 Borough President Vito Fossella joined with his fellow elected officials to condemn the attack of a 62-year-old man in Sunnyside and to ask for legislative intervention in prosecuting those under the age of 18.
“We’re here today to call attention to something that happened a few weeks ago right down the block in broad daylight -- and it is frankly something that should rattle everybody across Staten Island and frankly across the city,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the corner of Clove Road and Howard Avenue, where the incident took place. He recounted that the man was out for his daily walk, minding his own business when he was surrounded by a “pack of individuals and was brutally attacked” on Monday, July 15. “In fact, while he was surrounded, he did what most people would do and tried to get away,” said Borough President Fossella, who watched a two-minute clip of the attack which shows a group of nine following the victim. “So, he ran across Clove Road and instead of letting the man go, one of the pack of these individuals chased him. He was knocked down, lost one or two teeth, was taken to the hospital where he needed surgery -- and what is even worse, the man is petrified of living here, so he is going to move.” A 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy have been charged with assault. The case will be handled in Family Court, which led the elected officials to call for a change to the Raise the Age law. The law changed the age at which a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18. Those younger than 18 are prosecuted in Family Court. It was signed into law in 2017. “There were two arrests and we hope, there will be more,” said Borough President Fossella. “This could have been anyone’s grandparent, anyone’s child. And just as important, we don’t know if there are going to be a consequence because the trend has been 'well, they are just kids, let them go, no consequences.’ These are kids doing adult things, doing evil things. That guy could have been killed running across Clove Road -- you don’t know what could have happened.” Borough President Fossella said Family Court judges often aren't given a full accounting of the defendant. “When it goes to Family Court, the judges, from my understanding, is that they don’t know the history of the people they’ve been assigned,” he said. “So, these kids could have been doing this every day. And, then what will happen, if there is a consequence or if there is a penalty, ultimately that penalty on their record will be expunged. We will do anything we can for the individual who was attacked. Fortunately, I hope this provides a foundation of change in the direction we’re going -- to ensure that there is some accountability, and someone’s grandparent or child can walk the streets of Staten Island and the streets of the city safely.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, Council Member Joseph Borelli and the South Shore Business Improvement District partnered to beautify the area surrounding the Great Kills Veterans Memorial. They installed decorative and colorful planters after Borough Hall was contacted by the caretakers of the memorial who asked for help in maintaining the site. The planters will also serve as protective barriers. “Here in Great Kills, we have a pretty rich history and appreciation for the men and women who served in our armed forces – and in some cases have given the ultimate sacrifice,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference. “The idea was to establish this memorial to pay honor to their memory as we do every day. As a practical matter, there was some concern about some damage from people who come through here with a truck or a car.” The memorial consists of five, two-ton black granite slabs representing the service branches of the American military: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. It was dedicated in 2001, adjacent to the Staten Island Railway Station at the intersection of Nelson Avenue and Brower Court, which was the starting point for the Great Kills Memorial Parade. The parade ended its run in 2013. “I’d like to take a step back and reflect on what this truly means,” said Borough President Fossella. “We love the people behind us, and most importantly, we love what this country is all about -- and this country would not be the United States of America, but for the sacrifices of the people who gave us our freedoms."  Addressing Quality of Life Issues Surrounding Several In-Need Service Centers In Port Richmond8/19/2024
