Elizabeth Keogh – New York Daily News https://www.nydailynews.com Breaking US news, local New York news coverage, sports, entertainment news, celebrity gossip, autos, videos and photos at nydailynews.com Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:44:05 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://www.nydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cropped-DailyNewsCamera-7.webp?w=32 Elizabeth Keogh – New York Daily News https://www.nydailynews.com 32 32 208786248 Woman charged in Staten Island mom’s fatal stabbing proclaims innocence on podcast while on the run https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/13/woman-charged-in-staten-island-moms-fatal-stabbing-proclaims-innocence-on-podcast-while-on-the-run/ Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:02:11 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8070574 The woman accused of fatally stabbing a Staten Island mother who intervened in a violent brawl involving her daughter appeared on a podcast while on the run, insisting she was trying to deescalate the ongoing conflict and only picked up the knife after the stabbing.

Jasmin Thompson, 25, fled to a southern state after the Jan. 7 fracas, which left Jennira Roundtree mortally wounded after she was stabbed numerous times outside her building in the West Brighton Houses on Henderson Ave. near Broadway, prosecutors said Monday.

West Brighton Houses on Staten Island. (Google Maps)
The West Brighton Houses on Staten Island. (Google Maps)

While on the lam, she was featured on podcast LFTG radio, where she told host Elliott Carterr she’s “not a killer.”

The altercation that Roundtree, 43, intervened in was sparked by a social media dispute involving her 13-year-old daughter and other girls, police sources and the victim’s family previously told the Daily News.

Also involved in the feud was Thompson’s cousin, whom the woman claims Roundtree’s son punched in the face a week before the confrontation, which police said involved about 20 women and girls.

“[I said] we need to speak to the parents,” Thompson said on the podcast. “Because this needs to end, because we all live in the same hood.”

But when Thompson arrived to the building to straighten out the disagreement, Roundtree and other women were swinging a golf club and a sock filled with locks, ready for a fight, according to the woman and her attorney, Mario Gallucci.

“They didn’t even talk, they just on that,” Thompson told Carterr. “She wasn’t being a mom, a real mom. I’m a mom.”

Thompson denied neighbors’ claims that a mob of 20 confronted Roundtree’s daughter, calling it “only like four of us and it was 20 of them.”

After Roundtree was stabbed numerous times about her body, Thompson claims she picked up the bloodied knife as she was “scared for” her life.

Jennira Roundtree (pictured) was fatally stabbed outside the West Brighton Houses on Henderson Ave. near Broadway in Staten Island, New York, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Facebook)
Jennira Roundtree (pictured) was fatally stabbed outside the West Brighton Houses on Henderson Ave. near Broadway in Staten Island, New York, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Facebook)

“Look, the mom is already on the floor,” Thompson narrated as she showed the podcast host video of the brawl. “So how are you all saying I did it?”

Thompson turned herself into the NYPD’s 120th Precinct Monday morning — six days after the fatal attack. She was charged with murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. She was held without bail following an arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court.

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8070574 2025-01-13T20:02:11+00:00 2025-01-13T20:44:05+00:00
Armed Bronx 911 caller shot by cop after attempted air conditioner heist https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/12/nypd-officer-shoots-armed-man-in-the-bronx/ Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:35:03 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8069356 An NYPD officer shot and wounded a 911 caller during an “extremely fast-moving” confrontation Sunday shortly after a man tried to swipe the caller’s air conditioner, police said.

Cops were called to the second-floor apartment on E. 148th St. near Courtlandt Ave. in Mott Haven around 5:40 p.m. by a 32-year-old man who said someone was trying to remove the cooling unit, police said.

But when officers arrived, they couldn’t find the 911 caller, and began to walk down the stairs in an “extremely tight stairwell” to the first floor, Deputy Chief Rohan Griffith of the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division said at a news conference Sunday night.

