Whipped Cream Difficulties

I previously noted the indictments of 11 people associated with Yassine Enterprises, owners of a string of downtown clubs.

Today’s Statesman covers a hearing yesterday in the case, and…better start making popcorn, folks, because this is going to be even more entertaining than I expected:

• One of the suspects is allegedly associated with the Texas Syndicate (one of our homegrown prison gangs).
• “… thousands of dollars were transferred to a Yassine relative in Lebanon who is reportedly connected to the militant group Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.”
• The owner of Yassine Enterprises was named as a “person of interest” in an unsolved homicide.

(I note that today’s article lists 10 people as being involved in the case, while previous coverage specified 11 people, one of whom was unnamed at the time. I’m not sure what is going on with that.)

How often do you read a story in the newspaper that tugs at your heartstrings…at least at first? And then, when you think about it, the questions become overwhelming?

There’s a story like that in today’s NYT. Michael Romanelli was a firefighter until he was injured on the job in 1989. He’s been fighting since then for a full disability pension (which would work out to 3/4ths of his salary, tax free) and took out a full page ad in the New York Post yesterday to continue his lobbying.

At first glance, this sounds awful. Guy was hurt on the job, surely he’s entitled to a disability pension, right? I have a lot of respect for firefighters, and frankly I feel awful for him.

But wait a second…

Ultimately, and despite help from politicians of all stripes, he lost his case before the medical board, and he has lost squarely in the courts.

There’s got to be more to the story than the NYT playing the violin here. If he’s been through the system, and been through the courts, and lost his case for a full disability pension (even though the department found him not fit for duty), I have to think there’s something the Times either isn’t telling us, or didn’t look into.

(“He said he had no job, lived on an annual pension of $22,000 and had no money in the bank. “ So is he getting a pension from the NYCFD, just not the full disability one he wants? What would a full disability pension for a firefighter injured in 1989 work out to, compared to the $22,000 he’s getting now? Are there cost of living increases built into those disability pensions? Who are the politicians who became involved in this?)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 at 7:33 am and is filed under Clippings, Law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.