The Indian Panorama

Tag: Nassau County

  • The Face off- Suozzi, Mangano blame each other on debt, as they kick off campaign

    The Face off- Suozzi, Mangano blame each other on debt, as they kick off campaign

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Nassau County Executive candidates kicked off their election campaigns with the blame game on County’s debt. The former Nassau County Executive Democrat Thomas Suozzi and Republican County Executive Edward Mangano launched their general election campaign Thursday, September 12, with news conferences in which they blamed each other for accumulating millions of dollars in new debt. Suozzi, a former two-term county executive, accused Mangano of being a “compulsive borrower” who had run the debt to $3.5 billion.

    “We are going to cut up his credit card,” Suozzi said at a news conference in East Meadow as he stood next to an oversized credit card bearing Mangano’s name. “We are going to take away his authority to borrow money.” At a hastily called news conference later in Mineola, Mangano said Suozzi had increased debt by more than $400 million during his time in office from 2002-09, and called him a “compulsive liar.” Mangano, who narrowly defeated Suozzi in 2009, said he cut the county’s overall debt by $2.4 million during his term. “This is a desperate political campaign,” Mangano said. “I am happy to debate the facts in a mature way — not this theatrical performance that he is trying to trick taxpayers with.” Mangano pointed to the 2009 year-end financial statement by County Comptroller George Maragos, a Republican who is running for re-election, that found that Nassau had $3.45 billion in outstanding long-term debt when Suozzi left office.

    That was $400 million higher than when Suozzi took office, according to the documents. Maragos released a similar audit earlier this year stating that Nassau had $3.448 billion in total debt at the end of 2012 — three years into Mangano’s term. Both reports were reviewed by county auditors, Deloitte LLP. Suozzi campaign officials said Mangano’s assessment of the debt under Suozzi includes elements such as borrowing by the Nassau County Tobacco Settlement Corp. that are not related to general long-term county debt. Suozzi said taxpayers should rely on official statements by the county treasurer that are used for bond offerings.

    Those statements, which Suozzi provided to reporters, showed Nassau had $2.958 billion in debt when he left office — a decrease of $255 million from 2001. Debt has reached $3.524 billion under Mangano, according to Suozzi’s documentation. Newsday said Maurice Chalmers, budget director for the independent Office of Legislative Budget Review, declined to comment, noting that he had not reviewed the documentation supporting Mangano’s and Suozzi’s claims. Borrowing requires 13 votes in the county legislature, which under its current makeup includes three Democrats. But, Suozzi said the legislature “bears minimal responsibility” for any new borrowing because it’s the county executive who lays out Nassau’s long-term financial vision. Also Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, after an appearance in Montauk, declined to weigh in on the race. “We had [primary day] on Tuesday and we’ll see how that shakes out, and what the candidates say and we’ll make the decisions from there,” Cuomo said.

  • Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): The first ever IALI (India Association of Long Island) Cricket tournament finals were held on 08/03/2013 at Cantiague Park, Hicksville. The initial rounds were held on 07/27/2013 at Cantiague Park and seven teams participated whole day in the grand opening ceremony and exciting matches. About 150 fans attended the opening ceremony at which Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was the Chief Guest. Ed Mangano cut the ribbon and opened the newly prepared Cricket pitch in Cantiague Park (Field -T). IALI President Kishore Kuncham opened the games and in his welcome remarks said, “We are making history here today as we host the first cricket tournament and IALI cricket cup in the 37 years history of India Association of Long Island.”


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    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja gives Ed Mangano a lesson in cricket playing. President of IALI Dr. Kishore Kuncham is seen behind the wickets

    The Hicksville Cricket Club and Long Island Connections emerged as final teams. All the initial matches were 12 over rounds. Semi finals and Finals were 15 over matches. On 08/03/2013, the finals were held between Long Island Connections and Hicksville Cricket Club. At the end of the 15 overs HCC scored 58 runs with the loss of 9 wickets. LI Connections started chasing the moderate score but lost their first wicket in the very first over. But then the batsmen took control of the game and ended with a score of 59 runs in 13.2 overs with a loss of 7 wickets. Thus the Long Island Connections won the first ever IALI Cricket 2013 Tournament. Dr. Kishore Kuncham President, IALI congratulated both the teams and thanked the county officials for their support in providing and preparing the cricket pitch and also thanked community leaders for their efforts. He also commended and appreciated the dedication of Mr. Enjapuri Jayaprakash, IALI Sport Chair and the Executive Committee of IALI for their support and hard work in organizing the tournament successfully.

  • Nikki Haley wants Indian companies to open shops in S Carolina

    Nikki Haley wants Indian companies to open shops in S Carolina

    CHARLOTTE (TIP): South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said she is keen on working with Indian private sector to help set up manufacturing facilities in her home state. She said India has made great strides in manufacturing and technology and would welcome Indian industrialists to set up facilities that would help create more jobs. “I am in touch with Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao in this connection and hopefully very soon something would turn out,” she said. Haley encouraged fellow Indian- Americans to run for elected office in large numbers to make a better America and give it back to the nation that helped shaped their destiny. She is seeking another term as governor and has announced that she is contesting again.

    The contribution of Indian-Americans in the field of medicine, law, academics, science and technology was phenomenal and now its time for them to serve the nation entering politics, she added. “We have to see how much our parents have sacrificed in this country and how much our parents went through in the formative years. Its only our generation could push beyond what they did and make our voices heard as well in the right corridors of power.” Answering questions on the large number of Indian-Americans in fray in different states at different levels including three Indian-Americans running for office in Nassau County near New York City, Haley said the contribution of Indian- Americans She was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina on Jan 20, 1972, to an Indian Sikh family – Dr. Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa who immigrated from Amritsar district in Punjab.

    Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina. At the age of 41, Haley is the youngest current governor in the United States. She is one of two sitting Indian- American governors in the US, the other being fellow Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. She is also the third person of color elected as governor of a Southern state, after Viriginia’s L. Douglas Wilder and Louisiana’s Jindal She was later joined on Monday by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in her re-election campaign at Greenville, South Carolina. Nikki Haley rose from obscurity after winning a crowded Republican primary in 2010. She won by less than 5 percent of the vote in the Nov 2010 general election Political experts expect her to face the same Democrat she defeated in 2010. She is also one of the national Republican Party’s most promising rising stars. She is smart and serious about policy and a charismatic campaigner who dresses stylishly and can deliver barbed attacks with a smile.

  • A South Asian American Community Fundraiser for Adam Haber

    A South Asian American Community Fundraiser for Adam Haber

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Adam Haber found himself surrounded by a group of warmhearted South Asian Americans at a fundraiser for him at a Hicksville Restaurant on August 18. Speaking on the occasion Haber said he valued the support of the South Asian American community, in particular, the Indian American community. He said he knew if he could get 70% votes of the South Asian community, he will win.

    He called upon the gathered community leaders to support him. He said he was aware of the needs of the community, and, if elected, he would be very happy to address their concerns, including the one about having an India House in Nassau County. Explaining why he was running for County Executive’s position, he said, “I’m running for County Executive because we can do better than the status quo and make county government work again for Nassau families. As a Democrat I know that our government can serve our community efficiently and effectively.” “I’m running in the September 10th Democratic Primary for Nassau County Executive because our community deserves better. New ideas. New solutions”, he added. Haber has spent his career making smart investments in the private sector.

    He says about himself, “After graduating Cum Laude from SUNY Albany where I studied Business and Economics, I built a successful career trading commodities. I was also Managing Director of the commercial real estate firm SKB in Portland, OR, and have recently competed my Masters Degree in Political Science at LIU Post. I now own two restaurants, the critically acclaimed Aldea in Manhattan, as well as the newly opened Lula in Mineola, NY. “I am dedicated to common sense government, the expansion of business and industry in Nassau County, and providing essential services to its citizens. Please visit the website I created, NassauSuggestionBox.com, that encourages the public to propose problem-solving ideas, and to discuss and vote on the issues that matter most in Nassau. By harnessing the intellectual capital of concerned citizens, we can find ideas that save real money for all taxpayers.” Those who spoke on the occasion included Garry Brar, Bittoo Sidhu and Sanjeev Jindal. They pledged the group’s support to Haber and expressed their gratitude to all but in particular to Jarnail Singh of Atlantic Cash & Carry, Lakhwinder Singh Pappy and Ramesh Saini.

  • 2nd India Day Parade Of Hicksville : A Show Of Strength

    2nd India Day Parade Of Hicksville : A Show Of Strength

    HICKSVILLE,NY (TIP): The 2nd India Day Parade USA, in Hicksville, was taken out Sunday, August 11, 2013 under a benign Sun god who was pleased to bathe the participants in His silver light. Mercury hovered at around 80 but the heat was not oppressive, and let people venture out in thousands. There was enthusiasm writ large on the faces of the people who had come out to celebrate India on a fine August day.

