6 times • APRIL 2, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Middle Village ceremony remembers Triangle factory fire anniversary BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @TimesNewsweekly Community leaders, activists and residents gathered at Christ the King High School in Middle Village on March 25 for a moving tribute on the 104th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The ceremony — hosted by former state Sen. Serphin Maltese, now president of the Triangle Fire Memorial Association — honored the 146 victims of the tragedy that took place on that day in 1911 in Lower Manhattan. Most of the victims were Italian and Jewish immigrant women and adolescent girls working to support their families. The former senator’s family was personally affected by the tragedy. His grandmother Caterina, 38, and her two young daughters, Rosarea and Lucia, were among the 146 victims who perished in the blaze. Caterina left behind a husband, Nonno Serafino Maltese, and two young sons. The family’s grief was compounded by the fact that Caterina was initially buried in a mass grave at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn along with six other unknown victims of the tragedy. Nonno Maltese was able to identify his late wife through her wedding ring. She was disinterred and laid to rest with her daughters at Calvary Cemetery. A monument was later donated by the Maltese family to honor the 36 other Triangle fire victims buried at the cemetery. Former Sen. Maltese reflected upon the impact the Triangle Shirtwaist fire had on his childhood: “We never realized as kids the enormity of the tragedy. We were always cautioned by our mother to beware of fire, but it was more than that. Growing up on the Lower East Side, no matter how many years passed, there were still elderly Italian women who wore black from the Triangle fire. That’s how long they grieved.” The ceremony featured performances from the Christ the King Concert Chorus as well as playwright, actor and past honoree Lulu Lolo Pascale, who delivered a riveting one-woman performance reenacting the events surrounding the tragedy. The Triangle Fire Memorial Association presented six honorees with awards, as well as special proclamations from state Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s office, in recognition of their service within the community. One of the honorees was Joel Sosinsky, secretary and founding member of Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. Sosinsky and his organization were instrumental in securing permission from New York University to install a public arts memorial on the landmarked building on Greene Street and Washington Place, which housed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The association also honored local educator Caroline Roswell for utilizing the events of the tragedy as a teaching tool to inspire social justice and awareness in her students. The other honorees were Dr. Clara Sarrocco, scholar and educator; Rosemarie Iacavone, chair of the Women’s Republican Club of Queens; Diego Lodico, founder of the Italian Cultural Organization Bella Italia Mia; and Drew Nelson, former lieutenant base commander with the NYPD Harbor Patrol Unit and current director of operations at the Catholic Community of North Columbia County. The ceremony concluded with a reading of the names of the 146 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire victims. Dianna Maeurer was also on hand representing Triangle fire victim Fannie Hollander. Maeurer, dressed in a special memorial sash and headband, has carried Hollander’s commemorative shirtwaist in the city’s tribute ceremony since 2009. Photo by Kelly Marie Mancuso Pictured from left to right are Vincent Maltese, chair of the Triangle Fire Memorial Association (TFMA); Dianna Maeurer; former state Senator Serphin Maltese; Dr. Clara Sarrocco; Diego Lodico; Caroline Roswell; Joel Sosinsky; Rosemarie Iacavone; and Drew Nelson. ADDABBO EYES IMPROVED HEALTH CARE AND TAX BREAKS FOR VETERANS BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport The Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs has recently approved a legislative package of four bills, all co-sponsored by state Senator Joseph Addabbo, which aim to improve health care and help lower property taxes for veterans of all ages. “Our veterans—whether they served many years ago or are returning home from service—deserve our utmost respect,” said Addabbo, who is the ranking member of the Senate Veterans Committee. “This package of bills is now moving towards a vote by the full Senate and I am hopeful they will be enacted by both houses of the state Legislature before the end of the 2015 legislative season.” The four bills would establish a veterans’ gerontological advisory committee within the state Office for the Aging to help ensure the state plans appropriately for the needs of an aging veteran population, including programming for long-term and continuing care; health promotion and rehabilitation; and other issues of concern to aging servicemen and women. Additionally, the state Division of Veterans Affairs would be required to form and disseminate to former service members a “fact sheet” regarding various veteran-specific health care services offered at local hospitals. The bills would also green-light local real property tax exemptions for reservist veterans who served under the Federal Reserve Forces Act of 1955. This would provide them with tax savings similar to those already available to other Cold War-era service members. Additionally, the bills will authorize local governments across New York State to adopt laws prohibiting increases in real property tax liability for veterans who are receiving tax exemptions related to their service. “Full approval of these four pieces of legislation would help to advance important goals that I think we all hold for our veterans: the ability to access appropriate and effective health care services and the ability to keep roofs over their heads when other basic living expenses seem to be rising all the time,” Addabbo said. “We will never be able to adequately thank those who risked everything for all of us in service to our country, but working to ensure our veterans are able to enjoy a decent quality of life when they return to us is a step in the right direction.” The bills are currently waiting to be considered by the full Senate. An Assembly committee is examining companion bills similar to Addabbo’s legislation.
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