Monday, July 21, 2014

The Curious Cases of Arthur Aidala, “Joe” Hynes and Marty Golden — Part 1

READ ON  >>>  AND YOU WILL SEE HOW  >>>  Arthur Aidala was a key Hynes insider and some of what that involved  —   also included is a report of a recent disclosure of possible payments to Aidala from Dino Amoroso and a " ? ? ? Account"


That is mostly what this first installment, Part 1, of this two-part series  will deal with  —  Part 2 will be more of an "Artie and Marty Show"  —   It will show and tell what is not-so-well-known  —   that Artie Aidala is perhaps as close to being a real insider to Marty Golden as anyone

So, at last, here is the first installment of what I promised last week    (See 7/13/14 post below, "COMING ATTRACTIONS  —  Golden - Hynes -  Aidala Connections ..." [http://galewynmassey.blogspot.com/2014/07/coming-attractions-golden-hynes-aidala.html#comments]).


According to my sources, the New York Times, New York Post,  Daily News and New York Observer have all researched some or all of this story; and nobody from those papers has gotten back to any of those sources to say or otherwise indicate or complain that there was anything wrong with the material or information, which had been given to those papers.  Frustrated at the slow pace of various other journalists' inquiries, and who knows what phone calls back and forth, my sources authorized me to make this report at this time.

I’ve looked at it  —  I like the angle  —  So, I’m going with it.

Some of what is contained below  is based  on my sources’ first-hand, eye-witness account of events, together with other materials that they have gathered from published sources and elsewhere, and tied together. A few conclusions are my own.

FIRST HEARING ABOUT AIDALA AND A CHECK FROM THE THE " ? ? ? ACCOUNT"

Actually, I’ve  known about this story for a little while now.  A friend of mine gave me a “heads- up” a few weeks back that another person close to State Senator Marty Golden was going to be named as having received “Asset Forfeiture Fund” checks.  You might recall that on June 27th I wrote,  “... I have been assured by my source that there is ample proof of at least one other prominent person, whose name is well known in and out of southwest Brooklyn, who was quite active in the Hynes primary and general election campaigns and who received what most likely would have been an “Asset Forfeiture Fund” check. The propriety of such a check remains problematic; and it should be made clear, that check might not have been made in connection with any services or activities for either of the two Hynes' 2013 campaigns...” ( See Comment of June 27, 2014 at 10:59 PM to my Friday, June 27, 2014 post, “Question for Jerry Kassar: If it’s ‘Common Sense’ that Obama is ‘a sinking ship’  —  Isn’t it ‘Common Sense’ that Marty Golden is a sinking ship” below on this blog).

The person mentioned by my source and referred to above is Arthur Aidala, an attorney and figure of some note in the Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights community and some might say nationally and internationally.

Maybe, you know Arthur Aidala from back in his days at Poly Prep. Maybe, you’ve seen his colorful bombast as a regular commentator on legal matters on Fox News.  Maybe, you know him for his frequent visits to the 19th floor at 350 Jay Street to drop in on Dino Ameruso. Maybe, you remember when Mr. Aidala worked for Brooklyn DA Charles “Joe” Hynes as an ADA from 1992 until 1997.  Maybe, you’ve seen Aidala’s name in the papers for some of the “big cases” that he’s been involved with; or as you’ll see later on in Part 2 of this post, some of the not so big cases which had more or less local interest. Maybe, you know Artie from one of the events at which both he and Marty Golden were key participants, or activities that they worked on together. Maybe, you remember that both Marty Golden and Arthur Aidala ran to fill Sal Albanese’s City Council seat in 1997, you’ll see a little more about that later on in Part 2 of these posts along with the a discussion of some of the not so big local "cases" (the common link to all of it in Part 2 will be the Marty Golden connection to it).  Oh, and of course, most of you who read this blog know that both Aidala and Golden were big players in former Brooklyn DA Charles “Joe” Hynes’ fruitless and futile effort to hold onto the Brooklyn DA’s Office on the Republican and Conservative lines in the fall of 2013.

