Mott Haven News

AROUND TOWN NY: Dance troupe kicks off another BAAD season

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 7 Oct 2015 08:28:00 -0700

AROUND TOWN NY: Dance troupe kicks off another BAAD season: Dance troupe kicks off another BAAD season BAAD! – The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance begins its fall season with the BlakTinX Per...

BRONX NEWS: Billion$ Over Budget, New Water Filtration Plant S...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 7 Oct 2015 08:21:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Billion$ Over Budget, New Water Filtration Plant S...: Billion$ Over Budget, New Water Filtration Plant Springs Leak? (Photo by David Greene) By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The ...

BRONX NEWS: Nabe on Edge Following #Legionnaires Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 5 Oct 2015 18:55:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Nabe on Edge Following #Legionnaires Meeting: Nabe on Edge Following #Legionnaires Meeting Few Fears Calmed By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Few fears were eased during l...

BRONX NEWS: Booze vs. Baseball: #Sabathia checks into rehab

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 5 Oct 2015 18:40:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Booze vs. Baseball: #Sabathia checks into rehab: Booze vs. Baseball: #Sabathia checks into rehab It’ about #CC Sabathia now and not baseball By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX ...

AROUND TOWN NY: OOMPAH! WHERE TO ENJOY #OKTOBERFEST!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 2 Oct 2015 17:32:00 -0700

AROUND TOWN NY: OOMPAH! WHERE TO ENJOY #OKTOBERFEST!: OOM PAH! WHERE TO ENJOY #OKTOBERFEST! #CULINARY ROAD By Morris Gut Oktoberfest is upon us, and many folks enjoy the hearty fl...

BRONX NEWS: #Legionnaires Found in Lehman

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 07:00:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: #Legionnaires Found in Lehman: Legionnaires Found in Lehman Einstein College, Calvary, Bronx State all Test Positive By Dan Gesslein Shock amongst the city’s silence sw...

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:31:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again: #Legionnaires Strike Again 7 People Infected in Morris Park By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epide...

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:31:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again: #Legionnaires Strike Again 7 People Infected in Morris Park By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epide...

BRONX NEWS: Square Goes Back to the 80’s

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 11:29:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Square Goes Back to the 80’s: Square Goes Back to the 80’s BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- On September 26, 2015, the Westchester Square community and merchants paid homa...

Mott Haven News: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 09:30:00 -0700

Mott Haven News: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York (Pope Francis, courtesy of Antonio Spadaro, SJ, editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica.) B...

Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 09:29:00 -0700

Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

(Pope Francis, courtesy of Antonio Spadaro, SJ, editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica.)

By Bob Howe

Papal Reflections from Joseph M. McShane, SJ, President of Fordham

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 | The White House, Washington, D.C.

I rose at 5 and was on line by 6:10. Although the ceremony did not begin till 9:15, the time flew by. How and why?

The crowd was remarkably upbeat. In addition, I ran into many people whom I knew (which was quite a surprise).

The crowd was diverse and spirited—and very, very gracious. Not a cross word was said by anyone in spite of the long wait. When the President and the Pope finally appeared, the already-high spirits of the crowd really soared. The talks were brief but substantive. The President and the Pope are clearly very fond of one another.

I was deeply impressed with the talks that both President Obama and Pope Francis gave. I was even more impressed, however, by the images that will remain with me forever: the images of two principled men of prayer and peace standing side by side before the whole world, the image of two Americans bearing the weight of the world’s sorrows and hopes on their shoulders, the images of a remarkably diverse and hopeful crowd on the lawn of America’s house, the unforgettable sight of the sun rising on a beautiful early fall day over the City of Washington. Most of all, however, I came away with the sense that the President and the Pope have forged a close friendship, a friendship that gives hope to the whole world.

One of the most interesting encounters I had was with a woman who approached me at the end of the Pope’s remarks and asked me if he had blessed the crowd.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 | St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, N.Y.

Reflections on this evening’s Vespers Service at the Cathedral. Father Scirghi [Thomas Scirghi, SJ, associate professor of theology and rector of the Jesuit community at Fordham] and I made our way to the Cathedral via Metro North. After making our way through the rather rigorous security check point, we were ushered into the Cathedral and found our way to our seats which were behind a massive pillar on the North Aisle. Alas.

