City & State New York 03052018

ANOTHER DISASTER FOR PUERTO RICO

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EDITOR’S NOTE

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

By the time you pick up this magazine, Joe Percoco’s fate may be sealed.

In a closely watched corruption trial, prosecutors accused Percoco of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from business executives. Jury deliberations began on Thursday.

Guilty or not, the ramifications of the case extend beyond Percoco to his old boss.

Although defense lawyers said Percoco was merely a “foot soldier” to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, prosecutors described him as the governor’s enforcer and right-hand man.

Indeed, our 2015 Albany Power 100 list called Percoco one of the last of Cuomo’s “old guard” and his “closest confidant left.” He applied “pressure wherever needed” – from the successful same-sex marriage push to protecting his boss from the fallout of the Moreland Commission debacle. “Albany insiders dread a call from this guy” – who landed at No. 6, just ahead of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and right behind Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

The scrutiny of those ties that bound Percoco and Cuomo won’t end with the verdict. In this week’s cover story, contributor Aaron Short delves into two ethics complaints filed in response to disclosures from the case – including one that accuses the governor of wrongdoing.

CONTENTS EDUCATION ... 26 What a Janus ruling could mean for teachers unions

DIGITAL NY ... 28

NYC DoITT Commissioner Samir Saini makes his public debut

WINNERS & LOSERS ... 34

Who was up and who was down last week

GUNS

THE PERCOCO TRIAL How worried should Cuomo really be?

The New Yorkers standing their ground in the gun control debate ... 6

... 8

SOMOS EL FUTURO

The challenges facing Puerto Rico and the diaspora ... 12

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The

March 5, 2018

Latest THAT’S THE WAY THE ZITI CRUMBLES The defense quickly rested its case and closing arguments were delivered in the corruption trial of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco. Percoco’s lawyer defended his client as more of a foot soldier than the governor’s right-hand man. An attorney for one of Percoco’s co-defendant’s called key prosecution witness Todd Howe a “walking, talking reasonable doubt.” The prosecution, meanwhile, honed in on Percoco’s use of the word “ziti” to mean bribes, saying, “This is how criminals talk.”

Weeks after New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced her retirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio had finally named her replacement, Alberto Carvalho, coming by way of Miami-Dade County Public Schools where he serves as superintendent of the fourth-largest school district in the nation. But in a shocking turn of events – televised live in a drawnout affair – Carvalho said he would not take the job and would instead stay in Miami. He stepped out in the middle of his broadcast to break the news to de Blasio by phone. Mayoral spokesman Eric Phillips said on Twitter that Carvalho had agreed to take the position over a week ago, adding: “Bullet dodged.” Carvalho’s stunning decision came after local residents at the school board meeting pleaded with him to stay.

The

Back & Forth

A Q&A with New York City Chief Technology Officer

Miguel A. Gamiño Jr. The

C&S: The New York Times Magazine recently explored whether Google is becoming too monopolistic. Concerns have also been raised about Twitter and Facebook being used by Russians to meddle in elections. Are these tech firms good actors?

MG: Are we serving beer? Because this is a long, deep conversation we’re about to have. Sometimes we have seen some of those companies do really great things that have benefited communities and people all over, and we’ve seen them make mistakes. In the grand scheme of things, it’s very early. Some of us feel like Google has been around our whole lives. It actually hasn’t. It wasn’t that long ago we didn’t have these, and now we all take them for granted. So we also recognize the stage of evolution the industry is in, and it’s bound to make mistakes. I think our job is to be paying attention to those things. We need to make

NO BUDGING ON GUNS Democrats in the state Senate tried to force their Republican colleagues to vote on gun control measures by tacking them onto bills already up for votes as what are known as hostile amendments. The proposals included banning bump stocks, expanding background checks and allowing a judge to take away the guns of a mentally ill person. But Republicans were able to avoid a vote on any of the amendments, while calling instead for more armed guards at schools.

sure that we’re holding them accountable, the way we would hold others accountable, that we took tens of years or a hundred years to figure out what accountability meant in some of those industries.

It absolutely can and should get better, but it’s a work in progress.

C&S: What innovations are on the horizon 10 years from now?

MG: The way we interact with technology is going to be less and less obvious and more and more imbedded in our lives. We already see it. Many people talk to someone named Alexa in their home, who also didn’t exist not that long ago. But that has become the interface to your home. Turn the TV on. Order me some Doritos, whatever it is you’re into. That’s going to continue pretty significantly to that point that it’s not going to be, I go to this screen and I interact with something that way.

Kicker

OFFICE didn’t have a clock.

So WE GOT ONE.” “The MAYOR’S

– ERIC PHILLIPS, a de Blasio spokesman, on staffers’ efforts to find an alarm clock for the chronically late mayor, via the New York Post

Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email. Sign up at cityandstateny.com.

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PHILIP KAMRASS/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR; WILLIAM ALATRISTE/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; ROB BENNETT/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE; STATE SENATE; SCOTT STRINGER, ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS/FACEBOOK

LEV RADIN, QUIETBITS, LUTSENKO_OLEKSANDR/SHUTTERSTOCK; ALI GARBER; ELLIOT HANEY/CITY YEAR

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

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JA RULE

ROBERT DE NIRO

BILLY JOEL

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is so friendly with Joel that the governor is the godfather of the piano man’s daughter.

Joel will show up anywhere for Cuomo, including fundraisers, bay cleanups, arena announcements and motorcycle benefit rides.

Cuomo got the “Raging Bull” to spice up the sleepy Catskills, flying him up north in a helicopter for a June 2016 announcement promoting tourism in the former Borscht Belt.

New York City Council members Ritchie Torres and Alicka Ampry-Samuel got the Queens rapper to criticize City Hall in February for failing to keep the heat on for NYCHA tenants living in “Third World conditions.”

STUMPING WITH THE STARS

AMY POEHLER

You don’t have to be Don Draper to know the value of a celebrity endorsement, and New York politicians are always dragging celebrities out to rallies, fundraisers and press conferences to draw some attention. In honor of red carpet season, here are some of the best examples.

Everyone’s favorite municipal bureaucrat Leslie Knope joined state Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in February to talk about sexual harassment and low wages for restaurant workers.

CYNTHIA NIXON

Well before she considered a run for governor, the “Sex and the City” actress was a big de Blasio supporter, backing him on social media and at rallies since the earliest days of his mayoral campaign in November 2011.

STEVE BUSCEMI

SCARLETT JOHANSSON Before New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s run for mayor got “Lost in Translation,” the Manhattan actress held fundraisers for him in October 2011, April 2012 and July 2013.

PEDRO MARTINEZ

When he was a state senator, the baseball-loving Adriano Espaillat brought the former Red Sox pitcher to Albany in February 2015 to celebrate Dominican Heritage Month.

The FDNY firefighterturned-actor is a longtime supporter of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and held a January 2017 fundraiser, but he helped out the most at the mayor’s first Inner Circle show.

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

OPPOSING FORCES

By GRACE SEGERS

Florida’s mass shooting has THE CARNAGE AT Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, sparked outrage and activism from gun control advocates, including the surviving students themselves. Politicians across the country reacted to the 17 deaths with typical announcements of thoughts and prayers, but some are also calling for greater support of mental health and gun control initiatives.

As the debate over how to respond to the high number of mass shootings roils the country, here is a guide to a few of New York’s most prominent gun rights and gun control advocates.

GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES

Rep. JOHN KATKO Katko received $9,900 from the National Rifle Association’s political action

committee in the 2016 election cycle and $3,000 from gun rights PACs or individuals in the 2018 cycle. Katko has received an “A” rating from the NRA. He was an original sponsor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow state-issued concealed carry permits to be recognized across state lines. After Parkland, Katko said he was launching a bipartisan effort with California Democratic Rep. Grace Napolitano to examine the link between mental health and gun violence.

Rep. LEE ZELDIN Like Katko, Zeldin received $9,900 from the NRA’s political action committee in 2016 and $2,420 from gun rights PACs or individuals in the current election cycle. Another co-sponsor of the

Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, Zeldin also has an “A” from the NRA. In response to the shooting, Zeldin said he supported a congressional hearing to investigate how the shooter was able to obtain weapons despite warning signs. “We must ensure lunatics manifesting violent criminal intentions to murder with firearms have access to none,” he said.

Rep. CHRIS COLLINS Collins, one of President Donald Trump’s key supporters in New York, received $2,000 from the NRA PAC in 2016 as well as $3,000 from gun rights advocates in 2018, and has an “A+” rating from the NRA. In July, Collins introduced the Second Amendment Guarantee Act, which would invalidate key sections of the SAFE Act by prohibiting states from exceeding

s

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

federal regulations on the design and sale of a rifle or shotgun.

Collins said last month that the mass shooting in Florida was not an issue of gun control, but of mental health.

Rep. CLAUDIA TENNEY The NRA PAC donated $5,950 to Tenney in the 2016 election cycle, and she has received $1,000 from gun rights advocates in 2018. She has an “A” rating from from NRA, which she once accused of putting “politics over principles.”

GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES

Gov. ANDREW CUOMO The controversial SAFE Act was one of the signature legislative accomplishments of Cuomo’s first term. Cuomo has also referred to it as a model for the country after other mass shootings, such as the one in Las Vegas in October. The governor sought to expand the state’s strict gun control laws with the first proposal in his 2018 State of the State agenda, legislation which would remove all firearms from individuals convicted of domestic violence.

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U.S. Sen. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND The upstate congresswoman who once bragged about keeping guns under her bed changed her tune upon becoming a senator, and her significant swing to the left on gun control has been both scrutinized and applauded. In a “60 Minutes” interview earlier this month, Gillibrand attributed her more conservative values as a congresswoman to her overwhelmingly white, right-leaning district. A year after entering the Senate, her “A” rating from the NRA was downgraded to an “F.”

split New York’s politicians

ANATOLY VARTANOV/SHUTTERSTOCK

A week after the Parkland shooting, she said in a radio interview that “many mass shooters end up being Democrats.” She later doubled down on that comment, accusing “the media and liberals” of demonizing gun owners and saying her comments were “in response to a question about the failure to prosecute illegal gun crime.”

State Senate Deputy Majority Leader JOHN DEFRANCISCO DeFrancisco, currently the leading contender for the GOP nomination in the 2018 gubernatorial race, has long been an opponent of stricter gun control laws. He was one of the SAFE Act’s most vocal critics in 2013, and voted against it, although he voted for amendments to it in 2015. DeFrancisco may use the issue to appeal to upstate voters in his quest to unseat Cuomo.

Cuomo’s positions on gun control have made him a boogeyman of gun rights activists, inspiring the acronym in Second Amendment-supporting circles “FUAC.” Former New York City Mayor MICHAEL BLOOMBERG Although no longer an elected official, Bloomberg is directing much of his considerable influence toward enacting stricter gun control legislation nationally.

Bloomberg founded and largely bankrolls Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit gun control advocacy organization. After the shooting in Las Vegas, Bloomberg announced that he would match donations to Everytown. The group released a political action plan after the Florida shooting to elect more officials who support gun control.

State Sen. BRIAN KAVANAGH Kavanagh is the president of American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention, and is sponsoring bills in the state Senate Democrats’ gun control package, including one prohibiting individuals convicted of hate crimes from owning firearms, and a bill that would allow someone to petition a judge to have a gun taken from another person.

Manhattan District Attorney CY VANCE Vance has been a vocal opponent of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, asserting that it would threaten the safety of New York City residents. He is a member of the group Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, which backs banning bump stocks. His support for gun control measures got him into trouble when he used funds for his campaign to produce a video against the concealed carry bill.

