossella during a gathering in his office. “We just want to say thank you.” Ed Arale of the CERT team organized the volunteers into groups of four with mapped grids of the area. “Within two hours, we found her,” he said. “It all comes down to boots on the ground -- these people who came out, they stopped what they were doing, they’re true spontaneous volunteers.”  Borough President Vito Fossella and city officials announced a “Spring-Cleaning Blitz” across Staten Island, aiming to repair our pockmarked roads and remove litter left behind after the harsh winter.
Regular street repair and cleaning efforts were disrupted by the two snowstorms that blanketed Staten Island with more than a foot of snow, causing a build-up of trash on public streets and in public spaces. The initiative will bring together the City Department of Sanitation, the City Department of Transportation, the City Department of Parks, the Natural Resources Protective Association, nonprofits, and student volunteers. Penalties will be enforced to those caught littering and interfering with the cleanup efforts. “This is going to be the beginning of a big Spring blitz across Staten Island,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference on Earth Day at Front Street and Edgewater Place in Stapleton. “These folks, who dedicate their lives to improving quality of life, have committed, thankfully, to helping us out and they’ll be dispatched across the Island.” And work has already begun: Crews collected approximately 600 pounds of trash from Front Street prior to the press conference. Borough President Fossella noted the Spring Blitz is a perfect opportunity for students to earn service credits. “If there are kids out there through their schools that need service hours, let us know, and we’ll figure out a way to plug you in,” he said. Borough President Fossella also applauded one of our own -- staff photographer Peter Trivelas has spent countless hours removing illegal signs from telephone poles. “Hundreds, if not thousands of signs have been taken down off the poles across Staten Island,” said Borough President Fossella. “Peter, thank you for what you do.”  Borough President Vito Fossella and Jessica Baldwin Phillips, CEO of Historic Richmond Town, announced the launch of a website to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
The website will feature a list of anniversary events taking place across Staten Island and provides a submission form for organizers to upload their events. “We’ve been putting a lot of effort into how Staten Island will commemorate the 250th anniversary,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in Borough Hall. “We’re here today to say that we will launch a new website, a portal for anybody on Staten Island who is interested in celebrating in their own little way.” Several events are already planned, including performances of the award-winning musical “1776” at the College of Staten Island; an exhibit at Historic Richmond Town featuring objects from their collection, such as a campaign button from 1776; the Staten Island Philharmonic Memorial Day Concert; the International Parade of Tall Ships, and an Independence Day Celebration at Historic Richmond Town on July 4. Jessica Baldwin Phillips recalled that "New York stood at the very center of the American Revolution and right here on Staten Island, history was not distant -- troops marched on these grounds, strategies were debated, peace was attempted -- and the future of the nation was uncertain.” “Today, we have the privilege and the responsibility to remember that history is not something static, but something we actively carry forward,” she said. “This new website is an invitation to do just that.”  Borough President Vito Fossella honored Robert and Linda Ollis as the 2025 recipients of the Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award during a small gathering in Borough Hall. Following the posthumous Medal of Honor awarded to their son, Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, Borough President Fossella chose the couple for their steadfast commitment to not only remember their son but also uplift the community around them while doing so. They established the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation to support the veteran community. "You don't just carry on Michael's legacy," said Borough President Fossella. "You do do it with grace, humility, a tradition rooted in just a sense of service for others, and we will never forget Michael's sacrifice," said Borough President Fossella. Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, who served in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, was killed in Afghanistan while protecting a Polish soldier. He was 24-years-old. As part of the ceremony, the Ollis' names were unveiled on a plaque in the main lobby of Borough Hall, and a framed portrait of their son was installed in the conference room next to Staten Island's two previous Medal of Honor recipients, Rev. Lt. Vincent R. Capodanno and Private Joseph F. Merrell Jr.   Borough President Vito Fossella issued a call to the city to increase its allocation of paving resources to Staten Island in the upcoming budget after two snowstorms left the borough’s streets riddled with potholes.
