 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.”  Borough President Vito Fossella, the office of District Attorney Michael McMahon, and the NYPD worked together in securing justice for a Staten Islander who was the victim of license plate fraud.
Janine Mule reached out to Borough President Fossella and District Attorney McMahon when a motorist used duct tape to replicate her father’s license plate. In the ensuing months, thousands of dollars of unpaid tolls were accrued and wrongly charged to her 91-year-old father and led to the booting of his car. The fines have since been dismissed. “Numerous summonses were issued and ultimately the plates were turned in in January,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference in Borough Hall. “And then in February of this year, tickets started coming in -- tickets for tolls, speeding tickets, red light cameras and ultimately the car was booted in the summer.” Borough President Fossella called it a “nightmare for her family.” “She reached out for help because you can imagine how you would feel if you were driving a car knowing full well that the tickets you were receiving across the board were accumulating and you had nothing to do with it,” he said. “This is not a victimless crime. Think of all the stress and pressure this family went through because of some dirtbag who went out and just kept racking up these tickets.” Ms. Mule said she tried several avenues for help but kept getting turned away. She received immediate assistance when she contacted Billy Beale, the director of Emergency Management, Public Safety & Veterans Affairs, at Borough Hall. She was then directed to District Attorney McMahon who worked with the NYPD on the case. “I could at least stop thinking about this because to know that this is happening and you’re not doing it and tickets are coming over and over again, penalties are coming, it’s very frightening,” she said. James Clinton, the press secretary for District Attorney McMahon, said his office has “an open and active investigation and there is a suspect in the matter.” “We’re hopeful there will be a resolution and accountability for that individual, but mostly we're grateful that our victim in this case had been made whole and her personal liability and that of her father has been resolved,” he said. |