Report: East Village landlord Raphael Toledano allegedly misrepresented himself as a lawyer

The Real Deal has published an investigative article about new East Village landlord Raphael Toledano, and how he allegedly misrepresented himself as a lawyer.

According to the article:

In the summer of 2014, a New York landlord with a modest portfolio received a letter from a certain Raphael Toledano, Esq. In the letter, Toledano allegedly identified himself as belonging to Truman & Wildes LLP, a Park Avenue law firm. He claimed to be representing real estate investor Josh Zegen in a 1031 exchange, and assured the landlord that his client was interested in one of his buildings and would “pay above market value” for it.

The issue, however, is that Truman & Wildes LLP is bogus. It is not a licensed law firm in the tri-state area, and isn’t even a registered entity in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey or New York. Its website, which was taken down shortly after The Real Deal began making inquiries, appears to be a basic web template with language lifted verbatim from legitimate law firms. Misrepresenting oneself as a lawyer is illegal.

For his part, Toledano, a former broker and now a prominent local real estate investor, denies any connection with the law firm. But property records and interviews with his former employees, business associates and industry players indicate otherwise.

In compiling nearly a 20-building portfolio, the majority of them in the East Village, the 25-year-old Toledano "has been peppered with allegations of cheating his partners and harassing his tenants," as The Real Deal put it.

To date, rent-stabilized tenants at 444 E. 13th St. have filed suit against him for alleged harassment. In addition, in August, Aaron Jungreis, one of the city's elite multifamily brokers, sued Toledano, "claiming he was squeezed out of a $100 million deal" to acquire 16 East Village buildings. (That suit was later settled.)

In addition, the landlord of Toledano's Flatiron office reportedly filed suit against him for failing to pay rent.

As for multiple identifications, City Limits noted this in an article about Toledano and 444 E. 13th St. back in September:

Curiously, there are numerous websites with similar URLs purporting to have been created by Raphael Toledanos across the country that fill up Google search results for his name. One Raphael Toledano is "a fervent traveler from the incredible state of Chicago," another is a "19-year-old boy from Ohio who wants to become an internationally recognized soccer player," and still another is "an Assistant Principal in one of the reputed schools of Rhode Island." Each of these sites was created on January 28, 2015 according to registration information on whois.net.

The last post on each of the sites is Feb. 24.

Toledano and Brook Hill closed on the 16-building East Village portfolio for $97 million back in the fall.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal

Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio

More about alleged harassment and landlord visits via Brook Hill Properties

Brook Hill Properties launches chocolate offensive

In op-ed, Raphael Toledano says that he wants 'to make the East Village a better place'

'Invisible City' at Theatre 80 tomorrow night

Photographer Ken Schles is giving a free presentation tomorrow night from 6-7 at Theatre 80.

Schles, a Brooklyn native, lived in the East Village in the 1980s. His black-and-white photos from this period are the backdrop for the book "Invisible City" from 1988. A companion volume, "Night Walk," came out in 2014.

"New York always has stories about what the city used to be," he told The Wall Street Journal back in January. "I think it's up to all of us to take what we've been given and try to see beyond, to make it something new. That's what this was for me."

We asked Schles, who now lives in Fort Greene, what people can expect from his talk.

"I'll be showing images from 'Invisible City' and 'Night Walk' as well as the video trailers with music by Live Skull and Sonic Youth and telling some of the stories from when I moved to the East Village when I was 17, how I ended up on Avenue B, what the neighborhood was like and what happened when the landlord abandoned the building. I'll talk about how I came to make these two books — especially 'Night Walk' more recently. I'll have copies of some of my books for a book signing at the end. I timed the talk at about 50 minutes. That'll give me time to take questions ..."

You can read more about Schles and see some of his 1980s photos from the neighborhood in this feature at the Times.

Theatre 80 is at 80 St. Marks Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Find the Facebook event page here.

[Updated] Crime drama to play out on East Village streets

Film and TV shoots around have become so commonplace that they aren't even worth noting. For the most part.

Having said [written] that, however... "The Blacklist," an FBI crime drama on NBC starring James Spader, will be camped out all day on parts of East Seventh Street and Avenue A, among other places.

The last time that we recall crews for "The Blacklist" filming around here, they had a scene with FBI agents in tactical gear and black SUVs in Tompkins Square Park. Which provided for a few confusing moments for anyone not paying attention...


[Photo from April 2014 by Bobby Williams]

Updated 7:01 a.m.

Apparently this scene doesn't call for Joe Strummer in the background... the crew temporarily covered the mural outside Niagara on East Seventh Street...



Updated 6 p.m.

Workers uncovered the mural after the filming... someone said that they couldn't have it in the shoot because it is copyrighted art????


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Report: Contractor with ties to deadly East Village explosion receives probation in unrelated case

Contractor Dilber Kukic, who's under investigation in the deadly Second Avenue explosion, was sentenced to probation today in an unrelated bribery case.

