Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.: Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.  #Jaspers #Iona #Manhattan #Bronxnews By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14-  Despite the bel...

Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx.

Manhattan, Iona Rivalry Heats up Bx. 

#Jaspers #Iona #Manhattan #Bronxnews

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14-  Despite the below freezing temperature in the Bronx, the strangely late starting time of 10 p.m. and the televising of the Manhattan-Iona game on ESPU, Draddy Gym in Riverdale was sold-out for the latest installment of the men’s basketball rivalry between MAAC powers, the Manhattan Jaspers (12-12, 9-6) and the Iona Gaels (20-6, 13-2) on Friday night.

Manhattan, a college in the Bronx despite its name, last clashed with its northern rival from New Rochelle in the MAAC final on March 14. In that game, Manhattan won the title by edging Iona, 71-68. One year earlier, the Gaels won the MAAC championship after a 60-57 victory over the Jaspers.

Iona entered the game on a six-game winning streak, victorious in 11 of its last 12 contests. Manhattan has only lost one of its eight games on its home court this season, in overtime to Rider. The Jaspers won four of their last five games. Their last game was a second overtime loss to Rider.

It only took the visitors 5:30 to amass a double digit advantage.  Iona’s star junior, A.J. English scored a basket followed by a free throw to give Iona a 17-7 lead at 14:32. English, the son of an NBA veteran of the same name, scored 11 of his team’s first 17. English was the only Gael on last year’s All MAAC First Team and likely will be elected to it again. 

After the Gaels reached its largest lead of the first half, 19-8, at 13:09, the Jaspers, with the support of their fans, followed with an 18-7 scoring run to tie the score at 26 at 6:46. The Jaspers closed the run with 11 unanswered points. Iona dominated the closing minutes of the half with an 11-4 scoring run to take a 37-30 lead. Emmy Andujar, Manhattan’s leading scorer, was the only Jasper in double figures (11) in the half.

With a 7-2 second half start, the Gaels got their largest lead of the game, 44-32, at 15:01. With an extended 20-7 run by the Jaspers, which culminated in a three by perimeter shooting specialist Shane Richards of Manhattan, the Jaspers took their first lead of the contest, 52-51, with 9:16 remaining on the clock.

Iona scored the next seven points to move ahead by six. Manhattan moved to a deficit of only a single point on three occasions during the final minutes of the game until tying the score at 65 with 53 seconds left on an offensive rebound that resulted in a layup by Andujar. The game was decided with 29 seconds to go as English hit a three that broke the tie. It was another three point differential as Iona won 70-67.

The leading scorers were English and Iona freshman Shadrac Casimir with 22 each. The Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, David Laury, scored 11 and grabbed 9 boards. Andujar led the Jaspers with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Ashton Pankey scored 16 and Richards netted 12. 

The Gaels shot with extreme accuracy from the floor, 24 of 46 (52 percent) and from the perimeter, 11 of 18 (61.1percent) contrasted with the Jaspers 25 of 63 from the floor and 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. The game remained exceptionally competitive because the Gaels turned the ball over 21 times while the Jaspers had only 11 turnovers. 

Each team will next play on Sunday afternoon as Manhattan hosts Fairfield and Iona travels to Quinnipiac. 

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Wasted Talent

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Wasted Talent: Wasted Talent St. Ray and Goldman Sachs alum guns down dealer over $35 #NYPD #GoldmanSachs #StRaymonds BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 13- Distri...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Wasted Talent

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Wasted Talent: Wasted Talent St. Ray and Goldman Sachs alum guns down dealer over $35 #NYPD #GoldmanSachs #StRaymonds BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 13- Distri...

Wasted Talent

Wasted Talent

St. Ray and Goldman Sachs alum guns down dealer over $35

#NYPD #GoldmanSachs #StRaymonds

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 13- District Attorney Robert Johnson announces the conviction of Alexis Sanchez for the murder of 42-year-old Stephen Mari. 

Following a two-week long trial and a day-and-a half-long deliberation, a jury on February 11th found Sanchez guilty of: murder in the second Degree (Class A Felony) and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (Class C Violent Felony).

Sanchez was a graduate of St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx and employed as a computer tech at Goldman Sachs.  Sanchez was also a drug addict. But by November 2, 2011 he had been out of that job for a few weeks and looking to score heroin from his regular dealer, Stephen Mari.

Sanchez was going to be $35 short on a $180 drug deal. So he lured Mari into the alleyway between 1523 and 1525 Purdy Street near Parkchester. That is where he took a .380 semi-automatic handgun and shot at Mari eight times, hitting him with six of those bullets, severing his victim’s spleen, intestines, lung, spinal cord, with one of those bullets entering the 42-year-old father’s head and brain. 

The shooter then left his dealer to die in that alleyway, which was just a half block from his old high school. Speeding off in his mother’s SUV, Sanchez would remain at large for another nine months, thinking he had gotten away with murder. Once under arrest, Sanchez gave a video statement to Bronx Assistant D.A. Joshua Gradinger in which he recreated his version of the events with Detective Robert Schlosser of the 43rd Precinct (still from video below).

At trial, Sanchez claimed Mari had kidnapped him because of the money shortfall, that the dealer had pulled a gun, and that he had wrestled it from the much larger man, reluctantly firing eight times. But those facts were refuted by a forensic pathologist who took the stand and other testimony during trial, and ultimately disbelieved by the jury.0

Sanchez faces up to 40 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced on March 6, 2015 before Justice Margaret Clancy, Bronx Supreme Court.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event #NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews BRONX, NEW YORK, ...

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event

#NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 12- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the sentencing of a repeat violent felon, Octavio Rivera, to 17 years behind bars, following a conviction that arose from a dispute over drugs and money.

Walter Romaine wanted to smoke some crack, but he did not want to smoke it alone. So he asked his friend Flossey Samuels to come along to his apartment on Creston Avenue the morning of August 2, 2012.            But they were followed by Rivera – who proceeded to demand Walter’s cash and phone – and when he got it, struck out with a knife.

Flossey, terrified but in control, managed to call 911 for the critically injured Walter Romaine, who, slashed in the face and ear, and stabbed in the chest, would require surgery to repair a punctured lung and torn aorta.

In August of last year Rivera was convicted by a jury of assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony, as well as criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor. 

Before Justice Dominic R. Massaro, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison with five years post-release supervision, after being adjudged a predicate violent felon, a provision of the New York State Criminal Law by which defendants who have been convicted of previous qualifying violent felonies are given tougher sentences than they would normally have gotten. 

This was Rivera’s second violent felony in a prolific life of crime. At age 38, Rivera has spent more time in prison than out during his adult life for a laundry list of crimes, more than two dozen cases adjudicated in the Bronx alone, most involving the criminal possession and sale of drugs, but also including a half-dozen felonies including grand larceny, robbery, harassment, assault and criminal trespass.

But the story does not end there. Although Rivera will be spending the nearly two decades behind bars, Flossey Samuels and Walter Romaine’s stories involve recovery and success.

Flossey, now age 44, admits she was a lifelong drug addict who at times turned to prostitution to feed her habit. After this horrific 2012 incident and drug arrests in 2012 and 2013, she accepted plea agreements that saw her enter TASC, an alternative treatment program for drug offenders. And it worked. Clean of drugs for a year and a half now, she has made a remarkable comeback, making progress on getting her younger children back, working toward her GED, and newly engaged to be married.

Walter Romaine, although still coping with lingering injuries from the horrific attack, also entered drug treatment with equal success. The 39-year-old continues his drug-free progress and is working with a food services company.