    The route from Patel Plaza on South Broadway to the destination in front of Asa Mai Hindu temple saw the presence of hordes of people who chose to stay at one point to look at the passing parade. At the head of the parade that started from Patel Plaza around 1 P.M. were the Grand Marshal Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley, the not so well known film artist from Bollywood Aarti Chhabria, and the ever present and cherubic Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, legislators, judges, officials, among others.

    The parade with 17 ( as per list provided by the organizers) tastefully decorated floats and people in varied clothes from formals to casuals looked impressive all along. It moved on South Broadway across Old Country Road to North Broadway and terminated in the open grounds in front of Asa Mai Hindu temple where a stage was erected to showcase guests and deliver comments.

    A little ahead one could get the ambience of an Indian fair, with 32 stalls (as per list provided by the organizers) selling or displaying all kinds of ware from food of different varieties to jewelry and modern gadgets, mostly cell phones and notebooks. On a specially erected spacious stage, singers and dancers performed to the great delight of the audiences who took the day long cultural program as a rare gift in their otherwise daily struggle for making money for today and tomorrow, for here and for back home.

    Certainly, a relief to most people who hardly ever find time for such exotic cultural extravaganza. The performances rightly drew the applause of an appreciative audience. The BQ girls as also the Punjabi folk dancers drew repeated applause. DJ Kutcha, as usual, was at his best. Not only did he play the right tunes, he played the master of ceremonies with aplomb.

    This young Sikh will go far should he continue to be so amiable and alert The Indian Panorama spoke with a number of gathered people to elicit their comments on the parade. Most felt happy to be at the parade. Nobody complained of any mismanagement or inconvenience. They all seemed to be satisfied with arrangements to provide water all along the route. Though we have recordings of their comments, we will not be able to publish them all here.

    However, we are grateful to all we spoke with for their cooperation. Here are the pictures of some we spoke with. The common moan was the organizers downplayed the contribution of their benefactors. They did not recognize all the companies, businesses, organizations who had paid handsome amounts for each float. They were naturally disappointed that their contribution had not been recognized. In stead, “those in the good books of the organizers were not only mentioned or recognized, some were extolled to skies”, some said.

    Certainly, a discriminatory attitude and practice, unworthy of a public organization. The promised Parade journal in which many had paid handsome money to advertise never showed up, to the disappointment of many advertisers I spoke to. One gentleman, upon condition of anonymity, told me he was expecting the journal to be distributed amongst thousands at the parade which would have brought him return for the amount he had invested in advertising but was disappointed. He said it amounted to cheating.

    A journalist was upset to find that the promised plaques were not presented to the media. He said he had no plans to stay back until 3 P.M. but thought he would pick up his plaque. He wondered at the casualness of the organizers.

    Whatever else, the India Day parade, the idea of which was conceived by a couple of residents of Long Island some 2 years ago, is believed to have been hijacked by Bobby Kumar, aka Karan “Bobby” Kumar, (I have heard many people naming the Hicksville India Day Parade “Bobby Parade”) a man who had risen from utter poverty in India and in USA to become a symbol of Indian American power and prosperity in the nineties and who then committed, in 2001, a mistake of faking his kidnapping for which he pleaded guilty and paid a fine to avoid a jail term.

    That is part of the history now. He was written off by most people, including some of his friends. But Bobby rose, like phoenix from ashes, and repositioned himself in body social and political. I must admit, my admiration for the man grew, when I found him parading dozens of judges at event after events to sing his praises.

    I wondered there must be something extraordinary in the man that judicious judges choose to attend his events. The Nassau County officials appear to be under his magic spell; not to speak of the lesser Indian American community leaders who probably find in Bobby a model to emulate. And surely, while others who contributed to the founding of the 2 year old India Day Parade USA sulk at being pushed back and ignored, Bobby Kumar enjoys his resurrection, albeit, with the hard work, imaginative planning and dedication of many.

    It reminds me of Shakespeare’s words in Julius Caesar that may aptly express the feelings of many who are envious of Bobby, “Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus; and we petty men walk under his huge legs, and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves.” Nearer our times and area of common experience, it reminds me of the gang war in Mumbai, depicted so beautifully in many Bollywood movies, particularly in Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya, where gangs fight to edge each other out to have control over human and material resources with a view to wielding power.

    They fight with brawn and brain. And here you witnessed a chessboard fight with brain alone which eliminated nearly all and left one and only one Bobby to claim the crown. Is there another Bobby Kumar?

  • Maragos projects $5.6M surplus for Nassau

    Maragos projects $5.6M surplus for Nassau

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): County Comptroller George Maragos on Wednesday, August 7, projected Nassau will end the year with a $5.6- million cash surplus, primarily because sales taxes are coming in higher than projected, says a Daily News report.

    However, Maragos said he expected the county’s financial control board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, to determine that Nassau will finish 2013 with a $119.6 million deficit because the control board discounts one-time cash payments and other nonrecurring revenues. Maragos in his midyear budget report projects a surplus even though he expects the county to use operating funds, instead of borrowing, to pay $30 million in police termination costs and $35 million in property tax refunds.

    County Executive Edward Mangano had proposed borrowing to pay both expenses, but a spokeswoman said Wednesday the administration is open to further discussions. “The county economy has been able to rapidly recover from superstorm Sandy and continues to grow faster than neighboring counties and the national economy,” Maragos said in a news release. “This economic growth has increased sales tax revenues . . . while the administration has kept a tight rein on costs.”

    Maragos projects an overall 7.2 percent increase in sales tax revenues this year over last, compared with a less than 5 percent increase included in Nassau’s current $2.8 billion budget. But NIFA member Chris Wright said, “It’s not a surplus unless revenues, which don’t include borrowing, exceed expenditures. And it doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen. In fact, it appears that the deficit will once again be a multiple of our control-period trigger amount.”

    State law calls for NIFA controls when the county’s deficit exceeds 1 percent of its budget. The county charter directs Maragos to prepare a midyear budget report by the end of July. Maragos’ spokesman Jostyn Hernandez said the report was delayed because of changing budget risks following recent borrowing decisions by NIFA and the county legislature. “George Maragos’s creative accounting cannot hide the truth that the county’s finances are in crisis,” said former Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman, a Democrat challenging Republican Maragos’s re-election bid this fall. “This report is late and laughable.”

  • Kannada Koota’s 40th Anniversary: Hamsalekha Enthralls

    Kannada Koota’s 40th Anniversary: Hamsalekha Enthralls

    NEW YORK (TIP): Kannada Koota’s 40th anniversary celebration – considered a landmark in the history of Kannada Koota in New York – was held for the first time in Long Island, New York at the newly built Madison Theater, Molloy College. This was a unique event held in the multicultural and financial capital of the world, New York. For the very first time, many of the local U.S. dignitaries were invited and honored. The inauguration program was started after a combination of Indian and Continental breakfast.

    The Indian Consul General in New York Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay was the chief guest of the occasion. George Margos, Comptroller of Nassau County, Judge Peter Skelos, Judge New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Tom Suozzi former Executive of Nassau County, Prakash M. Swamy, president of American Tamil Association, Dr. Kishore Kuncham, President of Indian Association of Long Island, Bobby Kumar and Kamlesh C. Metha – community leaders, George Abraham, chairman of Indian National Overseas Congress, Amarnath Gowda, Dr. S. Rajoor – Kannada leaders; Syed Zahid, Nassau County Human Rights Commissioner and Dr. Yelleshpur Jayaram were among the guests present on the occasion.

    Many past presidents of KKNY were also honored. The inaugural program began with a welcome by Sanketha Geete -KKNY’s anthem – and U.S. National Anthem. President Dr. B. R. Surendra gave an introduction on the past four glorious decades of Kannada Koota and welcomed all the guests. The program was traditionally inaugurated by all the honorary guests by lighting the sacred lamp.

    While this happened, Committee Members sang Kannada Geethe, highlighting the lighting and praying for world peace. Mulay commenced his speech in Kannada and praised the richness of the Kannada language, culture and emphasized the culture of India as a whole. He praised the contributions and dedication of Kannada leaders to this land of opportunity. All the guests were honored traditionally with Mysore Peta (hat) and shawl. The chief guest George Margos spoke about his experience with Indians and his visit to Bengaluru, and appreciated KKNY’s contributions.