A knife recovered at the scene of a police involved shooting in the Bronx on Sunday, January 12, 2025. (NYPD)
NYPD
A knife was recovered at the scene. (NYPD)

As two female officers approached the first-floor landing, they spotted a man coming up the staircase from a side entrance with a kitchen knife in hand.

“One officer gave the male verbal commands, telling him to, ‘Wait! Wait! Wait!’ and also telling him to ‘Drop it! Drop it!’ while also putting her hand up to motion for him to stop,” Griffith said.

A man armed with a knife was rushed to Lincoln Hospital after he was shot by NYPD officers in a building on E. 148th St. in the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
Blood is pictured near the mail boxes on the first floor. A man armed with a knife was rushed to Lincoln Hospital after he was shot by NYPD officers in a building on E. 148th St. in the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)

When the man continued to “swiftly approach” the officers, one fired her weapon, striking the man in the torso, he added.

Police believe the caller was confronting the air conditioner thief in the building’s side courtyard right before he ran into the stairwell and encountered the cops.

A man armed with a knife was rushed to Lincoln Hospital after he was shot by NYPD officers in a building on E. 148th St. in the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
A man armed with a knife was rushed to Lincoln Hospital after he was shot by NYPD officers in a building on E. 148th St. in the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)

Griffith said police are still searching for the would-be thief, who remained “unidentified” late Sunday.

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8069356 2025-01-12T19:35:03+00:00 2025-01-13T09:21:53+00:00
Scam targets New Yorkers, steals $2.2M in cryptocurrency through fake job offers https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/09/scam-targets-new-yorkers-steals-2-2m-in-cryptocurrency-through-fake-job-offers/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:00:19 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8066205 A team of tech-savvy scam artists stole millions in a nation-wide cryptocurrency con that duped unsuspecting victims, including some in New York, searching for remote work into transferring money in the fraudsters’ digital wallets, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.

The network of scammers cold-texted their victims, duping them into thinking they could earn money from working from home, only to steal their funds in the form of cryptocurrency — a type of digital money that can be harder to trace than traditional cash. Victims received the messages from phony recruiters at various fake companies claiming they could make money by reviewing products online for legitimate brands, according to James.

In order to partake in the remote opportunity, new hires would have to open a cryptocurrency account, buy “stablecoins” — a type of digital currency — and deposit them into a digital wallet controlled by the scammers.

The scammers promised the victims they would get their initial investment back, plus a commission, once they started working. They were told to purchase stablecoins through well-known cryptocurrency platforms, like Coinbase or Crypto.com, and send them to unregistered digital wallets. But instead of making money, the victims’ cryptocurrency was siphoned off into the con artists’ wallets.

One New Yorker bamboozled in the scheme lost more than $100,000 thinking they were setting up a legitimate online job with “numerous benefits and flexible requirements,”  according to the New York attorney general’s office. With the promise of remote work and high commissions, a scammer posing as a trainer led the victim to a fake website and convinced them to buy stablecoins, which were ultimately stolen by the scammers.

“Deceiving New Yorkers looking to take on remote work and earn money to support their families is cruel and unacceptable,” James said in a statement. “The cryptocurrency that has been frozen thanks to my office will be available to help New Yorkers defrauded by this scam.”

Patrick Freaney, Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Secret Service’s New York Field Office agreed.

“Crimes of deception continue to evolve, driven by large windfalls stolen from unsuspecting victims,” said Freaney. “While this cyber scam operated across multiple jurisdictions, crypto-tracing by the Secret Service in New York and its close partnership with the New York Attorney General’s Office resulted in the freezing of millions of dollars and brought disruption to this harmful operation.”

James urged New Yorkers to be wary of unsolicited text messages from unknown senders and to report any suspected scams to the New York State attorney general’s office.

