Latest news with #CurtisSliwa
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
RV fireball torches iconic NYC diner from ‘Goodfellas,' sparking calls for camper crackdown
A fireball from a parked RV sparked a fire that tore through an iconic Queens diner from the movie 'Goodfellas' – and now one mayoral candidate is calling for a camper crackdown. The fire erupted at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at GoodFellas Diner in Maspeth with 60 firefighters eventually arriving to put out the flames, according to the FDNY. The blaze came seven years after the same diner caught fire. Two civilians were evaluated on the scene and refused medical attention, the department said. Guardian Angels founder and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa had just wrapped a fundraiser at nearby Clinton Hall when the blaze erupted and posted a video talking in front of the swarm of firetrucks on X. 'We were talking about all the RVs and debris in the garbage and the problems that come with this epidemic of RVs on the streets of the outer boroughs, and that's when boom!,' Sliwa said. 'We all came running out of the Clinton Hall, and we saw the truck exploded on fire and watched as the fire spread to the Goodfellas diner.' The fire has reignited debate over illegal RVs in the outer boroughs neighborhoods like Maspeth, Red Hook, and Hunts Point, which have seen streets taken over by dilapidated campers, local outlets have reported. Sliwa blamed City Hall for the latest. 'There's no police response, no DOT response, nothing like this right here, you got campers parked on the lot of the Goodfellas Diner?! The Buildings Department should be out here asking what the hell is going on, but nothing,' he said. 'If you go and you talk to them, you find out some of them are migrants, some of them are drug sellers, some of them are drug users, some of them just have no place to stay, and it's happening all over the outer boroughs,' Sliwa warned of the RV inhabitants. 'People are getting arthritis calling 311, and nothing is happening. Truck driver and longtime Queens resident Savo Jernic, 54, parks his 18-wheeler across from the GoodFellas lot during his monthly long hauls and said the situation has deteriorated. 'Six months ago, it was empty. Clean. Now, too many [RVs] to count,' Jernic said, pointing to a heap of garbage blocking a sidewalk. 'One guy in a camper said for $20, he'd watch my truck. That's where we're at now.' Sliwa is now calling for a sweeping crackdown, more inspections, and stronger penalties for property owners allowing commercial vehicle storage in violation of zoning codes. 'The quality of life is just hitting the skids… It's as if the city is just saying who cares? I'll tell you who. The people who live here and the people who do business here, they care,' he said.
New York Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
RV fireball torches NYC diner from ‘Goodfellas,' sparking calls for camper crackdown
A fireball from a parked RV sparked a fire that tore through an iconic Queens diner from the movie 'Goodfellas' – and now one mayoral candidate is calling for a camper crackdown. The fire erupted at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at GoodFellas Diner in Maspeth with 60 firefighters eventually arriving to put out the flames, according the FDNY. The blaze came seven years after the same diner caught fire. Advertisement 3 A raging blaze erupted from an RV in Queens and quickly spread to the iconic Goodfellas Diner on Saturday night while mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa was already on the scene. Curtis Sliwa/X Two civilians were evaluated on the scene and refused medical attention, the department said. Guardian Angels founder and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa had just wrapped a fundraiser at nearby Clinton Hall when the blaze erupted and posted a video talking in front of the swarm of firetrucks on X. Advertisement 'We were talking about all the RVs and debris in the garbage and the problems that come with this epidemic of RVs on the streets of the outer boroughs, and that's when boom!,' Sliwa said. 'We all came running out of the Clinton Hall, and we saw the truck exploded on fire and watched as the fire spread to the Goodfellas diner.' 3 Sliwa had just wrapped a fundraiser at nearby Clinton Hall when the blaze erupted. Curtis Sliwa for NYC Mayor The fire has reignited debate over illegal RVs in the outer boroughs neighborhoods like Maspeth, Red Hook, and Hunts Point, which have seen streets taken over by dilapidated campers, local outlets have reported. Sliwa blamed City Hall for the latest. Advertisement 'There's no police response, no DOT response, nothing like this right here, you got campers parked on the lot of the Goodfellas Diner?! The Buildings Department should be out here asking what the hell is going on, but nothing,' he said. 'If you go and you talk to them, you find out some of them are migrants, some of them are drug sellers, some of them are drug users, some of them just have no place to stay, and it's happening all over the outer boroughs,' Sliwa warned of the RV inhabitants. 'People are getting arthritis calling 311, and nothing is happening. 