Howard Beach, Queens

Howard Beach, Queens

.]

Heavily Italian-American, Howard Beach is well known for being home to many organized crime figures; notably, mafia bosses John Gotti and Joe Massino resided here. Irish-Americans, German-Americans and Jewish-Americans also contribute heavily to its population. [cite news |title='Small town' has big pride - & image woes: The Howard Beach story |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2002/09/22/2002-09-22__small_town__has_big_pride_-.html |work=New York Daily News |first=Jonathan |last=Lemire |date=2002-09-22]

History

Howard Beach was established in the 1890s by William J. Howard, a Brooklyn glove manufacturer who operated a 150 acre (0.61 km²) goat farm on meadow land near Aqueduct Racetrack as a source of skins for kid gloves. In 1897, he bought more land and filled it in, and the following year he built 18 cottages and opened a hotel near the water, which he operated until it was destroyed by fire in October 1907. He gradually bought more land, and formed the Howard Estates Development Company in 1909. He dredged and filled the land until he was able to accumulate 500 acres (2 km²) by 1914. He laid out several streets, water mains and gas mains, and built 35 houses that were priced in the $2,500-$5,000 range.

The Long Island Rail Road established a station that was first named Ramblersville in 1913, and a Post Office by the same name opened soon thereafter. A casino, beach and a fishing pier were added in 1915, and the name was changed to Howard Beach on April 6, 1916. Development continued, and the ownership was expanded to a group of investors who sold lots for about $690 each starting in 1922.

Geography

.

Cross Bay Boulevard is the main commercial strip of Howard Beach and going northward it eventually turns into Woodhaven Boulevard after Ozone Park. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the Boulevard was made up almost exclusively of locally-owned shops and restaurants. However starting in the 1990s, chain stores and restaurants began moving in and now many well-known franchises are on the boulevard. Entertainment venues on Cross Bay Boulevard such as the Kiddie-Park and Cross-Bay Lanes were popular until their demise in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the mid 1950s, the northernmost section of Howard Beach was a small wooded area (Cherry Forest) and a dairy farm (Mary's Farm); approximately 25% of the remaining area had houses on it.

The Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge (named for a deceased member of the United States House of Representatives who once represented the district that includes Howard Beach) connects mainland Queens to Broad Channel.

Bernard Coleman Memorial Square (colloquially Coleman Square) is the small plaza at the Howard Beach-JFK station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway (served by the NYCS service|A train) and the AirTrain JFK station in Howard Beach. [cite news |work=New York Daily News |title='Small town' has big pride - & image woes: The Howard Beach story |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/2002/09/22/2002-09-22__small_town__has_big_pride_-.html |date=2002-09-22 |first=Jonathan |last=Lemire] There is a memorial to servicemen from Howard Beach who died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. [cite web |work=Bridge and Tunnel Club |url=http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/queens/howardbeach/colemansquare/index.htm |title=Coleman Square, Howard Beach]

Government

Joseph Addabbo, Jr., the son of former Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo, represents the area as its New York City Councilman. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, (D-NY) represents that part of Howard Beach east of Cross Bay Boulevard, while Congressman Anthony D. Weiner, (D-NY) represents the part west of Cross Bay Boulevard.

Transportation

.]

The Howard Beach-JFK subway station located at Coleman Square provides a connection to both the A train and AirTrain JFK (and was the terminus of the former JFK Express, known colloquially as the "Train To The Plane," in the late 1970s into the early 1990s). Prior to the AirTrain JFK, the Port Authority provided a free shuttle bus to the terminals at JFK Airport. The Airtrain provides a quick and convenient connection to the terminals of JFK.

chools

* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region5/Q146/default.htm?searchType=school PS 146 The Howard Beach School] K-6 http://howardbeach.com/history/images/PS146.jpg
* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region5/Q207/default.htm?searchType=school PS 207] K-8
* [http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/27/Q232/default.htm?searchType=school PS 232 The Walter Ward School] K-8
*Our Lady of Grace Catholic School K-8
*Saint Helen Catholic School K-8

For grades 9-12, most residents attend John Adams High School in nearby Ozone Park, Specialty High Schools, such as Beach Channel High School in Rockaway Park or Catholic High Schools.

Howard Beach 1986 incident

Howard Beach gained some national attention on December 20, 1986 when three African-American men were assaulted by local teenagers: William F. Bollander, Harry J. Buonocore, Salvatore DeSimone, Scott Kern, Jason Ladone, Jon L. Lester, Michael A. Pirone, James M. Povinelli, Robert D. Riley and John Saggese [Ravo, Nick. "12 Defendants In Attack Case: A Diverse Group." "The New York Times", 11 February 1987.] [Fried, Joseph P. "5 in Racial Case Refuse to Testify In Second Trial." "The New York Times", 22 June 1988.] . Thomas Gucciardo, one of the 12 accused in this case, was later acquitted. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?query=Thomas+Gucciardo&date_select=full&srchst=nyt Howard Beach Man, 19, Cleared] , "New York Times", July 15, 1988] One of the victims, Michael Griffith, was killed when a passing motorist's car ran over him on the Belt Parkway as he was attempting to flee from the pursuers. It was one of the three random killings of African Americans by white mobs which provoked a wave of ethnic tension in New York City during the 1980s. The other victims were Willie Turks and Yusuf Hawkins.