AIDALA USED TO HANG OUT AT AND MAKE LOTS OF CALLS TO THE BROOKLYN DA’S OFFICE YEARS AFTER HE STOPPED BEING AN ADA FOR HYNES

Somebody who worked in the Brooklyn DA’s Office not so long ago, remembers that Artie Aidala would occasionally come up to the 19th floor. The way the story goes, Aidala would more often make telephone calls to Dino Amoroso’s office and Dino would routinely take those calls ahead of most other things he was doing. As a matter of fact, a newcomer to the 19th floor heard so many calls with Arthur Aidala interacting with Dino Amoroso and Chief Assistant District Attorney Amy Feinstein that when the newcomer first saw Aidala on the 19th floor, it was assumed that he was employed somewhere else at 350 Jay Street as an ADA. That newcomer soon learned who Arthur Aidala really was; and that Aidala was doing a lot for the Hynes re-election campaign.

As an interesting little side note, an interesting thing happened after one of those many Aidala phone calls to Dino Amoroso.  Dino, half in jest and half exasperated, was heard to mutter,  “It’s not bad enough that he calls me ten times a day, now they want me to write him a check for something he should be doing for free....”  or words to that effect. So what was it that Mr. Amoroso thought former ADA Aidala should been doing for free ?

It’s believed by some,  that Arthur Aidala was getting legal fees for representing Brooklyn ADAs or other KCDA employees in their own cases; you know what I mean, cases in which they were in some kind of trouble. One such individual, “G.S.”, was technically not an ADA, but was one of a few people in the office not admitted as a lawyer that were allowed to do ADA-type work. “G.S.” once said to one of my sources on the inside that Arthur Aidala was his attorney for a problem that he had; and that the DA’s Office paid for it. When another ADA was called in to be questioned by the FBI about something in the office, that person attempted to get authorization from Feinstein and Amoroso, and then even Hynes himself for the same kind of representation by Mr. Aidala that “G.S.” had said he had gotten. In that instance, the ADA was told that there was a conflict of interest and as a result Mr. Aidala refused to take the case.

WERE AIDALA'S LEGAL FEES PAID FROM AMOROSO'S  "? ? ? ACCOUNT" ?

It would seem that at least some of those legal fees to Mr. Aidala might have been paid for by at least one check  from the now infamous "Asset Forfeiture Fund," unless the check to Mr. Aidala was for other-than legal fees or Dino Amoroso operated more than one checkbook out of his office on the 19th floor. (It should be noted that a recent DOI report indicated that Mr. Amoroso did write checks on an account associated with the so-called “Asset Forfeiture Fund.”)

Now, I can’t say with certainty that any check actually was given to Mr. Aidala  or that any such check was improper per se; or that Mr. Aidala might be responsible for any payments, regardless of what account it might have been drawn upon, if made to him by Dino Amoroso and/or others for properly billed legal services rendered to the Brooklyn DA’s Office. However, it certainly would seem unusual and suspicious that the Brooklyn DA’s Office might be making any payments for any reason to Arthur Aidala out of the “Asset Forfeiture Fund.”

An interesting question still nags at me; it is this:  even if the payments from the “Asset Forfeiture Fund” or whatever other accounts were being used to pay Arthur Aidala’s fees for services as described above were found to be perfectly legitimate, what would have made Dino Amoroso think that Mr. Aidala’s “legal work” should have been done for free ?

FRESH OUT OF QUEENS LAW SCHOOL, AIDALA GOT PICKED TO BE AN ADA BY HYNES  —   DID A BIG MURDER CASE AND THEN RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL

Even though Arthur Aidala was the son of a prominent criminal defense attorney and graduated from a prestigious prep school, he went to college at SUNY Purchase and was accepted into only one law school, the Queens School of Law in the CUNY system  —  then, still a relatively new law school set up largely for those who didn’t get into more established law programs.

