A Brooklyn firefighter could potentially face 20 years in prison for his alleged involvement in a cocaine ring, the Gothamist reports. Ladder 166 firefighter Anthony Cilento, 27, is charged with extortion, illegal gambling and assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of taking drug orders over the phone, storing narcotics in his home, bagging...
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
Injured Deer Found in Bay Ridge
Three white-tailed deer that wandered out of their natural habitat were found injured near the Brooklyn shore today. Police officers — in response to a 911 call around 2 p.m. today — found a deer with bound legs floating in the water near the base of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and another on the rocks. Both...
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
Courthouse to Feature Transformed Prisoner Holding Cells
The newly renovated Brooklyn Supreme Court will boast courtrooms that once served as jail cells, among other renovations, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. While space formerly used for the grand jury has been converted into new courtrooms and offices on the second floor of the courthouse, the former location of defendant holding cells for criminal trials...
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
Sexual Assault Victim Complains About Lack of Police Response
A Windsor Terrace woman who was allegedly sexually attacked on Sept. 24 reports that police downplayed the assault because she couldn’t identify her attacker as the “South Slope rapist,” according to The Brooklyn Paper. The 28-year-old student claims that she was pushed up against her apartment door and groped while entering her home. She said the...
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October 5, 2011October 5, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
Judge Orders Group to Oversee FDNY Hiring Efforts
A federal judge ruled today to appoint an independent watch group to monitor the New York City Fire Dept.’s diversification efforts. In his verdict, Judge Nicholas Garaufis said the committee would oversee recruiting procedures and audit departmental compliance. Because Garaufis suspects that the city’s firefighter entrance exam discriminates against minorities, he bestowed the group investigative...
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
NYPD Officer Charged with Assault
A New York Police Dept. patrol officer was arrested today on civil rights violation charges, Thomson Reuters News & Insight reports. Admir Kacamakovic, a seven-year veteran of Brooklyn’s 62nd Precinct, faces up to 17 years in prison for allegedly pepper spraying an unidentified person three years ago. Kacamakovic reportedly assaulted the victim in front of his...
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life
Community Searching for Answers in Murder of Beloved Barber
A shaken Flatbush community is still searching for answers days after the murder Saturday afternoon of beloved barber Warren Billings.
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life
Red Hook Food Vendors Adjust to New Rules and Changing Faces
On the corner of a soccer field near the Gowanus Canal in Red Hook, women wearing crisp blue aprons and hats bearing El Olomega logos serve Salvadoran dishes to a mixed crowd of Latino soccer players, Red Hook locals and [...]
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October 5, 2011October 6, 2011Brooklyn Life
Bay Ridge Talks Trash
‘Talking trash’ has a different connotation here in Bay Ridge. Most residents with trash to throw on Fourth Avenue are wondering: “Where have all the trashcans gone?”
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October 5, 2011October 5, 2011Brooklyn Life, Live Wire
Wall Street Demonstrators Sue City for Alleged Unlawful Arrests
Occupy Wall Street protesters arrested last week for marching across the Brooklyn Bridge roadway filed a lawsuit against New York City officials yesterday on grounds of violation of constitutional rights. Five of the protesters — seeking to represent the 700 people detained on Saturday — issued a civil rights complaint against the city, Mayor Michael...