2005 incident

Another incident took place on June 29, 2005, when three African-Americans, who went to Howard Beach to steal a car, were attacked with baseball bats. One of them was injured seriously enough to be hospitalized, and two arrests were made in the case. The convicted assailant, Nicholas "Fat Nick" Minucci, had claimed that the victims had attempted to rob him. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/323933p-276884c.html Howard Beach 'bias' attack: Accused bat-wielding thug arraigned on hate crime charge] , "New York Daily News", June 30, 2005.] On June 10, 2006, Minucci, 20, who uttered a racial epithet during the baseball bat attack, was found guilty of the racially motivated assault and robbery of Glenn Moore. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/10/nyregion/10howard.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1149912000&en=b9dd3dc9448626eb&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin Batsman Convicted of Howard Beach Hate Crimes] , "The New York Times", June 10, 2006.] On July 17, 2006, Minucci was sentenced to 15 years in prison. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/435995p-367337c.html Fat Nick gets 15 years] , "The New York Daily News," July 18, 2006.]

2007 incident

Another incident took place on Halloween night 2007, when a confrontation between minority youths from Brooklyn and white locals resulted in two injured white teens. What caused the confrontation is not certain, but at 10:00 PM a group of thirty to forty black and Hispanic males chased four white youths into a McDonald's restaurant and assaulted two of them. Joseph Friedman was struck in the head with a broom handle that broke on contact. Friedman was taken to the hospital, where the wound was tended to with seven staples. [ [http://www.timesledger.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18984420&BRD=2676&PAG=461&dept_id=542415&rfi=6 Times Ledger - Attack on white men in Howard Beach may be hate crime: DA ] ] Another victim, Sean Camaratta, was punched in the face and experienced minor injuries. Witnesses reported hearing racial slurs during the attack. Five suspects, Patrick Pugh, George Morales, Victor Tossas, Terrance Scott and Talique Jackson, were later arrested and indicted for assault, menacing and criminal possession offenses. A possible bias motive is still under investigation. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/nyregion/02mbrfs-bias.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Queens: Clash Investigated as Bias Crime] , "The New York Times," November 2, 2007.] The Thursday following the attacks, more than 150 Howard Beach residents marched down 157th Avenue calling for the accused to be charged with hate crimes. [ [http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2007/11/howard_beach_ra.php American Renaissance News: Howard Beach Rally Claims Anti-White Bias ] ] Prosecution efforts were hindered when a police lineup produced one positive identification of Tossas but nothing else and DNA tests of the defendants came back negative. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/12/18/2007-12-18_halloween_attack_raps_may_be_dropped-1.html Halloween attack raps may be dropped ] ] [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/03/27/2008-03-27_negative_dna_tests_weaken_assault_case_a-1.html Negative DNA tests weaken assault case against blacks and Hispanic teens ] ]

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 28,121 people residing in Howard Beach. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 92.5% White, 2.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% African American, 2.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 9.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 49.7% of the population claimed Italian ancestry. 13.9% of the population is foreign-born. The estimated medium household income as of 2007 is $69,800 where houses range between $550,000 and $1,000,000+.

Notable residents (past and present)

*William J. Howard, founder
*Woody Guthrie, folk music legend (son Arlo Guthrie's music is frequently copyrighted to "Howard Beach Music, Inc.")
*Vitas Gerulaitis, professional tennis player [Ararton, Ahrvey. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E3DB1F3BF933A1575AC0A962958260 "Sports of The Times; 'We've Lost Another of Our Kids'"] , "The New York Times", September 20, 1994. Accessed November 3, 2007. "It was the finals of the United States Open, and it was Gerulaitis, out of Howard Beach, Queens, against McEnroe, out of Douglaston, Queens."]
*James Maritato, professional wrestler
* George Martin, played for the New York Giants football team
*John Gotti, mafia boss
*Anthony Indelicato, mobster and son of Alphonse Indelicato
*Vito Antuofermo, former boxer and actor
*Joe Massino, mafia boss [Raab, Selwyn. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E0DA1739F93AA15757C0A9669C8B63 "A Mafia Family's Second Wind; Authorities Say Bonannos, All but Written Off, Are Back"] , "The New York Times", April 29, 2000. Accessed November 12, 2007. "A heavyset man, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds, Mr. Massino lives with his wife, Josephine, in a modest home in Howard Beach, Queens. It is about a block from where his close friend John J. Gotti, the boss of the Gambino family, lived before he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1992 for murder and racketeering."]
*Rick Hearst, soap-opera actor

Maps and aerial photos

References


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