He started out his career as a criminal law practitioner by being hired as an ADA in the Brooklyn DA’s Office under District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes in 1992. Artie Aidala learned his craft and moved up in the office until he left in 1997 to run for City Council in a district that included Hynes’ home and neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Aidala’s 39% Democratic Primary vote almost beat Joanne Seminara, who went on to lose to Marty Golden in November 1997.  Interestingly, Aidala was fed a very newsworthy murder case right before he left to run for the City Council.

FAST FORWARD TO THE 2013 CAMPAIGN FOR BROOKLYN  D.A.

Brooklyn DA Charles “Joe” Hynes’ last hurrah was spread over the whole of the Primary and General elections of 2013.  Whenever it came time for the former DA to thank those who were key parts of both these 2013 campaigns, Hynes would make special mention of Mr. Arthur Aidala.  Video of Hynes’ final send-off on election night shows the mutual esteem and affection between Aidala and Hynes. The two had a connection that exceeded anything mentioned above, although what was mentioned above is certainly part of it.

AIDALA AMONG TOP FUND RAISERS FOR HYNES

Arthur Aidala has been widely reported as a significant contributor and bundler for Charles “Joe” Hynes and his campaigns (See “A Great Day for Hasidic Perverts” by Yerachmiel Lopin, 7/15/14, Frum Follies [http://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/a-great-day-for-hasidic-perverts-2/]).  According to the NY Times, “Mr. Aidala ... a former Brooklyn prosecutor and a former campaign manager for Mr. Hynes.... is the registered agent for the Charles Hynes Association. Mr. Aidala, his family, and his legal firm contributed $5,100 to the district attorney last year....” (See “Raising Questions of Professional Conduct as Brooklyn’s Prosecutor Pursues Votes”
by Michael Powell, 7/29/13, New York Times/ Gotham
[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/nyregion/raising-questions-of-professional-conduct-as-brooklyns-prosecutor-pursues-votes.html?_r=0]). Aidala’s contributions to Hynes’ campaign even earned him a place among the high rollers’ “dishing” to a Daily News reporter about their backing of various candidates running for DA of Brooklyn in 2013, which article appeared in the Daily News early in 2013 (See “What makes the Brooklyn DA seat so hot?  Chris Noth, Chris Rock, Donald Trump, and others dish” by Simone Weichselbaum, 2/20/13, NY Daily News [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/chris-noth-chris-rock-donald-trump-bk-da]).

I’m sure there are many other things that many others know about Arthur Aidala’s long-term and more recent dealings with former Brooklyn DA Hynes. Nonetheless, what I have sketched out above does demonstrate the degree to which Arthur Aidala was well-connected to the former Kings County District Attorney, Charles J. Hynes.  In Part 2 of this series of posts, we will explore how Mr. Aidala had enough connections to State Senator Martin J. Golden to be considered one of his close insiders as well.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is a commie pinko blog run by democrats.

DO NOT READ THIS ANYMORE

Anonymous said...

looks like archie bunker is back from the grave.

Galewyn Massey said...

THIS LOOKS LIKE SOME DEMOCRAT TRYING TO IMITATE A GOOD HARDWORKING CONSERVATIVE-REPUBLICAN; AND THEN, THE VERY SAME DEMOCRAT LAMELY TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE JOKE !

I THINK I KNOW WHO IT IS — JUST, IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THIS CURTAIN. HE’S REALLY A NOTORIOUS SNAKE OIL SALESMAN, WHOSE COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG ARE A ROYAL P-I-T-A ...

Anonymous said...

You Eugene Debbs loving lefty will be crushed by the forces of hard working Republicans.

Anonymous said...

What is the Charles Hynes Association?

Its not his campaign comittee.

Galewyn Massey said...

BACKFILL: THE “CHARLES J. HYNES ASSOCIATION” EDITION

BUT WHAT DOES IT DO, EXACTLY ?

Well, Gladys, I’m glad you asked, let me tell ya...