    Judge Peter Skelos addressed the audience by appreciating Kannada community for bringing a splendor of culture to Molloy. The Afternoon session of cultural extravaganza began with a presentation of Kannada Koota by Dr. Surendra, followed by Bharatnatyam and group dance by KKNY children. A cultural ambassador from India H. S. Murali presented a documentary – tribute to one of the greatest singers of Karnataka, Dr. P. B. Srinivos. Lunch was greeted with an authentic South Indian cuisine followed by a program to felicitate all who gave a hand in preparing the event.

    The highlight of the day was the sensational music concert by Nadabramha Hamsalekha and associates, who came from Bengaluru. The group presented a special program exclusively designed for KKNY: “Shanti Nudi Kannada, Clear Nuclear.” Kannada Koota honored Hamsalekha with the title of “Sahitya Sangeetha Sambhrat.” A wonderful program designed by Kannada Koota “Karnataka Express,” a dance-drama highlighting the unique cultures of the different regions of Karnataka, which was seen by passengers traveling in a train all over Karnataka.

    A hilarious drama from Connecticut members made everyone laugh until their stomachs hurt. Dinner was served with North Indian style cuisine. During the breakout sessions at the projection hall, a few presentations and a few award winning short-films were shown. The grand-finale of the day was by sensational Raghu Dixit and band that enthralled the audience.

  • Groundswell Of Support For Tom Suozzi

    Groundswell Of Support For Tom Suozzi

    Democrats confident of regaining Nassau County Executive Position
    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): If Tom Suozzi wins in the race for the position of Nassau County Executive in November it will be the third time in the history of the County that a Democrat will be heading it. The County has been a bastion of Republicans ever since it was created in 1938.

    It was only in early seventies that Judge Nickerson, a democrat was elected the Executive and again in 2001 it was Tom who wrested it from the Republicans. It remains to be seen if Tom will be able to repeat the feat. However, there are quite a few pointers to suggest a democratic win in November elections. First, the number of registered Democrats has gone up in the last ten years.

    There are 83,000 more registered Democrats in Nassau County, while there are more than 16,000 fewer Republicans since the last elections. As of April, 2013, there were 371,557 registered Democrats in Nassau County and 332,036 registered Republicans, a clear yawning gap of 39,521. Two, the steadily increasing numbers of immigrants in to the County have created a larger support base for Democrats.

    Majority of immigrants have always been known to be pro Democrats, a fact explained by the dominance of Democrats in workers unions which have a large presence of immigrants. Three, while the present Executive Edward Mangano has been very active and very much in news too, he has been with only smaller groups of upper middle classes and upper classes. He has had hardly any contact with the majority of people below.

    True, he could raise a lot of money and believe me, it is a lot of money the accounts of which were published in an earlier issue of The Indian Panorama but he has not been able to pull voters. And it is the voters who will count not the fat purses when it comes to electing the next chief executive. The fundraiser for Tom Suozzi at Mint Restaurant, Garden City on July 11 was ample indication of his popularity with the South Asian community.

    The large numbers and the representation of diverse sections left no one in doubt that the challenger had arrived. There is a groundswell of support for Tom Suozzi. Amongst the gathering were the best known faces of South Asian community, politicians and officials. Supervisor Jon Kaiman, NYS Asst. Comptroller Joe Galante and Viviana Russell were present to lend their support.

    Tom said the enthusiasm of voters and the wide support of his friends and well wishers give him the confidence that he would win. He said earlier 3 I’s were important in American politics which stood for Israel, Italy and Ireland and now there were 4 R’s. The fourth I, he said stood for India.

    Speaking about the fundraiser, he said it was because of the populous support that he had raised more money than Mangano in the last four months. He thanked all for their commitment and support to him.

  • Remodeled Antuns by Minar hosts Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Hicksville, NY

    Remodeled Antuns by Minar hosts Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Hicksville, NY

    NEW YORK (TIP): The newly-renovated Antuns by Minar in Hicksville, New York hosted singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for a media night recently. The well-attended media event saw a brief performance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, ahead of his June 15 concert in NY. The cavernous ballroom of Antun’s by Minar saw the cream of the Long Island Indian American community, along with South Asian media, mingling informally with the maestro and his hosts, Rajeev Maini, Inder Singh and Gurvinder Sahni, the new owners of Antun’s by Minar.

    Following media interviews, the singer, his entourage and the sponsors, including Asif Jamal, vice president of sales and marketing at ARY Digital USA, addressed a press conference, recounting how the maestro enjoyed coming to the US while performing more than 60 shows in the past few years. “I try to ensure my music binds people from India and Pakistan,” he said. Khan also revealed during the press conference that he was working diligently on launching Khan Music Academy in the US.

    Introducing Khan, Rajeev Maini said that he could not imagine a better beginning for Antun’s by Minar than by hosting Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

    “Just like Mr. Khan, we want to be known for our hard work, creativity and integrity,” Maini said, adding “Antuns by Minar is a dream for my partners and myself, and we are here to succeed, with your support and well wishes.” Antun’s by Minar is co-owned by Inder Singh (Neetu), who has run Minar and Benares and several other successful restaurants for more than 30 years, and is considered a veritable stalwart among Indian restaurateurs in New York.

    The media night with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at Antuns by Minar was created and managed by India One and EEG Talent, both New York-based sister companies specializing in PR, marketing, talent and event management. Antun’s by Minar, Indya One and EEG Talent have recently teamed up to frequently bring Bollywood celebrity events to the New York area.

  • Thank you, Governor

    Thank you, Governor

    New Yorkers must be grateful to Governor Cuomo for announcing on Ju ly 2 the formation of the “Commission to Investigate Public Corruption” under the Moreland Act and Executive Law Section 63(8) to probe systemic public corruption and the appearance of such corruption in state government , political campaigns and elections in New York State. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman needs to be thanked for his assertion of commitment to deal firmly with matters of public corruption .

    He announced he will appoint the members of the Commission as Deputy Attorneys General. giving the Commission broad-based authority to investigate all matters that “involve public peace , public safety, and public justice .” The Indian Panorama welcomes the setting up of the commission and the pronouncements of the Governor and the Attorney General. In fact , we thank the duo for initiating measures to curb political corruption in the State. In fact, a couple of months ago, we had raised in the columns of The Indian Panorama the issue of corruption in fundraising for Nassau County officials and the Attorney General had taken note of the comment and assured us that he “will certainly keep these comments in mind as I continue to fight for your rights , and policies that will benefit all New Yorkers”. That was on May 20, 2013. We are happy to note that a serious effort to curb political corruption is being made and would like to wish Governor Cuomo and Attorn ey General Schneiderman all success.

  • The Executive’s Club

    The Executive’s Club

    Unfortunately for Mangano’s opponents in the county executive race, the large amounts of money given to Mangano and the Hicksville club have already been spent. By the time Andrew Cuomo’s Campaign Finance Bill passes, Mangano could be well on his way to a second term as county executive.
    Standing at a podium in a garish banquet hall at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Long Island, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano is giving a speech in acceptance of an “Achievement in Crisis Communication” award for his handling of Superstorm Sandy. Mangano is equal parts charismatic and self-assured; his boyish smile is a magnet for the cameras, and traces of a Long Island accent give him a comforting authenticity as not just another politician in a suit but “one of the guys.”

    As the details the importance of “having a plan” to tackle unexpected natural disasters, it is clear he excels at these sort of events-more at ease playing the role of the glad-handing, schmoozing public official than policy wonk. “He’s very visible. He’s all over,” said former Assemblyman Jerry Kremer, who represented parts of Nassau County. “He doesn’t miss an opportunity to project his image. It’s campaign season in Nassau County, and the county executive seat is up for grabs.

    Democrats hope to win it back from Mangano, a Republican, after losing it to him in a stunning upset by a razor-thin margin in 2009. Back then Mangano was a relatively unknown county legislator given virtually no chance of toppling the prominent twoterm incumbent, Thomas Suozzi, whose attention was already focused past his reelection bid and on to higher office. According to Nassau County political observers, at the time Mangano was seen as “the last guy in the room” who could win, and dismissed as an empty suit with no real credentials or public policy to hang his hat on.

    A Siena College poll taken just weeks before the election found that only 32 percent of voters would cast a ballot for him if the election were held that day, compared with 54 percent for Suozzi. But as the Democrats learned on Election Day, those numbers did not reflect a countywide anti-incumbent sentiment, anger at Nassau’s mounting fiscal crisis and Mangano’s compelling personal narrative-putting himself through college by working as a high school janitor.

    After a lengthy recount Mangano prevailed, winning by a mere 386 votes out of the over 230,000 ballots cast. As leader of the county over the past three and a half years, Mangano has received mixed reviews. After inheriting a nearly $133 million deficit from his predecessor, Mangano immediately set out to streamline the county government, slashing a large number of county jobs, especially managerial positions. At the same time, though, he cut energy and property taxes, putting the county into a position where it had to balance its budget with “one-shot” borrowing.

