16 BROOKLYN NEWS WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
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HEROES O F T H E MONTH
Last August, Borough President Adams named his
first “Heroes of the Month”, individuals that stand out
in their borough for their outstanding courage, tenacity,
and assistance to their community. The roster of heroes
includes Brooklynites from all walks of life, ranging
from our police officers and firefighters to teachers
and small business owners. Their stories all reflect a
message of the extraordinary acts that ordinary people
are capable of every day in Brooklyn.
“From time to time, we need to be reminded
of the good news and the good people who make
our borough such a wonderful place to be,” said
Borough President Adams. “The ‘Hero of the Month’
award goes to the Brooklynites who have made
tremendousaccomplishments towards the progress of
our borough.”
Anyone interested in nominating a future hero
can e-mail askeric@brooklynbp.nyc.gov. The list of
Brooklyn’s Heroes of the Month, to date, includes:
August 2014:
FDNY Firefighters of Engine 225, Ladder 107, and
Battalion 39 and EMTs of EMS Stations 39 and 58
These men and women of the FDNY quickly responded
to the discovery of three brothers—ages three, five,
and right — trapped on the fourth floor of an eightstory
apartment building at the Pink Houses in East
New York on July 29th. Their actions, including those
of probationary firefighter Justin Tallett, a 27-year-old
veteran of the War in Afghanistan assigned to Ladder
107 who personally searched for the youngest child,
ensured the siblings’ safety.
September 2014:
Sergeant Michael Dario and Officer Elias Khan of the
NYPD’s 62nd Precinct
Sergeant Dario and Officer Khan saved the life of a
choking infant in Bensonhurst on August 24th. The two
quickly responded to the 911 call to revive two-weekold
Michael Maresca, who had stopped breathing while
his mother was feeding him, and performed CPR until
EMS responders arrived to the scene.
October 2014:
FDNY EMT Jenelle Rivera, Construction Manager
Marcell Alberti, and Dr. Enrico Ascher
These three individuals combined to help save the life
of stabbing victim Hershi Pfeiffer and to chase down his
attacker in Brooklyn Heights on September 22th. EMT
Rivera responded within minutes and performed first
aid that controlled Pfeiffer’s bleeding, Alberti chased
the perpetrator while dialing 911, and Dr. Ascher
provided medical care that saved Pfeiffer.
Photos: Kathryn Kirk/BP’s Office
November 2014:
Math Teacher Madeline Scotto
Scotto is a 100-year-old math teacher at St. Ephrem
School in Dyker Heights. She started teaching at the
school, which is across the street from the home where
she has lived for 95 years, in 1960. After her two-week
“retirement” in 1997, Scotto returned as a volunteer to
continue to train students for the mental Math Bees.
Recently, she instituted the S.A.V.E. Program at the
school to instill an understanding of the importance of
earning money, saving it wisely and sharing some of
the proceeds with those less fortunate.
December 2014:
FDNY Lieutenant Robert Whelan
Lieutenant Whelan was among the firefighters called
on Tuesday, November 25th to the scene of the fire at
a two-story house in Brownsville. He made his way
through heavy smoke conditions and high heat towards
the rear rooms of the apartment, where he found a sixyear
old boy lying face down on the floor. Lieutenant
Whalen quickly handed the boy to a firefighter at the top
of the stairs, followed them outside where EMTs began
to administer care, and returned to continue with the
primary job of water delivery to put out the blaze.
January 2015:
Eagle Scout Stephen Reilly
Reilly was honored in January 2015 for attaining
the rank of Eagle Scout, which only five percent of
all Boy Scouts reach, through extensive community
service, including volunteering his time at his church
and with a local sports league. The 18-year-old from
Sunset Park attended Leon Goldstein High School,
where he competed in soccer and wrestling. He will
be continuing his education and volunteerism at an
upstate SUNY college.
February 2015:
Retired NYPD Chiefs Gerald Nelson and Owen
Monaghan, Commanding Officers of Patrol Borough
Brooklyn North and South
Chiefs Nelson and Monaghan, with 75 years of
combined service to New York City, both announced
their retirement from the NYPD in February 2015. As
the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn
North since 2006, Chief Nelson led efforts resulting
in a significant reduction in violence over what was
the longest stint in that command. Chief Monaghan,
as commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn
South since 2010, oversaw the largest borough
command in the city.
March 2015:
Colorectal Cancer Survivor Dan Foster
Foster, a Gerritsen Beach resident who is a 19-
year survivor of colorectal cancer, has raised over
$185,000 for various cancer organizations and
causes. On March 6th, he organized Dress in Blue
Day at Brooklyn Borough Hall to raise awareness for
early screening and detection of the disease, as part
of his role as ambassador for Brooklyn for the Colon
Cancer Alliance.
April 2015:
Brooklyn Cinderella Project CEO
Gwendolyn Robinson
Robinson created the Brooklyn Cinderella Project
on April 7, 2011, offering City students between the
ages of 13 and 21 that cannot afford to go to their
prom or formal affairs the chance to choose a new
or gently-worn dress, shoes, or accessories. To
date, over 400 young women have benefitted from
Robinson’s efforts.
May 2015:
Officer Randy Chow of the NYPD’s 61st Precinct
and Officer James Li of the NYPD’s 71st Precinct
On February 26, 2014, Officers Chow and Li were
on routine foot patrol in Crown Heights when they
spotted two men entering the backdoor of a bus
without paying. When approached, one of the men
took off running and fired his gun at the officers,
hitting Officer Li in both legs; he has recently returned
to the 71st Precinct on restricted desk duty due to his
injury. Officer Chow radioed for backup and helped
identify the perpetrator who shot his partner; he is
now stationed at the 61st Precinct.
June 2015:
Carvel Owners/Operators
Richard and Rosa Stakofsky
Richard Stakofsky opened a Carvel location in Bath
Beach with his father in 1978, which he now owns
with his wife Rosa, who used to be a bank branch
manager and now helps decorate cakes in the store.
They give away approximately 2500 ice cream cones
twice a year for the poor and needy. Additionally,
they work regularly with the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society, American Kidney foundation, Arthritis
Foundation, and the American Red Cross.
Borough President Adams recognized Madeline
Scotto, a 100-year-old math teacher at St.
Ephrem School in Dyker Heights, as “Hero of
the Month” for November 2014, citing her for
her long and distinguished career in education;
also pictured are (from left to right) Anthony
Pollari and Jack Lavelle, two of her eighthgrade
students.
Borough President Adams
and FDNY Commissioner
Daniel Nigro (center) congratulate
the firefighters and
emergency medical workers
of Engine 225, Ladder 107,
Battalion 39, EMS Stations 39
and 58 for being “Heroes of
the Month” for August 2014;
their efforts saved the lives of
three children in an East New
York fire.
Photos: Kathryn Kirk/BP’s Office
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