 Borough President Vito Fossella was joined by members of the Port Richmond North Shore Alliance and residents of apartments at 36 Hamilton Ave. to address the growing quality-of-life concerns surrounding several nearby in-need service care centers.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 243 calls to 911 and more than 18 arrests at the housing complex at 1544 Castleton Ave. The arrests stemmed from issues relating to drug use, trespassing, harassment, attempted robbery, and attempted assault. “Every time, the good people of Port Richmond try to do something to improve the quality-of-life for their neighbors, some entity comes in and tries to destroy it,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the corner of Castleton Avenue and Park Avenue. “We owe it to the business owners and the homeowners and the people renting these apartments to ensure that they have a better quality- of-life, not a worse quality-of-life. We’re calling upon those that control this entity and the agencies involved to stand up and defend and support the hardworking taxpayers of Port Richmond and not turn a blind eye and ignore their calls.” Borough President Fossella also addressed concerns of loitering, harassment, and other disorderly conduct at a drop-in center at 150 Richmond Terrace in St. George. He said there has been a lack of communication with the drop-in center’s leadership and the City Department of Homeless Services. “We have met for two years on a regular basis trying to address these issues,” said Borough President Fossella. “Not only has it not gotten better, it’s actually gotten worse. So, we’ve made every good faith effort for them to address the needs and to fix the problems and it hasn’t happened.” While acknowledging the “crucial services” the social centers provide, he said the city “has an obligation to ensure the quality-of-life for these people who just want to work hard, take care of their families, make a living and walk around their community without interruption, without being threatened -- it is something so basic and it seems to be lost.” Borough President Vito Fossella Allocates $45K To Sunrise Day Camp For Transportation Costs8/15/2024
 Borough President Vito Fossella announced an allocation of $45,000 to the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp to fund transportation for campers and their siblings.
Sunrise Day Camp is the world’s first full-summer day camp provided free-of-charge for children with cancer and their siblings. The camp is administered by the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island and is the only day camp of its kind in New York City. Located on the grounds of Staten Island Academy, the camp serves over 150 children each year with sports, music, arts & crafts, swimming, and other activities. “There is something very special and very precious that occurs on this campus every summer for about six-and-a-half weeks,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference on the last day of camp. “For these young children with cancer, it gives them not only the ability to be independent, but it gives their parents an opportunity to have a level of comfort that perhaps, things are going to be OK. The staff and the counselors give these kids a ray of light and a ray of hope into their day." Lee Guttenplan, the JCC’s chief operating officer, said "joy is the simplest form of gratitude," noting the joy on the faces of the campers and a sense of relief on the faces of their parents. “We get to see the impact of this funding everyday as children come off the bus with big smiles ready for a day of safe, fun and exciting activities to share with their friends,” he said.  For 25 years, the NYC Tourism Foundation has provided grants to support non-profit cultural centers and organizations across the five boroughs in their missions and operations. This includes over $330,000 to Staten Island cultural organizations.
“Our cultural institutions are foundational for Staten Island for the enriching and enjoying experiences they offer for our residents," said Borough President Fossella. "It is important that these organizations receive the resources they need to continue serving Staten Islanders, including informing them of the opportunities our cultural institutions offer. We are always appreciative of the NYC Tourism Foundation for their ongoing contribution to this effort." The grants are used by recipient organizations to bolster advertising and marketing initiatives. Specifically, the programs supported by these grants are focused on digital, transit and brochure advertisements. The 2024 Staten Island Borough Cultural Tourism grant recipients are as follows:
 Borough President Vito Fossella, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo, and members of the National Association of Letter Carriers urged the re-installment of a drive-through mailbox at the Manor Road Post Office at a press conference.
A note at the post office says the mailbox was “removed permanently due to an increase in vandalism and theft.” "This is a case where convenience and common sense gets thrown out the window because crooks take advantage of what happens not just across Staten Island, but across the city and state," said Borough President Fossella. "This is not a criticism of the postal service or the postal carriers, it's not a criticism of the NYPD. This is just highlighting what has been a good thing for this community.” He said the neighborhood residents shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of those who are committing the thefts and vandalism “We want to reinstate and replace these drop boxes here,” said Borough President Fossella. “If there are thefts, let's get the guys who do it and put them behind bars if necessary, but let's not give in. I'm optimistic that we can work out a solution to get these things back." In a joint letter to the United States Postmaster of Staten Island, they suggested the installation of security cameras and an increase in the presence of the Postal Police. |