    As a result, in 2011 the Nassau Interim Finance Authority voted unanimously to take over control of the county’s finances, citing the deficits the county was running. “How much of [Nassau’s fiscal situation] you can ascribe only to the economy, how much of it was Suozzi not paying attention the last year or two and how much Mangano can blame Suozzi for the economy, it’s a very difficult thing to separate,” said a source knowledgeable about Nassau County politics who asked to remain nameless so as not to antagonize the county executive. “Mangano did take some steps to rein in spending.

    The workforce is smaller, but he had to eat the young by pushing off expenses, and by negotiating contracts that have big payouts down the road.” Yet as his “Crisis Communication” award demonstrates, Mangano was widely praised for his steady hand in guiding the county through the immense challenges and destruction of Superstorm Sandy, and it is safe to say that his fortitude amid that trying time remains fresh in the minds of voters.

    His approval rating, at 45 percent before Sandy, improved to 51 percent in January, the high mark of his tenure. But while the narrative of Mangano as the calm at the center of the storm is compelling as a campaign optic, recent revelations indicate that Mangano may have exploited Sandy for his own ends. In the wake of the storm, various contractors and subcontractors who contributed heavily to Mangano’s campaign account received lucrative contracts from the county for performing such jobs as debris removal and general cleanup.

    Moreover, in addition to donating to Mangano, some of these contractors gave significant sums of money to a small political club in the hamlet of Hicksvillethe Hicksville Republican Club-run by Mangano’s chief deputy county executive, Rob Walker. According to numerous documents and campaign finance records, the Hicksville club appears to have served as a proxy fundraising vehicle for Mangano’s campaign.

    Wealthy donors, including individuals who have relationships with or are employed by Nassau County, and companies that contract with the county, have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Republican club since Mangano and Walker took office. This money subsequently appears to have been spent on several lavish fundraising and campaign events, including for a $200,000 luxury suite at MetLife Stadium and highend golf outings at destination courses like Myrtle Beach.

  • A History of Patronage

    A History of Patronage

    The apparent rewarding of family members and associates of county officials with patronage jobs and county contracts has been endemic to Nassau County dating back to the reign of former county Republican leader Joseph Margiotta. Famous for rewarding loyalty by recommending party supporters for political patronage jobs on municipal payrolls, Margiotta served as a mentor to such successful Nassau Republicans as former U.S. Sen.

    Alfonse D’Amato and current state Senate Majority Coalition Leader Dean Skelos. Multiple sources with knowledge of Nassau County politics maintain that D’Amato enjoys a good relationship with Mangano. Campaign finance disclosure reports show that D’Amato contributed $2,500 to Mangano’s campaign in 2011. According to a Newsday report, wellknown Republican Party supporter Robert McBride, the vice president of D’Amato’s lobbying firm, Park Strategies, held a fund-raiser for Mangano at his home in Hicksville in 2011.

    Later that year Veolia Transportation, a company represented by Park Strategies, won a large contract from the county to run Long Island Bus. Veolia subsequently donated $4,790 to Mangano’s campaign in 2012. In April 2013, a report from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics named Park Strategies the highest-grossing lobbying firm on Long Island.

  • Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker

    Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker

    “Ed had never managed anything. He was not town supervisor or mayor, and some felt [Mangano] should’ve brought in somebody who had done that,” said an expert in Nassau County politics who asked not to be identified so as not to offend the county executive. “Rob was an assemblyman; you don’t manage anything as an assemblyman.

    ” Multiple sources with knowledge of the inner working of county politics contend that the power dynamic between Mangano and Walker is this: Mangano is the figurehead for the county, the public official who attends the ribbon cuttings and public events, while Walker pulls the strings behind the scenes. As Mangano’s co-pilot and top deputy, Walker appears to be utilizing his network of connections to wealthy and connected donors to fill the Hicksville Republican Club’s coffers.

    Many of the people who have contributed to the club include individuals who have had long-standing relationships with Nassau County, some of whom are employed by the county or who have been contracted by it to provide various services. In April 2012, Aly and Keith Lizza-vice president and general manager, respectively, of Carlo Lizza & Sons Pavingcontributed a total of $90,000 to the Hicksville committee. Their company later received $4 million in contracts from the county to assist in tree removal and other miscellaneous post-Sandy work.

    The single largest donation to the club in 2012 was $50,000 from James Hagedorn, the CEO of Scott’s Miracle-Gro and a board member, along with Walker, of the Friends of Sands Point Preserve, which manages the property. In a report by Newsday in September 2012, Hagedorn indicated he was aware that Hicksville planned to use his contribution to help purchase the luxury box at Giants Stadium, saying he thought it was a smart way to “build financial horsepower.”

    Other large contributions to the committee include $10,000 from former MTA and Port Authority board member David Mack, currently the assistant Nassau police commissioner, and $25,000 from Donald Codignotto, whose brother, Robert, is also an assistant police commissioner with the county. The committee also received $10,000 from Joanne Smith, a secretary and treasurer of Standard Valuation Services who is married to its president, Matthew Smith.

    Standard Valuation Services is a property appraisal company that has been contracted several times by Nassau County since 2010, the year Mangano took office. Frank Intagliata, an employee with the county Office of Purchasing, contributed $4,000, while Michael Sposato, the acting Nassau County sheriff, contributed $3,500 to the Hicksville club. With the exception of Mack and Codignotto, none of these donors returned phone calls from City & State.

    When asked about the nature of his relationship with the committee and his reason for his contribution, Codignotto responded, “No comment.” Mack, who now runs a real estate company based in New Jersey, said that his contribution wasn’t solicited by Mangano or Walker, and that “there was a cause involved,” though one he could not recall. “It has nothing to do with [Mangano’s] campaign, not at all,” Mack said. “I wasn’t solicited for it.

    I heard they were raising money. You can see I give a lot of money to a lot of different friends. They were shocked and thanked me very much, and that’s it. I hope Mangano wins.” These donors were not the only ones with problematic ties to Mangano. An Associated Press report found that Friends of Ed Mangano received $144,000 in donations from Sandy contractors in the weeks after they were hired by Nassau County. Many of the companies that gave to Mangano’s campaign also contributed $6,000 to the Hicksville committee, and some of these companies’ high-ranking employees have close familial relations with county officials.

    For instance, Dejana Industries, a sanitation fi m, gave $12,575 to Mangano’s campaign, and a subsidiary, Dejana Truck and Equipment Company, gave $550 to the Hicksville committee. Mangano’s brother, John Mangano Jr., is the director of business development and municipal sales director for Dejana Industries. Dejana was one of the county’s Sandy contractors, receiving $36,288 for a “fuel truck rental.”

    Among the other contractors that contributed to the Hicksville club was Nelson & Pope Engineers, a surveying and engineering firm that previously employed Walker as a project manager and currently employs Walker’s wife, Elizabeth, as an administrative assistant. On September 12 of last year, Nelson & Pope made separate contributions of $425 and $700 to the Hicksville club. The firm also contributed $5,895 to Friends of Ed Mangano from 2010 to 2012.

    After Sandy hit in late October, Nelson & Pope received a $400,000 contract to assist in tree and debris removal at various sites throughout the county. Grace Industries, a company that services roads and highways, donated $1,000 to Hicksville and $13,000 to Mangano, while the company’s chairman, William Haugland, also made a $2,612 inkind contribution that was not itemized in Mangano’s filings. Grace Industries received two contracts for Sandy cleanup totaling $8 million.

    John and Anthony Gulino, owners of surveying and engineering company Laser Industries, gave a $13,000 in-kind contribution to Mangano, as well as $1,000 to the Hicksville club. Laser Industries received up to $6 million in contracts for Sandy work, according to the Associated Press. Yet another company, 192 Branch Interior Services, gave only $150 to the Hicksville committee but $5,000 to Friends of Ed Mangano.

    The company was awarded a $1 million contract to assist in the removal and disposal of water from various sites in the county. No one from these companies responded to requests for comment. Lastly, between 2011 and 2012 CSM Engineering contributed $5,375 to Friends of Ed Mangano, and $600 to the Hicksville committee in 2012. The firm is owned by Carolyn Shah Moehringer, sister of Shila Shah-Gavnoudias, the commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works, the body responsible for procuring contracts for the design, construction, repair, maintenance and cleaning of all the streets and bridges in the county.

    CSM was one of the companies to receive an emergency contract for tree and debris removal after Sandy, in the amount of $250,000. In response to an inquiry from City & State, Shah-Gavnoudias wrote in a statement that recovering from Sandy “was the chief factor in securing all contracts necessary to restoring functionality and safety to Nassau County.” She should have recused herself in procuring the contract for CSM, she added. “In retrospect, while I recused myself from the technical selection committee I regret any impression created by the signing of a procedural routing slip and Comptroller Approval Form for CSM Engineering,” read Shah-Gavnoudias’ statement.