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MIKE GROLL/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

COMMENTARY

THE POLITICAL PERIL OF THE PERCOCO PROCEEDINGS How the criminal trial of Cuomo’s former top aide could be disastrous for the governor

By AARON SHORT

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

CHRIS CHRISTIE HAD his “traffic problems” but Andrew Cuomo may have to deal with boxes of “ziti.”

Both governors suffered ulcers from watching their closest friends in politics get indicted for abusing their power and making selfish decisions.

Federal prosecutors have presented evidence that former Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco used his influence with the governor on behalf of companies in exchange for bribes code-named after pasta.

Cuomo was not a supporting actor in Percoco’s corruption trial, which began on Jan. 22, in the same way that Christie chewed scenery during Bridgegate.

Across the Hudson, former Christie aides testified how they jammed traffic on the George Washington Bridge to punish a local Democratic mayor and what Christie may have known about their scheme.

The sordid details from the trial sunk Christie’s presidential bid and damaged his chances for becoming Donald Trump’s running mate. Apparently you lose credibility with the president if you’re seen as a colluder.

Cuomo, who is running for re-election this year and is discussed as a 2020 presidential candidate, is watching his former aide’s trial closely.

Four years ago, Percoco left his job as executive deputy secretary to manage Cuomo’s first re-election campaign. He took money from a Syracuse-based development firm and a Maryland-based power company to supplement his income – possibly because he spent too much money on a new house in Westchester to be closer to the governor, Percoco’s lawyer acknowledged.

Instead of calling the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to see if the payments were kosher, he picked the brain of Cuomo counsel Seth Agata, according to testimony in the case.

Agata told the court he advised Percoco to stay away from companies doing business with the state.

“Don’t touch it with a 10-foot pole,” Agata said. His advice was apparently not taken.

That conversation took place in Percoco’s office in the executive chamber, even though Percoco was no longer working there. This detail did not seem to worry Agata, who in unironic coincidence was chosen by JCOPE’s board to become its executive director in March 2016 after a “national search.”

From May to December 2014, Percoco was still allowed to swipe his card into the governor’s midtown Manhattan offices,

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THE TRIAL

By GRACE SEGERS The corruption trial for Joseph Percoco began in late January, and provided weeks of explosive testimony detailing the alleged criminal activity of Percoco and three co-defendants. Cuomo was not accused of any wrongdoing. Here are the biggest shocks of the trial.

A hostile work environment Percoco garnered a reputation during his tenure in the governor’s office for being Cuomo’s enforcer, and the trial has further revealed how he used his position to intimidate others. Testimony by former administration lawyer Seth Agata on Jan. 30 revealed that Percoco would encourage officials to stay with the administration by placing calls to them and even threaten to tell prospective employers not to hire them.

Speaking in code Percoco and lobbyist Todd Howe often communicated in coded language worthy of a TV show. Percoco often referred to others in a disparaging manner, namely former Competitive Power Ventures executive Peter Galbraith Kelly. Percoco and Howe mocked Kelly’s weight, referring to him behind his back as “fatso.”

They referred to money as “ziti,” a reference to “The Sopranos.” They also called each other “Herb,” a reference to a time when both were staffers for Gov. Mario Cuomo, and they mocked Cuomo’s opponent Herb London for his hairpiece.

Todd Howe arrested On Feb. 8, Howe admitted he had violated his plea deal with federal prosecutors requiring him not to commit any crimes.

Howe acknowledged that he lied to his credit card company, denying that he had stayed in the Waldorf Astoria hotel and seeking a refund after he had, in fact, stayed in the hotel in June while seeking the deal with prosecutors. Howe was arrested on Feb. 9.

He returned to court to testify on Feb. 13, and was allowed to wear a regular suit – instead of an orange jumpsuit.

Managing the governor’s office Cuomo’s current deputy secretary Andrew Ball testified on Feb. 22

that Percoco had controlled office assignments in the governor’s Manhattan complex, moving staffers closer to or farther from the governor’s main office on the 39th floor based on internal politics.

Ball said that he was moved to the 37th floor because of disagreements with codefendant Steven Aiello’s son, another administration employee.

The Lisa Percoco factor Lisa Percoco, Joseph’s wife, had allegedly been given a $90,000 per year job by former Competitive Power Ventures executive Peter Galbraith Kelly as a bribe to Joseph Percoco. Her former manager at CPV, Yanina Daigle, testified on Feb. 21 that Lisa Percoco somehow managed to underperform at this low-show position.

The defense rests While the prosecution took several weeks to outline its case against Percoco, the defense rested after only 12 hours. Neither Percoco nor his three codefendants testified in their own defense.

The defense called few witnesses, contrary to the exhaustive list of potential witnesses presented by the defense.

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JCOPE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SETH AGATA

where he made 837 phone calls and sent emails from personal accounts even though he wasn’t a state employee at the time, according to court records.

That’s no small matter. Watchdogs filed two ethics complaints with JCOPE, one of which alleged Cuomo violated the state Public Officers Law by allowing Percoco to roam freely around the executive chamber.

“That office should not have been used by a private citizen to conduct political activity or personal business as Joe Percoco was doing,” state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, who filed the complaint, said at the steps of Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 15. “The issue is not whether Joe Percoco can be indicted on these charges ... but whether the governor was aiding and abetting him in using government resources as a private citizen and a campaign official.”

The other complaint, filed by former Commission on Lobbying Commissioner David Grandeau, claimed that Agata, JCOPE’s director, “engaged in a pattern of misconduct” by giving Percoco legal advice and then not asking Percoco to disclose the source of his income when he got his old job back.

“As soon as Agata testified he gave that opinion, he should have been fired, but not only has he not been fired, he won’t talk about it,” Grandeau told City & State.

The complaints present a quandary for the ethics commission and its leaders.

The governor appoints six members of the 14-member board while legislative leaders in the state Senate and Assembly appoint the rest. Agata will likely have to abstain from discussions and the board should

appoint a special investigator to review it, ethics watchdogs say.

“It may be a better practice for him to recuse because of the appearance of bias (in Cox’s complaint),” said Jane Feldman, a government ethics consultant who once advised the Assembly, in an email to City & State.

“Seth should obviously not participate in the discussion or investigation of the case against him, and given the fact that he is its executive director, they should hire an outside person to review the case and make recommendations,” she added.

JCOPE spokesman Walter McClure noted the commission has a recusal policy in place but said the commission “can’t comment on anything that may or may not be an investigative matter.” Neither complaint was mentioned during the commission’s public session meeting on Feb. 27.

These complaints also raise questions about what Cuomo knew Percoco was do-

ing in his office, even if that didn’t get addressed in the final days of the trial.

We don’t know whether Cuomo, a notorious micromanager, requested Percoco work from his Manhattan office so he could be nearby. We don’t know how many meetings Percoco had with Cuomo or others, and what topics they discussed. Phone records and building scans into 633 Third Ave. do exist, as we learned in the trial. Cuomo has declined discussing the case and a Cuomo campaign spokesman characterized Cox’s complaint as “laughable.”

State Democratic Party Executive Director Geoff Berman said, “This is yet another blatant attempt to politicize law enforcement from Ed Cox and his merry band of hypocrites.”

We don’t know whether Agata briefed Cuomo about Percoco’s income. But Agata and plenty of other state employees knew Percoco was working in the execu-

IT MAY TAKE SOME CONVICTIONS IN CUOMO’S INNER CIRCLE FOR STATE ETHICS LAWS TO CHANGE.

GUILLAUME FEDERIGHI/CITY & STATE

“DON’T TOUCH IT WITH A 10-FOOT POLE,” AGATA SAID. HIS ADVICE WAS APPARENTLY NOT TAKEN.

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

tive chamber when he should have been at Cuomo’s campaign headquarters a few blocks north.

“For (the governor) not to know he was in the office for an extended period of time, that would be incredible,” Cox said.

As the state’s Republican Party leader, Cox has already promised to make corruption an issue on the campaign trail this year. That could resonate if Percoco or any of his co-defendants are convicted.

Cuomo’s statewide approval rating dipped from 62 percent in January to 53 percent in February, although the trial was just getting underway.

It may take some convictions in Cuomo’s inner circle for state ethics laws to change.

That’s what happened in Connecticut after then-Gov. John Rowland resigned amid a corruption investigation in 2004 and pleaded guilty to fraud.

Connecticut’s ethics commission increased the number of board members from five to nine, gained control over its own budget, required three to be unaffiliated with any party and ensured board members, not the governor, appoint their chair and executive director.

Cuomo may need to relinquish some of his control over New York’s ethics commission and consider personnel changes in light of the trial. Or the next thing he loses may be more than a few points in the polls.

GUILLAUME FEDERIGHI/CITY & STATE

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WHY SEGREGATING VIOLENT OFFENDERS MAKES OUR JAILS SAFER FOR EVERYONE The vicious ambush of Correction Officer Jean Souffrant inside the George Motchan Detention Center on Rikers Island, which left his neck fractured and bleeding on his brain, should send a chill down the spine of every New Yorker.

Officer Souffrant, a Haitian immigrant who now calls Brooklyn home, was on duty protecting and serving our city from some of its most dangerous criminals, including some of its most violent. The men who attacked him, including one who boasted during a taped conversation that he planned to “knock out this super cop,” were gang members awaiting trial on violent crimes.

This is not an isolated incident. There is a culture of violence inside New York City’s correctional facilities, and our correction officers lack the basic resources to rein in that violence. More than 700 inmates have been slashed or stabbed over the last two years following the restrictions that were placed on the use of punitive segregation. Simply put, punitive segregation is a jail within a jail. It is a public safety imperative that punitive segregation be permitted as a disciplinary tool for repeatedly violent inmates who put correction officers and other inmates in harm’s way, regardless of their age.

Consider the common knowledge that the majority of violence in our jails is committed by violent inmates who are 21 and under, as well as the federal data on violent crime arrests that consistently shows the peak age over time to be between 18 and 21 years old.

Just as Raise the Age legislation achieved on the state level last year carved out violent offenders, smart criminal justice policy balances both justice and safety. This same approach should be taken to the application of punitive segregation, which separates violent inmates from the general population and takes away their ability to commit assaults.

Rather than completely removing it from the disciplinary toolkit, this punishment should be judiciously applied with oversight that takes mental health imperatives and violent behavior into account.

In the absence of punitive segregation, repeat violent youth offenders avoid any meaningful accountability for slashings or stabbings; after a trip to court, they go back to the facility and get their iPad, $25 stipend, and a bump up in their street gang credentials.

That’s not just, nor is it safe. We must combat gangs on our cell blocks with the same fervor as we combat gangs on our city blocks.

If a police officer were ambushed on one of our streets the way Officer Souffrant was, or for that matter one of the more than 2,000 members of New York’s Boldest who has been assaulted in our jails since 2014, the public response would have been different.

Law enforcement is law enforcement, and our correction officers are in equal need of protection. We have to make jails safer for them, as well as for non-violent inmates who are serving their time without incident.

The ongoing debate over closing Rikers Island should not ignore the urgent need to make the city’s jails safer for everyone immediately.

Violent jail culture can and will easily travel to borough-based facilities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens if we do not proactively change it. We cannot and will not accept an either-or proposition between justice and safety. In the nation’s secondlargest jail system, we must have both!

Elias Husamadeen President, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association

STATE GOP CHAIRMAN ED COX

Eric Adams Brooklyn Borough President

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SOMOS EL FUTURO

PREVIEWING THE ALBANY 2018 SPRING CONFERENCE STOCKPHOTOFAN1/SHUTTERSTOCK

March 5, 2018

EL

NCE

City & State New York

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THIS FRIDAY, the annual spring Somos el Futuro conference in Albany gets underway. The nonprofit Somos organization partners with state lawmakers to discuss matters that are critical to New York’s Hispanic population, including health care, education and economic development.