“We’re here to really call upon the city to recognize the conditions of the roadways and also to realign the interests of what really matters,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the intersection of Thornycroft Avenue and King Street in Eltingville. “We have a situation where typically 200 lane miles are needed on Staten Island to be paved, to keep them in relatively good condition. The city is slated to pave about 150 miles of roads. So, on the surface we already know it’s a problem.” He said the borough is getting “the short end of the stick” as money is being spent here in areas that are not generally supported by Staten Islanders, specifically a $2B deal signed by the Department of Homeless Services to house people in hotels. “Their spending priorities, to me, are wrongheaded,” said Borough President Fossella. “This is part of the anti-car culture in the city, you know more bike lanes that we don’t want, make driving as miserable as possible, and just take that money that we need and we want and put it elsewhere." Borough President Fossella urged the city to "put Staten Island' as they hash out the budget. "So, let’s put Staten Island first, let’s put Staten Island’s streets first and when they’re contemplating the budget over the next couple of months, put the people of Staten Island first and not second as has been happening for the last few weeks from being shut out of the 2K program and getting proposed homeless shelters we don’t want.," said Borough President Fossella. "You just keep adding it up and Staten Island is getting the shift and it needs to stop and it needs to change.”  Borough President Vito Fossella was joined by District Attorney Michael McMahon and students from Staten Island schools to announce the 35th annual Notre Dame Club Bread Of Life Food Drive.
The Bread Of Life Food Drive works with more than 100 borough public and private schools with "Fight Hunger, Not Each Other" as the continuing catchphrase. Since its inception, the Bread of Life Food Drive has collected and distributed more than two million non-perishable food items to 25 non-profit organizations on Staten Island. “You come together to make things better," said Borough President Fossella during a press conference in Borough Hall. Rev. Terry Troia, executive director of Project Hospitality, one of the recipient organizations, shared a story of a phone call she received from the principal of a fourth-grade student who was so hungry she ate an entire piece of Easter candy, wrapper included. She visited the student’s home and found less than a quart of milk in the refrigerator and a single bag of potato chips in the cupboard as their sole source of food. Her mother also had a 10-month-old baby and was pregnant. “These are the kinds of situations that require the food that you are collecting,” said Rev. Troia. “What you do is fill those cupboards and refrigerators. You are saving that fourth-grader from having to eat that wrapper and that is very powerful.” The participating schools will collect food throughout the rest of the month. The food will then be boxed at Monsignor Farrell High School on March 28 and delivered to the recipient organizations. "It’s just an inspiring response from all the schools,” said Bread of Life Executive Director Joseph Delaney. Borough President Vito Fossella slammed a proposal to construct affordable housing on CUNY campuses, including the College of Staten Island, which lacks parking, public transit access and the amenities and infrastructure needed to support living space.
A report issued by the Center for an Urban Future proposed using unused or open space on CUNY campuses to build affordable housing and urged the city to adopt this policy. The College of Staten Island is highlighted as one such school with enough available space to build “multiple five-acre developments.” An estimated 8,700 students have decals to park on the CSI campus, but there are only 2,600 parking spaces -- "and here comes this group that says let's make this problem worse." “We’re here today to say it’s a really bad and it’s a really dumb idea,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of CSI’s Victory Boulevard entrance. “It will hurt the students, it will hurt the faculty, it will just hurt the flow here. Let’s take away hundreds or who knows how many parking spots, which would only compromise the quality-of-life for the students and the faculty at the College of Staten Island." Jonathan R. Peters, a professor of finance and data analytics in CSI’s Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business, called the Victory Boulevard entrance “traffic central on Staten Island" and "a very challenged corridor." “This really serves as the front door to the college,” said Professor Peters. “The reality of life here on the campus is we have a heavy dependency on autos. This is not Hunter College, where we have the 4/5/6 train at the corner of our building. Our students, our faculty, our staff rely on automobiles. It is very difficult to get to and from other areas of Staten Island to this campus. If transit was here and if we were seeing improvements, you’d have some ideas about what you could do further, but I would suggest that we think clearly about how it would function if this was actually done."  Borough President Vito Fossella, NYPD Borough Commander Assistant Chief Melissa Eger and District Attorney Michael McMahon addressed burglary patterns involving forced home invasions and the theft of high-end luxury vehicles and urged residents to take preventative measures.