  • Friends of Mangano

    Friends of Mangano

    The common thread tying together the Hicksville Republican Club and Mangano’s campaign is Rob Walker. How did a relatively unknown former lawmaker rise to his current position of power in Nassau County? One could say he came full circle. One summer, before his political career got off the ground, Walker interned for Mangano in the county Legislature.

    The son of longtime Nassau County politician Rose Marie Walker, who took over Mangano’s seat in the county Legislature after he became county executive, Rob later became an assistant to Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, where he was director of traffic survey and constituent services. After, Walker served for three years as deputy parks commissioner for Oyster Bay before running for the Assembly in a 2005 special election, which he won.

    Walker’s tenure as the assemblyman representing Oyster Bay was of little note, though his lack of accomplishments can be attributed to his being a Republican in the Democrat-dominated Assembly, rather than being a reflection on Walker’s chops as a legislator. In 2008 Walker left the Assembly to run Mangano’s campaign. When Mangano pulled off his unexpected victory over Suozzi, Walker was suddenly in a prime position to play a pivotal role in running Nassau County

  • IALI Presents Pioneer Awards 2013

    IALI Presents Pioneer Awards 2013

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The India Association of Long Island (IALI) held its 34th Annual Awards Dinner Gala on June 9th at the Hilton, Melville, NY. Dr. Kishore Kuncham, President of IALI, in his opening remarks said, “Tonight, we pay tribute to our global change-makers in the Indian-American community.

    We recognize them with the India Association of Long Island Pioneer Award to acknowledge their inspired leadership as they continue to enthuse others, deepen the meaningful work that is already in progress, and advance the common good with the vision of ‘one world family’- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to make the world an even better place. Let us celebrate life as we proudly honor our friends and families and esteemed honorees.”

    The 2013 Pioneer Awards were presented to nine most influential persons in the Indian American community. They included Purnachandra Aramalla, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Business Leadership; Gobind Bathija, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Hussain Baqueri, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Aviation Leadership;. Pavankumar Darisi, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Dr. Arti Datta, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Performing Arts; Mrs. Daman Dutt, Pioneer Award 2013 Young Entrepreneur; Dr. Madhu Korrapati, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Kanwal Sra Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Business Leadership and Sudhir Vaishnav, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Media & Entertainment.

    Dr. Kishore Kuncham, introduced each of the nine honorees highlighting their achievements and contributions to the Indian-American community and their global impact. Congressman Steve Israel and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano graced the evening with their presence and each eloquently addressed the audience. Last, but not the least, there was a special recognition of Arvind Mahankali, the 13 year old Long Island native who recently won the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship.

    Congressman Steve Israel congratulated all the honorees and spoke of his “first hand” experience with the critical relationship between the United States of America and India.. He said it was important to address any challenges and “deepen our ties.” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was warmly introduced by Dr. Kuncham who commended him for his support for many of the key intitatives of IALI.

    He thanked Mangano for the cricket pitch at the Cantiague Park and for agreeing to provide a bus to transport seniors to seniors programs. Most importantly, Dr. Kuncham thanked the County Executive for having his entire team meet with him and his committee to discuss the use of a county facility that could serve as “India House,” a permanent home and a cultural center County Executive Mangano in his remarks said, ” It is the greatest honor to partner with this organization.

    It is my hope that we do come together to get the “India House” done. We have made great progress along the way.” He congratulated all the honorees who have distinguished themselves and stated that it was his honor to join this ceremony to recognize them. On behalf of India Association of Long Island, President Kishore Kuncham presented “Lifetime Achievement” Awards to Congressman Israel and Nassau County Executive Mangano for their vision, outstanding leadership and extraordinary services to the people of Long Island and the Indian-American community.

    Dr. Kuncham thanked everyone for their support with special thanks to the Grand Sponsor of the Year, Salil Zaveri, Zaveri Insurance Co. and all other sponsors. He conveyed sincere appreciation to Gupta, Finance Chair, Mrs. Jharna Jaisinghani, Event Coordinator, and the members of the Executive Council of IALI. The event was emceed by Mrs. Mehar Bhasin and Vibhuti Jha. Mint Restaurant provided a spectacular array of exotic foods.

    A very lively entertainment was provided by Medley Entertainment. A $10,000 donation was announced to support the Interfaith Nutrition Network and Peter Bheddah was thanked for continuing to be a grand sponsor again. Other key partners including Patel Brothers, JHS Capital Advisors, Sagarsoft/Amicus Systems and Media were recognized from the podium. The gathering included people from various walks of life, including politicians and town and county officials.

  • Indian American Night Celebrated

    Indian American Night Celebrated

    LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK (TIP): Indian American Forum Inc. organized the Indian American Night on Sunday June2, 2013 at Harry Chapin lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, Parking Field 6 & 6A. Program started with a Laughter Yoga session sponsored by Arya Samaj of Long Island Kite Flying Festival was a great attraction. Gobind Munjal event cochairperson organized the kite flying competition.

    Children men, women and even grandparents enjoyed flying kites. Jaya Bahadkar Cultural chairperson presented beautiful cultural program reflecting dances from different parts of India. Students from local dance schools participated. Vocal performances by Jyoti Gupta and actor Patel from New Jersey enthralled the audience with their memorable songs This Indian American Night is part of 2013 summer concert series sponsored by Nassau county Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.

    Indian American Night is a showcase of Classical Indian music and folk dances from all regions of India. Nassau County Executive Honorable Edward P Mangano , Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, National Chairman of All American Political Party Bobby Kumar, Chairman of Human Rights Commission Zahid Syed, Human Rights Commissioner Sharanjit Singh Thind, Park Commissioner Mr. Foskey, Deputy Commissioner for community affairs town of North Hempstead Mohinder Singh Taneja, Democratic District Leader from Queens Uma Sengupta and several other elected officials and community leaders were present.

    Nassau County Executive Honorable Edward P Mangano welcomed everyone and commended the Indian American Community for their outstanding achievements. Following members of Indian American community were presented with Nassau County citations. De Ajay Lodha, AAPI, Dr Kishore Kuncham, President India Association of Long Island, Dr Krishna Zaveri, Dr. Nidhi Vohra, specialist in prenatal medicine at NSLIJ Hospital, Dr Binita Shah, well known pediatrician, Mr. Vinod Motwani, member of Long Island Sindhi Association, Sharanjit Singh Thind, publisher of South Asian Insider, Veer Mukhi Founder of Arya Samaj of Long Island and Arvind Mahankali, Winner of Scripps National Spelling Bee.

    Indu Jaiswal Chairperson of IAF thanked all the sponsors and volunteers – Event co-chairperson Gobind Munjal, Bina Sabapathy, Dinesh Khanna, Gunjan Rastogi, Sangeeta Pandit, Anu Gulati, Vijay Goswamy, and Ajay Batra for their help in making the evening extremely successful

  • RAJASTHAN MINISTER INAUGURATES RAJASTHAN CHAPTER OF INOC (I)

    RAJASTHAN MINISTER INAUGURATES RAJASTHAN CHAPTER OF INOC (I)

    NEW YORK (TIP): Rajasthan government Minister for Urban Development and Housing Shanti Dhariwal inaugurated on May 25 Rajasthan chapter of Indian National Overseas Congress (I) at Mint Restaurant in Long Island, New York. Inaugurating the chapter, the Minister said Rajasthan has been making all-round progress in many fields under the able leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

    He said the party is sure to return to power in view of numerous welfare measures undertaken by the Congress government. He took pains to describe various schemes undertaken for the weaker sections and the middle classes. Tom Suozzi, former Executive of Nassau County, in his remarks praised the role of Indian-Americans for their hard work and dedication in making Nassau County a better place to live.

    He introduced four of his running mates of which three are Indian-Americans and the other – an American with an Indian connection and who had worked with Mother Teresa in Kolkata. George Abraham, president of Indian National Overseas Congress (I) who presided over the function said that Rajasthan was the 12th chapter to be formed since the inception of INOC in 2000 and the INOC has become the voice of the Indian Diaspora. He said following the story of the massive victory in Karnataka will surely be repeated in the state elections to be held soon.

    The INOC-I will be playing its part to ensure the success, he said. Shudh Parkash Singh, senior vice president of INOC-I, said the Diaspora Indians will work hard to bring back the Congress to power in federal and state level elections. The Minister honored five prominent personalities – Jagdish Chandra, head of ETV Hindi and Urdu TV channels; Padam Mehta, chief editor and publisher of Manak; Capt. Stanley George of New York Police Department; Kanak Golia, a prominent businessman and Naveen C Shah, CEO of Navika Group of Companies.