The association that was mentioned in the main post and questioned by the comment maker above doesn’t seem to leave very many footprints, but there are a few. For instance there is a Facebook notice for a 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., June 10th 2011 “Charles J. Hynes Association Annual Luncheon” to be hosted at Bridgewaters by a “Kieran Holohan” that says this: “All, we are having the second annual luncheon this year on June 10th at 2:00pm in the South Street Seaport. The will be a buffet luncheon and BBQ as well as booze. We will adjourn afterwards to a local public house where rumor has it our own Stephen Murphy will be throwing his firm's credit card on the bar (or we will at least try to make him). This will be a great time....” There is also a June 7th 2011 comment by Kieran Holohan that says, “All, just reminding you that this event is this coming Friday. Hope to see everyone...”

The same event was mentioned in the Brooklyn Eagle, as follows: “Fri. June 10, Charles J. Hynes Association Annual Luncheon, 2 p.m. Honorees: retired Deputy District Attorney Joseph Petrosino and Deputy District Attorney Angelo Morelli. Cost: $85 per person. RSVP by May 27. For more information, contact Aidala & Bertuna at (718) 238-9898. Location: Bridgewaters at the South Street Seaport, 11 Fulton St., Manhattan....” (See “Courthouse News and Cases - Legal Events Calendar: June 9, 2011 ” by Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net), published online 06-09-2011 [http://50.56.218.160/archive/category.php?category_id=4&id=43952]).

According to various data bases, the “Charles J. Hynes Association” is incorporated as “Charles J Hynes Association, Inc ” is located at one location “321 Broadway - New York, New York - 10007-1111 ” and was founded in 2011, is privately held, has $96,000 in estimated annual revenue, and employs 2 people. at the single location listed above ( See e.g. “FindThe Best” [Charles J Hynes Association, Inc ] [http://companies.findthebest.com/l/29548467/Charles-J-Hynes-Association-Inc-in-New-York]).
The Charles J Hynes Association, Inc is an “[Active] Not for Profit - Type B ... Domestic... NY
whose “Principal Executive Office” is “Arthur L. Aidala, Esq., 321 Broadway, New York, NY
10007 ” (See “Wysk Company Profile for Charles J Hynes Association, Inc – New York Not for Profit - Type B | Wysk # D3UMAFU ” on the wysk B2B Data Hub [http://www.wysk.com/index/new-york/new-york/d3umafu/charles-j-hynes-association-inc/profile] [DOS ID: 3961671 – Initial DOS Filing Date: 06/15/2010] ).

YES, BUT WHAT DOES IT DO EXACTLY ?

Anonymous said...

Aren't these suspicions Hynes association's footprints.... two employees, $96,000 annual revenue! Ask Artie Aidala this..... after rent and other expenses, what is left?

Anonymous said...

Interesting about the Hynes Association fundraising.
I see the people being honored have relatives that used to work in Hynes money laundering unit.

Angelo "wet lunch" Morelli, is the father of Michael "grab it while you can" Morelli who was a prosecutor in money laundering unit until he was recently fired.

Anonymous said...

Senior ADAs Virginia Modest and Mary Hughes were agents, officers or principals of a Hynes 501 charity, maybe it was this Hynes Association. The 501 charity I heard about was created for certain operations in the so-called “KCDA Community Centers”. Modest had offices on the 19th Floor at 350 Jay, but I don’t know where she really “worked”, or what she really was supposed to do. I know that Mary Hughes often went to meetings at 321 Broadway during 2013.

Anonymous said...

Hynes and his mob was such a charitable bunch.

Galewyn Massey said...

BACKFILL: AN IMPORTANT SOURCE ABOUT HOW BROOKLYN DA CHARLES "JOE" HYNES WAS ABLE TO HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT UNTIL RECENTLY

COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW PUTS BLAME AT FEET OF CITYWIDE PRESS

CJR ANALYSIS NAMED-NAMES, LIKE JACK NEWFIELD AND JERRY SCHMETTERER, WHO FLACKED & COVERED FOR HYNES

"In Brooklyn, decades of high crime and low coverage bear sour fruit" by Theodore Hamm, 5/14/14, Columbia Journalism Review [http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/brooklyn_media_hynes_da_histor.php?page=1]). Although the bottom line of the author of the post above is as follows: "The [Borough of Brooklyn] is full of mommy blogs, but it still lacks sufficient news coverage..."; Theodore Hamm started his piece off by saying that a lot of what Hynes got away with was the result of under-coverage by most of the city-wide press.