Despite Staten Island recording a 14% decline in grand larceny autos thefts, a 69% decline in burglaries and an 8% decline in overall index crimes so far this year, a recent burglary pattern in Todt Hill and Dongan Hills, involving several forced home entries and thefts of personal vehicles, as well as an attempted grand larceny auto theft in Arden Heights, has raised the alarm among law enforcement officials and residents. The suspects have been dubbed the “Crowbar Crew” by law enforcement officials as they allegedly use crowbars to open windows to gain access to homes and vehicles with this current pattern taking place between Feb. 1 and Feb. 9. "Part of why we're here today is to remind the people of Staten Island to be vigilant and to take caution," said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of the 121st Precinct in Graniteville. “There are bad people on the streets. The effort and the goal are to get rid of them so that you can live in peace, but there are little pockets in Todt Hill and Dongan Hills, and more recently Arden Heights, where there are people looking to steal cars. We’re going to do everything we can to ensure it comes to a halt or is minimized as much as possible.” Borough Commander Eger said the NYPD has stepped up its patrols in the areas most impacted by the burglary pattern and has increased the number of unmarked cars, particularly overnight. Residents are urged to take precautions by ensuring they remove their keys from their vehicles, remaining with their vehicles when warming them up, keeping their windows closed and locking their vehicles upon exiting them. “The message here to Staten Island residents is be vigilant but at the same time, we know what’s going on, we’re doing everything we can to make sure we bring those people to justice so that you don’t have to wake up with a car out of your driveway,” said Borough President Fossella.  Borough President Vito Fossella visited the home of Linda and Bob Ollis after President Donald Trump called them with the news that he was awarding their son, Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, with the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.
“If there ever was an American hero, a son of Staten Island, it was Michael Ollis,” said Borough President Fossella during his visit in a CBS interview. A graduate of the Petrides School, Staff Sgt. Ollis sacrificed his life while protecting a Polish soldier from a suicide bomber at their base in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom on Aug. 28, 2013. He was only 24. In the years since, his parents, elected officials and community leaders have advocated for his sacrifice to be officially recognized and honored at the national level. “SSG Ollis’ legacy is one of courage and selflessness,” said Borough President Fossella in applauding President Trump’s announcement. “With this honor, his sacrifice is immortalized forever as a tremendous example of the enduring American spirit, for many on Staten Island and across the country. To Robert and Linda Ollis, you and Michael deserve this moment many times over.” He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star, as well as the Polish government's highest military award, the Polish Medal of Honor. Now, his parents can add the Medal of Honor to the display of awards in their son's childhood bedroom in New Dorp. "I am extremely proud, but very sad," said Bob Ollis in the CBS interview. "I'd rather have Michael than the medal."  Borough President Vito Fossella condemned the city’s decision to send Staten Island’s Sanitation crews to Brooklyn for snow removal.