    Stanley George was promoted to Captain of New York Police Department (NYPD) in 2007, the largest police department in the world. He is the first Indian Malayalee to reach the position and is currently the only captain of NYPD. After his graduation in Kerala, he migrated to the US and began his career as a civilian accountant in NYPD in 1989. He joined the Police Academy and graduated as police officer – he became Sergeant in 2000, Lieutenant in 2003 and Captain in 2007.

    He had worked in various units such as counterterrorism, criminal justice and patrol service bureau. He was recognized by President APJ Abdul Kalam in New York for his rescue and recovery service during the 9/11 tragedy. Kanak Golia is the president and CEO of Perfume Center of America, a multinational global company he founded in 1993. A wholesale distributor that prides itself on service, its clientele is worldwide.

    The company stocks over 4,000 major designer brands from France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the US. He has been distinguished as a recipient of the Top 10 Asian American Business Awards. Golia grew up in Johdpur, Rajasthan with his brother and three sisters. While managing his father’s business, he continued his academic career in accounting and law and served as Vice President of the Department of Law at the University of Rajasthan.

    Golia also serves as a Board of Trustee of New York Hospital for Queens; he and his wife Prabha Golia are instrumental in developing new cancer center and they were bestowed with Pacesetter Award, New York Hospital’s highest honor. They had established Kanak and Prabha Golia Foundation focused on women’s education, medical care for the disabled and orphanages. Naveen C. Shah is a prominent CPA and President and CEO of Navika Group of Companies, a premier commercial, real estate and hospitality enterprise in the US.

    He is also a partner of accounting and tax associates. Shah migrated to the US in 1982 and became a CPA in 1984. He has served as Board of Director of many professional and banking institutions and had been on the business banking advisory board of Wells Fargo and South Asian Business Advisory Board of Merrill Lynch. He is the founding member and past president of Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA); Indian Association of Long Island (IALI), Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation to name a few.

    Shah founded Navika Capital Group LLC in 2005 with an objective to invest capital in commercial real estate and branded hotels in the US. Under his stellar leadership, the Navika Group has excelled in its performance and currently has substantial real estate and hospitality asset base under its ownership. It has an ownership stake in 43 prime real estate properties including 35 branded hotels in high value markets and is the direct result of Shah’s business acumen. Chandra Prakash Sukhwal, vice president of Rajasthan chapter, said Congress Party had made India a super power in the comity of nations and provided a strong and stable government in the center.

    He said a new slogan “Chalo Rajasthan, Jeeto Rajasthan” has been coined by Rajasthani non- residents to ensure the victory of Congress Party in Rajasthan. Sukhwal was a senior Congress leader who had worked with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi before migrating to the US. Minister was presented Proclamations from Nassau County Chief Executive Edward Mangano and another from New York State Senate by Dilip Chauhan on behalf of the New York State Senator Toby Stavisky. Sushil Goyal, President of Rajasthan chapter of INOC-I welcomed the gathering. Sushma Kotahwala, Secretary, acted ably as emcee of the event.

  • In the Air

    In the Air

    How ethical it is for an administration employee to organize fund raisers for the boss?
    Being discussed these days in Nassau County is an issue that relates to fundraising which has become a favorite pastime of the South Asian community here. Employees with towns and County seem to be vying with each other to organize fundraisers for their bosses. Obviously, to be on the right side and to get favors.

    The question being raised is whether or not this amounts to corruption. And whether or not it is unethical, to say the least.

    May be the New York State Governor and the Attorney General need look in to the issue.

  • India’s Motivational Speaker Jaya Row honored

    India’s Motivational Speaker Jaya Row honored

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): People in large numbers thronged the Nassau County Legislative Chamber in Mineola, May 1, to listen to Jaya Row, one of India’s most renowned and internationally acclaimed motivational speakers. She spoke on How to live life full of success, happiness and objectivity, based on India’s ancient Vedas and Upanishads.

    Row, who renounced a distinguished management career to devote herself full time to the interpretation of Vedanta for the modern generation, was profusely applauded for her study and research of the ancient scriptures of India. Special Citations were issued by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislature, Norma Gonsalves and Senior Councilman of the Town of Hempstead, Tony Santino, to honor the legendary speaker. Mangano, who could not attend because of a prior engagement, deputed Deputy County Executive Phillip Elliott to represent Nassau County. Also recognized as part of the Nari Shakti theme of the event were Raji Kuncham, Nirmala Rametra, Urmilesh Arya, Nimmi Mehta, Anupam Goenka, and Sonia Bhatija, the women behind some of the most successful Indian Americans on Long Island.

    Varinder Bhalla paid tributes to the public officials for their support of the Indian community. “Over the past three and a half years, Ed Mangano has hosted and supported countless Indian cultural events in Nassau County”, said Bhalla. “Mangano has also appointed more Indian Americans to high level positions in his administration than any other County Executive in the entire state of New York.” “Councilman Santino, who helped AWB Food Bank to organize the first Dussehra festival in the United States, later joined hands with Supervisor Kate Murray to start the annual celebration of the Republic Day of India in the Town Hall.” Bhalla also commended the support of Legislator Gonsalves and Deputy County Executive Elliott. The event was organized by Ratna Bhalla and Varinder Bhalla, founders of the AWB Food Bank, and Rakesh Bhargava. Established in 1991, AWB Food Bank has distributed over ten million meals to hungry people in India

  • Tlca Ugadi 2013 Program Held

    Tlca Ugadi 2013 Program Held

    NEW YORK (TIP): Telugu Literary and Cultural Association Ugadi 2013 program held on April 27th, 2013, was a thunderous success, the organizers claimed. The attendance from the Tristate, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut was overwhelming. The hall was packed even after making additional seating arrangement in the balcony. More than 1000 members witnessed the breathtaking program. The tri-state children presented various items like classical dances, songs and some never before items like Veena recital.

    Children of various ages have rendered various items with utmost precision. TLCA conducted TLCA’s Got Talent competition to encourage kids to showcase their talent in this program. Kids have participated in the program very enthusiastically. The winners were announced and prizes were distributed by the cine artists Sri Lakshmi, Hama Chandra and Ankita. The Guests relished the delicious dinner which is always a key for the success of the program.

    Authentic Ugadi pachchadi and Bobbatlu were offered along with the dinner. The post-dinner session had an auspicious start with our generous event donors Mallareddy garu and Mohan Badhey garu lighting the candles. TLCA offered Shradhanjali to the bereaved families of the pastpresidents and members of TLCA. All the members stood in silence praying for peace to the departed souls. State Senator Tony Avella graced the occasion and appreciated the programs conducted by TLCA. He was honored by the event sponsor donors. Edward P. Mangano, Nassau county Executive could not attend the function but sent his greetings.

    The Senator commended the donors for their generosity and presented mementos to the donors for their unstinted support to TLCA. Ticket to India, a dance ballet was presented as a part of TLCA encouragement to the youth. The kids performed excellent and the crowd cheered the performers and choreographers by standing ovation for presenting a wonderful ballet. TLCA’s Annual Souvenir was released by the Senator and the donors. The beautifully designed souvenir received every ones acclamation Later in the program the Stars rocked.

    Comedian Sri Lakshmi, Singers Hema Chandra and Sumangali and Actress Ankita entertained everyone with their performances. The songs, dances by the artists enthralled the audience. A lucky draw was taken and a 40″ LED TV sponsored by Maddipatla Foundation, was presented to the winner. President Krishnasri Gandham thanked all the donors that this would not have been possible without the generous donations from the event sponsors and all the other donors. She also thanked the entire Executive Committee and Board of Trustees for their help and support in organizing the event.

  • IAF Honors Four Indian American Women

    IAF Honors Four Indian American Women

    LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian American Forum gave away Outstanding Women’s Achievements Award to four women in celebration of Women’s History Month. The IAF Second Annual gala to honor the four was held on Thursday March 28 at Stuart Thomas Manor, a prestigious venue, in Farmingdale, Long Island. Kate Murray, Supervisor of Town of Hempstead and a great friend of the Indian American community was the Chief Guest. Outstanding Women’s Achievement Awards were given to Dr Dina Pahlajani, Founder, President of Children’s Hope (Medical and Social Award); Bharti Desai, Past President of Gujarat Samaj NY (Cultural Award); Shammi Singh, Member Board of Directors Nargis Dutt Foundation (Community Services Award); and Deborah Misir, President of the India American Bar Association of LI and Queens (Professional Award). Supervisor Kate Murray’s love of the Indian American community earned her an award.

