 Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael McMahon honored 11 crewmembers of the Samuel I. Newhouse ferryboat for their heroic and quick-thinking actions to rescue a 26-year-old passenger who went overboard on June 8.
“We’re here today to say thank you for saving a life,” said Borough President Fossella during a gathering in his office. “These things can happen at any time. The ferry is a lifeline for thousands of Staten Islanders and it’s a renowned tourist attraction. I always knew that the ferry crews were the best, and you revealed it once again, and you demonstrate that the world knows the Staten Island Ferry crew is the very best. You do it every day of the year and we’re grateful and we appreciate it. So, we thank you.” Captain Ryan Burtchell was piloting the Newhouse with a mostly junior crew -- who had performed practice drills that morning -- when he was informed that a passenger jumped overboard. The ferry crew had already thrown a life ring into the water to mark the passenger’s location. The captain radioed the other vessels in the area and coordinated with the Coast Guard and NYPD who pulled the passenger out of the water. “We stopped the boat and started looking for the passenger in the water and he was actually lying flat on his back,” said Captain Burtchell. “Thank God, they threw the life ring over right away, so we were able to get to the location quickly. The crew was excellent. In these situations, their communication is key. They train hard for moments like this.” The crew members honored were Captain Ryan Burtchell; Assistant Captain Vinny Pedulla; Mate Joe Esposito; Mate Tim McCann; Mate Perry Iyampilla; Deckhand Yogi Selvarajah; Deckhand Carlos Davis; Deckhand Bill Dunn; Deckhand Sheehan Hettiarachchige; Deckhand Mark Cyparski, and Deckhand Andrew Ehrenfeld.  Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael McMahon honored the Monsignor Farrell High School Varsity Lacrosse team following their unprecedented season in which they won three titles, including their second straight Catholic High School Athletic Association city crown.
“It’s wonderful to have all of you here,” said Borough President Fossella, a 1983 graduate of Farrell, during a press conference on the steps of Borough Hall. “If you can think about that semi-final when you were down by 6 at half-time and you came back to win. In a way, that’s a metaphor for life. You broke new ground -- the first team ever to win all three titles -- and you did it with dignity, you did it with respect. If you come together as a team and you believe in yourself and have faith not just in yourself, but in your teammates, anything is possible. Remember what you did on the field but in life, it is more important what you do off the field. To all of you, I say congratulations.” Lou Tobacco, president and CEO of Farrell, said the team gave “new meaning to the word grit, new meaning to the word tenacity, and new meaning to the words, ‘never say never.’” “You never let anyone intimidate you,” said President Tobacco, a 1990 Farrell graduate. “Some of the games were very exciting and you never quit, you always came back like a Lion. So, we love you and we’re very proud of you. You deserve this celebration -- and you deserve to be celebrated for the rest of your lives.” At the end of the ceremony, Borough President Fossella presented the players and coaches with Certificates of Appreciation, as well as a proclamation declaring June 18, 2025, as “Monsignor Farrrell High School Varsity Lacrosse Team Day” in the Borough Of Staten Island. Congratulations to the Lions -- you make Staten Island proud.  Borough President Vito Fossella was joined by Staten Island veterans’ groups to rededicate the three plaques adorning Borough Hall.
One plaque is dedicated to 150 Staten Islanders killed in action during World War I, one to Giovanni da Verrazzano, and one to Commodore John Barry. Over time, each of them experienced weather-related discoloration. At the request of Borough President Fossella, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, along with Altus Metal, Marble & Wood, worked to restore the plaques to their former glory. The area in front of the plaques, located on the Stuyvesant Place-side of Borough Hall, is affectionally known as “Commodore Barry Plaza.” As the Navy’s first commissioned officer and the first captain of a ship bearing our nation’s flag, Commodore John Barry is widely regarded as the “Father Of The American Navy. “There are three plaques on this building, they were put up at different times for different reasons, but they were commemorating individuals who made a difference to this country, and in a way, indirectly, to Staten Island,” said Borough President Fossella. “So, one day we said, why don’t we clean them up? And we did -- and what a difference. It’s part of just having pride. Little things do make a difference. Like a lot of things over time, you sort of get used to it and you ignore the meaning and the true purpose of what it was all about. That’s why we’re here today -- to say that we’re proud of our community.” The Curtis High School JROTC presented the colors, Miss Staten Island Madison Gattullo sang the National Anthem, and Borough Hall intern Matthew Mistretta sang God Bless America. As the ceremony concluded, red, white, and blue wreaths were hung under the plaques.  Borough President Vito Fossella funded repairs to the Midland Beach Veterans Memorial after it was damaged by a vehicle collision at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Father Capodanno Boulevard last month.