“Staten Islanders became second-class citizens a couple of days ago because the city took a lot of Staten Island city crews and city personnel that were handling snow removal and moved them to Brooklyn,” said Borough President Fossella, standing behind a mountain of snow and some solid ice during a press conference on the corner of Laredo Avenue and Pompey Avenue in Eltingville. He said the intersection is “just one of the many, many spots across Staten Island that we can show you.” “This is just one example of an egregious crosswalk that is covered in snow with no indication of if it will be removed,” he said. “And we can use those crews who were deployed elsewhere. They’re doing the same exact thing in Brooklyn that they could be doing here.” Borough President Fossella acknowledged the crews who are working around-the-clock shifts, noting they may be faced with additional work as there is potential for a weekend snowstorm. “They’re doing their best to clean the roads, but there is more work to do -- a lot of bus stops, a lot of fire hydrants are still covered in snow,” he said. “No matter where you go on Staten Island, there are little pockets like this and somebody higher-up decided to take crews from Staten Island and bring them elsewhere. It’s a slap in the face to the people of Staten Island who just want clean streets, safe streets. With that said, there was a mistake made and I hope the city rectifies that and gets those crews back to Staten Island to help people get around. If that other storm hits, it’s going to be worse, it’s going to add insult to injury.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblyman Charles Fall united in a bipartisan, state-level effort to combat the siting of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) facilities in residential neighborhoods and to announce the introduction of legislation to stop their construction on Staten Island.
They stood outside the construction site of a BESS facility at 2166 Forest Ave. in the heart of Mariners Harbor, a dense residential neighborhood that sits between a strip mall and a deli, and across the street from Lowe's and Kohl’s, as well as two gas stations. Borough President Fossella said they have been calling on the city to say, “we don’t want them here.” “It seems like those cries have been falling on deaf ears to date, so we’re going to take another arrow out of the quiver and approach it from a state level,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the site. “There are other parts of the country where there is a minimum distance between a home or a business. We just keep banging that drum as loudly as possible to say that we don’t want these things near people’s homes or businesses. We believe they’re unsafe.” The elected officials also pointed to large-scale fires near BESS facilities across the country, including one in Warwick, N.Y., which ignited last month and took 24 hours to extinguish. It was the third fire at the site since 2023. To combat the construction of sites on Staten Island, Senator Scarcella-Spanton is introducing legislation which would require Community Boards are notified when a battery storage system is planned for a nearby neighborhood. The legislation would also require annual safety inspections for the BESS sites. “We see how quickly they can go up in flames and we want to make sure that they are not by your homes, by your businesses and collectively, we’re all working together with our community partners to make sure we pass this legislation,” said Senator Scarcella-Spanton. 'You Should Feel Safe Wherever You Pray': Condemning Acts Of Vandalism At Staten Island Churches1/15/2026
 Borough President Vito Fossella; NYPD Borough Commander Assistant Chief Melissa Eger; District Attorney Michael McMahon, and State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton gathered to condemn recent incidents of vandalism at Staten Island churches.
The altar and statues were damaged during a morning mass at St. Ann’s R.C. Church in Dongan Hills on Jan. 9. St. Sylvester’s R.C. Church in Concord was vandalized during their Christmas Day morning mass. Two days later, there was a burglary in the rectory at St. Roch’s R.C. Church in Port Richmond. “We stand here in solidarity with our Catholic brothers and sisters and all those of faith to say on Staten Island, you should feel safe at your church or wherever you pray,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference outside of St. Ann’s Church yesterday. “Religious freedom is at the cornerstone of who we are and we will defend it firmly and peacefully without apology.” Assistant Chief Eger said the individuals responsible for the vandalism at the churches have been arrested. NYPD Community Affairs Officers and patrol officers have increased their presence and have been making regular visits to houses of worship across Staten Island. “So, I want to emphasize that none of these incidents indicate the targeting of churches due to religious affiliation,” said Assistant Chief Eger. “These acts were of opportunism and theft, with a separate incident involving a mentally ill person.” Rev. Jacob Thumma, the pastor of St. Ann’s R.C. Church and St. Sylvester’s R.C. Church, appealed for increased mental health services and prayers for his congregants and the suspect in the incident at St. Ann’s. “This instant highlights an urgent societal concern -- the need for enhanced services and compassionate care for those suffering from mental illness,” said Father Thumma. “We must continue to invest in mental health resources that support families and provide timely interventions before crises occur. We ask the public to join us in prayer for the individual involved in this incident, that he may receive the healing he needs, and for the injured police officers and their families. We also pray for those in our congregation who were shaken by this event.”  Borough President Vito Fossella and Catholic Youth Organization officials unveiled a new set of rules for parents and spectators who disrupt games.
