Slams Fratta, Stringer and Chin
To The Editor:
Re “Italian pride — not protest” (Scoopy’s Notebook, March 17):
The John Fratta Unity Day celebratory march is nothing but a victory lap celebrating his successful bullying of more than 30 vibrant retail establishments on Mulberry St. above Kenmare St. This guy Fratta, who hasn’t lived in Little Italy for decades, has set himself up as the spokesman for a dwindling and rapidly aging remnant of a once-large community, most of which skedaddled to the suburbs between 1950 and 1980. It is a sad comment on the few Italian-Americans still living in Chinatown and Nolita that they need to resort to a clown like Fratta to lead them, but in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
The menacing, hate-filled remarks Fratta has elicited from his band of fellow sad sacks speak for themselves, and should be of interest to the N.Y.P.D. and perhaps the Hate Crimes Unit, in particular.
That politicians like Scott Stringer and Margaret Chin would go along with these goons intimidating legitimate entrepreneurs who bring visitors and money into Nolita is shameful. Perhaps it’s time for machine-politics types like Stringer and Chin to go, and to be replaced by legitimate representatives of the people.
Elliott Hurwitt
Must avert N.Y.U. disaster
To The Editor:
Re “N.Y.U. unveils revamped redesign” (news article, March 17):
We seem to have learned nothing — nothing — from the disasters in Japan and elsewhere.
In its master plan to completely dominate and obliterate a neighborhood and its institutions, New York University continues to demonstrate no regard for issues of light, air, shadow, historic gardens, density and overbuilding.
In what act of aggrandizement does N.Y.U. have the right to run over and bulldoze all the other institutions that are rooted here? The Department of Transportation strips are emphatically public space, a legacy of Jane Jacobs’s crucial battle. These D.O.T. strips belong to the public, are heavily used and enjoyed by the public, and should not be sold off cavalierly to satisfy N.Y.U.’s pathological sense of entitlement.
Nor should this neighborhood be rezoned for commercial use. This is a residential neighborhood, and we must strongly object to giving N.Y.U. carte blanche to build whatever and whenever it wants. It’s like giving a child with no boundaries a set of matches to play with.
Let’s learn something from the disasters around us and stop this plan now.
Rhoma Mostel
Annual Triangle tribute
To The Editor:
Re “Thousands will mark Triangle factory fire 100th anniversary” (news article, March 17):
On Fri., March 25, The Triangle Memorial Association, Inc. (founded in 1955 as the Triangle Survivors Association by the Maltese family), will host their annual Triangle Fire Memorial Tribute at the C.N.L. Center, Christ the King High School, 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., in Middle Village, Queens. All are welcome to attend. Kindly R.S.V.P. to the association on their Facebook site.
Father Giovanni (John) Massari
Now, that’s a catwalk!
To The Editor:
Re “Steven Kroll, 69, children’s and Y.A. book author” (obituary, March 17):
Lovely article and nice mention of Alexander the cat, a well-known Village character who deigned to let Steven and Edite accompany him on his walks.
Patricia Fieldsteel
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