During the three hours before the Pope’s arrival, we were treated to a concert by the Cathedral, a lecture on the history of the Papacy, a short presentation on the history of the Cathedral and the recitation of the rosary.

The recitation of the rosary ended at 6:25, at which time the television monitors in the Cathedral were turned on to keep us up to speed on the Pope’s procession down Fifth Avenue. As you might imagine, the mood in the Cathedral became electric as the Pope got closer. Finally, the great bronze doors at the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Cathedral swung open, the organ swelled, the choir began to sing the anthems that signaled the Pope’s entrance.

(007 Actor Daniel Craig)

Then, something rather strange happened: although the congregation initially burst into thunderous applause when the Pope began to make his way up the main aisle, the applause soon became muted. I was taken aback by the sudden change in the volume of the applause until I realized that people had taken out their cellphones to snap pictures of the Pope as he passed by.

When he reached the sanctuary, the applause swelled again. Then, the mood changed markedly as the Pope disappeared to vest for Vespers. Ah, the Catholic liturgical decorum reigned as the Pope led us through the opening rites of Vespers.

The Pope began his homily with a heartfelt prayer for the Muslim pilgrims who had died earlier in Saudi Arabia. In the body of his homily, he addressed himself to the priests and religious in the congregation. (As he did in St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington yesterday, he offered his support to the bishops and the American Church for the pain that they (and we) had suffered as a result of the abuse scandals of the past decade.) The high point of his homily, however, was the praise that he heaped on the religious women whose hard work had built the American Church.

He was interrupted three times with thunderous applause when he spoke to and about the nuns. As I looked around the Cathedral, I could not help but be struck by the affection that the whole congregation had for these heroic women. I was also deeply moved to see many of the nuns around me crying for joy at the Pope’s words and the applause with which his words were greeted.

Following the conclusion of the Vesper Service, the Pope made his way slowly through the Cathedral reaching out to the infirm, the young, and the many religious women in the congregation. Then, he climbed into his Fiat and sped away.

The congestion dispersed quickly—but with great joy. For my part, I would have to say that I was deeply moved by his miraculous pastoral touch and the obvious love that he had/has for the Church, and the equally obvious love that the entire congregation had for him.

It was an experience of the Church at her best: inclusive, joyful, eager to embrace and transform the world in imitation of the Lord Himself.

Friday, September 25, 2015 | The United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Pope Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the United States, and the first to address the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Pope Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the United States, and the first to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. (He did so on 4 October 1965, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. I remember that day quite clearly—for a number of reasons.

First, my father (who was the SAC of New York for the State Department of the United States) served as the federal coordinator of security for the Pope’s visit. Second, I was honored to attend the Pope’s Mass in Yankee Stadium. Third, Paul VI’s address to the General Assembly captivated the world (and continues to be one that I find myself returning to quite often. Finally, it was an unbelievably cold day, which made the pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium a particularly challenging one).

I guess that it was because my memories of that first papal visit to the United States and that first papal address to the General Assembly of the United Nations are so rich that I looked forward to today with such eager longing.

I rose at 4:45 and caught the 6:00 train to Grand Central. (I noticed that there was only one person awake in Campbell/Conley/Salice at the time that I boarded the train for Manhattan.) When I arrived at the rendezvous spot to which I had been directed by the Nuncio’s staff, I was escorted to the United Nations and whisked through security. (The ease with which I made it through security is probably due to the fact that I was with Cardinal Turkson from both Ghana and the Roman Curia.)

After just a few minutes, I was led into the Assembly Chamber where I found myself in remarkable company:

Daniel (007) Craig, Bill and Melinda Gates, Mayor Deblasio, Commissioner Bratton, Cardinal Bratton, Cardinals Dolan, Turkson, and Parolin, two Apostolic Nuncios, the editor-in-chief of the Pope’s newspaper, and the Pope’s press secretary (both of the last two are Jesuits)—and what we were told was the largest of the leaders of states ever to attend the opening session of this General Assembly.

From the moment that the Pope first stepped foot on the UN campus, the television monitors on either side of the speaker’s podium kept us apprised of his progress toward the chamber. When he was finally escorted into the chamber, the entire crowd erupted into applause. (I noticed that the often-photographed Daniel Craig turned into an eager photographer as he snapped picture after picture of the Pope as he made his way to the front of the chamber. James Bond was not the only one taken with the Pope. Far from it. Heads of State whipped out their cellphones to capture the moment forever. And the press corps dropped all pretense of being blasé. They cheered, snapped and stood on their tip toes with the abandon of Yankee fans—in a good year.)

