Screech this! Carmine’s can’t be a GAVONE, our readers say

To the editor,

I cannot believe that Carmine Santa Maria — the “Big Screecher” — would consider himself a gavone, which means crude, ill-mannered, or a low life (“The Screecher is a softee!” June 9).

I lived at Avenue U and W. 10th Street from 1930 to 1940. The real gavones were the fascists who would march from MacDonald Avenue to W. 13th Street on Sundays to glorify “Il Duce” — Italy’s dictator Benito Mussolini. They were an embarrassment to the people of Italian heritage.

On another note, thank you for mentioning retiring Principal Steve Resenblum.

Steve was a student of mine at JHS 228 in Gravesend, as was Councilman Dominic Recchia (D–Coney Island). I like to think I did something right!

Ugo M. Rosiello

Mill Island

Stan’s ‘wrong’

To the editor,

Stanley Gershbein got it wrong again (“Stan: Everyone Won in Wisconsin,” It’s Only My Opinion, July 5) — Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin terminated bargaining rights for most state employees.

This caused a recall election and Walker won. Unions brought us an eight-hour day, a living wage, health benefits, etc. It’s nice to afford food and a place to live. I guess Stan doesn’t agree with that.

Incidentally, the state legislature now has a Democratic majority in the Senate, so Walker won’t be able to destroy the standard of living in Wisconsin anymore than he has already done so.

Jerome Frank

Coney Island

Un-raccoon-cilable

To the editor,

I and others I know are appalled after reading your story, “Residents are scared of their new neighbors — a family of raccoons!” (online, July 3), especially since a 4-year-old girl’s mother fears for her daughter’s life if any of the animals were to attack her.

What got me was the response the woman got after calling 311, which tells me that the city doesn’t care one bit what happens to anyone. Most likely the same response would be received if 911 was called in the event of a raccoon attack.

I suggest the Abrahams file suit against the city if they or their child is attacked by these raccoons. As a mother of two young children, I know how she must feel.

Name withheld upon request

July 4 ‘firesmirks’

To the editor,

There is a very big difference between the 62nd Precinct and the 72nd Precinct, where I live, and it’s not just a matter of digits!

I called the 72nd Precinct early in the morning on July 4 because the illegal fireworks had started in the usual place, where I have heard them every year ever since I moved here about 10 years ago. The police officer I spoke with said, “It’s Fourth of July.” I was very tempted to say, “I know that, dummy, it doesn’t happen on Christmas, or Valentine’s Day.” He said he’d send someone over to check it out. After that, I was out of my apartment for a few hours, but when I returned home the fireworks were going off in full force, and got louder and more frequent through the night into the wee hours of the morning, except for a brief respite when the perps perhaps went to go see big, legit fireworks elsewhere.

There was an amnesty, as in your article (“Duo Makes Explosive Donation,” July 5) noted, but it was for turning in fireworks, not for police ignoring illegal explosives when residents complain. If it’s dangerous to keep them in the precinct, as District Attorney Charles Hynes’ spokesman noted, then someone should pass that word along to the 72nd Precinct. I tried to no avail. Somebody could lose a hand, a finger, or even an eye before they take action.

Thankfully, I won’t be here to see this happen again. I’ll be moving to another state assuredly by July 4 of next year.

Name withheld upon request

Reader’s insight

To the editor,

Your article, “NYPD: We’re not looking into Gerritsen Beach swastika spree” (online, July 12), is only the tip of the iceberg. More evidence exists in that area that would befuddle the mind because it’s obvious, yet not as obvious.

Also, your article, “Inaccessible greenspaces have Ridge activist seeing red” (online July 12) didn’t fall on deaf ears with me — I have a hearing loss and a speech impediment. Education wasn’t accessible to me for various reason, and life still continues to be difficult for me in numerous ways at the age of 51, but my dearly departed mother taught me to accept and befriend all kinds of people who are good.

Amy Kaye

Sheepshead Bay

Youth bandits

To the editor,

Police Commissioner Kelly is correct in his analysis that communities need to do more to prevent gun violence from occurring. However, the city is to blame as well.

Much of the violence can be traced back not only to the homes, but in the public schools as well. Since far too many schools are out of control, the students become more emboldened to create mayhem. With the coming of summer, the usual school violence takes a turn to the streets and worsens to produce guns. That’s not to say that we don’t have a gun problem in some of our schools.

The mayor needs to crack down on school violence. The 600-schools models for the unruly is needed. Instead, he takes every opportunity to blame teachers. He should try teaching with a disruptive child in the room. He’d never forget the experience.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Flag-flog

To the editor,

I can’t help but wonder why your paper found it necessary to place a picture in this paper showing a face painted with the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in an article about an Arab gathering (“Fair brings Arab Americans together,” July 5).

Is this supposed to make the Jews who read this paper get a warm fuzzy feeling towards these people? I don’t think so. I for one am sick of getting this sort of thing shoved in my face.

Diane Hunt

Bay Ridge

Pro-prisoners

To the editor,

The U.S. has the largest per capita inmate population in the world for juveniles and adults. Our country has the highest inmates in the prison system in solitary confinement, which mentally affects inmates, especially inmates diagnosed with mental illness.

Our citizens are the victims of “tough on crime” politicians who use every violent crime as an opportunity to frighten the public into passing legislation that has ultimately made us less safe — 95 percent of all inmates eventually are released into society. Since punishment and not rehabilitation is the goal of our prison justice system, these former inmates return to a life of crime, since the felon law prohibits them from public housing, food stamps, job opportunities. Budget deficits and decreased state revenue due to the recession have caused states to reduce their building of new prisons. California recently had to release non-violent inmates early.

The D-Day is coming when politicians will be voted into office on a policy of intelligent crime reduction policy and the treating of prisoners in our system humanly.

Allan Feinblum

Midwood