Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary

Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary of Holiday Festival Champs 

#Fordham #Rams #40thAnniversary #Basketball #Bronxnews

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 19- Sunday afternoon’s Alumni Day at Fordham University was a special celebration of a great accomplishment of Fordham’s men’s basketball team. The Rams captured the title of the ECAC Holiday Festival Tournament of December 1974. The annual tourney played at Madison Square Garden during the final days of each calendar year usually featured several local colleges as well as ranked teams from throughout the nation.

Hal Wissel was in his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. In 1971, Wissel, after four seasons as head coach of Lafayette, replaced Richard “Digger” Phelps as coach of the Rams after the latter left Fordham for the coaching spot at Notre Dame. Phelps had led Fordham to a 26-3 mark and a place in the NCAA Tournament in his only year at the university. The Rams were 18-9 and were invited to the NIT in Wissel’s first season at the helm.

Although the 1974-5 Rams finished the season with a record below .500 (12-13), they did not travel an easy road nor was the season without highlights. The Rams played six opponents ranked in the top 16 nationally, four within the top 10. Their 1-5 record against these difficult opponents skewed what otherwise would have been a winning season. Speaking about the season’s schedule, Wissel explained, “[Freshman coach] P. J. [who also attended the reunion] was responsible for making the schedule.”

The day after Christmas of that season began a happy week for the Rams at the “Mecca of Basketball” in Manhattan. The first contest of the ECAC Holiday Festival was also the annual “Battle of the Bronx” against heavily favored Manhattan College. Fordham defeated the Jaspers, 82-70. Two days later, the Rams moved on to face the St. Joseph’s Hawks, their current opponent in an Atlantic-10 contest on Sunday of this ceremony. Similar to the 2015 game, Fordham crushed the Hawks, 93-66, on December 28, 1974. Wissel recalled one newspaper headline after that Fordham victory, “Rams Win Leads Them to Slaughter.”

Southern California, #5 ranked in the nation, crossed the country to take part in the 24th year of what at that time was one of the most prestigious tournaments in college hoops. Wissel remembered that tough opponent, “They had several seven footers and six on the roster went to the NBA.”

To the surprise of most observers the Rams easily defeated the visitors from California by 17 points, 83-66. Brown, named the MVP of the tourney, scored 25 and grabbed 14 rebounds in the tournament finale against California. Kevin Fallon, a 1976 graduate, was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

At Sunday’s post-game reception, Brown reminisced about that special day, “Forty years ago, we did something that was a team effort. That’s the Fordham way.”

During this year’s Holiday Festival, two months ago, Brown was presented with an ECAC Special Achievement Award. Brown, the 17th leading scorer with 1,233 points and 7th leading rebounder with 807 was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. Brown is still happily connected to Fordham as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Wissel left Fordham after the 1975-76 season because his teams had records beneath .500. Wissel recognizes that attending a college or university is to prepare the student to successfully travel through the remainder of his/her lifetime. He explained on Sunday, “We did it the right way. We graduated our student-athletes. There were no under the table payments.”

Tom Pecora, Fordham’s current men’s basketball coach, follows the same ethical principles as his predecessor when he tells recruits to Fordham, “It’s not for four years it’s for forty.”

In addition to his many years of success as a college coach where his teams amassed more than 300 wins, Wissel worked in the NBA for 18 years. He held position as assistant coach, scout and an administrator for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks.

Also present on Sunday was Bob Wolff, the legendary broadcaster of that well remembered tournament. Wolff, 94, has been broadcasting for 75 years, the longest career in history. Wolff achieved the mark for longevity because of his outstanding ability. He is one of only two broadcasters, along with Curt Gowdy, who has been enshrined in the Basketball and Baseball Halls of Fame.

The salute to the Fordham alumni included a special half-time program and a post-game reception. Both, as many other special athletic ceremonies were classily arranged by Associate Athletic Director Julio Diaz. The hard-working and humble administrator when complimented for his work in arranging this reunion tried to reflect the credit to Coach Wissel.

Throggs Neck News: Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.

Throggs Neck News: Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.: Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.  #Jaspers #Iona #Manhattan #Bronxnews By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14-  Desp...

Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.

Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx. 

#Jaspers #Iona #Manhattan #Bronxnews

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14-  Despite the below freezing temperature in the Bronx, the strangely late starting time of 10 p.m. and the televising of the Manhattan-Iona game on ESPU, Draddy Gym in Riverdale was sold-out for the latest installment of the men’s basketball rivalry between MAAC powers, the Manhattan Jaspers (12-12, 9-6) and the Iona Gaels (20-6, 13-2) on Friday night.

Manhattan, a college in the Bronx despite its name, last clashed with its northern rival from New Rochelle in the MAAC final on March 14. In that game, Manhattan won the title by edging Iona, 71-68. One year earlier, the Gaels won the MAAC championship after a 60-57 victory over the Jaspers.

Iona entered the game on a six-game winning streak, victorious in 11 of its last 12 contests. Manhattan has only lost one of its eight games on its home court this season, in overtime to Rider. The Jaspers won four of their last five games. Their last game was a second overtime loss to Rider.

It only took the visitors 5:30 to amass a double digit advantage.  Iona’s star junior, A.J. English scored a basket followed by a free throw to give Iona a 17-7 lead at 14:32. English, the son of an NBA veteran of the same name, scored 11 of his team’s first 17. English was the only Gael on last year’s All MAAC First Team and likely will be elected to it again. 

After the Gaels reached its largest lead of the first half, 19-8, at 13:09, the Jaspers, with the support of their fans, followed with an 18-7 scoring run to tie the score at 26 at 6:46. The Jaspers closed the run with 11 unanswered points. Iona dominated the closing minutes of the half with an 11-4 scoring run to take a 37-30 lead. Emmy Andujar, Manhattan’s leading scorer, was the only Jasper in double figures (11) in the half.