After seeing the damage first-hand and meeting with members of the Midland Beach Civic Association, the pavers, walkway, and platform at the memorial were replaced through a contract with our office by Moreland Construction. “A few weeks ago, there was an unfortunate accident here and this area was damaged,” said Borough President Fossella during a recent visit to the memorial. “We made a commitment to fix it and here we are today with the completion. So, the community has its memorial back. First erected in 1942, this is the fourth of-its-kind and this is the way we honor our veterans in Midland Beach with the dignity they deserve.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon, NYPD Inspector Matthew Harrington, and multi-faith leaders stood together to condemn the rising acts of antisemitism on Staten Island and across the country.
“What we’re seeing now are anti-Semitic acts that are not just verbal and rooted in hate, but result in the murder and the killing of innocent people exclusively and solely because they’re Jewish,” said Borough President Vito Fossella at a press conference at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island. “They do so, these animals, because of their warped concept or view of their own little world. What we want to say today is that anti-Semitic attacks, including assault and murder of Jews, are being cloaked as forms of activism or social justice, falsely legitimizing hate under the guise of progressive causes.” The press conference was held in response to the fatal shooting of a young Jewish couple, who were staff members of the Israeli Embassy, outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last month, as well to injuries suffered by multiple people on June 1 after a suspect allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into the crowd during a peaceful march in Colorado in support of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Additionally, a man who was hanging up posters of Israeli hostages in Manhattan was attacked. “Here on Staten Island, we are saying if you provoke somebody for just being Jewish and if you attack somebody for just being Jewish, you will be prosecuted and you will go to jail,” said Borough President Fossella. “We are here standing united with one voice, the people of Staten Island of all religions, of all faiths, wherever we come from, when we come to Staten Island, we are united in peace and we treat people with respect.”  Borough President Vito Fossella honored this year’s “Super Readers” at the annual Readers Are Leaders ceremony at the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island. Readers Are Leaders, now in its 29th year, challenged fourth-grade students in Staten Island's public, parochial and private schools to read a minimum of five books at grade level or above in five weeks. Students then submitted a report or project on their favorite book they read during the period. Each school picked one super reader, who was honored as an “Exceptional Reader” by Borough President Fossella. “You all deserve a wonderful round of applause,” said Borough President Fossella. “I’d also like to thank the teachers -- we can’t do it without the teachers.” Each honoree received a gift card to Barnes & Noble and tickets to a special Readers Are Leaders Staten Island FerryHawks game. The program was started by then-Councilman Vito Fossella in 1996 and was later picked up by Borough Hall. Since its inception, our fourth-grade students have read nearly 800,000 books for the annual challenge -- or more than 29 billion words! Borough President Fossella noted there were no iPhones and few people knew about the Internet when Readers Are Leaders began. “The one thing that has not changed in 29 years, the one thing that will never change, is the importance of reading as a foundation for our success,” said Borough President Fossella. “Even if you only read a few pages a day, that’s progress. So, congratulations to all of you for being ‘exceptional readers.’” Our thanks to the Staten Island FerryHawks and Community Media of Staten Island for sponsoring this year’s Readers Are Leaders Challenge.  Borough President Vito Fossella honored Farrah Garcia and posthumously honored Dr. Nora De Rosa as the recipients of the 2025 Patrick F. Daly Award during a ceremony in Borough Hall.
Patrick F. Daly, who lived on Rose Avenue in New Dorp and was the principal of P.S. 15, was fatally shot on Dec. 17, 1992, outside the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn while searching for a student who left the school building. The namesake award celebrates Staten Island educators and educational administrators who have dedicated their lives to providing the best for their students Dr. Nora De Rosa held a long career in education, defined by enduring compassion for students and inspiring leadership. The cornerstone of this career was her tenure at Bernstein (I.S. 7) Intermediate School, where she served as the principal from 2003 until her retirement in 2024. She is remembered as a heartfelt leader whose work made a lasting impact on the school community. Dr. De Rosa passed away in December. For her dedication to educational excellence, Dr. De Rosa is the second educator posthumously honored with the Patrick F. Daly Award. Farrah Garcia has worked for more than 10 years in education and is currently an Individualized Education Program teacher at P.S. 19R. She is known for her deep patience and understanding of each student’s individual needs. She leads a student chapter of the Staten Island Giving Circle, helping to teach the value of community service to her students. Borough President Fossella called it an honor to remember the legacy of Patrick F. Daly and all the educators “who truly make a difference -- not just in one kid’s life, but sometimes in the lives of hundreds of kids. “We’re proud to honor and acknowledge educators who really set the stage and set the bar high for teaching and education,” said Borough President Fossella. “It doesn’t matter what the salary is, it doesn’t matter what the hours are, it doesn’t matter how many tests you have to correct, it doesn’t matter because at your core, you want to help the kids. That’s a calling -- and that is why we are here tonight.” |