As the Post reports, Kukic, 40, "copped to felony bribery in October ​in ​exchange for three years probation, 200 hours of community service and a $4,000 fine as part of a plea deal."

He reportedly admitted to paying an undercover investigator $600 last year to dismiss building violations at properties he owns on West 173rd Street.

Defense lawyer Mark Bederow had argued that the prosecutor’s hardline approach in the bribery case “results from the people’s ongoing investigation into the East Village explosion.”

Kukic was inside 121 Second Ave​. on March 26, where he had a permit to do renovations, when the building exploded. He dragged the landlord’s son to safety.

Bederow declined to comment on the status of the Second Avenue explosion investigation, according to the Post. Authorities have said that an illegally tapped gas line at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the fatal blast.

The Post reported in April that investigators have "six prime suspects" in the blast at 121 Second Ave.: Landlord Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Jr., Kukic as well as an unidentified subcontractor and two workers.

A SantaCon 2015 postmortem (first of several perhaps) and a look ahead to next year!

[Photo Saturday on St. Mark's Place by Derek Berg]

Because several people asked... the Daily News reports that the NYPD made five arrests and handed out an even 100 summonses — ranging from open container violations to disorderly conduct to public urination — during SantaCon on Saturday.

As for the arrests, "cops charged one reveler with assault, one with weapon possession and three with drug possession."

Meanwhile! The SantaCon organizers issued a statement today... with a look toward 2016 [insert screaming emoji here]

Via Gothamist:

Santacon NYC 2015 was blessed with its best weather yet, a huge turnout and, per NYPD only a few minor disturbances during our event. Beginning in WIlliamsburg's McCarren Park and later transitioning to the East Village, the official route and venues all reported relatively orderly fun and a wealth of positive interactions. Again, Our organization worked in conjunction with the NYPD, Parks Department, city officials as well as several NYC area art collectives. The event has transitioned, becoming a more widely supported expression of the holiday season. A celebration, that invites all to join, if they want to share in the season’s festive spirit.

The Santacon Charity Drive again was a significant success with the participation of over 40 official venues and donations by a vast majority of the santas, elves, reindeer and the many other holiday characters. A full report is forthcoming but all proceeds will go to support City Harvest, Materials for the Arts, Dance Parade and the Ali Forney Center. For 2015, Santacon NYC was gratified by more “balanced” reporting. We understand the "Bad Santa" narrative makes for easy and often funny copy but we are glad that journalists also describe the exceedingly positive spirit and the many creative people who make such an effort every year.

For 2016, Santacon NYC has already reached out to the concerned elected officials inviting any who are truly interested in NYC's creative culture to get involved during the off­season and demonstrate their interest in assisting us...

Before saying goodbye totally to SantaCon 2015, EVG reader David shared this rooftop shot from Saturday... and he was curious what Santa is doing (or receiving) here...





Previously on EV Grieve:
SantaCon announces its path through the East Village for 2015

[Updating] Santa Clauses (and the Easter Bunny) came to town, as you probably noticed

That morning fog

The Williamsburg Bridge early this morning by @terrinthekalian

And a different view a little bit later via Bobby Williams...

Signage arrives for Avenida on Avenue B

[Photo yesterday via EVG reader David]

Several readers pointed out the arrival of the Avenida name at 25 Avenue B this past weekend.

According to the questionnaire (the PDF is here) that was filed ahead of the September CB3/SLA committee meeting, there was a 100 percent corporate change for the business, from the short-lived Matty's to a new venture/bar called Avenida Cantina.



However, despite the new concept and partners, this item was not heard in front of the committee. The paperwork shows that the new proprietor served as manager of East End Bar & Grill on First Avenue between 86th Street and 87th Street. (Not sure what East End is like these days. In July 2010, CB8 unanimously rejected the bar's application for a sidewalk cafe. According to DNAinfo, "Neighbors at the public hearing testified that the post-college age crowd drunkenly wrestles in front of the bar and sometimes urinates on their doorsteps.")

In recent years, this space between East Second Street and East Third Street was home for two months to Matty's ... and, earlier, Idle Hands, Station B and Billy Hurricane's. (And upon a time — Save the Robots.)

Avenida Cantina will just be one of the new occupants along this part of Avenue B.

The pet store next door is closing, and the space is for rent...



And the former deli next to Cornerstone closed earlier in the year... the space was gutted and glammed up...



...and is now on the market...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Whatever happened to simple bar names...concepts?

Billy Hurricane's looking to hire attractive, sexy, fun, loud and pushy female bartenders who are still in school — and rock

Openings: Edwin and Neal's Fish Bar, Virgola

Edwin and Neal's Fish Bar is now in service at 345 E. Sixth St. just west of First Avenue. As we first reported, the restaurant is a larger extension of Shane Covey's Upstate, which is still in business around the corner at 95 First Ave. He described Edwin and Neal's as a neighborhood fish place.