3 The iconic diner known for its big-screen cameos already experienced a devastating fire in June 2018. WAYNE CARRINGTON Truck driver and longtime Queens resident Savo Jernic, 54, parks his 18-wheeler across from the GoodFellas lot during his monthly long hauls and said the situation has deteriorated. Advertisement 'Six months ago, it was empty. Clean. Now, too many [RVs] to count,' Jernic said, pointing to a heap of garbage blocking a sidewalk. 'One guy in a camper said for $20, he'd watch my truck. That's where we're at now.' Sliwa is now calling for a sweeping crackdown, more inspections, and stronger penalties for property owners allowing commercial vehicle storage in violation of zoning codes. 'The quality of life is just hitting the skids… It's as if the city is just saying who cares? I'll tell you who. The people who live here and the people who do business here, they care,' he said.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo will run on on independent ‘Fight and Deliver' ballot line in general election
Andrew Cuomo plans to run on a second independent 'Fight and Deliver' ballot line in the general election for mayor, regardless of whether he wins the Democratic primary. 'It's an insurance policy,' a source close to the former governor's campaign said. A second ballot line would help Cuomo win more votes if he wins the nomination in the June 24 primary and the left-wing Working Families Party runs a rival Democrat — Zohran Mamdani or Brad Lander — splintering the Democratic vote. If Mamdani wins the Dem nomination, Cuomo could try to win as an independent candidate, just as incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is attempting to do. 'This November, in addition to securing the Democratic nomination, my campaign will work to build the largest possible coalition and secure the biggest possible mandate,' Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday. 'We will be responsive to those who want to support my candidacy, but who would like an alternate way to do it, by starting the Fight and Deliver Party to appeal to disillusioned Democrats, as well as to independents and Republicans,' he said. 'It's a smart move,' the source said. The Cuomo backer said Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa is going to get at least 30% of the vote, and Adams could get at least 10% as an independent candidate. Cuomo's rivals threw brickbats at his bid to run on a separate ballot line in the general election. 'Andrew Cuomo is scared. After entering this race with 100% name recognition, he's run a sloppy and secretive campaign, using ChatGPT to generate fake policy proposals, failing to qualify for matching funds because he can't follow instructions, and spending most of each week hiding from the press and the public,' said Mamdani, the state Assembly member from Queens and democratic socialist currently polling second behind Cuomo in the primary. 'The MAGA billionaires propping up his sinking effort know his real record: attacking unions, defunding hospitals and public transit, and empowering Republicans in Albany. That's why they support him. Cuomo is a Democrat in name only, and after the June primary, he won't even be that,' he said. Adams, who is foregoing the primary to run on his own independent ballot lines ('EndAntiSemitism' and 'Safe&Affordable') in the general election, also took a swipe at Cuomo. 'Isn't it strange now that Andrew wants an independent line,' he quipped. 'It doesn't even seem like he's running… he's just going through the motions. Going to churches and tweeting it out.' Attorney Jim Walden is also running as an independent candidate. — Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem city uses 'bait-and-switch' tactic to approve homeless shelter, locals erupt
Demonstrators stormed through the streets of Brooklyn, New York, over the weekend, rallying against city plans to build a homeless shelter following what locals call a "bait-and-switch" tactic. On Sunday, hundreds of protestors marched through Sheepshead Bay chanting, "Vote them out," after city officials moved to build a homeless shelter on a site residents originally approved in 2022 as affordable housing. Residents said the change – which occurred after a developer pulled out of the project – was made in 2023 without any further input from the community. Community activists marched for hours as they held up signs reading, "No shelters near playgrounds or schools," "Keep our street safe, keep shelters away," and, "Children's safety first, no homeless shelters!" New Law Clamps Down On Homeless As Blue City Advocate Admits The 'Frustration' Is Justified Mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who led the demonstration, also voiced his disapproval of current city officials. Read On The Fox News App "The community is going into court to try to block this bait-and-switch, which was supposed to be affordable housing," Sliwa said. "And now they're trying to get it into a shelter. This is Eric Adams' doing." "Hundreds and hundreds of people came out here to join in solidarity," Sliwa continued. "So if you didn't see your elected official here, I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican, clearly they