Bay Ridge’s Gregory Hotel was the scene of yet another grisly fatality [the second in less than 3 months for the hotel] this time claiming the life of a beloved Bay Ridge restaurateur, 52 yr old Paul Mento.

According to the NYTimes, Mento’s body was discovered around 12:45 p.m. in the bathtub of room 221, bound and gagged with duct tape.

An autopsy has been scheduled, but initial reports are that he was stabbed multiple times.

Interestingly, despite how the victim was found, authorities have not yet ruled the deceased’s death a homicide – but are investigating his death as ’suspicious.’

Paul, an accountant, was reportedly one of several partners [along with his son] in the new 3rd avenue tapas bistro, Aura Bay Ridge.

Just this past December, the Hotel Gregory was the scene of a fatal stabbing involving 27 yr old David Diaz. Pamela Hanson has since been arrested and charged with his murder.

[photo, 12/07, courtesy of RIBR]

related articles:
Left in Bay Ridge checks in on crime stats for ‘08, John Rossi death not so suspicious?
DailyNews
NY Post

What was characterized just the other week as a ‘last-minute’ rally aimed at Green church developer Abe Betesh, is being hailed today by its leaders as a success ‘gaining new converts‘ – despite the fact the church is slated for demolition this May, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.
The rally, which consisted of a march around the church block was described by preservationist Victoria Hofmo as: “part of our proactive approach.”

“The main reason for it was to gain further support from the community, and we got that, with a lot of new people coming out,” Hofmo went on to say.

“We’re stronger and better because of this action,” said Katherine Walker, co-founder of Committee to Save the Green Church.

While it remains to be seen what, if any impact the two hour walk-a-thon had for decreasing the likelihood of the church’s demolition, not everyone is so quick to ‘convert.’

Particularly one reader, who remains unimpressed with the comments made by preservationists, echoed in this letter to the editor written by Jeanette Corea, published in last week’s Brooklyn Paper…

To the editor,

It is a sad day for Bay Ridge when a church congregation has decided to demolish its own building (“More ‘Green’ to be torn down,” Feb. 9). The community cannot understand why the congregation at Bay Ridge United Methodist Church is not willing to seek a buyer who would save this historic landmark and allow 211 former members and pastors buried on the grounds to rest in peace.

The pastor and congregation are asking the community to help demolish the building by offering the green stones of this beautiful Church as mementos. I wonder what God would say, if he were here? The congregation should be ashamed of itself.

I suggest that Bay Ridge residents seeking spiritual guidance should visit the Christ Church on Ridge Boulevard and the Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Fourth and Ovington avenues. The pastors there are leaders in our community.

Jeanette Correa, Bay Ridge

Jeanette’s comments were met with sharp rebuke by one of our own readers in a blogged week redux:

“My sympathy for the save-the-church crew went out the window when I picked up the Feb. 16 “Brooklyn Paper” and saw Jeanette Correa’s letter to the editor.

It was the usual pro-preservation criticism of the pastor et al — UNTIL her last graf, which knocked my socks off: “I suggest that Bay Ridge residents seeking spiritual guidance should visit the Christ Church on Ridge Boulevard and the Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Fourth and Ovington Avenues. The pastors there are leaders in our community.” That is OUTRAGEOUS … a local landmark rep advising the public where to go to church? Telling people how to rate religious leadership? Advising them to boycott, or blithely switch from, a denomination (since the Green Church is United Methodist, and the churches she “suggests” are Episcopal and Lutheran)? Trying to undermine a struggling congregation … as if all that mattered was their building, and they didn’t deserve to live if they rejected Correa’s terms? This was offensive in the extreme … and the writer clearly doesn’t know why, since she offered this jim-dandy idea for publication. I haven’t followed every detail of the Green Church brouhaha. But if the above is any indication, the preservationists have lost their grip on civility and good judgment, to the extent of trying to influence faith choices and “punish” a religious body.“

Bay Ridge Blog has yet another Letter to the Editor by Ronald Gross & Eric Rouda….

[photo courtesy Bay Ridge Blog]

‘Hardware Paints,’ which is just ’round the bend from Bay Ridge’s most famous eccentric building super, Richard Martin, is also home to one of the neighborhood’s most cockeyed characters in the local hardware business – Seymour.

Seymour’s nondescript, old-style Hardware Paint store is better known to Bay Ridgeites as the store with over 10,000 items.

