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Why is a Borough President's Grandson Beating Up a Newspaper Boy?
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The Daily News had a short story about the 18 year old grandson of Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro getting arrested. Not only was it Steve Molinaro's third arrest, it was for beating up a newspaper delivery boy. The boy, 14 year old Mark Veras, was delivering papers for the Staten Island Advance, and naturally the Advance has the most thorough coverage. And it's a doozy. These seem to be the chain of events, via the Advance:
- Veras was teaching a 15 year old girl to take over his route; he split his papers in two piles, leaving one pile on a McCormick Place and Parkinson Avenue (where the Advance trucks drop them off) and delivered the others
- When they returned, Steve Molinaro and a friend beat and kicked Veras to the ground
- The girl pushed Molinaro and asked another man, Thomas Rutherford, to stop the fight
- Veras was taken to the hospital, Rutherford told Veras' father, "Maybe he shouldn't have left stuff in front of the house."
- Veras has a brain contusion, bruised lip and 10 stitches
The victim's mother asked, "With his [Molinaro's] record why is he still walking around assaulting people?" Which is a good question - he was charged with stabbing another 14 year old in February and was in another fight in May. Moreover, what the hell is an 18 year old doing beating up 14 year old newspaper boys? The Advance says a special prosecutor from Manhattan will work on the case because the SI DA had worked under grandfather James Molinaro.
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Staten Island Advance
Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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