The rules are a response to a spate of spectator altercations during CYO games, most recently a courtside fight between two mothers in the middle of a basketball game in the gym of St. Teresa’s School on Dec. 20. In the following weeks, Borough President Fossella assisted the CYO in reaching a reasonable standard to hold parents and other spectators accountable for unruly behavior at games. The intent is to create a recurring sense of normalcy and good spirits at the games, particularly for the young athletes. Altercations had previously been handled on a case-by-case basis, “but at this point forward, there will be an objective policy.” Under the new rules, spectators who are ejected by a referee for disruptive behavior during a CYO game will now face a one-year ban. If that same individual commits a repeat violation, they will be hit with a lifetime ban. Additionally, any spectator who engages in a physical altercation will also be subject to a lifetime ban, permanently barring them from ever attending another CYO competition. Borough President Fossella said the majority of play is “nothing but a positive experience due to the coaches and the volunteers who step up to make sure young kids have a good time and to learn.” “The mission was about the kids,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in the CYO Community Center Gym at Mount Loretto. “The mission was about teaching them responsibility. The mission was about them having a good time. The kids are the center of this universe here. And every once in a while, some spectators get out of control and ruins it for the kids and ruins it for everybody else.” He said more than 4,000 student-athletes are on CYO teams, creating lifelong friendships. He called upon the leadership of all youth sports leagues to join the conversation. “We hope this is a way is to put the focus back where it belongs, on young children having a good time, learning a skill, learning a sport,” said Borough President Fossella. Michael Neely, county director for the CYO, said the two individuals involved in the fight in St. Teresa's School have been "indefinitely suspended” from all games going forward. “We strive to do what we can for the kids,” he said. “I think this is a very important message and I appreciate Borough President Fossella’s input on this. He’s been front and center with me for the last couple of weeks, kind of trying to talk me off the ledge a little bit, but it’s pretty upsetting and I really want to publicly thank him and his staff. I also want to thank my staff, too, for helping me through this time.”  Borough President Vito Fossella penned a letter to President Donald Trump in support of efforts to posthumously honor Staff Sergeant Michael J. Ollis with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration.
He wrote the letter after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recommended Staff Sergeant Ollis for the honor. "Staff Sergeant Ollis is the very example of the American spirit -- tenacity, patriotism, courage, and service to your fellow man," said Borough President Fossella. "His ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country, saving the life of somebody else, is an incredibly heroic action that resonates in our hearts to this very day. We hope Staff Sergeant Ollis can be bestowed the Medal of Honor, a medal he is so deeply deserving of, so that the generations to come can look to him and learn from his profound example." A graduate of the Petrides School, Staff Sergeant Ollis sacrificed his life while protecting a Polish soldier from a suicide bomber at their base in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom on Aug. 28, 2013. He was only 24. In the years since, Staten Islanders, including his parents, Robert and Linda Ollis, have advocated for his sacrifice to be officially recognized and honored at the national level. Staff Sergeant Ollis was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star, as well as the Polish government's highest military award, the Polish Medal of Honor. (Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com/Jan Somma-Hammel)  A hero’s legacy remembered: Borough President Vito Fossella was honored to stand alongside State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, veterans, clergy, and community members for the unveiling of a statue recalling the heroic sacrifice of Father Vincent R. Capodanno at the corner of Seaview Avenue and Father Capodanno Boulevard.
