The New York State Police at Hawthorne arrested Anthony J. Sanfratello, 58, of New Rochelle, NY for Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, an E Felony.

The arrest follows a four month investigation which began after State Police received a tip to the Internet Crimes Against Children center in Albany. Police raided Sanfratello's home at 48 Westminster Court in New Rochelle, NY. A forensic examination if his computer led police to identify several child pornography images on his computer. Police also found a set of brass knuckles, a stun gun, and a switchblade knife and have charged Sanfratello with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree. Sanfratello will be arraigned in the City of New Rochelle Court.

The AT&T phone directory lists Anthony Sanfratello at 48 Westminster Court. Calls to the number at that address went unanswered.

New Rochelle resident Vincent Delazzero of 10 Shore Club Drive and co-conspirator Ralph Petrillo of Bronxville plead guilty Monday to charges of tax fraud and bid-rigging. Vincent Delazzero and Ralph Petrillo, owners of two of the largest marble and stone contracting companies in the metropolitan area, plead guilty Monday in White Plains federal court to participating in a tax fraud scheme designed to evade taxes on profits made from a collusive bidding scheme in which both participated. Delazzero and Petrillo face a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution to the IRS

The announcement of the guilty plea was made by The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.

Co-schemer Dennis Pilotti, a CPA from Armonk, New York previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the tax evasion scheme with Delazzero and Petrillo is currently serving a 30 month prison term. .

According to a press release from the Department of Justice:

Board of Appeals on Zoning Chairperson Susan Kettner, along with Zoning Board member Tom Lang, will lead a discussion on how the Zoning Board works and how their decisions impact development in downtown New Rochelle. Immediately afterwards, New Rochelle City Councilman Al Tarantino and owner of a prominent downtown business, will present his views on downtown development and how development decisions by council affect neighborhoods. A brief Q & A will follow each session.

ELSEWHERE TONIGHT: Richard St. Paul will convene a Town Hall meeting to discuss proposed changes to parking in the downtown area.

March l0, CNA Meeting: How are development decisions made for your neighborhood?

Confederation of Neighborhood Associations Meeting, Wednesday  March l0, 2010 @ 7:30 p.m., American Legion Post 8 Hall, 112 North Avenue, New Rochelle.

Parking is available across the street in the Mormon Church lot.

Agenda

7:30 PM Announcements

7:45 PM - Susan Kettner & Tom Lang

8:15 PM City Councilman (District 2) Albert Tarantino

8:45 PM CNA Business meeting

The school meeting scheduled for last night at 7:00 PM started began about 20 minutes later than expected due an impromptu meeting between Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak and the school board to discuss the latest news from Albany. Organisciak had just returned from Albany on a trip intended to push back on proposed cuts in education funding for the New Rochelle school district. The long faces on board members told the story: not only had funding not been restored but State funding is being cut further, up to an additional $1.3 million. The proposed draft budget must not be re-written to account for the loss of the anticipated funding.

I am a New Rochelle resident and I feel very strongly that the Armory should be preserved. Instead of viewing the Armory as problem that needs to be dealt with, we should view the Armory as an opportunity and a central focal point of our city. Forest City and New Rochelle have it backwards: rather than building newer and newer commercial facilities hoping to spur prosperity, we need to encourage unique, historical, and civic facilities that will make people want to visit and ultimately invest in New Rochelle. The proposal for a Monroe College facility is a step in the right direction. Other avenues should be considered as well, such as a performing arts center. Implicit in any facility should be the history of the Armory and the needs of our servicemen and women.

WABC Channel 7 has turned there channel off to Cablevision in Westchester and across the state. As of 12:00am Sunday morning. That means no oscars for many viewers tonight. It's all over money that ABC says it should be getting from Cablevision for airing channel 7. With the Oscar's airing later this evening, movie fans are scrambling to make back up plans in case ABC is unavailable in their homes. Are you a Cablevision customer? What do you think about the dispute? Are you worried about missing the Oscars? Let us know in the comments.

This is what I see on my way from the Boulevard to the Transit Center walking along the South Side of North Avenue between the Memorial Highway overpass and the Transit Center. These shots are off Lockwood on North, and everyday there is new garbage and filth to look at. On my way to the NYC to earn the kind of income needed to pay my mortgage and City taxes this is what I navigate. Seems to me in order for the City of New Rochelle to begin to come out of the Dark Ages the City Manager and the Mayor would need to correct these day to day issues. Why would anyone want to live downtown and navigate this kind of disgust. Hello Noam should we draw you a map?

City Manager Chuck Strome has told City officials that he intends to rehire the three CSO's as a result of a sharp decline in parking ticket revenue and increased enforcement needs to expected changes with the downtown parking situation.

The CSOs, who were notified of their lay-offs just before last Christmas will return work on March 15, 2010.

Strome says he based his decision on a sharp decline in parking ticket revenue in January and February dues to less enforcement and the increased need for enforcement due to the proposed BID plan to extend parking meter hours (11 pm for on-street meters and 24/7 for off-street lots) and the City's agreement to take responsibility for the first floor parking at Avalon 2.

Strome expects that the additional revenue will exceed the cost of hiring back the three CSOs.

The CSO decision and the Avalon 1 deal under which the City will receive $3 million will be sure to raise questions about the City's deal with firefighters. To avoid lay-offs at the end of last year, Local 273 agreed to defer contractual raises.

New Rochelle's Assistant Superintendent for Finance John Quinn announced last night that the school district intends to eliminate "yellow bus" transportation for 6th grade students living in New Rochelle but attending private and parochial schools. The cut is part of a broader policy change under which all 6th grade students -- public or private -- will no longer be entitled to free busing but instead be offered a discounted ten-trip ticket for the Bee Line Bus service.

The change will bring 6th grade students in line with current policy for 7th and 8th grade students who pay $7.00 for a ten trip ticket, a cost of roughly $250 a year per student. The discount is large; the most comparable unsubsidized ticket offered by Bee Line Bus is a 7-Day ticket for $27.00.

Quinn was speaking at the first New Rochelle Board of Education budget review session, held last night at the New Rochelle High School library. The meeting was lightly attended with just a handful of parents on hand. Two board members, Jerome Smith and Cindy Babcock-Deutsch, were not present.