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8066205 2025-01-09T20:00:19+00:00 2025-01-11T11:29:51+00:00
Two nabbed in murder of Bronx man shot protecting friend during robbery https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/09/two-nabbed-murder-bronx-man-shot-protecting-friend-during-robbery/ Thu, 09 Jan 2025 22:00:59 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8065775 Two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Bronx man who was shot and killed while trying to protect his friend during an armed robbery last month, police said Thursday.

June Cuadrado, 21, and Adam Soto, 20, were both nabbed and charged with murder and robbery in the Dec. 15 slaying of 26-year-old Tyreek Moore, cops said.

Police have released photos of the suspects wanted for the robbery and murder of Tyreek Moore. (NYPD)
Police released photos of four suspects wanted in the robbery and murder of Tyreek Moore. Two of them have since been been arrested. (NYPD)

Merkel Washington, 24, was on his way to meet up with Moore at a bus stop on Seward Ave. near Puglsey Ave. in Castle Hill around 5:55 p.m. when he was approached by Cuadrado, Soto, a third man and a woman, police said.

Soto put a gun to the back of Washington’s head and demanded, “Give me everything you’ve got,” according to a criminal complaint, and the man turned over his cell phone and wallet.

Markel Washington, 24, at the scene where he was pistol-whipped and his best friend Tyreek Moore was shot to death. (Rebecca White / New York Daily News)
Merkel Washington, 24, at the scene where he was pistol-whipped and his best friend Tyreek Moore was shot to death on Dec. 15. (Rebecca White / New York Daily News)

Moore — about a half block away — spotted his friend in danger and rushed to intervene, police said. Soto turned the gun on Moore and asked him, “Do you want to die tonight?” according to prosecutors.

When Washington refused to give the robbers the password to his phone, he was pistol-whipped. The two men turned to walk away when Washington heard the click of the gun, indicating a jam.

“This s— doesn’t work,” Soto muttered before firing another shot, this time striking Moore in the back with a bullet, prosecutors said.

As Moore fell to the pavement suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, the gunman and his sidekicks took off, with Washington’s phone and wallet in tow, cops said. Medics rushed both victims to Jacobi Medical Center, where Moore died.

“He was a good person,” Washington told The News last month. “He was a genuine person. Ty wasn’t a person who showed people fake love. It just feels unreal.”

Following arraignments at Bronx Criminal Court, both Soto and Cuadrado were held without bail, records show. They are being held at the same jail on Rikers Island as they await their next court appearances.

Police are still searching for the two other people involved in the senseless killing.

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8065775 2025-01-09T17:00:59+00:00 2025-01-09T17:06:49+00:00
NYPD issues 113 tickets, seizes 10 cars in six-hour congestion toll crackdown https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/08/nypd-issues-113-tickets-seizes-10-cars-in-six-hour-congestion-toll-crackdown/ Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:43:43 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8064641 The NYPD issued over 100 summonses in a six-hour period in Manhattan Wednesday morning to drivers trying to stiff the newly implemented congestion toll, police said.

From 6 a.m. to noon, officers stationed at 60th St. and Second Ave., and 60th St. and Broadway, handed out 113 tickets. Of those, 52 were for vehicles with obstructed or blocked license plates — a violation that’s been heavily targeted since the congestion pricing program went into effect Sunday.

In addition to the summonses, 10 vehicles were seized during the operation — eight of which had suspended registrations, and two that were impounded for other reasons. One individual was arrested at the scene, though authorities clarified the bust was for a warrant unrelated to congestion pricing.

Congestion pricing signs welcome drivers on Park Ave. in the 60's looking south Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
Congestion pricing signs welcome drivers on Park Ave. in the 60’s looking south Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

The remaining violations included suspended licenses, unregistered vehicles and other offenses in line with the city’s expanded enforcement efforts under the congestion pricing program, which now charges drivers $9 to enter Manhattan’s busiest areas south of 60th St., including parts of the Financial District, Midtown and lower Manhattan.

Also handcuffed at the checkpoint near Columbus Circle was Staten Island artist, activist and very angry Scott LoBaido.