National debates on immigration and Puerto Rico are also bound to come up. Attendees by and large align with Democratic positions on immigration reform and Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria – after all, most Latino state lawmakers are Democrats and hail from blue districts in New York City.

What’s more, the Trump administration has taken steps – increasing deportation efforts, ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, pushing for a wall on the border with Mexico – that have further distanced the Republican Party from the immigrant community.

However, there’s still room for bipartisanship. Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, who chairs the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, supports charter schools, even though that puts him at odds with fellow Democrats. The keynote speaker at the conference, commentator Ana Navarro, is a Republican who tried to elect U.S. Sen. John McCain president.

In this Somos preview, we delve into one of the most high-profile immigration issues: the fight against the MS-13 gang and the underlying political dynamics. We feature an analysis by the Puerto Rico-based Center for Investigative Journalism on the island’s efforts to restructure its finances.

And we hear from four high-ranking Latino officials – Crespo, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. and state Budget Director Robert Mujica.

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THE FANTASY O PLAN FOR PUE

By OMAYA SOSA PASCUAL and LUIS J. VALENTÍN ORTIZ of the Center for Investigative Journalism

March 5, 2018

THE ISLAND’S LATEST STRATEG WE KNOW ABOUT HURRICAN PUERTO RICO’S ECONO

T

he most recent version of Puerto Rico’s fiscal plan for its central government would chart the future of the country, giving some degree of certainty to citizens, businesses and investors to bet on the island’s dismal economy. Yet it is built on economic projections that are totally incompatible with the historical experience of places that have been destroyed by hurricanes.

The plan also clashes with Puerto Rico’s economic trajectory. In the past 30 years, the economy has never reached the annual growth rate estimated for fiscal year 2019

by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s financial team.

The group is led by Christian Sobrino, the governor’s representative on the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, chief economic adviser to the governor, president of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank and chairman of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by its Spanish acronym); and Gerardo Portela, executive director of AAFAF, and by virtue of his position, a member of the boards of all public corporations. Neither of them has educational or work experience in public finance or government.

Over the past two and a half years, Puerto Rico has seen nine different long-term fiscal and economic growth plans. The first three were prepared by the administration of

DENNIS RIVERA PICHARDO/CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Y OF THE FISCAL UERTO RICO March 5, 2018

TEGY IGNORES EVERYTHING CANE RECOVERY – AND ONOMIC HISTORY

former Gov. Alejandro García Padilla, with the remaining six by Rosselló.

All the plans generally include similar revenue and expense measures based on ever-changing economic growth projections that show the high level of uncertainty in the process. Take for instance the projections made by the fiscal control board in December 2016, when a 17.1 percent decrease in gross national product was expected for fiscal year 2018, even before Hurricane María.

Shortly after that, the projection was revised to negative 2.8 percent. After María, it stands at negative 11 percent.

None of the plans include sufficient technical and methodological details on how they arrive at their projections. They have all faced broad opposition from different sec-

tors, including the major holders of Puerto Rico’s public debt.

In a nutshell, all the plans share a critical problem: None can really reflect what the future of Puerto Rico will be. As the U.S. unincorporated territory continues to push through bankruptcy under Title III of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, known as PROMESA, it will be the federal court and the debt restructuring process which, at the end of the day, decide how much money will be available for the government’s operation, and how much will go to pay creditors. This would break with much of what has been proposed now in all the fiscal plans.

The Center for Investigative Journalism reviewed the different versions of the

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central government's fiscal plan as well as several analyses and independent studies on the economic impact of hurricanes around the world and how they relate to the most recent projections made by the fiscal control board and Puerto Rico’s government.

Among these, one of the most striking is “The Causal Effect of Environmental Catastrophe on Long-Run Economic Growth: Evidence From 6,700 Cyclones,” a study by economists Solomon M. Hsiang and Amir S. Jina for the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The International Monetary Fund, the University of Heidelberg in Germany and the University of Arizona are replicating the investigation, which looks back at all of the cyclones that made landfall between 1950 and 2008.

Puerto Rico’s government and the fiscal control board are well-acquainted with this study. In November, Jina participated in a public listening session held by the fiscal control board to discuss the new fiscal plans after María. During his presentation, Jina said that following a hurricane landfall, most jurisdictions show a negative trend in economic growth that runs for at least 15 years. The study also found that the majority of the affected economies fail to recover to the level they had prior to the hurricane until at least 20 years later, with some cases taking up to 30 years.

The average downward economic trend shown in the study holds true regardless of the infused recovery funds, the type of the public policies implemented, the size of the country or whether it is rich or poor. Economies that were generally growing before the hurricane could stay in positive territory but at a slower pace.

“There are perhaps very strong assumptions which imply Puerto Rico gets back to positive growth, but given our general research and what we’ve found looking at every hurricane that has happened so far, we see that given that Puerto Rico should have been on a very flat growth trajectory, it would imply that it would get pulled to negative,” Jina told CIJ. The latest projections from Puerto Rico’s government state that the economy will grow every year with the exception of the current one, with increases in gross national product ranging from 8.4 percent in fiscal year 2019 to 2.1 percent in fiscal year 2023.

The distinct case study has caught the attention of Jina and many of his colleagues, who have continued to run projections on Puerto Rico’s economy. After all, very few places, if any, have shared the U.S. territory’s “extremely unique” political status, down-

March 5, 2018

ward economic spiral and high indebtedness prior to a hurricane landfall, which makes it even harder to assess Puerto Rico’s case.

Although Jina warned it is highly uncertain to project how the island’s economy would behave in the first two to three years after María, their long-term estimates coincide with the average negative trend in economic growth found in the NBER study.

Their projections so far suggest a roughly 21 percent decrease in gross domestic product over the next 15 years compared to a scenario where Hurricane María had not made landfall the way it did, he added.

“Policymakers and political scientists would have opinions, but as far as the data are concerned from the history of every landfalling hurricane, there would be this large decline predicted for Puerto Rico over the next couple of decades unless some dramatic change takes place,” Jina said.

The most recent version of the fiscal plan projects an increase in real GNP of 19.4 percentage points between now and the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. It is a growth projection without parallel in the world economy, and even more so when compared with Puerto Rico’s history, according to several economists interviewed by CIJ. To achieve the projected growth, the Rosselló administration doubles down on the billions of dollars that Puerto Rico would receive from the federal government to reconstruct the island’s infrastructure after María. At the moment, Congress has approved more than $50 billion for Puerto Rico over the next five years. It includes more than $16 billion that was approved earlier in February, of which $4.8 billion is specifically intended to cover the operational deficit of Mi Salud, the local public health plan.

To a lesser degree, Rosselló points to a host of “structural reforms” that, along with “savings” in government spending, would “balance the budget and stop the deterioration of the economy.”

A key driver to project economic performance, economists interviewed by the CIJ agreed that it is difficult to determine how much of these reconstruction funds would stay on the island. Some noted, for instance, that most of the large contracts have been awarded to U.S. mainland companies, which would cut down on the positive impact these monies could have on the local economy.

“A lot of the rebuilding funds and firms coming in are U.S. firms, so salaries are going back to the mainland as opposed to Puerto Ricans. What is the percent that remains in Puerto Rico? That’s a big question and very difficult to answer,” Jina said.

Economists such as Antonio Fernós Sagebien, a professor at the Inter American University, and Martín Guzmán, a professor at Columbia University, have openly questioned the lack of transparency in the methodology used by both the government and the fiscal control board as well as the economic projections included among the different versions of the fiscal plan.

Along with Joseph Stiglitz, an economics Nobel laureate, and Pablo Gluzmann, an economist and director of the Labor Database for Latin America, Guzmán dove into the projections of the fiscal plan certified in March 2017 as part of a debt sustainability analysis of Puerto Rico commissioned by Espacios Abiertos, a nonprofit organization.

In September, Guzmán made available, at no cost, the methodology used by the group through a letter sent to Natalie Jaresko, executive director of the fiscal control board. He has yet to receive an answer.

“Regarding the analysis of the fiscal plan certified in March 2017, the conclusion is unequivocal: It is a plan based on unrealistic and inadequate assumptions that lead to an underestimation of the negative consequences that its implementation would have for Puerto Rican society,” Guzmán said during a visit to Puerto Rico in January. He anticipated that the successive version of the plan would have the same problems if it were based on the same precepts. Once the fiscal control board recertifies a fiscal plan for Puerto Rico, Guzmán will run the debt sustainability analysis again, he told CIJ. For his part, Fernós Sagebien said the two versions of the plan unveiled by the government following María “are just as bad” as the previous versions, from a methodological standpoint. He noted how the consumer price index is used as a deflator and how it fails to factor the reality that a large amount of federal rebuilding funds are often used to hire U.S. mainland companies, as Jina pointed out. He also said the incompatibility between GNP growth forecasts and some of the data contained in the plan, namely the negative impact that migration will have and the reduction in tax rates proposed for both individuals and corporations under a new tax reform plan.

“That does not make sense. They have to tell me how they anticipate these increases in revenues. If there are fewer people, and fewer people working, there will be less (revenues from) taxes,” Fernós Sagebien said. He added that the entire equation fails to contemplate the impact that the future of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority will have on public finances and the economy.

By fiscal year 2023, even though the latest fiscal plan says almost 20 percent of Puer-

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

to Rico’s more than 3 million people would leave the island – and with them, part of the government’s tax base – the Rosselló administration continues to bet that revenues will be “3 percent higher than pre-storm levels.”

Similarly, economist Francisco Catalá stressed that Puerto Rico has already experienced 12 years of economic contraction and the most recent version of the fiscal plan makes aggressive GNP growth projections.

“There has been growth of more than 7 percent on very few occasions in Puerto Rico. In some years of the 1950s and 1960s.

Of course, it is assuming a large influx of federal funds,” Catalá said. He noted, for instance, that the plan’s projected increase in tax collections from corporations and individuals runs counter to migration estimates, business closures and proposed tax cuts.

Matt Fabian, financial analyst and partner at Municipal Market Analytics, believes Puerto Rico needs to be more self-sustainable and not bet it will receive more funds from Uncle Sam in the future. “There’s a line in the fiscal plan that talks about using the

During the interview, Portela was specifically asked if they took into consideration the study and presentation of Hsiang and Jina, and he said he couldn’t remember.

How were social priorities determined in the fiscal plan after Hurricane María?

“Social priorities have always been to protect public employees, protect pensions,” Portela said. “And that has always been the case among all the plans; that has never changed.” Yet, since the fiscal plan presented by Rosselló on Feb. 28, 2017, reductions in government pensions and fringe benefits to public employees have been contemplated to some degree.

In the case of Sobrino, he admitted that the previous fiscal plan contemplated a

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able and has positive economic growth, whatever it may be, in the long term. That complies with PROMESA.” The 33-year-old lawyer, who chairs the Working Group for the Fiscal and Economic Recovery of Puerto Rico – which is tasked with implementing the fiscal plan – holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico and a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College. Prior to his current positions in government, Sobrino worked as ethics and compliance director for AbbVie in Puerto Rico as well as in the local law firms of Pietrantoni Méndez & Álvarez and O’Neill & Borges. Before joining the government, Portela, 40, worked as an investment banker at Santander Securities. He has a master's degree in business administration from the

MOST ECONOMIES FAIL TO RECOVER TO THE LEVEL THEY HAD PRIOR TO THE

HURRICANE

LAVIZZARA/SHUTTERSTOCK

UNTIL AT LEAST 20 YEARS LATER, WITH SOME CASES TAKING UP TO 30 YEARS

federal government as a partner or relying on them, and that’s madness,” Fabian said. “It’s madness to rely on the federal government and on this federal government for incremental aid over the next five, 10 years. They need to think sustainably about what they can do on their own.”