“As a young boy, I got to know who Father Capodanno was because they changed this name from Seaside Boulevard to Father Capodanno Boulevard, you got to know who this hero was all about,” said Borough President Fossella. Borough President Fossella became friends with Jim Capodanno, the brother of Father Capodanno. “Jim, like so many others here, kept Father Capodanno’s legacy alive, and they remind us every moment what it really means to sacrifice for freedom.” Father Capodanno, an Elm Park native and graduate of Curtis High School, was known as the “grunt padre” to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was safe in the combat operations center when he heard reports that parts of the company were outnumbered by the North Vietnamese Army during a battle dubbed Operation Swift. When they asked for reinforcements, Father Capodanno requested to go. His Marines needed him. During Operation Swift, Father Capodanno refused to seek cover even after he was shot. Instead, when he spotted a young Marine lying mortally wounded in an open field, he prayed the “Our Father” with him until he fell by the corpsman's side, 27 wounds to his back, his neck, his head. It was Labor Day, Sept. 4, 1967. He was 38-years-old. The statue was made possible through the dedication of Anthony (Tony) Leto, whose years of tireless efforts helped bring this tribute to life, ensuring Father Capodanno’s courage, faith, and sacrifice are permanently honored. It is a fitting tribute to the Medal of Honor recipient and Navy chaplain whose legacy continues to inspire generations.  Borough President Vito Fossella called for discretion and common sense from city agencies in the enforcement of minor infractions for small businesses at a press conference outside of Ariemma’s Italian Deli, a staple in Dongan Hills for more than 70 years.
His call-to-action stems from a long-held belief that the city often makes it difficult for small businesses to operate, oftentimes with rules that are obscure or unnecessary. Santo Ariemma recently received summonses from the City Department of Sanitation Police in the amount of $50 to $500 for the placement of a sign on the sidewalk outside of the store that advertises products and sales. The summonses cited that the sign impeded pedestrian traffic. “We’re here today just a few weeks before Christmas in front of Ariemma’s, which has been here for 70 years, and unfortunately, the Ariemma family got a lump of coal,” said Borough President Fossella, noting the sign has probably stood in the same spot since before Santo Ariemma was born. “As a result, Santo rightfully stood up and spoke out -- and you shouldn’t be afraid to speak out when the government does something wrong. In this case, the government did something wrong.” Borough President Fossella said a “lack of discretion and a lack of common sense was the order of the day” with city agencies often viewing small businesses as a “cash machine" when they need revenue. “Don’t ruin their day with nonsense, at least give them an option to say, 'hey, buddy, this sign is not supposed to be here or can you move it over there,’” said Borough President Fossella. “You can’t consult with people like that? Is that not the norm anymore? We’re here to stand with this family that has committed themselves to Staten Island. They work 12-or-13-hour days and it’s difficult enough with taxes and regulations and everything that comes with it. We’re just here to say the city should step back and see the business owners as the backbone of the economy, as the backbone of our community, as a opposed to a group of individuals or entities that could just grab money whenever they need.” Santo Ariemma said he was handed the summons without any conversation. “The signs have been out here for 30-plus years and they’ve never been in anyone’s way,” he said. “The signs are for advertisements, to try to make an honest dollar and now for me to try to fight this ticket, I have to take a day off from work, which means I am going to lose more money. I am going to have to pay for someone to represent me. It’s a bunch of nonsense for a small family business.”  Borough President Vito Fossella visited Totten (I.S. 34) Intermediate School to cut the ribbon on a new full-sized, 100-yard turf football field with dedicated areas form softball, baseball and soccer, as well as a multi-purpose space for school events, which was funded by our office.