In a video posted to his X account, LoBaido parked his car just before the toll cameras and covered his front license plate with duct tape and his rear with a cutout of a middle finger, obscuring the tags.

LoBaido stood on the roof of his SUV holding a larger cutout of a middle finger. “F–k you! F–k you!,” the artist shouted. “F–k your congestion f–king prices!”

The video then cuts to a group of police officers attempting to coax him off his car and get him to move to the sidewalk. He was issued two summonses for disorderly conduct for creating a hazardous condition, and obstruction of vehicular traffic, police said.

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8064641 2025-01-08T21:43:43+00:00 2025-01-09T15:57:23+00:00
Bronx man targeted migrants in subway, lured them with fake jobs before sex assaults: Prosecutors https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/08/bronx-man-targeted-migrants-in-subway-lured-them-with-fake-jobs-before-sex-assaults-prosecutors/ Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:18:24 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8064574 A Bronx man targeted Spanish-speaking migrants in the city’s subway system, promising them jobs but instead subjecting them to a string of horrifying sexual assaults, prosecutors charged Wednesday.

Agustin Diaz, 53, was indicted on charges that included rape, sex abuse and stalking for the years-long scheme that victimized at least four women.

According to the charges, Diaz would approach women on the subway, offer them work, and direct them to isolated locations under the guise of providing employment opportunities. Once there, Diaz allegedly assaulted them.

The first reported incident occurred in May 2018, when Diaz claimed he could offer a woman a cleaning job in a dental office. After taking her to an empty office on Wall Street in Manhatten, he allegedly threw her to the ground and raped her twice, prosecutors charged.

In August 2023, a second woman seeking employment met Diaz in a building on Pearl Street — about a block away from the phony Wall Street office. He then led the woman to a small storage room in a basement where he tasked her with filling plastic bags with candy and snacks. While she was preoccupied, he crept up behind her and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

A month later, Diaz lured a third woman to the same basement, where he asked her to perform the same snack duty. As she filled the plastic bags, he grabbed her by the hair and forcibly kissed her before shoving his hands down her pants and groping her, according to prosecutors.

In December 2023, a fourth woman in need of work was lured to the Pearl Street location, which Diaz purported was his deli. After assaulting her, Diaz repeatedly called and texted her, but the woman turned down any further job opportunities, according to prosecutors.

The next month, however, the woman ran into Diaz again on the subway. Still in need of work, she agreed to meet him, when he assaulted her again. The serial sex abuser began stalking her, sending multiple messages and even showing up at her church in an attempt to intimidate her, prosecutors charge.

Desperate, the woman would return to work for Diaz once more, and in April 2024, he pulled her pants down and threatened her with a knife, demanding she have sex with him. She fought back, suffering multiple injuries to both hands.

Diaz threatened at least two of the women with deportation if they went to the police after the attacks, prosecutors said.

Following his arraignment on Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court, Diaz was ordered held without bail. His attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

Officials are continuing to investigate the assaults, and urge anyone with information to call 212-335-9793.

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8064574 2025-01-08T20:18:24+00:00 2025-01-08T20:19:52+00:00
Queens man sets apartment on fire, kills self after threatening girlfriend with gun: NYPD https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/08/man-found-dead-in-queens-apartment-fire/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:26:05 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8064089 A Queens man threatened his girlfriend with a gun before heading back to the apartment they shared, lighting a mattress on fire and killing himself, police sources said.

Police were called to the apartment on 79th St. near Astoria Blvd. North in Astoria around 1 p.m., just after the 41-year-old man brought a gun to a hospital where his girlfriend worked and threatened to kill her, cops and sources said.

Firefighters responding to the Barclay Gardens Condominium Development, found the third-floor apartment on fire, the FDNY said.

“He came home and turned the gas on and killed himself because he knew the cops were looking for him,” said Maria Germini, who manages the complex. “That’s when we got the call, because of the gas. We didn’t want him to blow up the whole complex.”