    Honorees were presented with award from IAF, Citations from Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, Office of Nassau County Comptroller, Indian American Bar Association & Certificates of merit from Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. Supervisor Kate Murray praised the efforts of the Indian American Forum, Indian American Community and reaffirmed that Town of Hempstead will continue with celebrations of India’s Republic Day and other such events. Among the attendees were Town of Hempstead Senior Councilman Anthony Santino, Judge Joy Watson, Judge Eileen Fisher, Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink, Bobby K Kalotee, National Chairman of All America Political Party, Zahid Syed, Chairman , Nassau County Human Rights Commission, Mohinder Singh Taneja, Deputy Commissioner, Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli & Steve Labriola from Nassau County Comptroller’s office. Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of IAF in her remarks congratulated all the honorees and praised their efforts in achieving such successes.

  • Dr. Shakir Mukhi Of Alliance Family Medical Practice Throws A Party

    Dr. Shakir Mukhi Of Alliance Family Medical Practice Throws A Party

    Yet another party in Long Island to bid farewell to Ambassador Prabhu Dayal was hosted by one of the leading Medical practitioners of New York and a prominent member of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Dr. Shakir Mukhi, February 22. The well attended party included Dr. Nazir Maulavi, Mr. Habib, President of Islamic Cultural Center of Long Island, Mr. P. Ali Hazi, Bobby Kumar, Dr. Sunil Mehra, Dr. Dattatreya Nori, Sunil Modi, newly elected President of Association of Indians in America (AIA) Nassau County officials that included Zahid Ali Syed and Editors of newspapers that included, among others, Sharanjit Singh Thind and Prof. Indrajit S Saluja.

    In his address,Mr. Dayal spoke of the strength of the Indian economy that has been growing in spite of worldwide recession. He attributed this growth, in part to the remittances and investments by persons of Indian origin abroad. He congratulated them for being engines of growth of India. He said he was happy to note that Indian Americans had made significant personal progress in their professions and businesses here.

    Some, even, made their mark in politics. He referred also to the valuable contribution that the community was making in promoting friendly relations between India and USA. He said even though the relationship was quite strong and the bond between the countries continue to get stronger there was always need that the Indian American community continued to play its part in further cementing the relationship to the mutual advantage of the two countries- one the largest democracy in the world, and the other, the oldest democracy in the world.

    As for his future plans,Mr. Dayal said he would like to visit places, read and write and play golf. Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Mukhi described Mr. Dayal as one of the most brilliant diplomats he had ever come across. He said of Mr. Dayal that he had earned the admiration and love of community by being sympathetic and helpful to its needs and aspirations. He expressed the gratitude of the entire Indian American community to Mr. Dayal and wished him all happiness in his retired life.

  • An Overhaul Man Gobind Munjal

    An Overhaul Man Gobind Munjal

    Gobind Munjal, a successful Chartered Accountant and CPA by profession has worked as a Senior Vice President of Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions and served on the Board of Directors of the International Division of Tata Group of Hotels in the USA, totaling 30 years of professional services with the renowned Tata Group in various senior leadership positions. During his services with the Tata Group he saved millions of dollars for the company by way of efficient tax structuring of the deals and was recognized for his excellence in the Hospitality Merger & Acquisition field. In 2006 he started his own advisory and consultancy services. His involvement in community affairs and activities started since more than a decade ago when he joined what was then one of the fastest and largest growing not for profit Organizations on Long Island representing Indians in America, known as the India Association of Long Island (IALI).

    This Organization was about 20 years old then with a growing membership of Suffolk and Nassau County residents, which today numbers 1,600 strong. The aim of the Organization was primarily to promote the culture and heritage of India so that bridges may be crossed between Indians living in America and the local Americans to promote a better understanding of the two cultures. Mr. Munjal served on the Executive Board of IALI for seven of the fifteen years of his continuing membership, in various capacities climbing steadily to the very top :- 2006 – Member-at-Large; 2007 – Membership Chair; 2008-2009 – Secretary; 2010 – Treasurer; 2011 – President. He worked very hard in each of the positions that he held taking each position very seriously and elevating its standards to a much higher level. He brought ethics, professionalism and transparency in producing Minutes of Meetings and raised the standards of Financial Reporting and its presentation to a level that almost everybody in the Executive Council and Past Presidents expressed their overwhelming praise for his work and dedication.

    As President he did much to improve and raise the standards of IALI by bringing transparency, accountability and professionalism to the Association. As President of IALI Mr. Gobind Munjal’s goal and objectives was to bring back Unity, Harmony and Team Work within the Organization; bring back “INDIAFEST” IALI’s hallmark event which truly promotes and showcases India’s culture and traditions in mainstream America; build “INDIA CENTER” for the Indian community, a long cherished dream come true for the India Association of Long Island; encourage stronger participation of the youth and Seniors Group; involve more with the local American community; provide educational support to needy Indian students; build closer ties with local Senior Groups and National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC); and increase participation and support for the Annual Food Drive to take it to a higher level.

    Growth of membership of IALI during Mr. Munjal’s presidency of one year has been exponential, with around a hundred new members added. A remarkable feat. Many of these objectives were remarkably achieved with the IALI having all successful, well attended month to month women, seniors and youth programs and major events for the year 2011. INDIAFEST turned out to be a BLOCKBUSTER of an event well received and well attended by many dignitaries, community leaders and scores of Americans who thoroughly enjoyed the high end Floor Shows with its sophisticated Fashion Show, a page out of Broadway, a wealth of scintillating performances and dances, mindblowing variety of delicious Indian cuisine and showcasing of the wide variety of arts and crafts and ethnic designer ware of India. Not giving up on the dream of having the INDIA CENTER a place India Association of Long Island has long wanted to call their very own Mr. Munjal has still persisted and today chairs the Ad Hoc Special Committee in IALI with a committed team set up for 2012 so that this dream become a reality.

    Mr. Gobind Munjal’s vision for the future of the Indian community is to see realize INDIA COMMUNITY CENTER and at the same time he also holds true his dream of some form of Housing and Assisted Living Facility for the Seniors. His involvement with India Home providing services for seniors of Indian origin, is testament to his commitment towards improving lives of seniors. He is relentlessly working towards achieving his goal of providing medical, social, and spiritual services for the aging Indian Seniors in Queens and Long Island. When his term as President of IALI concluded at the close of the year 2011, in spite of his tremendous popularity he did not seek reelection, rather made himself available upon invitation to give his services for others. His dedication and passion for community service did not diminish. This has resulted in his joining Indian American Forum (IAF) as Co-Chair of Indian American Night and Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Long Island Chapter as Secretary. He has been invited to join the National Federation of Indian Americans (NFIA) and has twice participated in the Congressional Hearings and White House briefings in Washington DC.

    He is also a life member of Association of Indians in America (AIA) and Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation (NDMF) and participates in their activities. He has received numerous Citations and Awards in his year as President of IALI, among them being the Certificate of Recognition from Hon. Kate Murray, Supervisor, Town of Hempstead and has been honored with a Citation by Nassau County Executive Hon. Ed. Mangano and NYS Comptroller Thomas Di Napoli together with Indian Consul General at New York Hon. Prabhu Dayal. During his professional career, he received Outstanding Professional Award from the America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals. IALI events gained not only popularity but commanded a certain amount of respect among the community and administration. As a result, whereas community loved to associate itself with IALI events, lawmakers and administration officials looked upon these events as opportunities to gain support of the community. Mr. Munjal assiduously built bridges of understanding and cooperation between the Indian American community and the mainstream Americans.

    He took the IALI to the next stage of growth which is getting recognition for the community at the political level, a step in the right direction of empowering the community. The dignitaries that graced various IALI events included Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, Congresswoman Goosby, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, New York State Senator Tony Avella, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Mayor of Laurel Hollow Harry Anand and many more. Mr. Munjal’s work for the community is far from complete. On August 11th, 2012 he stood tall and proud with 5 other founder conveners of India Day Parade USA who put together Long Island’s First India Day Parade for Long Islanders in Hicksville, an event never before attempted, but successfully concluded. His involvement in India Day Parade USA started with bringing together of all Indian Organizations onto a single platform to participate in the first ever Parade in Hicksville, Long Island. This was concluded as more than 100 Indian Organizations came together as one for the very first time to participate and march in the India Day Parade USA in Hicksville Long Island.

    However, it is not just work all the time for Gobind. He and wife Suman who is in to Real Estate business and is often busy make it a point to take time off their work to travel and enjoy their vacation. The family has been to Europe, Far East, UAE, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and seen much of North America. The latest has been a visit to China which has impressed Munjals much. They are all praise for China. They said they were impressed with the infrastructure there. The cleanliness that they witnessed was in total contrast with what they had been made to believe about China. And, above the human effort to give an impressive look to the country is the power of Nature which one sees in her abundant beauty and glory in the most populated country of the world. . Gobind Munjal lives happily in the Whitestone/Malba area with his wife Suman who is a professional in real estate with Prudential Douglas Elliman. He has two sons Gaurav and Kevin and daughter in law Iona with two cute grand-sons Sajin and Neilan, 4 years and 2 years respectively.