When asked by CIJ how the government came up with its projections, Portela said the macroeconomic projections are “holistic” and were a “great job” by DevTech, the government’s economic advisers and fiscal control board consultants, using the input of the listening sessions held in November and early December. The government has refused to publicly disclose the methodology and model used by DevTech, arguing it is proprietary material.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged fiscal plans have been approved “with little or limited financial information.”

cut in pensions, although less than what the fiscal control board required.

“In this plan, we cannot (reduce pensions),” Sobrino said. “Given the demographic situation of Puerto Rico, we understand that this would be too strong an impact on a particular sector of the population.” Sobrino further acknowledged there are elements in the new plan that depend on uncertain scenarios, but he defended most of the assumptions as “very well-reasoned.”

“What we are trying to avoid is falling into the spiral that leads to unsustainability as a jurisdiction,” he said. “We want to make the reforms and decisions that have to be made so that Puerto Rico is sustain-

University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Puerto Rico.

“I’m convinced that Ricardo Rosselló has the best intentions, but he is going through the worst moment of the country’s history and is surrounded by people who do not have enough experience, nor the training, to work out this situation with the seriousness it deserves,” Fernós Sagebien told CIJ, after evaluating the latest version of the plan.

The governor’s office has yet to respond to a CIJ request for an interview that was made in January.

■

This story was reported and written by the Puerto Rico-based Center for Investigative Journalism.

CityAndStateNY.com

BIRTHRIGHT How ASSEMBLYMAN

Marcos Crespo WAS SHAPED BY his heritage

March 5, 2018

TO UNDERSTAND WHO Marcos Crespo is, it’s crucial to know his backstory. The son of a Puerto Rican mother and an undocumented Peruvian immigrant father, he has risen to become one of the most influential Latino lawmakers in New York, chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party and the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.

City & State’s Frank G. Runyeon spoke with the assemblyman just after his return from an “eventful” trip to Israel where young protesters threw eggs at him.

C&S: In what ways has your background and your time living in Puerto Rico and Peru formed your political career?

MC: It certainly helped shape my train of thought and my approach to issues and my understanding of some issues. I’ll give you an example. The experiences I’ve had there is one of the reasons why I happen to be a Democrat that supports much of the education reform movement. It was the experience of having gone to three elementary schools, three different junior high schools and four different high schools studying in Puerto Rico, in Peru, in Florida, and in different neighborhoods in Queens. The math that I saw in fourth and fifth grade in Peru, I didn’t really see in the United States until high school. The difference was if you brought a calculator to school in Peru, it was considered cheating. Whereas here, I was encouraged by my teachers to bring a calculator so I could get through the material. My last paper in high school and my first paper in college were about that issue and I’ve been intrigued about education issues ever since. … And certainly culturally, the debates that we’re seeing around the country, whether it’s immigration, this attempt to redefine what being an American is, which has been subtext to a lot of the discourse, is something I have strong views about given how proud I am of my various heritages and influences.

C&S: How important is that part of your identity in understanding who Marcos Crespo is?

MC: Oh, crucial, crucial, crucial. So much of my work has been in the advocacy for Puerto Rico, what’s happening there, the immigration question – I mean, my father was an undocumented immigrant from Peru. My mother is Puerto Rican, so I have citizenship by birth; I was born in Puerto Rico. But I’m not a stranger to discussions around immigration and those who come here without proper documentation. My father came here hidden in a storage container of a shipping vessel from Peru. So, all over those things have clearly influenced my views of those

CELESTE SLOMAN

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CELESTE SLOMAN

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

issues and what immigration means, what identity means. Putting aside my father’s story, as a Puerto Rican, for all intents and purposes, I’m a second-class citizen and those things impact me. Certainly I have strong feeling about how this country has been unfair to not just Puerto Rico but the territories and how I believe that is incompatible with the democracy that we promote around the world. Now, those are grander statements than what we do as state officials but it does impact the work of our conference and the advocacy that we feel, as a diaspora, we owe to our counterparts in Puerto Rico that has a direct impact on our budgets. As we’re seeing now with this crisis, you have the largest migration of Puerto Ricans leaving the island in its history. Many are coming to states like New York where they have familiarity and contacts. The minute they arrive, they are citizens and they have every right to participate in our political process and every right to seek certain services. The cost of those services are more expensive here than they would have been if Puerto Rico had the support from the federal government to offer them back home. Many of those people don’t want to have to leave but they have no choice right now. That conver-

sation shouldn’t be foreign to New York or New Yorkers, whether you’re Puerto Rican or not, because there are budget impacts.

C&S: We hear you had an interesting trip to Israel recently. What was that experience like?

MC: Eggs, vegetables, and there’s a discussion about whether those were rocks we heard hit the van. … The experience was scary, but interesting. … What we expected to be a relatively routine meeting and visit (with a professor in Ramallah), as it’s been done before without incident, was hurt by timing of some things that was totally outside of our control. … We’re upstairs, we’re having this conversation and the professor happened to be talking about his survey’s findings and the fact that there was a growing angry and vociferous youth movement that was distrusting of a lot of people involved in all the conflicts. … As we’re having this discussion, some young men appeared in the lobby of the building and had an exchange of words with the professor’s staff. We offered if one of them would like to address us and tell us about their views of things. They weren’t interested and just wanted to tell us we weren’t welcome in their eyes. … (The

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group eventually grew to 25 people and the police arrived to escort the lawmakers away.)

Their message was clear; they had pretty good English. (laughs) So, they gave us a piece of their mind and some eggs along the way. Everyone was safe.

On this trip to Israel, much of the trip was about understanding the cultural complexities. I admired how diligent, and how many organizations, and how their community is built around the idea of what they do with Birthright and how they encourage Jewish individuals from around the world to connect with the state of Israel. How many of the 5 or 6 million Puerto Ricans who live in the diaspora truly have an understanding and a grasp of what Puerto Rico’s reality is like? For second-, third-generation Puerto Ricans? We don’t have that cultural immersion program. So I want to get involved to create that.

C&S: A Puerto Rican Birthright?

MC: I wouldn’t call it that. I’d simply say a cultural immersion program for members of the diaspora to really connect to those roots. Whether it’s in Puerto Rico or the growing Latino diaspora to do in their own communities.

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

Immigration and

MS-13 The key players combating Long Island’s gang violence – and whether cracking down on border security can stop it

By JEFF COLTIN

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

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ES JAMES, CHRISTOPHER HALLORAN, MARK REINSTEIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Nowhere are the issues of immigration and violence more obviously linked than on Long Island.

Members of the MS-13 gang have reportedly murdered at least 26 people in Nassau and Suffolk counties since 2016. Many members of the gang are Salvadoran, while others are Honduran, Guatemalan or Mexican. Some immigrated recently, and others were born in the U.S. In a July speech in Brentwood, President Donald Trump said MS-13 “exploited America’s weak borders and lax immigration enforcement to bring drugs and violence to cities and towns all across America.”

He again tied MS-13 violence to immigration in his State of the Union address. “Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as illegal, unaccompanied, alien minors,” he said.

But Latinos living on Long Island, some of whom entered the U.S. illegally, are also the most likely group to be victims of MS13’s violence and intimidation, according to Steve Dudley, a fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies, who has extensively studied MS-13. There are constant reports of gang members targeting newly arrived immigrants in local high schools hoping to recruit them into the gang – but they haven’t been that successful.

“Even on Long Island, where you hear about them so much, we’re talking about 100 to 130, in terms of actual gang members,” Dudley said. “When you think about it in those terms, you’ve got (more than 100,000) Salvadorans that live on Long Island. It’s a miniscule percentage of the population.”

Dealing with MS-13 is a complicated issue, and there are serious disagreements on the best way to reach the shared goal of keeping Long Islanders safe. Some levels of government and society are working together, while others are diametrically opposed.

Here’s what the stakeholders are doing.

President

DonaldTrump

President Donald Trump and his administration are hoping to combat MS‑13 through more aggressive enforcement of immigration laws. As he mentioned in his July speech on Long Island, Trump intends to hire 10,000 additional U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, but no new agents had been hired as of February. Other planks of Trump’s proposed immigration plan include increased security at the U.S.-Mexico border where many Cen‑ tral American immigrants enter the country, and ending so-called “catch and release” policy – a practice in which certain immigrants apprehended at the border are released while their immigration court case is pending, which can take years because of backlogs. Trump also hopes to make it more difficult for immigrants to sponsor family members who also want to come to the U.S. Congress is currently debating all of these proposals as members work toward a long-delayed immigration deal.

In addition, the Trump administration has revoked Temporary Protected Status from Salvadorans, giving New York’s some 16,000 beneficiaries a choice to either leave the country or apply for a green card.

Jeff Sessions

U.S. Attorney General U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a high-profile visit to Long Island in April 2017 to express support for law enforcement fighting the MS-13 gang. He vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and promised to send new federal prosecutors to the Eastern District of New York. Two new assistant U.S. attorneys focusing on gang vio‑ lence were announced in January. Sessions’ Justice Department has designated MS-13 as a target of a federal gang task forces that could go after gang members by charging them with conspiracy or tax offenses often used to bring down organized crime. The Jus‑ tice Department also gave the Suffolk County Police Department a $500,000 grant to support initiatives to fight MS-13.

Long Island Coordinator for Make the Road New York

Walter Barrientos Walter Barrientos has been the most prominent voice among Long Island’s immigrant advocates, ex‑ pressing concerns that innocent Long Islanders are being swept up in the government’s fervor against MS-13. “(The Trump) administration continues to use the tragedies and the crises that we are experiencing in this community for the sake of ad‑ vancing their anti-immigrant agen‑ da,” he told NPR in January. Make the Road New York also provides legal counsel to immigrants dealing with ICE and the court system.

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in New York City

Angel Melendez

Suffolk County District Attorney

Timothy Sini

Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner nominee

Geraldine Hart Geraldine Hart was just nominated to replace Sini in February, and won’t take office until at least April, but she’s already engaged in fighting MS‑13 as FBI senior supervisory resident agent leading the Long Island Gang Task Force. Hart named the gang as her top priority if she gets the job.

Until Jan. 1, Timothy Sini was the Suffolk Coun‑ ty Police Department commissioner, trying to balance community engagement and education programs with arrests and coordination with ICE. Now, he is the county’s top prosecutor, and one of his first moves was to create a dedicat‑ ed gang unit within his office. He hopes certain attorneys will become “highly trained gang spe‑ cialists” who can prosecute cases that don’t fall under the federal courts’ jurisdiction.

Gov.

Andrew Cuomo

Rep.

Pete King Rep. Pete King has a collegial relationship with Trump and extended the invitation that brought the president to Long Island.

King held a July congressional hearing in Central Islip to get testimony from law enforcement officials fighting MS-13, and has stayed involved in federal discussions about how to counter the gang, such as a February meeting at the White House where King asked for more scrutiny of im‑ migrants living on Long Island who were brought into the U.S. as unaccompanied minors.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has put the New York State Police on the case, sending 25 troop‑ ers to Suffolk County, including some to bolster the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force. A proposal in Cuomo’s 2018 State of the State address aims to keep young Long Islanders from joining the gang in the first place. The governor plans to direct $11.5 million to after-school programs, vo‑ cational training and anti-gang education for at-risk youth.

A KATZ/SHUTTERSTOCK

Angel Melendez’s team in New York has been aggressive in arresting suspected MS-13 members since the summer of 2017 under Operation Matador – so named for the bullfighter, who “comes in to finish,” Melendez told WNYC. The secretive operation has netted more than 400 suspected gang members, more than half of whom are believed to belong to MS-13, but the effort has also generated controversy. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued federal agencies, including ICE, claiming young people with no gang ties have been held without trial.