Here is some of what he said, "Brooklyn these days may be the land of celebrities and high-priced real estate, but the borough is also reckoning with less glamorous aspects of its recent history. From 1990 until last year, then-Brooklyn District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes presided over a host of cases that produced wrongful convictions. *** So far this year, six men have been exonerated, including five who went to prison during the high-crime era of the late 1980s to early ’90s. With 90 more cases currently under review, the ranks of the exonerated are almost certain to grow. *** Unlike the notorious media frenzy that surrounded the Central Park Five in 1989, most of the Brooklyn cases now in question initially made no headlines. That Hynes was on rather friendly terms with many of the city’s leading reporters only partially explains this lack of oversight. The more enduring problem is that Brooklyn, home to 2.5 million people, continues to lack sufficient borough-wide news coverage. *** Widely hailed as a reformer when he first took office, Hynes exited in disgrace at the end of his sixth term. During last year’s victorious campaign, new DA Ken Thompson capitalized on public outrage over Hynes’ handling of numerous cases, including many that have resulted in exonerations."

A key item in Mr. Hamm's analysis is that the recent scrutiny that caused so much of former DA Hynes' current crop of problems was completely absent during earlier phases of Hynes' rise to power. Hamm specifically mentions two of the racially charged cases that catapulted Hynes' reputation as a prosecutor -- the Michael Griffith case in Howard Beach and the Yusuf Hawkins case in Bensonhurst.

Favorable coverage for those and other cases by "journalists" like Jack Newfield, Ron Howell, Len Levitt and Jerry Schmetterer was part of what solidified Hynes' early reputation and insolated him from real journalistic scrutiny and criticism.

Over the years a newswriters, like Len Levitt, turned on Hynes, for good reason. --- Though a long time coming, their switch was part of what undid Hynes in the end.

Anonymous said...

When the Village Voice wrote its scathing critique of Joe Hynes in January of 3013 Sol Wachtler in an email blasted the paper calling it a "rag" and urging Hynes not to get into a "p---ing contest" with the paper. He was trying to get Hynes not to respond. Wachtler spoke highly of Jack Newfield and said the Village Voice was garbage since Newfield left it. In response both Hynes and Judge Kamins agreed. Hynes did not follow Wachlter's advice and did respond in a public letter - which was written in first draft by the flack Jerry Schmetterer. Not very well written as they needed to have a first year ADA proofread it and make corrections. . . .

Anonymous said...

Interesting point above about the failed journalists.

Dennis Hamill leads the pack

Anonymous said...

THIS IS THE ONLY CONNECTION THAT MATTERS AND YOU HAVE TO BE BLIND NOT TO SEE IT. About the same time that State Senator Marty Golden was giving an award to Artie Aidala in 2012, Golden was giving $103,000 of our money to the Hynes District Attorney’s Operation for an already existing alternative-to-incarceration program for at-risk youths. Half of the money was spent on a new full-time "social worker" and the rest was to help keep gang members convicted crimes to spend any time in jail for their crimes.Beffore that in 2012 three of Golden's own at risk family members were found not guilty in charges coming out of attacks on two off-duty police officers and a fireman in the Kettle Black. And the judge said Golden's relatives were only guilty of being stupid. Among other things the cops and fireman suffered a broken jaw and a stabbing requiring hospitalization. These Kettle Black cases were administered by Hynes' Brooklyn DA's office, prosecuted by a "Special" Brooklyn ADA, and at least two former Hynes ADA's named Cibella and Aidala defended most of Golden's relatives.

So in the fall of 2012, Golden gives awards to both the prosecutor and one of the defenders, all who helped Golden's family members beat he rap of assaulting two cops and a fireman. What other connections do you need?