NYPD officers stand outside 22-45 79th St. in Queens after a male was found dead after a mattress fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in New York City. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
NYPD officers stand outside 22-45 79th St. in Queens after a male was found dead after a mattress fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in New York City. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

The man was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Firefighters arriving on the scene found that a mattress had been set on fire and quickly put out the blaze. Sixty smoke eaters from 12 different units were able to get the fire under control by just after 3 p.m., officials said.

NYPD officers stand outside 22-45 79th St. in Queens after a male was found dead after a mattress fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in New York City. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
NYPD officers stand outside 22-45 79th St. in Queens after a male was found dead after a mattress fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in New York City. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

The man and his girlfriend rented a condo at the development, according to Germini. His name was not immediately released.

Fire marshals were continuing to investigate the blaze early Wednesday evening.

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8064089 2025-01-08T17:26:05+00:00 2025-01-09T07:50:05+00:00
Trump taps Nassau County Judge Joseph Nocella Jr. as U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of New York https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/06/trump-taps-nassau-county-judge-joseph-nocella-jr-as-u-s-attorney-for-eastern-district-of-new-york/ Tue, 07 Jan 2025 03:04:20 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8061028 President-elect Donald Trump on Monday tapped Nassau County Judge Joseph Nocella Jr. as his pick to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Nocella will replace Breon Peace, who announced last month he’ll step down from the job as top federal prosecutor covering Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island on Jan. 10 — just days before Trump’s inauguration. President Biden appointed Peace for the spot in 2021.

“Judge Nocella has a strong record of bringing Law and Order to the incredible people of New York, serving as a Nassau County District Court Judge, and Family Court Judge,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Monday night, announcing the pick.

Nocella earned his bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, where Trump also studied before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and later graduated from Columbia Law School, Newsday has reported.

He began his legal career in private practice working in litigation in both New York and Los Angeles. From 1991 to 1995, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District’s criminal division.

Returning to local government after his federal tenure, Nocella worked in various legal roles in Nassau County, serving as the Hempstead town attorney from 2021 to 2022, and as chief of staff to the Hempstead town supervisor from 2020 to 2022, according to Newsday.

He was also the Oyster Bay town attorney from 2017 to 2020, according to Newsday. In addition, he held positions as counsel to Nassau County’s Office of Housing and Community Development and as a counsel to the county executive and legislature.

His most recent post was as a Nassau County District Court judge in November 2022.

 

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8061028 2025-01-06T22:04:20+00:00 2025-01-06T22:24:21+00:00
Cat burglar cuts hole in roof, ransacks Brooklyn bodega https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/05/cat-burglar-cuts-hole-in-roof-ransacks-brooklyn-bodega/ Mon, 06 Jan 2025 02:28:27 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8059388 A crafty cat burglar carved through the roof of a Brooklyn bodega before ransacking the shop, police said Sunday.

The thief cut the hole above Smith & 9th Street Deli + Grocery on 9th St. near Smith St. in Carroll Gardens around 3:15 a.m. Nov. 1, according to cops. Once he lowered himself inside, he took about $900 from the register and broke into an ATM, swiping even more cash.

The man also pinched some store merchandise before hoisting himself back up through the hole and onto the roof, police said.

The burglar, clad in all black clothing, made his way to the nearby 4th Avenue-9th Street subway station, where he was last caught on camera boarding a Manhattan-bound D train.

Police released video of the thief and are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

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8059388 2025-01-05T21:28:27+00:00 2025-01-05T21:28:27+00:00
FDNY slams congestion pricing, warns of delayed responses, millions in overtime https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/05/fdny-slams-congestion-pricing-warns-of-delayed-responses-millions-in-overtime/ Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:09:03 +0000 https://www.nydailynews.com/?p=8059024 As New York City ushered in its long-awaited congestion pricing plan, the FDNY sounded the alarm over what it calls a looming public safety crisis — one they warn could mean slower response times, longer shifts and millions of dollars in extra costs.