The federal Office of Refugee Reset‑ tlement has worked with ICE to detain certain suspected gang members under the age of 18 in secure facilities – a policy change for an agency that would normally send minors to live with family members.

A KATZ/SHUTTERSTOCK

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

LEADING THE WAY FOR LATINAS

NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ Congresswoman

C&S: What inspired you to break that barrier and become the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the House of Representatives?

NV: Back in the 1990s, working for the government of Puerto Rico, being the director of the Commonwealth Office in New York, I decided that the best way to empower the Puerto Rican community – I knew that the numbers were there, but the political clout was far from realizing. And I decided to launch a comprehensive voter registration campaign that would help Puerto Ricans exercise their right to vote. And as part of that natural progression, I then ventured into the political arena, running for of-

fice, because I wanted to use my public life as a way to bring about positive change for the community. So, I feel that we needed to make a statement that Puerto Ricans were in New York in big numbers, but how can we translate that into political power. And I believe that being here in Washington enables me to provide the voice of the Puerto Rican community not only in New York, but nationwide. And saw that we are part of a larger agenda here in Washington. And it’s just quite ironic that after 25 years in Congress, it took two hurricanes, Irma and Maria, to raise the national consciousness about Puerto Ricans being American citizens.

C&S: You just came back from Puerto Rico. What did you see on the ground?

NV: My family still doesn’t have power, they didn’t have water. This is the effect of a very, very poor response from the Trump administration.

From the start, it was totally inadequate. And five months into this event, people are still struggling. More than, what, 30 percent or 20 percent without electricity? If you had that in Connecticut, New Jersey or Texas, people would be rioting. So things are still very difficult for so many people.

People are collecting money to buy mattresses or a stove or a refrigerator for seniors living by themselves.

NEW YORK’S RESPONSIBILITY

RUBÉN DÍAZ JR. Bronx Borough President

C&S: You released a report 100 days after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico giving recommendations for New York, including forming an oversight panel to coordinate the state’s efforts.

Have you seen any response to the report?

RDJ: I believe that we should still have some type of committee to hold our federal government responsible because of the inadequate level of response and commitment and resources that Puerto Rico is feeling. It’s unfortunate and it’s sad and it’s heartbreaking.

We have family members over there who are still hurting, and there’s still 30 percent of the island without electrici-

ty. We’re not hearing it from President Trump or from Congress. That was the plea that Gov. Rossello made when he was here in the South Bronx to all of us. Whether we do it through committee or at the ballot box, basically he said that the Puerto Rican diaspora and all of our brethren and our community have to come together and be the voice for the 3.5 million Americans who are voiceless, being neglected.

C&S: You say the federal government isn’t doing enough, but the report is largely about what the city and the state should do.

Have you seen enough response from Cuomo and

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio here?

RDJ: Between the governor and the mayor, we have two forceful and great responses.

There’s no doubt that when you look at the men and women who have been sent down there from the utilities, from the National Guard, from different agencies, both city and state – we’re happy with that.

But the governor and the mayor and their agencies can’t do it alone. So have I seen adequate responses from the mayor and the governor? Yes. From the state and the city?

Yes. Could there be more?

Absolutely. Is it going to take others outside of state and city government? Absolutely.

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

THE BEAUTY OF THE BUDGET

Speaking with STATE BUDGET DIRECTOR

Robert Mujica, THE MOST powerfulLatino

PHILIP KAMRASS/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

in New York government

PHILIP KAMRASS/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

HE’S THE MAN with the $168 billion plan.

After two decades crunching budget numbers at the Capitol, state Budget Director Robert Mujica is facing what he calls the state’s most challenging budget in years. He would know. Mujica served as secretary to the state Senate Finance Committee for 19 years with the Republican majority, and he’s held practically every budget-related job in the upper echelons of state government. His expertise was so valuable that Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached across the aisle to pull him into the executive chamber.

City & State’s Frank G. Runyeon spoke with the state’s numbers maestro who also happens to be, arguably, the most powerful Latino in state government.

C&S: You have tons of public finance experience at this point. Given your career and your current job, how much do you love spreadsheets?

RM: (laughs) In this job I have now, I don’t actually have to look at the spreadsheets as much as I used to. But I spent 20 years looking at them. … The issue is, the numbers don’t lie. And I think that’s the beauty of the budget to a certain degree. While there are facets that are more complicated and somewhat ambiguous, the numbers in the end tell the truth. I think that’s part of the puzzle of putting the budget together.

In the end, the budget has to balance. It has to be fiscally responsible. And in the end, you end up with a product that clearly states what the priorities are. And I think that’s what’s attractive to the budget as to some other forms of policymaking.

C&S: Can you tell me a bit about your family background? You are Ecuadorian, is that correct?

RM: No! The internet’s a funny thing, right?

There’s this thing on the internet which my mother reminds me, “Can you call and tell them to fix that?” … No, my parents are Puerto Rican, both born in Puerto Rico.

They were actually born in the same town in Puerto Rico, however, they didn’t meet until they came to New York. So I was born in Williamsburg … I spent a lot of time in Brooklyn, spent a lot of time in the Bronx, so I spent my time in some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. Growing up in the South Bronx in the 1970s and 1980s when it was a very different place than it is now, and then also growing up in Staten Island, which is arguably a very, very different borough.

C&S: How much of an impact on your career has your Latino identity had? In what way does it inform your work?

RM: You know, we’re all shaped by our backgrounds, our history, where we come from.

Those things color how I look at the budget itself. You have New York, probably one of the most diverse states in the country, if not the most diverse. You have the people on every part of the economic spectrum and that balance creates the beauty of New York but also the challenges. I think that my background as a result of how I grew up and growing up Puerto Rican in New York reflects that diversity and also enables me to look at things from all of those perspectives.

C&S: Being that your parents are from Puerto Rico, do you still have family there?

RM: Yes. … I was with the governor when he was on the first plane to land in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit. And the devastation there is personal, because I spent a lot of my summers there and my grandfather and grandmother both live there (in Arecibo). My grandfather, we brought him back within two to three weeks after the hurricane because you still don’t have power there. But being able to help there was important.

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But there’s always a push and a desire to want to spend more. But unlike in Washington, we have to propose a balanced budget and we have to enact a balanced budget. So I think for me, the hardest part and also the biggest challenge is figuring out how to fund all the needs and still stay within both our revenue numbers and making sure our revenues actually come in.

C&S: How busy are you through all this?

RM: It is all the time. It doesn’t stop. There are always different pieces. We have a great team here, but there is a lot going on all the time. There’s always a lot of decision points, but in the end it’s very rewarding.

C&S: How many hours a day do you work?

RM: More than eight hours a day.

C&S: Does that mean nine hours a day?

Twelve hours a day?

RM: At least 12. At least 12. Twelve is a short day. … These are jobs that require an enormous amount of investment and time. To do it right, you need to be focused on it all the time.

C&S: The state budget is coming into crunch time, so can you give us a glimpse of what you’re keeping your eye on?

RM: The next six weeks is the end of it. Probably in the next two weeks, things get going.

We’ve put together a budget that’s balanced and we think it’s a good blueprint for the final budget and getting something done. The unknowns are what concerns me and a lot of it is coming from Washington. The federal unknowns are the things that concern me the most because I can’t control for those things. We try our best. The governor has done a great job of maintaining fiscal discipline, which puts us in a position to be able to deal with most things, but you can’t deal with a federal government that is so particularly hostile towards New York. So that is probably the biggest challenge that we have.

C&S: Do you have any aspirations for elected office?

RM: I do not. It’s not what I do. I’ve become relatively knowledgeable in budgeting here in both public finance and finance generally. And public office is a different skill set, which is not something I choose to want to participate in.

C&S: During the upcoming budget negotiations with the state Legislature, what’s the sticky wicket, if there is one?

RM: It’s the spending number overall. We will figure out how to prioritize the amount of the money that we have. It’s not a particular policy issue. The policy issues get resolved every year. It’s really how much we’re going to spend. The easy part of that is the governor has put in place the 2 percent spending number. That I think is critical, but once you know what that is, then it’s just a matter of prioritizing among what you have.

C&S: Any other particular hobbies?

RM: I run. I’m a runner. I’ve run a few marathons. So that’s probably something people don’t know. I did the New York City Marathon. Not this year, but the year before. I did OK, not as well as I would have liked to. I didn’t train as much as I should have.

C&S: Now that we know your parents are from Puerto Rico, not Ecuador, what else do people not know about Robert Mujica?

RM: When I’m not here I like to spend my time in the country and walking in the woods. That’s probably one of the things that helps me clear my head the most. ...

I spend some time in Columbia County.

That is my go-to place when I can escape from Albany.

C&S: Are you going to take another crack at it?

RM: Yes. (laughs) Once I can work less than 12 hours a day and train, I will.

■

26

CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

EDUCATION

A UNION’S WORST

NIGHTMARE A New York City teachers union braces for a Supreme Court ruling that could drain money and members.

By CHRISTINA VEIGA of Chalkbeat New York

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew

City & State New York

AARON ADLER/CITY & STATE

March 5, 2018

A FEW DOZEN labor leaders gathered recently at the headquarters of New York City’s 187,000-member teachers union to hear a cautionary tale.

In a glass-walled conference room overlooking downtown Manhattan, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew settled into a chair facing a colleague from Wisconsin. He asked the state teachers union president, Kim Kohlhaas, how her members have fared after an aggressive rollback of labor’s bargaining power there.

She described rampant teacher turnover, fewer job protections as well as ballooning insurance and pension costs. In short, a union’s worst nightmare.

For UFT, Wisconsin is a harbinger of what could result from a U.S. Supreme Court case known as Janus, which revolves around the ability of public unions to collect mandatory fees. Oral arguments began in February, and the decision, which is expected in a matter of months, could dramatically alter the landscape for unions across the country.

The impact will be felt especially by UFT, the largest local union in the country. If the court rules that teachers are not required to pay for its services, the union is likely to shed members and money – a war chest that has allowed UFT to be a major player in New York politics and to secure robust benefits for its members.

“This is dangerous stuff we’re getting into now,” Mulgrew said. “They’re trying to take away people’s ability to come together, to stand up and have a voice.”

While the case deals with different issues than Wisconsin’s anti-union policies did, New York City labor leaders say the limits on their membership and funding would weaken their ability to fight against further restrictions on their organizing and bargaining power.

In anticipation of the ruling, union leaders have reportedly already considered downsizing their operations. And they have undertaken a pre-emptive information and recruitment campaign to hold onto members – who, soon, may be free to choose whether to keep supporting the union financially.

“Much as I oppose Janus, it’s kind of a wake-up call for entrenched union leadership,” New York City teacher Arthur Goldstein blogged recently. “People need reasons to pay, and it’s on leadership to provide them.”

At issue is whether public unions can continue to charge “agency fees,” which are payments collected from people who are not

members. Sometimes called a “fair share” fee, it is meant to help unions cover the cost of bargaining contracts that cover all workers, regardless of whether they are union members. Only a fraction of New York City teachers currently opt out of the union and pay the agency fees rather than dues – but experts expect many more teachers could leave the union if the Supreme Court bans the fees.

Mark Janus, a government employee in Illinois, is challenging the fee on the grounds that it violates his right to free speech. The Supreme Court deadlocked on a similar case in 2016 after the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia. With Neil Gorsuch now on the bench, observers expect a conservative-leaning court will side with Janus. If that happens, workers covered by unions – including UFT – will be able to opt out of paying the fees that help keep the unions in operation.