The ‘Carnac‘ of hardware, Seymour can match almost any sized nut, bolt, or screw in less than 5 minutes.

The story of what is possibly New York’s most eccentric super, first broke last summer by neighborhood blogger, Right in Bay Ridge – has gone viral.

First picked up yesterday by Brownstoner, NY Magazine’s Daily Intelligencer, NY Times’ City Room…today, the lead story in Daily News’ Brooklyn section, the story of 3rd avenue’s most prolific ’super,’ since writers brought the Joe Pesci shit-stinker “Super” to the screen – has also made Gawker.

more ‘Remembrances of Richard Martin Past’ from, Gotham City Insider

Right in Bay Ridge goes viral, faster than HEP-A at Demi and Ashton’s B-Day bash.

Posted by The Bay Ridge Rover

In an exclusive interview, Richard Martin, the much blogged about super of 91st and 3rd tells the Bay Ridge Rover he likes the coverage in today’s Daily News, and did we also see the New York Post.

Adding, had he known they were going to take a picture he would have ‘put his teeth in.’

“Picture makes me look 100 years old.”

Posted by The Bay Ridge Rover

Chances are this is not the ‘hardware’ the gruff, chauvinistic protagonist of the 1977 film Saturday Night fever, Tony Manero, would have come to expect of the Bay Ridge paint store he slaved away in by day, for cash advances to go clubbing at night.

Nevertheless, there’s an interesting, if not ironic set of bookends to 5th avenue’s Pearson’s Hardware store (formerly Manero’s paint store of employ) in a neighborhood long considered a conservative Republican outpost of Brooklyn.

On the left hand side is an ad for what appears to be a gay male telephone dating service, on the other, old glory; sandwiching one of the only remaining vestiges of the Bay Ridge Tony Manero tore rubber through in Bobby C’s car – in a film that some would argue set the stage for an entirely new ‘lost generation’ of Bay Ridgites.

Saturday Night Fever was born out of a short story for New York Magazine by British writer Nik Cohn, who, having been unable to understand the 70’s disco subculture – later admited to fabricating its characters and events almost entirely.

Bay Ridge flaunts its #2 spot for borough-wide graffiti in ‘07, while making it’s play for an upset in ‘08 – by taking the tagging on the road.

Bay Ridge’s mortality rate will likely hold steady this year at 109, as another budding super-centenarian is slated for the ‘big sleep’ by mid-summer – Victory Memorial Hospital.

Victory joins the ranks of other hard fought 109 year old causes, such as Bay Ridge’s United Methodist Church slated for demo this summer, as Victory’s facilities go up for auction with a potential purchase price of 40 million dollars, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

Holy Family Home, a longterm care nursing facility on 84th street and 14th avenue is currently the stalking-horse bidder at 40million, according to Michael Fagan, vice president of public affairs for St. Vincent Medical Center, who operates Holy Family Home.

The state Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, chaired by attorney Stephen Berger, issued a report in November of 2006 recommending that Victory be shut down in “an orderly fashion.”

The hospital’s emergency room will remain open after the hospital’s June 30th closing date due to protests by health care advocates, and a lawsuit filed by local politicians against the state DOH through Article 78.

Local politicians are studying ambulence diversion rates to bolster a case they plan to bring before the state DOH proposing a merger between hospitals.

[photo courtesy gerritsenbeach.net]

Not since today has the Rover received a tip quite so disturbing as the one sent to us by a reader, who says the temperature on ‘rover-hating‘ has risen from heated criticism – to wishful fantasies of gun violence.

Court documents circulating in the wake of last week’s Daily News article, and subsequent Channel 7 report, may go a long way in shedding new light on the actual events that lead to the arrest of a 23yr Bay Ridge pet groomer on charges of animal cruelty, last summer.
Probably more shocking than the initial reports of the injuries to the 5yr old Burmese [many of which have since been discounted, or factually clarified by court docs] has been the onslaught of rumor, allegation and violence laden outrage at the accused, and the 4th avenue animal retailer for which he worked.

A formal deposition taken by ASPCA special agent Patrick Breen, August 20th 2007, of owner Igor Kisil offers the first official account of Nusha’s injuries which lead to Beshir’s arrest.

The criminal complaint stating -

Deponent [Agent Breen] is informed by Ilona Kisil that informant [Kisil] is the owner of an approximately 5 year old cat and that at the above time and place [FFnF] informant left the above mentioned cat in the care of defendant [Bechire Bejaoui] for a period of approximately 4 hours for the purposes of grooming the cat was healthy and uninjured at that time.