When he was introduced and began to speak, Francis captivated everyone — from the most seasoned diplomat to the most fervent believer to the most wary critic. His address championed the poor and marginalized, pled for a complete ban on nuclear weapons, wove together the themes that he wrote of so eloquently in Laudato Si. He was simply extraordinary in all he said. For my part, I was thrilled that he spoke about Paul VI’s visit to the UN fifty years ago, and even more thrilled that he made Paul’s words his own.

Then, it was over. The crowd rose to applaud him. (He was typically quite humble in acknowledging the adulation of the crowd.) And once again, cell phones were whipped out and put to good use to record the event for posterity. (I snapped more than a few myself.)

Friday, September 25, 2015 | Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. Mass in The Garden.

Sadly, the evening began poorly because it took anywhere from two and a half to four hours to get into the Garden. (The lines ran all the way south from the Garden entrance to 23nd Street, west on 23rd Street to 8th Avenue and all the way north on 8th Avenue to 30th Street.) The back-up was due to the intense TSA security screenings that included hand-checking every bag, wallet and belt worn or carried by the twenty thousand worshipers who were making their way to the Garden. (Tempers became quite frayed around 4 p.m.)

Once inside, however, the mood of the congregation changed dramatically—and with good reason. The Garden had been transformed from arena to a peculiarly urban cathedral (New York style), with subdued lighting and liturgical furniture hand-crafted by local artisans. (The Garden didn’t disappear entirely, however: the concession stands remained open until an hour before Mass began, and the Archdiocese filled the three-to-four-hour period before Mass with a rich mixture of catechesis, entertainment by top-draw performers and a bilingual recitation of the rosary.)

The long wait came to a close when the Pope arrived ahead of schedule. Once he arrived, he took two turns around the court in an indoor Popemobile. As you might imagine, the crowd roared when they spotted him. Once again, however, the initial applause and cheering eerily ended as people whipped out their cellphones to snap pictures of the Pope as he circled the floor.

Then, he disappeared and the mood turned liturgical-solemn. At least for a while. The opening hymn was properly festive; the readings were proclaimed with a quiet grace. And then, Francis walked to the lectern to deliver his homily. He drew the congregation in with a combination of wisdom, humility, a few savvy nods to the City and its moods and challenges and its quirky joys. The congregation fell under his pastoral spell and roared its loving approval as he preached. (He slyly looked up from his text. And he smiled. And that smile conquered the crowd.) Fortified by the crowd’s enthusiasm, the 78-year-old Pope grew stronger and more animated the longer he preached. Then came his capstone: the Pope assured the congregation that God lived in our City—with all of its challenges, its smogs and fogs, its joys, sorrows and moods (dark and light). That was all it took. The crowd very nearly swooned. They roared their loving approval of both the (papal) preacher and his consoling/challenging message. And the sedate urban cathedral once again became an arena—and arena of grace. What can I say? The soccer-fan Pope from Argentina hit a home run on a basketball court (the world’s most famous basketball court at that).

As the Mass continued, the arena once again became New York’s new cathedral. With a nod to the universal nature of the Church, the Eucharistic prayer was said in Latin, and the Lord’s Prayer was chanted Latin. A happy chaos reigned at the Kiss of Peace. Twenty thousand souls received Communion. Hymns both ancient and modern were sung with gusto or solemn decorum.

After Communion, Cardinal Dolan rose to thank the Pope for the graces of his visit. The crowd, however, was not going to let the Cardinal to speak for them. They interrupted his address with a series of raucous (hey, it was a New York crowd) standing ovations. (I don’t think it would be wide of the mark to say that they were delirious with joy. And they were determined to let their Father in faith know just how much they loved him. It was also clear that they simply didn’t want their moment of grace to end, and that they simply didn’t want to let Francis go.) As for the Pope, it was clear that he was touched and energized by the loving rapport that he had established with his New York flock.