“What that means is there will be a lot of teachers – potentially a lot of teachers in New York – who do not invest in the union,” said Evan Stone, co-founder of the teacher advocacy group Educators for Excellence. “There will be potential growth in free riders who are benefiting from the work of the union without contributing to it.”

That’s why UFT is kicking into action.

The union has trained scores of members to knock on doors and talk to fellow teachers about the case. In about two months, the union estimates its members have knocked on 11,000 doors, sharing stories about how the union has helped them and hoping to convince teachers to keep financially supporting the work, even if the courts decide they’re no longer required to.

Union leaders are also launching membership teams in every school. Tasked with “building a sense of unity,” the union is asking the teams to engage in personal conversations with members and plan shows of support for the union. Stone said his organization is organizing focus groups across the city to inform members about the case.

New York City teachers automatically become union members. They pay about $117 a month in dues, while social workers, paraprofessionals and members in other school roles pay different amounts. Members can also choose to contribute to a separate political fund, which the union uses to lobby lawmakers and support union-friendly candidates.

About 2,000 educators opt out of the union and pay agency fees instead – which are the same amount as regular dues, according to a UFT spokesman.

27

Ken Girardin, who has studied the potential fallout of Janus for New York’s unions as an analyst for the conservative-leaning Empire Center for Public Policy, said the number of agency fee payers is low compared to other unions. But the Janus case could change that.

Girardin looked at what happened after Michigan enacted a right-to-work law, which forbids mandatory agency fees. The result: The Michigan Education Association, among the state’s largest unions, saw a 20 percent drop in dues and fees. Among full-time teachers, membership declined by 18 percent.

Girardin estimates an equivalent decrease in New York would mean the state’s teachers unions would take a $49 million annual hit. The UFT relies on dues and agency fees for about 85 percent of its $185 million budget, according to federal documents.

“It means they’d have to make up a course change,” Girardin said, referring to the potential impact of the Janus decision.

“They would have to treat their members like customers instead of people who are going to pay them regardless.”

Behind the scenes, the union is reportedly making contingency plans to deal with the potential budgetary fallout. The New York Post recently cited unnamed sources who said union leadership is considering reducing the staff at some of its borough offices and cutting back on discretionary spending.

Girardin said public sector unions in New York have already begun to fight for state legislation that would make it harder for members to drop out – a potential workaround in case the court sides with Janus.

Some UFT members say the threat of Janus is already being felt. The union recently voted down a resolution to support Black Lives Matter after leadership said it was a divisive issue at a time when the union can’t afford to lose members, according to NY1.

Rosie Frascella, a Brooklyn high school teacher who helped organized Black Lives Matter at School events across the city, said she was disappointed in the leadership’s decision. But despite those internal disagreements, she said the threat posed by Janus should compel all teachers to speak out in support of their unions.

“You need to be in a union because it protects your right to teach,” she said. “And it stands up for our students and it creates the schools our children deserve.”

■

Chalkbeat New York is a nonprofit news organization that covers educational change efforts in New York.

28

CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

SU M M I T & AWAR DS 2018

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THAT PUTS THE USER FIRST

In his first public speech, the new NYC DoITT commissioner called for “human-centered design.” By JEFF COLTIN NEW YORK CITY government is looking for ways to make its apps and websites more user-friendly, and the city’s technology agency will soon be issuing a request for proposals for help.

New York City Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications Commissioner Samir Saini teased the announcement in front of stakeholders in the city’s municipal tech scene at City & State’s Digital NY Summit & Awards last month. The newest commissioner in the de Blasio administration, it was Saini’s first public appearance since he started in early February.

Saini’s keynote address focused on “human‑centered design,” in which technology platforms are engineered to be welcoming, efficient and productive for the people using them.

For example, the city’s LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosks prompt users to “charge your phone.”

“Are we doing everything we possibly can do to ensure that (technology solutions) are getting adopted and used by our customers, our public and by government agencies?” Saini asked.

ALI GARBER

RIGHT: DOITT COMMISSIONER SAMIR SAINI MAKES HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE. BELOW: RODNEY CAPEL OF CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS SPEAKS AT THE EVENT.

ALI GARBER

City & State New York

March 5, 2018

Saini said the city will be looking to hire design firms to help, calling it “an aggressive move to partner with agencies and the vendor community towards the end goal of human-centered design.”

The RFP will come out in a few weeks, according to DoITT, and the agency is staying mum on what products or initiatives it will target for design tweaks.

DoITT has a huge portfolio including the LinkNYC kiosks, the city’s open data portal and the 311 system. DoITT also provides information technology services for the sprawling city government.

“DoITT keeps the city ticking,” Saini said. “We do our best to enable the agencies to do their best. And we do our best to empower New Yorkers.”

FROM LEFT: TAYYAB WALKER OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, NYC DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF STRATEGIC PLANNING AND POLICY ARCHANA JAYARAM AND MOSES KAMYA, CIO FOR THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Though it was Saini’s first speech in the position, he already talked like a veteran commissioner, using the de Blasio administration’s talking point of building “the fairest big city in America.” He also touted the achievements of his predecessor Anne Roest, such as launching LinkNYC, opening a new 911 emergency call center and centralizing cybersecurity efforts.

Saini had previously been the chief information officer for the city of Atlanta. But as he told the crowd of more than 100 people at the Manny Cantor Center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Saini grew up on the other side of the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey.

“I see this as me coming home,” he said.

■

LEFT: DAVID BRONSTON, SPECIAL COUNSEL AT PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP

29

30

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

March 5, 2018

Lendlease Towers, LLC (LENDLEASE) proposes to install antennas and equipment on behalf of WirelessCo, L.P. dba Sprint (Sprint) atop 11 existing buildings in New York City. Sites are to be located at 37-17 34th Ave in Long Island City, Queens County (Project 38157.04); 106 E 116th St in Manhattan, New York County; 1181 Broadway in Manhattan, New York County, (Project 38157.10); 404 E 141st St in The Bronx, Bronx County (Project 38157.18); 2840 Bailey Ave in The Bronx, Bronx County (Project 38157.21); 4602 5th Ave in Brooklyn, Kings County (Project 38157.27); 33-13 Francis Lewis Blvd in Flushing, Queens County (Project 38157.30); 290 E 53rd St in Brooklyn, Kings County (Project 38157.31); 325 Hudson Street in Manhattan, New York County (Project 38157.32 (35539); 533 E 5th St in Manhattan, New York County (Project 38157.33); and 502 W 151st St in Manhattan, New York County (Project 38157.37).

In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the 2005 Nationwide Programmatic Agreement, LENDLEASE is hereby notifying the public of the proposed undertaking and soliciting comments on Historic Properties which may be affected by the proposed undertaking. If you would like to provide specific information regarding potential effects that the proposed undertaking might have to properties that are listed on or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and located within ½ mile of the site, please submit the comments (with project number) to: RAMAKER, Contractor for LENDLEASE, 855 Community Dr, Sauk City, WI 53583 or via e-mail to history@ramaker.com within 30 days of this notice.

NOTICE OF Formation of BAYMAY LLC. Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 1/31/2018.

Office loc: NY County.

SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 435 W 23rd St, Ste 1BB, NY, NY 10011. Principal business address: 207 E 37th St, Apt 2D, NY, NY 10016.Purpose: any lawful act or activity

Notice of Auction Sale is herein given that Access Self Storage of Long Island City located at 29-00 Review Avenue, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 will take place on WWW.STORAGETREASURES. COM Sale by competitive bidding starting on March 9, 2018 and end on March 22, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. to satisfy unpaid rent and charges on the following accounts:

Common Energy LLC. Articles of Org. filed Sec. of State (SSNY) on 1/9/18. Office: NY County. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the company c/o 527 Hudson Street, Ste. 20-170, NY, NY 10014.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Contents of rooms generally contain misc. Household goods and other effects. #172 - Ramon Salamanca, #1618 - Cindy Louis, #3418 - Jane Stubbs, #3900 - John McFaddin, #4429 - Mathias Martinez.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308262 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR

BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 1524 BERGEN ST BROOKLYN, NY 11213.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION. CASH CURRY LLC.

The contents of each unit will be sold as a lot and all items must be removed from the premises within 72 hours. Owners may redeem their goods by paying all rent and charges due at any time before the sale.

Notice of Formation of Logical Chaos Productions LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/1/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 327 E. 5th St, #5A, NY, NY 10003.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

March 5, 2018 Notice of Qualification of 532 Neptune Commercial LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/12/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/2/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 45 Broadway, Fl. 25, NY, NY 10006. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805 . Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Stella’s Hair Salon LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/2/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 75-55 187th St, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 1407 Westside Enterprises, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/23/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 148 W. 24th St, Fl. 3, Apt 3A, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

MOTT STREET 199 LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/29/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: C/O FFO, 135 West 50th St., Ste 19B, NY, NY 10020.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of Alwest Management LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/10/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 250 Greenpoint Ave, Fl. 4, Brooklyn, NY 11222.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

CITYANDSTATENY.COM Notice of Formation of Casa Binbaz LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/31/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of SQUARE-CHURCHILL MERCER LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of S t a t e (SSNY) on 12/28/17. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 250 Bowery, Fl. 2, NY, NY 10012.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of DUALITY HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/20/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/05/17.

Princ. office of LLC: 401 W. 14th St., 4th Fl., NY, NY 10014.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, Attn: Jeff Ziglar at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 188’) on the building at 307 W 36th St, New York, NY (20180295). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

Notice of Formation of THE STRONG FAMILY HOME LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/01/18.

Office location: NY County.

Princ. office of LLC: 27 E. 79th St., Unit #PH11, NY, NY 10075.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Friedberg Pinkas PLLC, 767 Third Ave., 31st Fl., NY, NY 10017.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Bonsai Kakigori, LLC filed with SSNY on January 23, 2016. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 26 W 20th St Apt 4 NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 2211300 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 10 MAIN ST CHATHAM, NY 12037.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. 2 DUKES & A PRINCESS LLC.

Notice of Formation of TALL PINES MANAGEMENT, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/01/18.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Emanuel T. Stern, c/o Tall Pines Capital LLC, 654 Madison Ave., Ste. 801, NY, NY 10065.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of SUNNYSIDE PRESERVATION GP, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/12/18. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: The Related Companies, L.P., Time Warner Center, 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of MVB MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/25/18.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/21/17. Princ. office of LLC: 555 Madison Ave., 26th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 30AW, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/05/18.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 111 Eighth Ave., 13th Fl., NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Qualification of ELEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/20/18.

Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Illinois (IL) on 10/22/03. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. IL address of LLC: 651 W. Washington Blvd, Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60661. Cert. of Formation filed with IL Secy of State, 501 S. Second St, Rm 350, Springfield, IL 62756. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of XTX Services LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/6/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 10 Hudson Yards, Fl. 40, NY, NY 10001.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 1407 Westside Market LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/23/17.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 148 W. 24th St, Fl. 3, Apt 3A, NY, NY 10011 Purpose: any lawful activity.

Excel Church Media LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 12/29/17. Office loc: Richmond County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: LLC, 29 Mosel Loop, Staten Island, NY 10304.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of Antin Infrastructure Partners US LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/21/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 2/6/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 374 rue Saint-Honore, 75001 Paris (France). DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at two locations. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 63 feet on a 52-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 1223 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11221.

Additionally, antennas will be installed at a top height of 76 feet on a 65-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 759 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11222.

Public comments regarding potential effects from these sites on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Erin, e.alsop@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

Notice of Formation of Tiro Digital, LLC filed with SSNY 11/21/17. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 340 E 23rd St, 9A, NY, NY . Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018 Notice of Qualification of North Shore Poke Co. Store 9, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/23/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 4/17/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 122 E. 42nd St, Ste 119, NY, NY 10168. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Masons NY Associates LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/25/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 10 W. 33rd St, Ste 516, NY, NY 10001.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

DL Tax, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 11/01/2017.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Daisy Lui, EA 147-24 27th Ave, Flushing, NY 11354.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of KINDRED HOLDINGS INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/12/17.

Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/8/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 142 Greene St, NY, NY 10012. DE address of LLC: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 532 Neptune Residential LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/12/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/2/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 45 Broadway, Fl. 25, NY, NY 10006. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805 . Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Formation of Secret Arts LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/29/17.

Office location: NY County.

Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Steve Cuiffo, 264 East Broadway #C1301, NY, NY 10002, principal business address.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

CITYANDSTATENY.COM

SQC COFFEE LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 12/28/2017. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to c/o Aury Bennett Stollow, Esq., 475 Park Avenue South, 27th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of MORITZ, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/21/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 54 Riverside Dr., NY, NY 10024.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of NEW POLY ENTERPRISES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/21/18.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Olivia Shao, 175 W. 12th St., Apt. 6-F, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of CR ADVANTAGE II, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/24/18.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/22/18. Princ. office of LLC: 119 Fifth Ave., 8th Fl, NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Div. of Corps., The John G. Townsend Bldg., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MBDL LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 10/25/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail any process against LLC to: 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

Princ bus addr of LLC: 96 5th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

CARNEGIE HILL PSYCHOANALYSIS PLLC, a Prof. LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/02/2018.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: C/O the PLLC, 108 East 91st St., Apt 1D, NY, NY 10128.

Purpose: To Practice The Profession Of Psychoanalysis.

Notice of Formation of 1407 Westside Enterprises, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/23/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 148 W. 24th St, Fl. 3, Apt 3A, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Fogo de Chao Churrascaria (Long Island) LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/29/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/23/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of LG 161 LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/2/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 161 Chrystie St, Fl. 2, NY, NY 10002.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ElliptiCurve Capital Management GP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/09/18.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/04/18. Princ. office of LLC: 135 E. 57th St., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Stephen L. Moskowitz, 225 E. 63rd St., Apt. 7C, NY, NY 10065. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Ainahs Holdings LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/16/17. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 254 Canal St, Ste 2001, NY, NY 10013.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

CINDY D NESS, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/26/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 333 Pearl Street, 17C, NY, NY 10038.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of CAKE 150, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/24/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of DHEHF LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/20/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1122 Franklin Ave, Ste 406, Garden City, NY 11530.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Avery & Chao, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/15/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 204 W 92nd St, Apt 3R, NY, NY 10025. Purpose: Any lawful purpose, general and investment advisory services.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308647 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 175 LENOX AVE NEW YORK, NY 10026.

NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. L ENCANTO D LOLA 2 LLC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308650 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 99 S PORTLAND AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11217.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. GNOCCA LOVERS LLC. SCHOEN SURVEY RESEARCH LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/31/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 111 Park Avenue Apt 6A, NY, NY 10128.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of Fogo de Chao Churrascaria (White Plains) LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/29/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/23/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity .

PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 57’) on the building at 277 Broadway, New York, NY (20180286). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

Notice of Formation of 216 Boerum Venture LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/02/15. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, c/o Slate Property Group LLC, 850 Third Ave., Ste. 16-B, NY, NY 10022, Attn: Martin Nussbaum.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of MANUS SWEENEY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/06/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 146 EAST 65, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/7/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ES RECEIVABLE HOLDINGS ONE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/02/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Mark Devitre, CF Entertainment, Inc., 1925 Century Park East, 10th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

31

Notice of Formation of P ONE THREE PRODUCTIONS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/09/18.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Paracorp Incorporated, 2804 Gateway Oaks Dr. #100, Sacramento, CA 95833-3509.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 249’ & 254’) on the building at 250 Park Ave, New York, NY (20180272). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (centerline heights 133’ & 138’) on the building at 3 W 52st St, New York, NY (20180165).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

STITES LAW, LLP filed with SSNY 12/18/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against LLP may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Stites Law LLP, Attn: Steven L. Stites, Esq., 150 Broadway, St. 512, NY, NY 10038.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308646 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 432 UNION AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11211.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. AURORA EAST INC. PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 28.5’) on the building at 520 Park Ave, New York, NY (20180254). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (centerline heights 62’, 63’, 66’, 69’, & 72’) on the building at 153 E 43rd St, New York, NY (20180166). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

32

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES STORAGE

Midtown Moving & Storage Inc. will sell at Public Auction at 810 East 170 Street, Bronx NY 10459 at 6:00 P.M. on MARCH 13, 2018 for due and unpaid charges by virtue of a lien in accordance with the provisions of the law and with due notice given all parties claiming an interest therein, the time specified in each notice for payment of said charges having expired household furniture & effects, pianos, trunks, cases, TV’s, radios, hifi’s, refrigerators, sewing machines, washers, air conditioners, household furniture of all descriptions and the contents thereof, stored under the following names: -ABDELHADI, ESMAEL -AMES, LOUIE -KRAVITZ, BRANDON -CASTANEDA, LUZ -DURAN, ANTONIO -DEJESUS, JACQUELINE -VINCENT FORSQUE/COLETTE FORSQUE -HINDS JONELLE/HINDS JAY -JACK DOLORES -LI LU -NAGELBUSH JANET -RUIZ JEANETTE -SALLEY RICHARD

Notice of Formation of SPG Tremont LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/15/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, c/o Slate Property Group LLC, 38 East 29th St., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10016, Attn: Martin Nussbaum.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of ACCEL DIRECT FUNDING LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/8/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 382 Greenwich Ave, Ste 2, Greenwich, CT 06830.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of KIP Partners LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/19/18. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/16/18.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 1430 Broadway, Ste 1603, NY, NY 10018. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ifund Direct Funding LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/8/17.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 382 Greenwich Ave, Ste 2, Greenwich, CT 06830.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Daniel J. Zimmerman, M.D. Psychiatry Services PLLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/22/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 265 E. 66th St, #39G, NY, NY 10065. Purpose: psychiatry.

Notice of Formation of Caisson Box LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/8/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LCC to: Balsam Law Firm PLLC, 315 Madison Ave, Ste 1306, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of Wingspan Consulting LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/3/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 440 W. End Ave, Apt 8-D, NY, NY 10024.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Kimberly Chu, LCSW, PLLC filed with SSNY 12/15/17.

Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to PLLC: 295 Central Park W., 1A, NY, NY 10024 . Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of CUPCAKE DELIGHT LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 1/16/18. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LCC to: 222 Crystal St, Apt 2R, Brooklyn, NY 11208. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of RevolverCap Management, L.P. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/22/17. Office location: NY County. LP formed in DE on 9/28/17. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o RevolverCap Partners LLC, 1120 Ave. of the Americas, 4th Fl., Ste. 4150, NY, NY 10036, principal business address. DE address of LP: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Name/address of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

March 5, 2018 DNA STRATEGIC CONSULTING LLC Art. of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 10/13/2017. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 35 Great Jones, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 51’ & 104’) on the building at 110 Clove Rd, Staten Island, NY (20180247).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

CITYANDSTATENY.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (centerline heights 202’) on the building at 61 Jane Street, New York, NY (20180276). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 68.5’) on the building at 2334 1st Ave, New York, NY (20180242). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LQ Collective LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) ) 01/12/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC to princ bus addr: 235 E 95th St, Apt 24L, NY, NY 10128. Purpose: any lawful act or activity Notice of Qualification of ASML US, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/9/18. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 9/28/00.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 1515 Broad Street, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/20/17. O f f i c e location: New York County.

LLC formed in New Jersey (NJ) on 3/24/03. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 22 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960.

NJ address of LLC: 22 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960.

Cert. of Formation filed with NJ Secy of State, 33 W. State St, Fl. 5 Trenton, NJ 08608.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 306 EAST OWNER LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/8/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/6/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 216 E. 45th St, Ste 1200, NY, NY 10017. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Bloomfield 2007, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/20/17. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 3/5/07. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 22 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960. DE address of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of AGR X LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/9/18. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 2/5/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 245 Park Ave, Fl. 26, NY, NY 10167. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NEW YORK

Notice of Qualification of CPC V, L.P. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/9/18.

Office location: New York County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/22/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1001 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Ste 220 S., Washington, D.C. 20004. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. List of names and addresses of all general partners available from SSNY. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LABORIELJAX LLC . Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 1/12/18. Office loc: BRONX County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC to princ bus add: 340 Beekman Ave Apt 4a, Bronx, NY 10454. Purpose: any lawful act or activity Notice of Qualification of NW 1180 AOA LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/06/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/31/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Bloom Dermatology, PLLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/12/17.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 15 W. 53rd St, Apt 31C, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: medicine.

Notice of Formation of Ruby J LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/20/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 589 8th Ave, Fl. 10, NY, NY 10018.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THORNBURG MORTGAGE SECURITIES TRUST 2006-5 PL AINTIFF, VS JOHN VERHOORN, ET AL., DEFENDANTS PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the office of the County Clerk of New York County on January 11, 2018, I, Elaine Shay, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on March 28, 2018 at the New York County Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street – Room 130, New York, County of New York, State of New York, at 2:00 P.M., the premises described as follows: 56 Pine Street Unit PH-A New York, NY 10005 SBL No.: 41 - 1291 ALL THAT TRACT OF PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County, and State of New York The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 850151/2016 in the amount of $626,047.34 plus interest and costs.

Cassie T. Dogali, Esq. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Plaintiff’s Attorney 700 Crossroads Building, 2 State St. Rochester, New York 14614 Tel.: 855-227-5072 Notice of Formation of TRIUMPH TUTORS LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/15/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 50 E. 8th St, #2T, NY, NY 10003.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of IMAGE CASCADE PUBLISHING, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/26/17 Office loc: NY county. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail a copy of process against LLC to principal business addr: 420 Lexington Ave. Ste. 300 NY, NY, 10170.

Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of Moddy Kiluvia, MD, PLLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/2/17. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 19 W. 34th St, Fl. PH, NY, NY, 10016. Purpose: medicine.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308595 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 644 FRANKLIN AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11238.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. FREE HOUSE LLC. Notice of Formation of Maxanak, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/7/18. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 589 8th Ave, Fl. 10, NY, NY 10018.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018 Notice of Formation of Craft Bio LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/14/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952.

The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Auction Sale is herein given that Citiwide Self Storage located at 4555 Pearson Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 will take place on WWW. STORAGETREASURES. COM Sale by competitive bidding starting on March 9, 2018 and end on March 22, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. to satisfy unpaid rent and charges on the following accounts: Contents of rooms generally contain misc. Household goods and other effects. #9P01ANicklaus Jones, #3P22-Stefan Sweeting, #8R26-Wendy Sutter & #10R03 - Stephen Javaras.

The contents of each unit will be sold as a lot and all items must be removed from the premises within 72 hours. Owners may redeem their goods by paying all rent and charges due at any time before the sale.

Notice of Qualification of Hampshire Partners Fund VI, L.P.. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/20/17. Office location: New York County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 4/9/03. SSNY is designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 22 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960. DE address of LP: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904.

List of names and addresses of all general partners available from SSNY. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at two locations. Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 66 feet at the approx. vicinity of 21-34 45th Road, Long Island City, Queens County, NY 11101.

Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 99 feet at the approx. vicinity of 45 South Broadway, Yonkers, Westchester County, NY 10701.

Public comments regarding potential effects from these sites on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Natalie, n.kleikamp@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

Notice of Qualification of Domain Commodity Technologies LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/21/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/8/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 459 W. Broadway, Apt 4S, NY, NY 10012. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308260 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 239 N MAIN ST. SAYVILLE, NY 11782.

SUFFOLK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. TOA SAYVILLE LLC Notice of Qualification of TL TARGETED FUND, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/02/18. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/31/18.