The tolling program, the first of its kind in the United States, was introduced just after midnight on Sunday, and imposes a toll on drivers entering Manhattan’s busiest areas, including parts of the Financial District, Midtown, and Lower Manhattan. The additional $9 fee has long sparked controversy, but the city’s firefighters are now raising urgent concerns about its impact on emergency services.

According to Jim Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, a number of New York’s bravest use their personal vehicles to drive to firehouses in need of additional personnel — but the newly imposed toll is making that financially unfeasible for many, forcing the department to rely on a fleet of just 15 vans to transport firefighters. These vehicles, typically reserved for other tasks — like picking up equipment or visiting injured members — will now be stretched thin in order to shuttle firefighters between stations, he argued.

Cars are tolled entering Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge on the first day of congestion pricing on Sunday.
Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News
Cars are tolled entering Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge on the first day of congestion pricing on Sunday. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)

“We move 200 firefighters a day,” Brosi said at a Sunday news conference. “The problem is we may only be dropping one firefighter off at each fire. This will slow down the time it takes to move between firehouses, meaning the firefighters waiting for relief will be on duty longer than they’re supposed to be.”

The bottleneck could result in an additional $1.8 million in estimated overtime pay, according to Brosi. The union head also stressed the possibility of delays in getting manpower to stations where they’re most needed.

The FDNY’s concerns are compounded by the need for firefighters to return to their original firehouses at the end of the day to secure equipment, change, and decontaminate — adding more strain to an already strained system.

James Brosi (left), President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and Andrew Ansbro, President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association hold a press conference on congestion pricing on Sunday.
Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News
James Brosi (left), President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and Andrew Ansbro, President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association hold a press conference on congestion pricing on Sunday. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)

The FDNY’s request for an exemption for those working inside the toll zone was denied. Brosi stressted they were not asking for a department-wide exemption, just a carve-out for the firefighters who are most affected.

“We didn’t ask for an entire fire department exemption,” said Brosi. “We didn’t ask for an entire civil service exemption. We asked very specifically for the people who are working in here, so they don’t retire, so that they don’t transfer out, so we don’t lose institutional knowledge.”

Brosi worries the increased costs and logistical headaches could lead to personnel issues down the line, as seasoned members of the department could transfer out or retire early as their toll bills explode.

“[Manhattan is] a very difficult place to work,” he said. “The buildings are unique. Every last one of them. The institutional knowledge required to understand the complexity of the buildings and how to properly fight fires [in the zone] is difficult.”

Despite the FDNY’s concerns, MTA Chair Janno Lieber defended the plan at a separate Sunday news conference, emphasizing the program’s intention to reduce gridlock, improve emergency response times and encourage the use of public transportation.

“Now, the good news for the core function of fire and EMS is one of the principal goals, is to make response times faster, and that’s especially important for EMS,” Lieber said. “The EMS operation, the ambulance drivers are taking people to hospital whose time to get to the hospital is going up, up, up. So that is a huge benefit, since you’re talking about fire and EMS, likewise, fire trucks.”

A congestion pricing warning sign along Columbus Ave. and W. 61st St. in Manhattan.
Barry Williams/ New York Daily News
A congestion pricing warning sign on Columbus Ave. and W. 61st St. in Manhattan. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

The new toll is expected to climb over time and will increase to $12 by 2028, and then $15 by 2031 — all aimed at funding upgrades and improvements to the city’s mass transit system.

The MTA’s promise of a smoother subway system and less congestion has done little to reassure Brosi and his colleagues, who argue the city’s long-term vision will have immediate and serious consequences for emergency services.

“We’ve had frequent discussions with the MTA, and we were denied,” the exasperated union head said. “We had made requests through the mayor’s office, and we were denied. And we tried to explain to them the very unique situation.”

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8059024 2025-01-05T19:09:03+00:00 2025-01-05T20:10:48+00:00