  • INOC AP Chapter Accords Warm Reception To Visiting Andhra Pradesh Minister K. Lakshaminarayana

    INOC AP Chapter Accords Warm Reception To Visiting Andhra Pradesh Minister K. Lakshaminarayana

    NEW YORK (TIP): Farmers and farming policy makers in Andhra Pradesh will benefit from the expertise of American researchers and educators in near future. K. Lakshminarayana, AP’s Minister of Agriculture, recently signed memos of understanding with the universities of Maryland and Mississippi during his recent visit to the two universities, which will facilitate exchange of faculty members and academicians between USA and Andhra Pradesh. Lakshminarayana, stopped in New York City on his way home from the visit.

    He was accorded a warm welcome and reception by the Andhra Pradesh Chapter of Indian National Overseas Congress at Cotillion Restaurant in Long Island, New York. Lakshminarayana (52), who has been credited for winning all elections since 1991, complimented the people of Andhra Pradesh for playing a predominant role in the IT sector in Silicon Valley and other parts of USA. Lakshminarayana, who won the Assembly seat from Pedukurapadu, Guntur (West) constituency for the fourth term, outlined his government’s plans to help farmers in Andhra Pradesh and said that Congress party believed in a farmer friendly policy. He said that hundred of thousands of farmers were benefitted by government’s free electricity; crop insurance and the credit plan called Kissan Credit.

    The minister informed that his state will host the world Agricultural Summit in November 2013 for which Hyderabad was selected as the venue. He invited those whose primary interest was agricultural development. Andhra Pradesh chapter of INOC honored the minister by presenting him a shawl. A proclamation from the Chief Executive of Nassau County was also presented to him. Mahesh Saladi, AP chapter president of INOC, said that Congress party embarked on ambitious projects to help the poor in Andhra Pradesh. “Many of those programs were initiated by K. Lakshminarayana and were timely completed”, he said George Abraham, president of INOC said that his party was engaged in building public opinion on a variety of issues.

    “We are united over raising the issues concerning Non-Resident Indians”, he said adding that NRI Interface council was formed for the purpose of dealing with issues such as property protection in India. It was reported in the past that in India locals forcibly grabbed properties bought and owned by NRIs. Abraham said that he also initiated Business council for the purpose of promoting investment in India and discussing matters of trade and commerce with the Indian government. “We want the council to be thank tank for developmental issues”, he said. Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Neil Mandava, Dr. Gaddam Reddy, D. Dhasratharam Reddy, M. Nageshwar Rao and Mohinder Singh Gilzian.

  • Passion and Adventure Propelled Bobby Kalotee to Success

    Passion and Adventure Propelled Bobby Kalotee to Success

    New York based businessman and philanthropist Bobby Kalotee has lately been in the news for his appointment by Government of Malawi as Liaison Envoy to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. His charity work in Malawi did not go unnoticed and the government of Malawi conferred on him the rare honor. He is the first Non Malawi to be appointed to the prestigious position. Our readers would obviously like to know more about this gentleman who has done India and all Indians proud.Well, to begin with, Bobby was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is a self-made man. A father of five children Bobby is a living example of courage and entrepreneurship. Born in Jalandhar, India, he left his home in early 1980 when he was still a teenager to begin the journey of his life. Supported by his family and his father, Bobby set off on a path to an alien worldobserving life and learning from experience.

    Working in a Greek owned merchant shipping company he landed in America and stayed here by chance. He also found his love in USA and married to an Irish lady who helped him fight the obstacles of life. A curious Bobby got interested in politics. He joined Republican Party in New York in 1983, observed the functioning of democratic institutions and learned to mobilize public support for various causes. Today, he not only runs his business but also is engaged in a variety of social work and activities, such as, shipping soccer balls to Latin American countries and raising funds for the earthquake victims of Gujarat. A firm believer in destiny and God Bobby remains deeply attached to his Indian roots. In spite of a busy and successful life in USA he cares about his native land and works hard to help his community. A man who denied himself a formal education learned everything from life.

    “I met at least 50 people from whom I learned a variety of lessonslessons that helped me become prosperous and successful”, he says. Currently National Chairman of All American Political Party. Chairman Independence Party of Nassau County, Vice Chairman of New York State Independence Party Committee and National Executive Director of the Independence Party of America, Bobby is associated with a number of political, social, cultural and financial institutions and organizations; and has profusely been awarded and honored. His offices in Long Island are a veritable museum of pictures with dignitaries from across the world, the charity work done by him and his organizations in Africa, Latin Ameerica, India and of course, USA, and scores of proclamations, citations, certificates and trophies. One man and so much, one begins to wonder.

    The Indian Panorama spoke with Bobby about his life and work.

    Here are the excerpts: Indian Panorama: How do you describe yourself?
    Bobby: I am a God fearing man, a happy father of five children and a compassionate community friend. I am thankful to God and my parents for their love and blessings because of which I accomplished great success in life. I believe in helping others and follow the path shown by Guru Nanak Dev ji, who said: ‘There is nothing greater than being
    humble and nothing worse than being proud of yourself’. I try to live a simple life following these thoughts.

    Q. How do you define success?
    Ans: You are successful if you reach the goal you set in your life. I always felt that I could accomplish the goal of my life with the blessings of God who writes the destiny of everyone. I used my brain and common sense to learn new trades. I was fortunate to get help from friends. I learned to deal with people. In America these things happened
    fast. I launched a number of successful businesses in the past and continued to do innovative things. Currently I am finalizing the launch of an electronic voting machine called EZ voting. I am confident about success of my new product.

    Q. Are you passionate about anything?
    Ans: I am very passionate about life. I am passionate about helping people. I have been very keen to help my community folks. I reach out to people who need me. I want to help more people.

    Q: Who in your family influenced you most?What was your family’s contribution in shaping your life?
    Ans: I was raised in a large family with 27 cousins and a number of uncles. My father influenced me most. He and a number of my family members served in the Indian Defense Forces. Dad was an independent minded man. He didn’t interfere in my life but always encouraged me. Because of his generosity I could leave home for abroad.

    Q: Tell me about your education?
    Ans: I didn’t receive a formal education. I didn’t want to go to school. I got my education in the Gurudwara and at home. I think the best education one gets is from life’s experience. I traveled a lot. I left home when I was a teen-ager and roamed around selling toys and household things. I worked in restaurant. After seven years of traveling in
    many parts of India I returned home.

    Q. How did you compensate for lack of education?
    Ans: I always learned from life. Any thing new I saw I wished to know about it. A number of friends helped me in life. Some taught me to do business. Others taught me how to deal with people. I learned a variety of lessons from at least 50 such people in my life.

    Q. Did you ever regret for not having a formal education?
    Ans: When I was in India lack of education was not a big issue. I knew many people who were helpful. It is an interdependent society so education doesn’t always matter. But I felt the need to be educated when I came to America and had to deal with people. At that time I realized that lack of education hampered my ability to communicate with
    others. I regretted not having a formal education.

    Q: How did you arrive in America? What challenges you faced here?
    Ans: I was working in a Greek owned shipping company and had to travel from USA to Greece quite a few times. Once, in
    1982, I missed my flight in New York. I stayed here and decided to make New York my home. It has been a long journey since then. I established my business, got involved in politics and then philanthropy.

    Q: Are you contented with your life? Do you miss something?
    Ans: I am very content with life I found my Irish wife in New York who gave me five wonderful kids. My businesses grew, so didmy network with people. In politics I worked in Republican and Independent parties. I mobilized votes for a number of politicians. I am involved in many charitable organizations in the fields of medicine, social welfare and
    community service due to which I was honored at various occasions and events.

    Q: How do you help your community?
    Ans: I have raised funds for a number of events on many occasions, especially to help the victims of earthquake in Gujarat. I worked with Jack Brewery Foundation to donate 50 thousand indestructible soccer balls for kids who could learn team building. This project was implemented in Latin America where 10 thousands such balls were distributed. Now we are going to do it in India.

    Q: What is your future plan?
    Ans: I want to continue helping people. I am planning to launch my electronic voting machine soon on which my staff is working since 2005.

    Q: What is your message for the younger generation?
    Ans: I want to tell the younger generation to focus on noble ideas. Set a goal for yourself and work hard to achieve that. One shouldn’t be deterred by anything as long as you have passion and courage to reach your goal.

    Bobby Kalotee can be reached at : bobby@apparty.com