Yesterday was about remembering the victims. Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón died on March 26, 2015. Figueroa, 23, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón, 27, worked at Sushi Park.
However, Obus said he gave the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and "did not intend to blow up the building."
"It's not enough. It’s a joke," Nixon Figueroa, father of Nicholas, told reporters afterward. "What kind of justice did you give us? You didn't give us no justice. It's a slap in my son’s face."
Kukic, 47, has been at the Wallkill Correctional Facility since his sentencing in early 2020. He is eligible for parole in January. Ioannidis, 66, who's at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Essex County, N.Y., is also eligible for parole in January.
The explosion injured over 20 others and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. A condominium complex at 45 E. Seventh St. (above) sits on two of these three lots.
Here's some background about what was happened to date.
In November 2019, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, who took over ownership of the buildings after her husband Michael died in 2004, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis were found guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and related offenses for their role in the explosion.
Prosecutors said that Hrynenko, driven by greed, and her cohorts rigged an illegal system to funnel gas from 119 Second Ave. to 121 Second Ave. to save money.
In January 2020, they were each sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Hrynenko remained out on bail for two more years as she awaited an appeal of the case.
During the sentencing, where defendants faced a maximum of five to 15 years each, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus told the courtroom, "What the defendants did, in a matter of speaking, was roll the dice with the lives of many people. The results, as we know, are catastrophic."
However, Obus said he gave the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and "did not intend to blow up the building."
"It's not enough. It’s a joke," Nixon Figueroa, father of Nicholas, told reporters afterward. "What kind of justice did you give us? You didn't give us no justice. It's a slap in my son’s face."
As of February 2022, Hrynenko, 63, has been at the Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford, N.Y. According to public records, she is eligible for parole in November 2025. Her conditional release date is November 2029, and the maximum date is November 2033.
Michael A. Hrynenko, Jr., Maria's son and a key figure in the gas explosion investigation, died on Aug. 25, 2017. He was 31, according to an obituary posted on the Pizzi Funeral Home website. A cause of death was not disclosed.
44 and 63 are too old for the max penalty? Tell that to the many thousands of black convicts...
ReplyDeleteAlso, who profited off the sale and development of the land parcel? How much did she get for it? Did any of the monet go to the victims families?
ReplyDeleteCurious about this myself. And what about the rent regulated tenants who lost their places?
DeleteIt would be nice if the graffiti artists who splashed their tags all over the windows and facade of the building showed some respect. Alas...that is the one thing that taggers seem not to have, yet if someone tagged over their tags they would say they were disrespected.
ReplyDeleteThe tagging has been out of control over these last couple of years. Taggers used to respect street art, now they tag newly painted murals. I never used to see as many tags on residential buildings, glass windows, or businesses in general, save for roll down metal gates. The reason all the COVID-era street shacks at restaurants got so nasty looking so fast is partly because they're all tagged to death. I've lived here all my life, I know tagging has been and always will be a thing, but it's been '80s level annoying lately.
DeleteSo so sad. I remember this day very well. Can't believe it's been eight years. Those two young men should still be alive.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 7:59 am - I live directly across the street from the site (I was told by fire & police inspectors that I was the 1st 911 caller to report the explosion). When I returned from a week long evacuation of the block, I attended a meeting of residents affected by the disaster, and of the 40-50 people there, most had no clue what rent-regulation was. Less than 5 people were longtime rent-regulated tenants, everyone else were 20-somethings who seemed to take the loss of their homes and possessions much more in stride than I dealt with my relatively minor inconvenience. My wife theorized that these "kids" had no roots in the community, and hadn't yet acquired the assortment of possessions and memories so dear to us EV veterans. And, I agree that the greedy, stupid, criminal bastards got off too easy.
ReplyDeleteRe tagging, take a look at what's been done to the north side facade of the Avenue A 7-11 at 500 East 11th Street, owned by Jared Kushner. It's hideous.
ReplyDeleteNothing is more hideous than 7-11 itself
DeleteAnother newish building no one can afford to live in.
ReplyDeleteI lived for years in the building across the street, above the old Kiev diner. Both also owned by the Hrynenkos. Since the explosion, I have often wondered if we had any gas line manipulation going on. Hardly seems like the kind of thing the widow and son would have just come up with.
ReplyDeleteWhy manipulate a gas line in the building where tenants pay for the same gas including the restaurant where explosion took place. Plus they owned a bunch of buildings. The whole thing is strange to say the least.
ReplyDeleteWhere did the 9 million for these parcels sold for go?
ReplyDelete