All good things, however, must come to an end. Before he dismissed the congregation, the Pope departed from the solemn cadences of the Roman Rite and looked directly at his brothers and sisters (or were they his sons and daughters) and asked all of them (us) to pray for him. (At that moment, we were all transported back to the scene that unfolded in St Peter’s Square on the evening on which he was introduced to the world—and asked the vast crowd that had gathered when the white smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel to pray for him. He need not worry. All who were in the urban cathedral known as MSG will pray for him, the Pope who hit a home run on a basketball court (and the most famous basketball court in the world at that).

I would imagine that the Knicks and the Rangers are jealous tonight. A soccer fan stole the spotlight in their home. And New York embraced a new star. Or basked in the love of a Father who called his sons and daughters to live with a new sense of purpose.

#Pope #PopeFrancis #Papal Visit #UnitedNations #MadisonSquareGarden #BronxNews #Fordham University

#Pope Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 08:41:00 -0700

#Pope Watch

Fordham Prepares for #PopeFrancis’ Visit

Will Stream Papal Speech

By Joana Mercuri

Fordham University

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- There is just one day until Pope Francis arrives in New York City as part of his visit to the United States, and Fordham is making arrangements to get the University community as involved as possible.

In the days leading up to the pope’s visit, Fordham has been preparing “spiritually and pastorally” in every way it can, said Lito Salazar, SJ, executive director of campus ministry. “We are encouraging daily and Sunday Mass homilists to consider invoking Pope Francis’ words or commenting on his global pastoral ministry whenever relevant to unpacking Scriptures at liturgical celebrations,” Father Lito said.

“In addition, the intentions of the pope and his visit have been and will continue to be in the intercessory prayers of the faithful. The Holy Hour devotion set for Mondays will have the same intention.”

Watch the pope live

The pope’s address to the United Nations, which takes place Friday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 a.m., will also be live streamed from the McGinley lobby at Rose Hill; Lowenstein 2nd floor plaza at Lincoln Center; and Room 228 at Westchester.

In addition, students can enter into a lottery to win a ticket to that evening’s papal Mass at Madison Square Garden. The lottery can be found in the student tab at my.fordham.edu.

Students and community members will also have the opportunity to pray evening vespers along with the pope as he leads evening prayer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday, Sept 24. Beginning 6:45 p.m., the vespers will be streamed at University Church and Our Lady’s Chapel at Rose Hill and at Blessed Rupert Mayer, SJ Chapel at Lincoln Center.

Community service

On Saturday, Sept. 26, students are invited to participate in a community service project in honor of the pope’s visit. Participants will join Habitat for Humanity’s Pope Francis House in Yonkers to help construct homes.

“Care for the poor and the marginalized is a central theme of Pope Francis’ papacy, and using our gifts and talents to care for the needs of others is something that’s part of Fordham’s identity as a Catholic and Jesuit school,” said Conor O’Kane, director of campus ministry at Rose Hill.

“The pope has an authenticity and spiritual freedom that resonates with our students,” O’Kane said. “His leadership and emphasis on what it means to be a person of faith in the world today is a question that’s relevant to all of our students. So his messages have been animating all that we say and do here [in campus ministry].”

#Pope #Pope Francis #Fordham University #Holy Father

Mott Haven News: Stiff Sentence for Viagra Bootlegger

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:54:00 -0700

Mott Haven News: Stiff Sentence for Viagra Bootlegger: Stiff Sentence for Viagra Bootlegger BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- They’re the little blue pills – and little yellow...

Stiff Sentence for Viagra Bootlegger

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:54:00 -0700

Stiff Sentence for Viagra Bootlegger

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- They’re the little blue pills – and little yellow pills – that are often instantly recognizable. But what a lot of consumers didn’t recognize is that these Viagra and Cialis pills were knock-offs – made from the same or similar ingredients as the real thing, but not manufactured by pharma giants Pfizer and Eli Lilly.

And now, announced Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson, 49-year-old Babou Jobe (pron JOE-bee) has been sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, half of which he paid. Jobe pled guilty on an earlier date to Trademark Counterfeiting in the second degree, a Class E Felony. He was sentenced by Justice Marc Whiten of the Bronx County Criminal Court.

When Jobe was arrested on September 18, 2014, at a store at 6 East 184^th Street in the Fordham section of the Bronx, he had in his possession nearly 14,000 Viagra and Cialis pills in bottles and blister packs, along with a sheaf of Viagra labels. All were counterfeits.