were on the side of having a shelter." Fox News Digital reached out to city hall and the district for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Spending On Homelessness Spikes To A 'Shocking' Amount In Portland Metro Area The site at 2134 Coyle St. was originally proposed to become a five-story mixed-use building with 120 apartments, approximately 36 of which were designated to become permanently affordable. While Brooklyn's community board approved the plans in 2021, city officials scheduled the site to become a 175-unit homeless shelter for "families with children who have no other housing options available … until viable housing alternatives become available." The Left's Homeless Plans Wrecked Our Cities. Now Help May Come From An Unexpeccted Source "The community was promised affordable housing – not another shelter," Sliwa said in a post on X. "I showed up to lead the protest while the mayor hides and other candidates stay silent. This bait-and-switch is unacceptable. I will always stand with New Yorkers. Enough is enough." The New York Post reported that locals are cautious of homeless shelters as they attract crime and danger. "I do believe homeless people should have a place to go, but I was talking to my dad earlier and he told me that he has homeless friends that are scared to be in these shelters because of how dangerous the other people that are there are, it's not even safe for a lot of homeless people to be there," 21-year-old Sheepshead Bay resident Fruma Feldman said to the Post. "So, with that being said, I don't think it should be here." Dimple Willabus, who is running for District 46 Council, called on residents to pressure local officials to listen. "It's very important for us to continue the pressure." Willabus said. "We pressure our elected officials who put us in this situation…. we have the super power to vote for the right people, vote the wrong people out."Original article source: Dem city uses 'bait-and-switch' tactic to approve homeless shelter, locals erupt
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem city uses 'bait-and-switch' tactic to approve homeless shelter, locals erupt
Demonstrators stormed through the streets of Brooklyn, New York, over the weekend, rallying against city plans to build a homeless shelter following what locals call a "bait-and-switch" tactic. On Sunday, hundreds of protestors marched through Sheepshead Bay chanting, "Vote them out," after city officials moved to build a homeless shelter on a site residents originally approved in 2022 as affordable housing. Residents said the change – which occurred after a developer pulled out of the project – was made in 2023 without any further input from the community. Community activists marched for hours as they held up signs reading, "No shelters near playgrounds or schools," "Keep our street safe, keep shelters away," and, "Children's safety first, no homeless shelters!" Mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who led the demonstration, also voiced his disapproval of current city officials. "The community is going into court to try to block this bait-and-switch, which was supposed to be affordable housing," Sliwa said. "And now they're trying to get it into a shelter. This is Eric Adams' doing." "Hundreds and hundreds of people came out here to join in solidarity," Sliwa continued. "So if you didn't see your elected official here, I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican, clearly they were on the side of having a shelter." Fox News Digital reached out to city hall and the district for comment, but they did not immediately respond. The site at 2134 Coyle St. was originally proposed to become a five-story mixed-use building with 120 apartments, approximately 36 of which were designated to become permanently affordable. While Brooklyn's community board approved the plans in 2021, city officials scheduled the site to become a 175-unit homeless shelter for "families with children who have no other housing options available … until viable housing alternatives become available." "The community was promised affordable housing – not another shelter," Sliwa said in a post on X. "I showed up to lead the protest while the mayor hides and other candidates stay silent. This bait-and-switch is unacceptable. I will always stand with New Yorkers. Enough is enough." The New York Post reported that locals are cautious of homeless shelters as they attract crime and danger. "I do believe homeless people should have a place to go, but I was talking to my dad earlier and he told me that he has homeless friends that are scared to be in these shelters because of how dangerous the other people that are there are, it's not even safe for a lot of homeless people to be there," 21-year-old Sheepshead Bay resident Fruma Feldman said to the Post. "So, with that being said, I don't think it should be here." Dimple Willabus, who is running for District 46 Council, called on residents to pressure local officials to listen. "It's very important for us to continue the pressure." Willabus said. "We pressure our elected officials who put us in this situation…. we have the super power to vote for the right people, vote the wrong people out."