-----



On East Seventh Street, an outpost of the Greenwich Avenue-based Virgola, an oyster and wine bar, has opened at 111 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
More about Edwin and Neal's Fish Bar, coming soon to East 6th Street

Oysters coming to the former Bourgeois Pig space on East 7th Street

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations

You probably noticed those support poles arrive late last week on Second Avenue and East First Street...







... for the new construction fence to surround the parcel of land that was, until July 2014, a BP station.

As for what's coming next... as previously reported, there are approved plans to erect a 10-story building with 31 residences and ground-floor retail.

Here is the rendering that we saw for the new building... via the website for mortgage lender Ladder Capital, who provided a bridge loan for the project...



While this project steams ahead, another parcel of land that housed a gas station earmarked for development is seemingly stalled ... as the 9-story building in the works at 11 Avenue C/251 E. Second St. at the site of the former Mobil remains on hold. As we pointed out this past summer, nothing seems to be happening with that new building application, which the DOB rejected in April 2014 for incomplete drawings, per city records.

Right now the former Mobil station, which closed in September 2014, is making for a nice parking lot...



Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)

BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month

The 2nd Avenue BP station has closed

Report: 50,000 square feet of condos coming to the former 2nd Avenue BP station

Permits filed to demolish former 2nd Avenue BP station

More about the 10-story building taking the place of the former BP station at 24 2nd Ave.

A look inside the last East Village gas station

Check out the new 10-story building for the former 2nd Avenue BP station

Newsflash: It doesn't take long to demolish a gas station

Reader report: New York Healthy Choice has apparently closed on Avenue C

An EVG reader notes that the gates have been down for at least 10 days now (perhaps longer?) here on Avenue C and East 11th Street.

The grocery, which sold fresh produce, meats and seafood, opened on Dec. 20, 2012 via the owners of Yankee Deli across East 11th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the New York Healthy Choice grand opening today on Avenue C

At the 24th annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting

Late this afternoon, East Village residents gathered for the 24th annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting ... EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the event, which was hosted by the Tompkins Square Park Neighborhood Coalition, East Village Parks Conservancy and Third Street Music School Settlement.

The Mandel & Lydon Trio and carolers from Carolers of Olde New York from the Theatre for the New City provided the music. Veselka served hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and hot apple cider. Albert Fabozzi, who planted the tree 24 years ago to commemorate the loss of his friend, switched the lights on.

Here are a few scenes ...

The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree — now with the lights on

[Photo by Steven]

The 24th annual Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting ceremony is happening now until 5 p.m. ... and the lights just went on (thanks ConEd!). We'll post 458,223 more photos in the weeks ahead, or until the lights go dark in April.

We'll have photos of the festivities from EVG contributor Stacie Joy later on...

Week in Grieview

[Dog run serenade Friday via Derek Berg]

RIP Brian Fair, owner of Sounds on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

NYPD looking for suspects in apparent random East Ninth Street stabbing (Wednesday)

So you want to buy a tree for the holidays in the East Village (Tuesday)

Danny's Cycles closing East Village location (Monday)

Out and About with artist Tony Feher (Wednesday)

As the Hotel Indigo and Mr. Purple continue efforts to be part of the LES neighborhood (Thursday)

Report: Manhattan’s vacancy rates are highest in the East Village (but rent is still going up) (Thursday)

Jimmy McMillan quits politics (Thursday)

Caffe Bene opens on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Elected officials call on SantaCon to adopt good-neighbor principles (Monday)

Patricia Field closing her Bowery storefront (Monday)

Construction watch: 22 Bond St./25 Great Jones (Thursday)

What's going behind 43 St. Mark's Place? (Monday)

Biang! is hiring, and looks to be open soon in the former Alder space on Second Avenue (Monday)

Ruffian Wine Bar signage arrives on East Seventh Street (Thursday)

Activity to note at interesting new business coming to East 14th Street (Thursday)

Ramen Zundo-ya opens on East 10th Street (Monday)

Makki Deli & Grocery has closed (Wednesday)

605 E. 11th St. is for sale (Monday)

Report: Fewer arrests and complaints about graffiti in the city

[East 2nd Street at Avenue C]

The Post checks in with an article titled "Graffiti arrests drop 30% as complaints keep pouring in" about how NYC is in ruins and stuff because of de Blasio.

To some stats!

• Graffiti arrests are down 31 percent since 2013.

• The police have arrested 2,497 "aerosol artists" (as the Post puts it) in the city so far this year, compared with 2,772 over the same period last year, and 3,598 in all of 2013, according to NYPD data.

• To date in 2015, there have been 13,185 graffiti-related calls to 311 ... which is down 11 percent from the 14,830 complaints in the same period last year, but up 3 percent from the 12,854 complains in 2013.

So. Fewer complaints than last year... and fewer arrests.

Sunset Park received 970 graffiti complaints this year... followed by Williamsburg/Greenpoint with 877 and the East Village/Lower East Side with 678.

As the Post notes:

Graffiti is a bellwether of “broken windows” crime, experts have said.