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "MARGARITAVILLE" EDITION

Patience, Grasshopper.

The matters you mention and others will reveal many more connections than those in your comment. Much more will be revealed about the Hynes - Golden - Aidala connection(s) in good time....

As was stated in the post above, there will be a second installment in this series, "The Curious Cases of Arthur Aidala, “Joe” Hynes and Marty Golden — Part 2," coming when I can drag myself away from Margaritaville, and the sun, the sand and the surf.

Keep the comments coming, though. Many hands make light work.

Anonymous said...

Kettle Black is Martys little Golden Chappaquickdick.

Opps !!

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE "SOMETHING STINKS --- WHO CUT THE CHEESE" EDITION

COMMISSIONER BRATTON'S APPOINTMENT OF FORMER BROOKLYN ADA KEVIN SCOTT RICHARDSON AS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT

FOLLOWING SO QUICKLY ON THE HEELS OF THE CHOKEHOLD DEATH OF ERIC GARNER, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE PANICKY TOKENISM -- OR WORSE THE HIRING OF A HANGING JUDGE FOR COPS

According to the NYPD Press Release on this guy, "...As Deputy Commissioner, Department Advocate’s Office, Mr. Richardson will prepare and prosecute Department trials and provide assistance to investigators for the development of Department trial evidence. He will also provide assistance in the Department’s Command Discipline and Charges and Specifications procedures...." (See "Executive Staff Appointments -- ... KEVIN SCOTT RICHARDSON JOIN[S] THE NYPD’S LEADERSHIP TEAM AS ...DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, , DEPARTMENT ADVOCATE’S OFFICE," For Immediate release, 7/28/14, NYPD New York's Finest [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pr/pr_2014_07_28_executive_staff_appointments.shtml]). Has anybody asked if he was right for the job ?

According to the Daily News, Richardson was "[a]n ex-Brooklyn prosecutor who vigorously defended a wrongful conviction that kept an innocent man imprisoned for more than 15 years..." (See "Ex-Brooklyn prosecutor who defended wrongful conviction appointed to high-level job at NYPD" by John Marzulli & Thomas Tracy, 7/26/14 [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/theshack/ex-brooklyn-prosecutor-defended-wrongful-conviction-appointed-high-level-job-nypd-blog-entry-1.1881085]). And now, he has a new plum job at the NYPD.

A much fuller story about Kevin Scott Richardson's role in that unrighteous prosecution and the defense of it on appeal and thereafter is told in an earlier 2014 Daily News report by John Marzulli (See "EXCLUSIVE: Former Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes admitted he believed man cleared of murder after nearly 16 years in prison was innocent" by John Marzulli, 4/17/14 [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/exclusive-brooklyn-da-hynes-believes-man-cleared-murder-innocent-article-1.1755282]).

HYNES' RECENT EBT TESTIMONY IN A CIVIL CASE POINTS STRAIGHT AT KEVIN SCOTT RICHARDSON -- DID BRATTON VET THIS CHARACTER AT ALL ? ? ?

It looks more like this was a quicky panick move to quell some squeeky wheels in certain communities, who are more than a little upset about the chokehold death of Eric Garner. This is especially true now that "[a] police review panel has recommended disciplinary charges against three Staten Island cops — all assigned to the precinct already under fire in Eric Garner’s death — for using excessive force and failing to get medical treatment for a 52-year-old man who died while in custody..." in another case (See "Three cops at embattled NYPD precinct where Eric Garner died after chokehold disciplined over 'accidental' death" by John Marzulli, 7/30/14, Ny Daily News [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/3-staten-island-cops-disciplined-accidental-death-article-1.1884987]).

It's interesting that the Daily News piece above about Richardson's appointment as a NYPD Deputy Commissioner by Marzulli and Tracy was followed by only this single comment: "blackheywood - 4 days ago - More corruption by a questionable Police Commissioner, Bratton MUST GO NOW. This is an outrage." Maybe, "blackheywood" is on to something.