4 THE COURIER SUN • JUNE 2, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Photo via Google Maps Prosecutors said a Howard Beach attorney stole funds from the estate of a judge who owned the historic Slave Theater in Brooklyn. Attorney from Howard Beach stole $600K from the estate of a dead judge, prosecutors say BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz A lawyer from Howard Beach found himself in handcuffs this week after being indicted for allegedly stealing nearly $600,000 from the estate of a late civil court judge, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. Frank Racano, 54, is accused of stealing approximately $587,160.46 left behind by Civil Court Judge John L. Phillips Jr., a Brooklyn resident who died on Feb. 16, 2008, without any heirs for his estate. According to Kings County District Attorney Ken Thompson, a courtappointed administrator, hired Racano in 2010 to sell Phillips’ real estate holdings, including the historic Slave Theater and an adjacent lot in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Two years later, the property went into contract for $2.2 million, and the prospective buyer issued a check for a 10 percent down payment ($220,000) made payable to “Frank Racano, as attorney.” The check was subsequently deposited into Racano’s attorney trust checking account. The sale closed in February 2013, and the net proceeds of the sale, $517,339,65, were deposited into Racano’s trust account, bringing the total amount to $737,339,65. Prosecutors said that Racano allegedly wrote and cashed more than 300 checks to himself from that trust account between February 2013 and May 2015 without proper authorization. The checks ranged in amounts from as little as $45 to as much as $7,500. Along with legal, authorized payments for tax assistance and other services totaling more than $150,000, Thompson said, Racano’s alleged theft completely depleted the trust account. “We will now hold him accountable for these shameful criminal acts,” Thompson said in a statement. Racano was indicted on one count of second-degree grand larceny. At arraignment, he was ordered held on $250,000 bail and to return to court on Aug. 10. Green Acres Mall is building a new retail outlet with several new stores coming this fall BY BRIANNA ELLIS bellis@qns.com/@briinformed A brand-new retail outlet plaza is growing on the former site of a multiplex movie theater next to the Green Acres Mall at the border of Nassau County and Rosedale this fall. The 20-acre parcel next to Green Acres Mall is under construction, and the plans are “to create a power center designed to deliver big-box favorites” dubbed as Green Acres Commons, according the Green Acres Mall website. The shopping plaza located at 2034 Green Acres Road West is replacing the classic Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas, which opened in 1979 and closed last January. Back in October 2015, The Macerich Company, a California-based retail real fi rm that owns Green Acres Mall, revealed the fi rst six stores to open at Green Acres Commons. The shopping center will feature Ashley Furniture HomeStore, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Burlington Coat Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dick’s Sporting Goods and FiveBelow. The signs of these stores including a sign of HomeGoods are already visible for the passersby. The shoppers at Green Acres Mall seemed unfazed by the new Commons development. “When it’s open, I’ll take a look and that’s about it,” said customer Vallerie Chiverton. “The traffi c is getting really horrible and it’s gonna get worse … They’re trying to turn this place into another Roosevelt Field Mall,” an anonymous shopper said. Newsday cited that Macerich has spent $83.7 million on the center. The company has made serious strides to enhance the Valley Steam space by opening an H&M fl agship location as well as constructing a new, two-level, 70,000-square-foot Century 21 Department Store in Green Acres Mall. The Century 21 opened in October 2015. The Courier has reached out to Macerich for additional comments and was awaiting a response as of press time. Photo by Green Acres Mall website A layout of the Green Acres Commons that will be coming to Valley Steam this fall. Investors Bank opens up its newest location in Maspeth Maspeth residents, community leaders and elected offi - cials gave a warm welcome to the neighborhood’s newest business, Investors Bank, which hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 26 at its new branch on Grand Avenue. Investors Bank has more than 140 full-service branches in New York and New Jersey offering a variety of products and services to customers. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and members of the Queens Women’s Chamber of Commerce were on hand to help welcome the bank and cut the ribbon. Photo by Josef Pinlac l. to r. Soledad Murillo, Ana Oliveira, Elizabeth Idarraga, Karla Chong-DiChiara, John Nietzel, Maria Odysseus, Angela Perez, Martha Isabel Ramirez and Ruth Stella Williams (Queens Women’s Chamber of Commerce in green, bank staff not in green).
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