16 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 13, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Bumbling bank bandit’s bomb rouse blows up in his hands BY EMILY DAVENPORT [email protected] @QNS He really blew it. A Howard Beach bank robber who used a fake bomb that turned out to be a can of coff ee to steal cash on April 11 was literally caught red-handed moments later aft er a red dye pack exploded on the stolen cash nearby, police said. Law enforcement sources said that Michael Ciaccio, 52, of 89th Avenue in Woodhaven, walked into the New York Community Bank located at 156-02 Cross Bay Boulevard at 2:30 p.m. on April 11. He then slipped a note to the teller saying that he had a gun and a bomb and placed on the counter a black plastic bag that was meant to simulate an explosive device. Police said the teller complied with the demands and handed over $1,300; unbeknownst to Ciaccio, the worker also slipped in a security dye pack. Authorities said the alarm in the bank sounded as the suspect ran out. Seconds later, authorities said, the dye pack exploded outside of the bank, causing Ciaccio to drop the black plastic bag and some of the money. Offi cers from the 106th Precinct responded to the reported robbery and recovered both the dye-stained money and the abandoned “explosive,” which turned out to be a bag full of coff ee and other items. Following a search, Ciaccio — who had dye on his hands and clothing — was located at the nearby Howard Beach Senior Center on the northeast corner of Cross Bay Boulevard and 156th Avenue, located at 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. He initially refused to identify himself. Law enforcement sources said that Ciaccio was taken into custody and transferred to federal agents as part of an ongoing investigation. He was charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property. He is believed to be a suspect in a recent Richmond Hill bank robbery, it was reported. Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema to screen more than 100 indie fi lms BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua A large-scale fi lm festival in Queens’ only art house theater will provide movie lovers with 10 days of independent fi lms, artist Q&As, industry panels and more. The Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema is the brainchild of Glendale resident Jayson Simba. Th e actor, writer, director and producer has seen an infl ux of movies and television shows being fi lmed in Glendale and surrounding neighborhoods and decided that the theater was the perfect place to showcase great independent fi lms. “In the last couple of years with the construction of Broadway Stages, there’s been major fi lm and television shows being shot all over this area Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Forest Park,” he said. “I felt a lot of people didn’t know where this area was.” During the spring of 2016, Simba started putting together a concrete plan for a fi lm festival and pulled together industry friends to help organize it. Th e festival has received almost 400 submissions from fi lmmakers, and organizers will whittle it down to about 130 fi lms. From Aug. 4 through Aug. 13, Kew Gardens Cinemas will showcase dramas, comedies, horror fi lms, documentaries, action and fantasy fi lms, noir, experimental fi lms and animated fi lms. “Th e response and types of submissions have been amazing because they Photo courtesy of Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema A fi lm festival in Kew Gardens will showcase independent fi lms. really do cover everything out there,” he said. Simba will also collaborate with the Queens Museum, which will show select programming from the festival to the public for free. On Aug. 10 the museum will also host an outdoor screening at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. He added that a main goal of the festival is to involve the local Queens community. “I really wanted to get everyone in the community involved and I’ve been lucky,” he said. “I got an overwhelming positive response. Everyone is all for it.” Ateaz, a certifi ed organic coff ee and tea boutique located at 116-29 Metropolitan Ave., will be the offi cial fi lmmaker lounge throughout the duration of the festival. Festival participants will get discounts and the store will act as a hangout spot for everyone involved with the festival. Shake Shack will hand out samples at the movie theater throughout the festival and will host a Movie Trivia Night at the theater as well. Some of the judges for the festival include director and writer Rodney Ferrer, Marlene Forte, an actress who recently appeared on “Fear the Walking Dead” and Sam Adelman, known for his editing work on “Donnie Brasco,” “Practical Magic” and “Desperately Seeking Susan.” Simba said that while there is no specifi c criteria the board of directors look for when choosing which fi lms to screen, the fi lms that are chosen feature fi lmmakers that “get creative with their use of limited resources.” Winners for every category will receive a personally engraved statuette at the Grand Awards Gala on the fi nal night of the festival. It will take place on the rooft op penthouse of Terrace on the Park. Simba is still taking submissions until April 23. To submit a fi lm, visit www.kewgardensfestivalofcinema.com. Organizers are also taking poster submissions from Kew Gardens residents. Th e best poster will become the offi - cial poster for the festival and submissions can be sent to kgfcpostercontest@ gmail.com. Simba said he is also taking donations since the festival is a nonprofi t and in May, he will be looking for volunteers who are interested in working at the festival. Archbishop Molloy HS to honor former student Howard Beach jogger Karina Vetrano at June vigil BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport Karina Vetrano, the Howard Beach jogger who was senselessly murdered in August of last year, was a member of Archbishop Molloy High School’s fi rst co-ed graduating class in 2004. Now, the Briarwood school plans to celebrate and honor her life later this year with a vigil and relay walk/run event on the campus this June. Th e vigil and relay event will begin on Friday, June 23, at 8 p.m. and continue into the next morning. On Saturday, June 24, a Memorial Mass will be held for Vetrano at 10 a.m., and breakfast will follow. At the conclusion of the event, the Marist brothers will dedicate a permanent memorial at the school to celebrate and remember Vetrano’s life. All planned activities will take place on the school grounds at 83-53 Manton St. “Karina’s family and friends instilled in her a love for creative writing, poetry, running and physical fi tness,” said Richard Karsten, Archbishop Molloy High School president. “During her days spent at Archbishop Molloy High School, Karina’s interests continued to grow and fl ourish with the support of her classmates, teachers and teammates, many of whom became lifelong friends. She is part of the fabric of our school and will forever be remembered as a member of our Molloy family.” Th e school is also raising funds to create the Karina Vetrano Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships for deserving young women who are entering Molloy. “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone that has supported us since the beginning,” said Phil Vetrano, Karina’s father, in a statement. “With this June event and the potential for Karina’s scholarship, fi nally some good can come out of this tragedy.” Th ose interested in signing up for the June memorial event, or donating to the Karina Vetrano Memorial Scholarship Fund, are encouraged to visit www.molloyhs.org/karina or call the Archbishop Molloy High School Alumni Center at 718-441-9210. Photo courtesy of Archbishop Molloy High School Karnia Vetrano’s former high school will remember her with a vigil/relay event this June, and will establish a scholarship in her honor. Robert Stridiron/RHS Breaking News Services
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