WE’RE CELEBRATING NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY – FEBRUARY 7, 2020
BROOKLYNPAPER.COM
Since 1978 • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2020 14 pages • Vol.Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Sunset Park, Williamsburg & Greenpoint 43, No. 6 • February 7–13, 2020
RED LETTER DAY Recognizing and preventing heart disease in women
You’ll see a sea of red across the
city on Feb. 7 as New Yorkers
mark “National Wear
Red Day,” a campaign held on
the first Friday every February,
which is also designated as American
Heart Month.
Once again, Schneps Media and
its workers are proud to again participate
in this tradition by “going
red” with all of our publications today
in support of this nationwide campaign
held by the American Heart
Association.
This effort is not merely a fundraising
endeavor, but rather a public
awareness event designed to inform
and enlighten all Americans about
the risks of heart disease — especially
among women.
One in three women, on average,
die of heart disease and stroke every
year, according to the American
Heart Association.
These silent killers constitute
the leading cause of death among
American women — and yet, most of
these tragedies can be avoided through
early detection and treatment.
Anyone can be at risk of heart disease.
Those with the highest risk are
individuals with a history of heart
disease in the family.
Lifestyle also plays a role; what
you eat, what you weigh, what you
do and whether you smoke are all
potential risk factors.
It’s important to know the symptoms
of a possible heart attack.
The life you save could be your
own, or someone you love.
The symptoms include pain or uncomfortable
pressure in the center of
your chest; pain or discomfort in the
arms, back, neck or jaw; shortness of
breath; a cold sweat; nausea; vomiting;
and lightheadedness.
Chest pain is the most common
heart attack symptom for everyone,
but the American Heart Association
notes that women are often
more likely to suffer other common
symptoms.
Some might feel uncomfortable
about acknowledging their
health or making an emergency room
visit. But the adage “better safe than
sorry” couldn’t be more true.
If you or someone you love experiences
potential heart attack symptoms,
don’t waste time. Call 911, go
to a hospital and get treatment. Every
second counts.
It could mean the difference between
life and death.
Knowing the symptoms of heart
disease, along with advanced medical
care in recent years, have helped
millions of people overcome the
odds and live long lives.
Of course, all of us can do plenty
in our own lives to be healthy —
such as watching our diets, getting
more exercise, putting down cigarettes
and cigars for good, and going
for annual checkups.
We appreciate everyone wearing
red this Friday, and urge them to continue
supporting the American Heart
Association any way they can.
Donate to the association’s “Go
Red For Women” campaign online
at heart.org You can also spread the
word through social media by using
the hashtag #WearRedandGive.
Thanks to all for your support
of this wonderful campaign. Take
good care!
— Vicki and Josh Schneps
Movement urges women to take action
Police arrested a 33-year-old man for the alleged murder of Fort Green philanthropist Antonio Litman, as
the victim’s family watched on.
FIRE WITH FIRE
This week’s special National Wear Red Day® issue sponsored by:
BAY RIDGE MEDICAL IMAGING
A DIVISION OF
PROHEALTH CARE ASSOCIATES
BRMI.ORG
By Todd Maisel
for Brooklyn Paper
Police arrested an alleged arsonist
who set a massive fire and killed a local
philanthropist in Fort Greene earlier
this month.
The 33-year-old suspect allegedly
set the inferno at a three-story Adelphi
Street building between Willoughby
and Dekalb avenues at around 3:20 am,
before fleeing the scene, according to
police.
Firefighters eventually quashed the
blaze and found 55-year-old Antonio
Litman dead in the building’s vestibule,
according to authorities.
Emergency medical personnel quickly
discovered multiple puncture wounds
to the deceased victim’s neck and chest,
according to officials, who said that
the medical examiner will determine
whether Litman died from the fire or
from stab wounds.
Litman, who made a living buying
and selling cargo ships, was the founder
of Virginia’s House of Hope — a nonprofit
responsible for distributing food,
clothing and school supplies to more than
10,000 families, according to friends and
family, who said that Litman was also
very active in his community.
“He would give you the shirt off his
back,” said Litman’s cousin, Felicia Geddis.
“He was the beacon in our family
who cared about everyone…Antonio, was
every bit of happiness to our lives.”
Geddis claimed that, while they
were technically cousins, her and Litman
were raised together almost like
brother and sister.
“The suspect took one of the best
people you can ever know, my brother,
and there’s no reason for it,” she said.
Officers cuffed the victim on Jan. 29
and took his to the 88th police precinct
in Fort Greene, where they charged him
with second-degree murder and seconddegree
arson, according to police.
The distressed suspect, whose listed
residence is a homeless shelter on Wards
Island, yelled at gathered reporters as
he was led out of the station house in
handcuffs.
“I was his friend!” said the man.
But Litman’s family remained unsympathetic
to the suspect’s claims.
