AUGUST 21, 2014 EAST VILLAGER NEWS

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The Paper of Record for East and West Villages, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, Little Italy and Chinatown

August 21, 2014 • FREE Volume 4 • Number 20

Boozy league kicked out of schools after Dwellers’ complaints BY SERGEI KLEBNIKOV

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he city has once again revoked the Lower East Side permits for an adult sports league residents say was using school properties to run an “alcohol-driven” social league. ZogSports, a co-ed league for young professionals in

cities across the U.S., had been hosting several kickball games each week at MO25 145 at Stanton St. and P.S.142, at 100 Attorney St. Not only do these local properties belong to the Lower East Side Preparatory High School and P.S.142, kids were reportedly even getting ZOGSPORTS, continued on p. 7

BY ZACH WILLIAMS

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n ivy-covered building on E. Eighth St. is the latest site of legal clashes between East Village tenants and landlord Steven Croman. Two new lawsuits allege that Croman uses building repairs and renovations as a

means of inducing rent-regulated tenants to vacate 309 E. Eighth St. A Croman representative “categorically denied” that charge, as well as other accusations of building neglect and the harassment of tenants. The parties will meet in CROMAN, continued on p. 4

PHOTO BY ZACH WILLIAMS

E. Eighth St. tenants take Croman to court over ‘harassment’ Carlos Pastrana looking at Chico’s mural of Robin Williams on E. 13th St.

Chico’s Robin Williams wall draws admiration, and tears BY ZACH WILLIAMS AND LINCOLN ANDERSON

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ntonio “Chico” Garcia, the legendary Lower East Side graffiti artist, was quick to put up a sidewalk mural for Robin Williams after the great comedic actor’s death on Mon., Aug. 11. Garcia started the piece the day after Williams died, and did the finishing touches on the roughly 100-square foot portrait on Aug. 14. The

mural — adorning a wall outside B Cup cafe, near the corner of E. 13th St. and Avenue B — has stirred up affection, as well as tears, among passersby and cafe clientele. “The reason I did it, I grew up with his character,” Garcia told The Villager in a phone interview this Tuesday evening. “He made thousands of people laugh. I thought he was one of the funniest characters I ever saw on TV. I just thought that — from the Lower East

Side — he was a great star that we lost.” Also, Williams made films with Latin stars, like J. Lo, Garcia noted. And yet, in such a cruel irony, despite so much joyous laughter that he inspired in audiences, Williams himself was racked by crippling depression. “For a guy to make the world laugh and he’s sad — it’s incredible. People WILLIAMS, continued on p. 12

Stuy tenants try to stave off sale....................page 5 Photo great Lepkoff dead at 98....................page 10 Big party for Big U anti-flood funds................page 18 Dream Up Fest is a dream...........page 15 | May 14, 2014

www.EastVillagerNews.com

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