The Viagra pills contained the active ingredient of the real drug, but at less than 15 percent of the advertised dosage and the filler material included vulcanized rubber. Jobe told investigators, “Yeah, I know it’s fake,” admitting that he’d been selling the counterfeits since 2012, making about $1,500 a month.

The packaging for both the Viagra and the Cialis pills was close, but no cigar. Noted one representative of Eli Lilly and Co., the maker of Cialis, the bottles not only had invalid lot numbers, but the coloration and design was off.

Jobe, in taking this plea, also waived his right to appeal and, as a non-US citizen, is subject to deportation to his native Gambia. At his sentencing he stated, “I’m very sorry for what I did and I ask for forgiveness from the Court.”

The case against Jobe was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Peter D’Angelo and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Cristina Park of the Bronx D.A. Arson/Auto/Economic Crime Bureau. Jobe’s arrest resulted from an investigation initiated by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor with assistance from the New York County District Attorney’s Office.

#Viagra #Arrest #Bronx DA

BRONX NEWS: Shops Look to KO Deadly Weed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 08:39:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Shops Look to KO Deadly Weed: Shops Look to KO Deadly Weed BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Elected officials and bodega owners have banned together to KO the sale of synth...

Bronx Sports: Fordham Retains Liberty Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 09:28:00 -0700

Bronx Sports: Fordham Retains Liberty Cup: Fordham Retains Liberty Cup Rams defeat Columbia for fifth straight year BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- In each of his four years at...

Mott Haven News: Bronx DA Seeks Judgeship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 19:20:00 -0700

Mott Haven News: Bronx DA Seeks Judgeship: BRONX D.A. SEEKING JUDICIAL NOMINATION BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- -- Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that, today, ...

Bronx DA Seeks Judgeship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 19:19:00 -0700

BRONX D.A. SEEKING JUDICIAL NOMINATION

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- -- Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that, today, he informed his staff he has now requested that Bronx County Democratic Chairman Marcos Crespo support his nomination for a position as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

Johnson said, "This spring, I did what I have done every four years, which was to submit my name for re-election to continue in the role of District Attorney for another term. And once again, the Bronx Democratic Party, as well as the Republican and Conservative Parties, bestowed upon me their nomination to serve as District Attorney for another term.

“I have gained tremendous satisfaction from working with this Office and all its staff to provide justice and fairness for the people of The Bronx. However, after 42 years of public service, including the U.S. Navy, The Legal Aid Society, as a Bronx Assistant District Attorney, as a Criminal Court Judge, and as the D.A. for the past 27 years, after much inner reflection, I have concluded that I would like to serve in another capacity. It is time for change in my life. The judicial position will allow me to make a career move that provides the change that I seek without giving up public service.

“Contrary to what has been reported, no one, including anyone associated with the Bronx Democratic Party, has ever offered me another position, nor has anyone asked me to step down or retire as the District Attorney. I have, over the years, enjoyed their full faith and support both personally and through many electoral processes.

“I understand that this position cannot be offered to me prior to the Judicial Convention on Thursday, September 24th. I would not make that presumption. In fact, having gone to the Convention in 1987 as the candidate of the then County Chairman and coming out without the nomination, I understand the process better than most. I realize that the decision rests solely with the Judicial Delegates.

“Should I not be granted the nomination, I will stand for reelection in November to the position of District Attorney in order to continue to serve the people of the Bronx, a job that I love. It is a position that allows me to secure justice for Bronx residents and the people of New York.

“I will be making no further comment on this subject."

#BronxDA #Robert t. Johnson

Bronx Sports: A Meaningful Subway Series Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:28:00 -0700

Bronx Sports: A Meaningful Subway Series Begins: A Meaningful Subway Series Begins #Yankees vs. #Mets By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- This weekend should see sell‐out...

Mott Haven News: He Strangled Hurricane Sandy Victim

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:03:00 -0700

Mott Haven News: He Strangled Hurricane Sandy Victim: He Strangled Hurricane Sandy Victim Man Sentenced for Killing Nurse BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Nurse Madonna Martin survived Hu...

He Strangled Hurricane Sandy Victim

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:02:00 -0700

He Strangled Hurricane Sandy Victim

Man Sentenced for Killing Nurse

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Nurse Madonna Martin survived Hurricane Sandy, even though her Far Rockaway, Queens apartment was devastated by the November 2012 storm. But she would barely make it past Thanksgiving – killed not by an Act of God – but an act of a co-worker, Richard Bloomfield, who offered up a room in the Mott Haven home he shared with his mother, only to strangle Martin to death fewer than five days after she took him up on that offer.

Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that, following a plea of guilty to manslaughter in the first degree, the 43-year-old Bloomfield has been sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Denis Boyle to 21-and-a-half years in prison followed by five years post-release supervision and a waiver of his right to appeal.

Bloomfield was a dialysis tech who worked with the 22-year-old nurse at the Columbia-Presbyterian dialysis center, and he had a bit of a crush on her. But she lived with her boyfriend in that Far Rockaway apartment, and when Sandy swamped it, she camped out in her boyfriend’s office for a couple of weeks. But when he moved to Florida for a new job and where she was to soon join him, Madonna Martin was temporarily homeless – and Bloomfield made his kind offer.

On November 19^th, Martin moved in to the extra room in the private house the defendant shared with his mom, at 635 Fox Street. But she would live there less than a week. On November 23^rd, Madonna Martin packed up her belongings, ready to move out the next day to join her boyfriend, but Bloomfield figured that if he couldn’t have her, no one could – and he strangled her to death in the wee hours of the morning, just hours before she was going to leave for Florida.

But it got more bizarre. Bloomfield dragged Martin’s dead body into her car. He stuffed all her clothing and belongings in as well, and took off. A mile-and-a-half away, at Bruckner Boulevard and Brook Avenue, he found a dumpster and tossed in all of his victim’s belongings. Then he maneuvered his victim’s dead body into the driver’s seat. And he waited. Hours later, he called 911.

When police and EMTs responded to the scene, he admitted what he’d done, telling them, “I killed my friend. I killed my friend.” And when police went to his apartment and met his mom, she handed them her son’s handwritten note. It was an apology for killing Madonna Martin.

Two family members of Madonna “Donna” Martin read victim impact statements in court. Maricris Etnel described her sister and the impact of her death: “Donna chose to see the good in everyone and trustingly expected them to have her best interest at heart. Instead Richard Bloomfield had ulterior motives when he exploited her innocent and selfless nature by offering a room to rent. Donna’s trusting personality was taken advantage of as she fell victim to the actions of a methodical and malicious man.

“This shocking experience caused my family such an unimaginable pain, heartaches and anguish. Our holidays, birthdays, and seasonal activities will never be the same. Especially Thanksgiving because the anniversary of Donna’s death lies so closely.”

Madonna Martin’s brother-in-law, Gillie Etnel, added: “Madonna had choices in her life, but she chose the right path. She chose to stay away from clubs and bars, and she chose not to drink and smoke. Instead, she chose to dedicate her life helping and saving lives by becoming a nurse. This career she chose gave meaning to her life because she loved it, and she was excellent in this field. Madonna had a bright future ahead of her, and the defendant chose to take her life in which he does not own.”

Mario Perez, the boyfriend who was just a day away from spending the rest of his life with the victim, also spoke to the defendant and the Court: “Madonna showed me how to enjoy life. After the hurricane, we lived at my job.

Perez described how he went down to Florida to his new job and how Martin was to join him right after: “Five days she was out of my sight – and that’s all it took for this man to kill her…No time will ever replace the time I would have had with her.”

Addressing Bloomfield, Perez concluded, “You took pure joy from this world.”

#Hurricane Sandy #Strangled #BronxDA #Richard Bloomfield

BRONX NEWS: There Could Be More Hispanics For Trump Than What’...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:44:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: There Could Be More Hispanics For Trump Than What’...: There Could Be More Hispanics For Trump Than What’s Been Said (Despite what elites say, one Bronx pol says there could be a large group lo...

BRONX NEWS: Who Killed Gabriela?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:41:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Who Killed Gabriela?: Who Killed Gabriela? Driver Sought in Death of Biker on City Island By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Police are...

BRONX NEWS: #Politics: Moves as Hassel-Thompson Loses Big

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:29:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: #Politics: Moves as Hassel-Thompson Loses Big: #Politics: Moves as Hassel-Thompson Loses Big 100 PERCENT By Robert Press You Win Some/You Lose Some In a surprise to many, but...

BRONX NEWS: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 09:46:00 -0700

BRONX NEWS: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The headline refers to Bronx Borough P...