With a 7-2 second half start, the Gaels got their largest lead of the game, 44-32, at 15:01. With an extended 20-7 run by the Jaspers, which culminated in a three by perimeter shooting specialist Shane Richards of Manhattan, the Jaspers took their first lead of the contest, 52-51, with 9:16 remaining on the clock.

Iona scored the next seven points to move ahead by six. Manhattan moved to a deficit of only a single point on three occasions during the final minutes of the game until tying the score at 65 with 53 seconds left on an offensive rebound that resulted in a layup by Andujar. The game was decided with 29 seconds to go as English hit a three that broke the tie. It was another three point differential as Iona won 70-67.

The leading scorers were English and Iona freshman Shadrac Casimir with 22 each. The Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, David Laury, scored 11 and grabbed 9 boards. Andujar led the Jaspers with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Ashton Pankey scored 16 and Richards netted 12. 

The Gaels shot with extreme accuracy from the floor, 24 of 46 (52 percent) and from the perimeter, 11 of 18 (61.1percent) contrasted with the Jaspers 25 of 63 from the floor and 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. The game remained exceptionally competitive because the Gaels turned the ball over 21 times while the Jaspers had only 11 turnovers. 

Each team will next play on Sunday afternoon as Manhattan hosts Fairfield and Iona travels to Quinnipiac. 

Throggs Neck News: Wasted Talent

Throggs Neck News: Wasted Talent: Wasted Talent St. Ray and Goldman Sachs alum guns down dealer over $35 #NYPD #GoldmanSachs #StRaymonds BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY...

Wasted Talent

Wasted Talent

St. Ray and Goldman Sachs alum guns down dealer over $35

#NYPD #GoldmanSachs #StRaymonds

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 13- District Attorney Robert Johnson announces the conviction of Alexis Sanchez for the murder of 42-year-old Stephen Mari. 

Following a two-week long trial and a day-and-a half-long deliberation, a jury on February 11th found Sanchez guilty of: murder in the second Degree (Class A Felony) and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (Class C Violent Felony).

Sanchez was a graduate of St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx and employed as a computer tech at Goldman Sachs.  Sanchez was also a drug addict. But by November 2, 2011 he had been out of that job for a few weeks and looking to score heroin from his regular dealer, Stephen Mari.

Sanchez was going to be $35 short on a $180 drug deal. So he lured Mari into the alleyway between 1523 and 1525 Purdy Street near Parkchester. That is where he took a .380 semi-automatic handgun and shot at Mari eight times, hitting him with six of those bullets, severing his victim’s spleen, intestines, lung, spinal cord, with one of those bullets entering the 42-year-old father’s head and brain. 

The shooter then left his dealer to die in that alleyway, which was just a half block from his old high school. Speeding off in his mother’s SUV, Sanchez would remain at large for another nine months, thinking he had gotten away with murder. Once under arrest, Sanchez gave a video statement to Bronx Assistant D.A. Joshua Gradinger in which he recreated his version of the events with Detective Robert Schlosser of the 43rd Precinct (still from video below).

At trial, Sanchez claimed Mari had kidnapped him because of the money shortfall, that the dealer had pulled a gun, and that he had wrestled it from the much larger man, reluctantly firing eight times. But those facts were refuted by a forensic pathologist who took the stand and other testimony during trial, and ultimately disbelieved by the jury.0

Sanchez faces up to 40 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced on March 6, 2015 before Justice Margaret Clancy, Bronx Supreme Court.

Throggs Neck News: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Throggs Neck News: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event #NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews BRONX,...

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event

#NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 12- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the sentencing of a repeat violent felon, Octavio Rivera, to 17 years behind bars, following a conviction that arose from a dispute over drugs and money.

Walter Romaine wanted to smoke some crack, but he did not want to smoke it alone. So he asked his friend Flossey Samuels to come along to his apartment on Creston Avenue the morning of August 2, 2012.            But they were followed by Rivera – who proceeded to demand Walter’s cash and phone – and when he got it, struck out with a knife.

Flossey, terrified but in control, managed to call 911 for the critically injured Walter Romaine, who, slashed in the face and ear, and stabbed in the chest, would require surgery to repair a punctured lung and torn aorta.

In August of last year Rivera was convicted by a jury of assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony, as well as criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor. 

Before Justice Dominic R. Massaro, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison with five years post-release supervision, after being adjudged a predicate violent felon, a provision of the New York State Criminal Law by which defendants who have been convicted of previous qualifying violent felonies are given tougher sentences than they would normally have gotten. 

This was Rivera’s second violent felony in a prolific life of crime. At age 38, Rivera has spent more time in prison than out during his adult life for a laundry list of crimes, more than two dozen cases adjudicated in the Bronx alone, most involving the criminal possession and sale of drugs, but also including a half-dozen felonies including grand larceny, robbery, harassment, assault and criminal trespass.

But the story does not end there. Although Rivera will be spending the nearly two decades behind bars, Flossey Samuels and Walter Romaine’s stories involve recovery and success.

Flossey, now age 44, admits she was a lifelong drug addict who at times turned to prostitution to feed her habit. After this horrific 2012 incident and drug arrests in 2012 and 2013, she accepted plea agreements that saw her enter TASC, an alternative treatment program for drug offenders. And it worked. Clean of drugs for a year and a half now, she has made a remarkable comeback, making progress on getting her younger children back, working toward her GED, and newly engaged to be married.

Walter Romaine, although still coping with lingering injuries from the horrific attack, also entered drug treatment with equal success. The 39-year-old continues his drug-free progress and is working with a food services company.