Agent Breen goes on to state he was informed by Kisil that when he regained possession of the cat, Kisil

“observed blood on the cat’s face and swelling of the cat’s tongue.”

According to the deposition, Dr. Roy Appel [the veterinarian Kisil brought Nusha to for treatment] states…

“the night of the occurence and that upon examination informant [Dr, Appel] found that the cat sustained bruising to the chin cuts above to lip, puncture wounds on upper service of tongue, welling to tongue, bloody urin, contusion to chest, liver injury and muscle damage associated with trauma.

Without an impartial clincial diagnosis, Appel and Kisil’s depositions were apparently enough for the Brooklyn ADA to pursue charges and issue a warrant for arrest.

Which, almost a full six months later, also proved worthy the attention of local media who, acting on the arrest and peripheral allegations of abuse, have inspired a tsunami of xenophobia in the open-market of public opinion – most notably on DailyNews.com where a downpour of violent backlash has saturated the blogosphere, where the accused’s guilt was already confirmed, his status as a potential ’serial killer’ noted – turning public sentiment into a kangaroo court of public opinion.

Comments include:

‘why don’t we all put this scumbag in a huge clear plastic bag and beat the **** out of him and them [sic] ship him back home in the same plastic bag’

‘what kind of name is Bechir Bejaoui? If my cat was handed to me in a plastic bag covered in blood I would have beaten the sh– out of that SOB and claimed temporary insanity. Our pets are just the same as our children. If some adult hit my kid I’d kick their A S S too. One year in prison is not enough for this monster.’

‘another foreigner that came into our land with their own laws. We got to send these people, send them back to where they came from, especially when they commit crimes. ‘

‘Poor animal’s so vulnerable to lunatics, there has to be psych evaluation’s performed on those who want to work w/animal’s [sic], even then, a few will slip through the cracks. I am hoping that animal rights activists fight harder to protect animal’s and their rights. If this incident happened to my animal, there is no telling what I would have done to this vet tech., [sic] I hope this person rots in jail.’


While some do indeed liken our pets to our children, something not atypical of animal lovers and any number of eccentrics who expresses their affections through odd choices in pet apparel and accessories (which can be a form of animal abuse in its own rite) - those in the industry of pet pampering say no matter the relationship the owner may have to the animal – the injured animal is an all too common occupational hazard, the resolution of which hinges on a ‘customer is always right’ attitude.

Fins Furs ‘n’ Feathers has since stood by their groomer, and responded to the charges filed with the ADA and allegations spwaned from media accounts by disavowing the incident in its entirety- with a written statement to customers posted outside their 4th avenue store, saying:

“Fins, Furs and Feathers would like to take this time to disclose to all of you that this establishment is being falsely accused of alleged abuse towards a cat named Nusha. It is an unfortunate event that did not transpire, and in due time our establishment will be vindicated. We feel the need to be open and forth coming about the matter should any of you have any questions. For those of you that know us, we will continue to care, love and serve you as we have before.”

While it remains unclear what the pivot point was that turned a bad day at the groomers into an arresting development…

Those familiar with the investigation are saying Dr. Roy Appel’s deposition testimony, which was key in Beshire’s arrest, and comments referring to Nusha’s injuries as ‘worst case of animal abuse he’s seen in 30 years,’ will be of definite interest.

Dr. Appel, the vet who ultimately triaged Nusha and deposed by Agents of the ASPCA was, prior to Nusha’s incident, contracted by Fins Furs and Feathers for their in-house veterinary needs – but has long since been replaced with another veterinarian.

a blogged week:

Right in Bay Ridge: Why we love the Ridge, Neugrad turns 20, Radioactive Building collapse
Bay Ridge Blog: Rally to Save the Green Church
Sunset Park Blog: Chinese New Year Celebrations, Foster Parents needed
Gowanus Lounge: MCarren Pool renderings and analysis. Atlantic Ave Jail Proposal, Toll Brothers in Gowanus
White in Bay Ridge: What is Love? Don’t go changin’ me, Defend Bay Ridge, Loves livin’ in the city
Gotham City Insider: ‘08 according to Rite Aid, NY’s 6 million dollar annoying man
Left in Bay Ridge: Gang Graffiti in Bay Ridge