MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES THE START OF THE 1997 FEAST OF SAN GENNARO
Last Year's Feast, Free of Organized Crime's Influence, Raised $150,000 for the Children of the New York City Archdiocese
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today kicked off the 70th Feast of San Gennaro, an 11-day cultural and religious celebration that benefits the children of the New York City Archdiocese. Joining the Mayor at today's announcement were Anne Compoccia, President of Figli di San Gennaro, Inc., Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington and Richard Mark, the Feast's independent monitor who will oversee the financial operation of this year's festival.
"The Feast of San Gennaro is one of New York City's special cultural attractions," Mayor Giuliani said. "From all five boroughs and from all over the world, families come to the festival to enjoy the carnival rides and Italian cuisine that makes this event so unique. But ,for years, control of the Feast of San Gennaro had fallen into the hands of organized crime. Reputed mob figures extorted money from vendors and ran illegal gambling operations while charities benefited little and the mob profited greatly.
"Two years ago, the tide began to turn," the Mayor continued. "I appointed an independent monitor, John Sabetta, to investigate the financial operations of the Feast. Based upon his recommendations, I removed the corrupt festival organizers and replaced them with Figli di San Gennaro -- Children of San Gennaro. Thanks to the efforts of Figli di San Gennaro, under the leadership of Anne Compoccia, the festival produced more than $150,000 for Catholic schools and parishes on the Lower East Side. This year, our efforts continue -- Figli di San Gennaro is back for a second year in a row to ensure that all of the festival's net proceeds go to charity and I have appointed Richard Mark the Feast's new independent monitor. I urge all New Yorkers to take a trip down to Mulberry Street to enjoy the sights and sounds of the new and improved Feast of San Gennaro."
Anne Compoccia, President of Figli di San Gennaro, said, "This is a tradition carried on for 70 years, a tradition handed down from our grandparents. And now, we are able to use our cultural traditions to benefit those New Yorkers who need help the most, our children."
Early in 1995, a Manhattan federal grand jury charged that the Feast of San Gennaro, at the time operated by the Society of San Gennaro Naples & Suburbs Inc. ("Society"), was controlled by La Cosa Nostra and that these forces influenced aspects of the Feast. In September 1995, Mayor Giuliani threatened to shut down the festival if the event's organizers failed to open their books to a City-appointed independent monitor. The Feast's organizers agreed to this condition and John C. Sabetta was named independent monitor. At the conclusion of the Feast, Mr. Sabetta presented a report to the Mayor.
- Among his many findings were:
- That the "Society" was not a genuine not-for-profit but a group operated for the private benefit of mob associates and friends.
- From at least 1993 to 1995, the "Society" failed to conduct the Feast honestly and to comply with its charter as a charitable organization. With revenue ranging from $300,000 to $400,000, only a small portion, approximately three percent, went to charity.
- Illegal gambling was operated on private lots adjacent to Mulberry Street. The "Society" most likely had a substantial financial interest in this activity.
- The "Society" lavished excessively profitable contracts on two well-connected suppliers -- a decorative lighting contractor and a waste removal firm.
Mr. Sabetta concluded that for the Feast to continue, the City must issue the permit to a sponsor other than the "Society." In 1996, Mayor Giuliani did just that awarding the San Gennaro permit to Figli di San Gennaro (Children of San Gennaro) established by the Archdiocese of New York City to operate the festival fairly and to ensure that all of the event's proceeds would go to the children of the Church. Last year, Figli di San Gennaro raised more than $150,000 for the Archdiocese.
For decades, organized crime imposed a "mob tax" that artificially inflated business costs and consumer prices in New York City. The Giuliani Administration has ended organized crime's control of the Fulton Fish Market, the private carting industry and the City's public wholesale food markets.
The results have been remarkable:
A comprehensive licensing program at the Fulton Fish Market that removed corrupt parties from the market has resulted in a 20 percent reduction in unloading costs, a 70 percent reduction in loading costs and an 80 percent reduction in carting costs. The quantity of fish coming into the Market has risen by 50 percent. All told, this has caused a five percent reduction in prices for the top 20 finfish by sales volume (adjusted for the national rate of inflation this reduction in fish prices is 12 percent). After the Giuliani Administration established the Trade Waste Commission to remove corrupt parties from the private carting industry, numerous national carting firms that avoided the New York City market began to compete here, causing prices to plummet. The City was able to reduce the maximum rates that carters can charge by 20 percent. The elimination of the "mob tax" on private carting is saving City businesses more than $350 million annually.
The same reforms seen at the Fulton Fish Market and the private carting industry are now being implemented at the Hunts Point Produce Market and will be introduced at the City's other public wholesale food markets, such as the Gansevoort Meat Market and the Brooklyn Terminal and Meat Markets.
The Feast of San Gennaro runs from September 11th to September 21st. All proceeds from the Feast benefit schools and local parishes on the Lower East Side. The schools that receive contributions from the Feast are largely low-income, non-Catholic families.
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