“He did the devil’s business – what
can you say about a person like that,”
said Geddis.
It’s unclear what the relationship
was between the suspect and the victim,
though police sources say the two
may have been residing together in the
three-story Fort Greene home — where
Litman was the only listed resident.
Police have not publicly released a
motive, and the investigation remains
ongoing.
In the meantime, Litman’s family
and friends were left grieving the loss
of their selfless acquaintance.
“Giving was his passion, he cared
about the homeless, children, for his
foundation, his neighbors, he would
give bags of groceries,” Geddis said.
“He was such a caring person, it’s just
too much.”
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s expert
panel released their final report on
the beleaguered Brooklyn-Queens
Expressway on Thursday — recommending
a
reduction in
traffic lanes
and an immediate
start to
construction
on the crumbling
thruway,
which
could become
unsafe within
five years, according to the brain
trust’s head.
“The frightening truth is the triple
cantilever section of the BQE
is in dire condition and sections
may become unsafe within the next
five years,” said Carlo Scissura,
who chairs the 17-person panel de
Blasio convened in April.
The panel released their 72-
page report after more than nine
Lucky dog
By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Paper
A woman whose pleas for help went
viral after her pooch was dognapped
outside the Red Hook Ikea has been reunited
with her beloved hound.
Park Slope resident Wenfei Tong managed
to contact the woman who walked
off with her furball with the help of dog
lovers across the city, who filled social
media with pictures of her wayward
pooch, and the pair arranged to
meet in Prospect Park on Monday, where
the other woman handed over the dog
happy and healthy.
“It was this amazing explosion of different
people who really showed a lot
of support,” said Tong. “It practically
went viral.”
Tong, who moved to Brooklyn three
months ago from her home in Anchorage,
Alaska, had left her shepherd and cattle
dog mix Ana tied up outside the Beaver
Street furniture store on Feb. 1, only to
return a short time later to discover her
dog was missing — a shocker that she
The American Heart Association,
the world’s leading nonprofit
organization focused on
heart and brain health for all, together
with its signature movement, Go Red
for Women, encourages you to ‘wear
red and give’ today on National Wear
Red Day to raise awareness of cardiovascular
disease: women’s greatest
health threat.
Cardiovascular disease kills one
woman every 80 seconds and takes
more lives than all forms of cancer
combined.
As a result, more research is needed
to close gender disparity gaps when
it comes to cardiovascular research,
treatment and care.
Here’s how you can join Go Red
for Women in support of women’s
health:
Wear red on National Wear Red
Day, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 to raise
awareness about cardiovascular disease
– the leading cause of death in
women. The iconic Red Dress Pin and
other apparel at is available at Shop-
Heart.org.
Make a donation to support the lifesaving
work of the American Heart
Association at WearRedDay.org.
CVS Health is the national sponsor
of the American Heart Association’s
Go Red for Women Movement
and will be offering no-cost hearthealth
screenings at MinuteClinic®
locations nationwide every Thursday
in February.
Sign up to participate in the lifesaving
clinical trial research through
the American Heart Association’s Go
Red for Women movement and Verily’s
Project Baseline: Research Goes
Red initiative.
Join the conversation by using #WearRedAndGive
on social media.
To treat, beat and prevent heart disease
and stroke, women should understand
family health history, and
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
— Courtesy of American Heart Association
Police arrest alleged arsonist, killer in Fort Greene
Expert panel releases fi nal report, fails to offer real solutions Locals rally to fi nd
pup taken at Ikea
Wenfei Tong was reunited with her dog Ana after
she was stolen from the Red Hook Ikea.
Photo by Trey Pentecost
Photo by Todd Maisel
See DOG on page 12
BQE still going nowhere
months of studying the issue, but
ultimately punted on providing
an actual fix for the 1.5 mile cantilevered
section of the roadway
— instead recommending another
working group, this time
comprising city, state, and federal
officials, along with community
stakeholders, to come up
with a finalized plan for the entire
BQE.
“A truly transformative plan is
urgently needed – one that does
not focus solely on 1.5 miles of a
20-mile corridor but reimagines
the entire road from Staten Island
to Brooklyn to Queens,” Scissura’s
statement continued. “This
panel calls on our city, state and
federal governments to work together
and begin this critical process
immediately.”
In the meantime, officials
need to reduce the Robert Moses
era roadway’s lanes from
three to two in either direction
— turning the eliminated lane
into a 10-foot painted buffer to
discourage vehicle traffic and to
extend the BQE’s life span, the
report says.
A whopping 150,000 vehicles
use the BQE everyday, including
more than 15,000 trucks — as the
interstate highway provides a vital
freight corridor.
The recommendations — which
FIXING
the BQE
The BQE expert panel released its final report on the crumbling
roadway on Jan. 30.
Photo by Kevin Duggan
See BQE on page 12
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