The school’s Borough Student Advisory Council presented a plan to Borough President Fossella in March with their wish to renovate their schoolyard, which had not undergone any major renovations in decades. A month later, Borough President Fossella joined Principal John Boyle and his students in turning over the soil with a ceremonial shovel, promising that "this dustbowl that has been here for 90 years will be transformed into a field of dreams -- it will be epic." Now, that promise has been realized. “It might be a little cold out here, but this field is smoking hot,” said Borough President Fossella prior to the ribbon cutting. “You all had a dream, you came to us, we agreed to try to fulfill that dream and today, here we are -- 90 years in the making. Remember this: Anything is possible when you put your mind to it, when you believe in something, when you work hard, when you work together for the right reasons. That’s what today is all about. You’re going to have some fun on this field and you’re going to have great memories on this field. We are so proud and humbled to do this for you and your families.” As a token of appreciation, Principal Boyle presented Borough President Fossella with the Defender Of The Nest Award, a gold statue of an Eagle, as the students chanted, “Vito, Vito, Vito.” And, to highlight that the field will be for more than just sporting events, the day featured performances by the marching band, the cheerleaders and the dance team. “Since 1935, right back when this building first opened as Tottenville High School, this patch of land has been part of the sports community and of the Staten Island community forever,” said Principal Boyle. “For decades, this grass field was beautifully kept, lovingly maintained and played on seven days a week, but as time came so did wear -- with drought came dust and over the last few years, our field, our home, began to dry up. We still loved it, we still used it, but it slowly transformed into a dustbowl and for a long time, the idea of fixing it or building something bigger or something lasting felt like just a dream. But dreams have a funny way of taking shape when you surround yourself with the right people. Today, we’re surrounded by those people.”  Borough President Vito Fossella and Principal Andrew Greenfield toured the new JV and varsity locker rooms at Port Richmond High School, which were funded by our office.
The varsity locker room, which dubs as the field house, underwent a complete renovation, including new lockers; bathrooms; heating and air-conditioning systems; new floors; painting, and lighting. The JV locker room was outfitted with new lockers, doors, floors, lighting and painting. “The kids deserve it, the coaches deserve it, Mr. Greenfield deserves it," said Borough President Fossella. "Our best days are yet to come." Principal Greenfield thanked Borough President Fossella and Kevin Moran, the deputy chancellor of operations for the City Department of Education, for the upgrades. “This is absolutely incredible,” said Principal Greenfield. Borough President Fossella is also funding a new science lab for Port Richmond High School, which will include new tables and workstations, as well as upgraded electrical, gas and plumbing systems. “There is a science lab in the school that is about 90-years-old and it looks like its 190-years-old,” said Borough President Fossella. “Port Richmond will get a state-of-the-art science lab, one of the few on Staten Island and one of the few in the city. It’s going to be great for the kids.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon, Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo and interfaith leaders stood together in a call to protect religious freedom and condemn acts of hatred.
“The first words in the Bill of Rights are the ability of all individuals to have the free exercise of religion,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of Young Israel of Staten Island in Willowbrook. “These are the very first rights embodied in the U.S. Constitution before anything else.” He spoke of the arrival of the Pilgrims who left England to seek religious freedom. “They came together, and around this time of year, they celebrated a harvest to give thanks and gratitude for all the blessings in their life,” said Borough President Fossella. “Nothing has really changed in these last few hundred years. We still give thanks and express gratitude for living in the greatest country in the world, in large part because we are free to exercise whatever religion we want.” The press conference was held in response to a growing wave of anti-Semitism and religious intolerance across the country, including an anti-Israeli protest outside of the Park East Manhattan Synagogue on Nov. 19. The protestors used anti-Semitic and incendiary language. “What happened the other day up on the East Side of Manhattan at that synagogue is unacceptable and it is not to be tolerated,” said District Attorney McMahon. “People are simply going about their American right. But it’s more than that, it’s a human right. To follow their religion and express their religion, whatever it is, and that’s something we have to stand up for every day when someone threatens that.” The religious leaders echoed the theme of harmony for worshippers of all faiths. “No matter what aspect of our religions we want to celebrate, it should be allowed to be done in peace and harmony and everybody taking some joy in what others do as well,” said Monsignor William Belford, pastor of St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Castleton Corners. “I speak for our Catholic priests and people in saying no hatred is allowed, only peace and joy.” |