Princ. office of LP: 330 Madison Ave., 24th Fl., NY, NY 10017.

Duration of LP is Perpetual.

SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Jesse Ro at the princ. office of the LP. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Brickman Manager VII, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/31/17.

Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/30/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1308728 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR

BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 37 39 CHRISTOPHER ST NEW YORK, NY 10014.

NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION. LAMANO WEST VILLAGE LLC.

33

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF RICHMOND INDEX # 135389/2017 - SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE Plaintiff designates RICHMOND County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises are situated.

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT4, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-OPT4, Plaintiff(s), against Unknown heirs at law of MARK S CHAMBERS, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of who and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, NYC DOT-SIDEWALK & INSPECTION MGMT, PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES, LLC, AD FINANCIAL TRUST, CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, DANIELLE HALPERN, KRISTEN CHAMBERS, TREVOR CHAMBERS, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendant(s). TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOU CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); The United States of America, if designated as a Defendant in this action, may appear within (60) days of service thereof; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a mortgage dated July 5, 2007, executed by MARK S CHAMBERS AND DAWN S CHAMBERS to UNITED NORTHERN MORTGAGE BANKERS, LTD, A NEW YORK CORPORATION to secure the sum of $357,000.00 and recorded in Document 210051, in the Office of the CLERK of the County of RICHMOND on August 2, 2007, which mortgage was thereafter modified. Said mortgage was later assigned to WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT4, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-OPT4, by assignment of mortgage executed on March 9, 2012, covering premises known as 115 Nelson Ave, Staten Island, NY 10308 (Block 5149, Lot 47). The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt described above. To the above named Defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to a resettled order of the Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and filed along with the supporting papers in the Office of the Clerk of the County of RICHMOND on 02/23/2018. This is an action to foreclose on a mortgage. ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Staten Island and County of Richmond, City and State of New York, Block 5149, Lot 47, said premises known as 115 Nelson Ave, Staten Island, NY 10308. YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. There is now due and owing from the Borrower to the Plaintiff the principal sum of $381,876.82, plus interest thereon from June 1, 2011, in addition to those accumulated late charges and those recoverable monies advanced by Plaintiff and/or Plaintiff’s predecessor-in-interest on behalf of MARK S CHAMBERS AND DAWN S CHAMBERS together with all costs, including but not limited to, attorneys’ fees, disbursements, and further allowances provided pursuant to the underlying loan documents and applicable law in bringing any action to protect the Mortgagee’s interest in the Subject Property. UNLESS YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER YOUR RECEIPT HEREOF THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, THE DEBTOR JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR. IF APPLICABLE, UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST, WITHIN SAID THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT, YOU ARE NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR THE UNDERLYING INDEBTEDNESS OWED TO PLAINTIFF/CREDITOR AND THIS NOTICE/ DISCLOSURE IS FOR COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE New York State requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the Summons and Complaint in this foreclosure action, you may lose your home.

Please read the Summons and Complaint carefully. You should immediately contact an attorney or your local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid, there are government agencies, and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by New York State Department of Financial Services’ at 1-800-2690990 or visit the Department’s website at http://www.dfs.ny.gov FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. Section 1303 NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this Summons and Complaint by serving the copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you may lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING AN ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Stuart Altman Realty LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 2/23/2018.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to LLC: Stuart Altman, 2 Allen St, Suite 3G, NY, NY 10002. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of WF Industrial I LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/20/18. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 80 8th Ave., Ste. 1602, NY, NY 10011.

Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc., 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of CZOE WASHINGTON PL, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/28/18. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 121 Washington Pl., NY, NY 10014. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office.

Purpose: To own and manage real estate in New York.

LEGAL NOTICES?WE CAN PUBLISH! CALL DANIELLE 212-268-0442, EXT 2039 LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF The Law Office of Stuart Altman PLLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 8/6/2002. Office loc: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to PLLC: Stuart Altman, 2 Allen St, Suite 3G, NY, NY 10002. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

34

CityAndStateNY.com

March 5, 2018

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Vice President of Strategy Jasmin Freeman, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson

Who was up and who was down last week

LOSERS LVM The anonymous 17-year-old Long Islander seems to be the poster child for overzealous detainment to fight the violent MS-13 gang.

But the NYCLU took his case and got LVM his freedom after seven months in federal custody for allegedly looking like a gang member.

Are tattoos and gang signs enough to lock someone up? Turns out the kid never even had tattoos – and the supposed gang sign was just a raised middle finger.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

David Chase, the creator of “The Sopranos” (and who was born in Mount Vernon), has been getting lots of free press – but he didn’t make the winners list last week. The jurors in the Percoco trial – who sat through weeks of testimony and now face hours of deliberations – didn’t make the week’s losers list. Heck, not even the state Senate Republicans made the cut, even after miraculously scrounging up an extra $1.5 billion to balance the budget. To see who is among last week’s Winners & Losers, read on.

BILL DE BLASIO Usually, such a humiliation for the mayor comes from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. De Blasio thought he had a perfect new schools chancellor in Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. He would have come with a successful track record and lots of experience. But Carvalho decided to turn down the offer at the very last minute … on live TV, informing the mayor of his change of heart.

THE BEST OF THE REST

THE REST OF THE WORST

STEVE BANKS

DARCEL CLARK

ALBERTO CARVALHO

CHELE CHIAVACCI FARLEY

DANIEL WEISS

JOEL GIAMBRA

DONALD ZARDA

JARED KUSHNER

New York City homelessness didn’t get worse this year! Yay? After turning down de Blasio’s offer, “Mr. Armani” is bigger in Miami than Pitbull.

The Met’s CEO finally started forcing tourists to pay that “suggested” donation.

A federal judge agreed that, yes, it’s illegal to fire someone because they’re gay.

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Senior Editor Ben Adler badler@cityandstateny.com, Digital Editorial Director Derek Evers devers@cityandstateny.com, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg, Senior Reporter Frank G. Runyeon frunyeon@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Digital Reporter Grace Segers gsegers@cityandstateny.com, Editorial Assistant Rebecca C. Lewis rlewis@cityandstateny.com PRODUCTION creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Creative Director Guillaume Federighi, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Kewen Chen, Junior Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi, Multimedia Director Bryan Terry ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Danielle Mowery dmowery@cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillan-Grace cydney@cityandstateny.com, Junior Sales Executive Caitlin Dorman EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Sales Director Lissa Blake, Events Manager Sharon Nazarzadeh, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Marketing & Events Coordinator Jamie Servidio

Vol. 7 Issue 9 March 5, 2018 ANOTHER DISASTER FOR PUERTO RICO

IMMIGRATION & THE FIGHT AGAINST MS-13

Office sex parties? Sounds like the Bronx district attorney is the least-strict attorney.

No “equal time” for Gillibrand’s challenger after the senator’s Colbert interview.

The ex-Erie exec couldn’t even convince his own party he’d be good for governor.

If you’re looking to sway American foreign policy, you went to Jared. But not anymore.

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email.

Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

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March 5, 2018

Cover direction Guillaume Federighi Photograph Mike Groll/AP/REX/Shutterstock

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The Scaffold Safety Law Protects The Scaffold Safety Law The Scaffold Safety Law Protects Protects Latino Latino and New American Workers Latino and and New New American American Workers Workers

Latinos and and New Americans face moreface construction risks because they often labor for they non-union firms or participate in the Latinos New Americans more construction risks because often labor for Latinos and New Americans face more construction risks because they often labor for non-union firms or participate in the contingent labor pool.

The CDC reported that the construction industry accounted for the highest percentage (34%) of non-union firms or participate in the contingent labor pool.

The CDC reported that the Latinos and New Americans face more construction risks because they often labor for non-union firms or participate in the contingent labor pool. The CDC reported that the construction industry accounted for the highest percentage (34%) of construction industry accounted for the highest percentage (34%) of workplace deaths for workplace deaths for Latino workers. contingent labor pool.

The CDC reported that the construction industry accounted for the highest percentage (34%) of workplace for Latino workers.

Latino deaths workers. workplace deaths for Latino workers.

And the greatest risk they face is falls.

And the the greatest risk they face is falls.

And greatest risk they face is falls.

And the greatest risk they face is falls.

Falls are the top cause (48%) of construction fatalities in New York. Over the past 10 years, 218 workers died in falls in Falls thecause top cause of construction fatalities in New York.

Over 218 the workers past 10 years, Falls are are the top (48%) of(48%) construction fatalities in New York. Over the past 10 years, died in falls in New York State.

Falls areworkers the top cause (48%) of construction fatalities in New York. Over the past 10 years, 218 workers died in falls in 218 died in falls in New York State.

New York State.

New York State.

These should be “never” events. They shouldThey never happen. never happen.

These should be “never” events.

These should be “never” events. They should never should happen.

These should be “never” events. They should never happen.

AnAn in-depth studystudy of OSHA data statewide revealed that Latinos and Americans for 60% of fatal falls in-depth of OSHA data statewide revealed thatNew Latinos and accounted New Americans An in-depth study of OSHA data statewide revealed that Latinos and New Americans accounted for 60% of fatal falls accounted for 60% of fatal falls statewide, and 74% of fatal falls in New York City. statewide, and 74% of fatal falls in New York City.

An in-depth study of OSHA data statewide revealed that Latinos and New Americans accounted for 60% of fatal falls statewide, and 74% of fatal falls in New York City. statewide, and 74% of fatal falls in New York City.

Most falls from occur from scaffolds (25%) followed (16%) and roofs (11%).

Most fatalfatal falls occur scaffolds (25%) followed by ladders (16%)by andladders roofs (11%).

Most fatal falls occur from scaffolds (25%) followed by ladders (16%) and roofs (11%).

Most fatal falls occur from scaffolds (25%) followed by ladders (16%) and roofs (11%).

The Scaffold Safety Law provides necessary protection for construction workers facing The Scaffold Safety Law provides necessary protection for construction workers facing elevation risks. elevation risks.Law provides necessary protection for construction workers facing elevation risks.

The Scaffold Safety The Scaffold Safety Law provides necessary protection for construction workers facing elevation risks.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2016” (Dec. 2017); Centers for Sources: BureauofofLabor LaborStatistics, Statistics,“National “NationalCensus Census of of Fatal Fatal Occupational Sources: Bureau Occupational Injuries Injuries in in 2016” 2016”(Dec. (Dec.2017); 2017);Centers Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Work-Related Injury Deaths among Hispanics,” MMWR 2008;inNYCOSH, Deadline Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “National Census ofamong Fatal Occupational Injuries 2016” (Dec. 2017);Skyline Centers(Jan. for for Disease Control (CDC), “Work-Related Deaths Hispanics,” MMWR 2008; NYCOSH, Deadline Disease Control (CDC), “Work-Related InjuryInjury Deaths among Hispanics,” MMWR 2008; NYCOSH, Deadline Skyline (Jan. 2018); Center for (CDC), Popular“Work-Related Democracy, Fatal Inequality (Oct. 2013); NYC VitalMMWR Signs (July 2017).

Disease Control Injury Deaths among Hispanics,” 2008; NYCOSH, Deadline Skyline (Jan. Skyline (Jan.for2018); Center for Popular Democracy, Fatal2013); Inequality NYC 2017).

Vital Signs (July 2017).

2018); Center Popular Democracy, Fatal Inequality (Oct. NYC(Oct. Vital 2013); Signs (July 2018); Center for Popular Democracy, Fatal Inequality (Oct. 2013); NYC Vital Signs (July 2017).

Matthew A. Funk, Esq., President Matthew A. Funk, Esq., Matthew A. Funk, Esq., President President NYSTLA_CS110314_FP.indd 1

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