Feiner Collaborations Part 2: Killing Business

In Part 1, we highlighted the actions of our deleterious Greenburgh Supervisor, his “Stepford” Board, the Zoning Board, Ernest Tartaglione, owner of Deli Delicious; Charles Pateman the deli's contractor, advisor and fund raising host; Mark Constantine, an attorney working with or representing Pateman and possibly Tartaglione. In fact, we believe the Supervisor may have suggested to Tartaglione that he shutter his deli for dramatic effect to evoke sympathy toward his plight. Let's proceed.

Ernest Tartaglione has owned Deli delicious for many years on the corner of Rt 119 and Old Kensico Road. We're told his parents helped to create the deli back in the day. The three-story Verizon building across two streets away, morphing through it's many corporate iterations, provided a steady clientele for the deli. Also serving food in the immediate area was the Ground Round before it succumbed to a fire. Then the soon to be computer giant CompUSA, moved in and opened for business. They didn’t provide a big lunch crowd. Years later, they met their demise, fading away through Chapter 11. A new and current tenant moved in, Staples, also not generating a big lunch crowd.

Other changes in the area took place as well. Directly across from the deli on Rt 119 is the Apple Farm market and the former luncheonette that is currently the Bagel Emporium Express. Across the street to the east is City Limits. There's also Tuscany, another more upscale deli seemingly thriving. Nearby is Vavaros Deli whose time in the neighborhood is similar to Deli Delicious. Buon Amici, an Italian Restaurant across from Tuscany, has been there for years, apparently doing well. On the north part of Central Avenue is a new 7-11. Farther down Central Avenue near Pathmark, used to be a Quiznos, there is a Friendly's, a Chinese take-out restaurant, a ribs joint, a burrito take-out and Morton Williams, which also provides prepared food, as does Pathmark. Oops, we almost forgot, there's the long-time Italian deli named Dante's next to a Dunkin Donuts. There are numerous food serving establishments in the area, all with several commonalities: no drive-through windows, no Paul Feiner, and they offer delivery.

To the neighborhood's dismay, Central Aveune's Pathmark and the A&P in the Kmart shopping center will be closing. But before they close, you should note they serve prepared food; and let's not forget Appleby's Restaurant several stores down. Up the road from there are three eateries in the LaMandas strip. There's Planet Pizza, and so on. What do they all have in common? The businesses that endure offer free delivery and the ones that don't, close. Coincidence? Maybe.

What might have contributed to Deli Delicious’ decline? Simply, Paul Feiner. That's right, our Supervisor. He has continuously dumped on Fairview and specifically, Fulton Park to the point where businesses can no longer survive there. Twenty years ago, when Feiner seemed concerned about the residents of the Town, the County took over the King's Inn Motel, housing the homeless, along with other less savory constituents. He said and wrote that if the County ever closed the homeless facility down, he would support developing it into a facility for Seniors, rescuing the neighborhood and ultimately, the Town, which was inundated with older residents no longer able to afford the taxes on their life long homes.

Low and behold, the homeless population in Westchester began to decline. The county hired Westhab, a management company specializing in running homeless facilities, claiming they had the expertise and capability to run this type of development and would offer a better run facility with them at the helm. The Fulton Park Civic Association wasn't happy but went along with it. A neighborhood panel was formed to monitor what took place inside. They even gave awards to several neighborhood members for the work they did with their residents. Residents tell ABG they worked on the volunteer board because they were afraid of the element that would live there and what it would do to the neighborhood. Remember the Godfather line? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Once the facility was scheduled to close, covert deals between Feiner and the Westhab leaders began. We can’t help wonder if more donations were made to Feiner, the Stepford's and others in the Town? After a deal was struck with Westhab, some in the Fulton Park neighborhood found out that Westhab had plans they would be submitting to the Town to construct a six-story apartment building where three smaller buildings stood. The proposal would utilize the entire .7 acres, eliminating the grassy areas currently in place. There would also be numerous variances and exceptions needed. ABG learned that Feiner and several Board members met with the Fulton Park Neighborhood Association, when Feiner stated, "We may have to find another location for this project." But they didn’t. Feiner knew if he made his Stepford Board the lead agency, he could give Westhab whatever they had previously agreed to.

At some point Feiner decided losing the votes of roughly a hundred and fifty families in the Fulton Park area was a small price to pay for his political career. He started to not only drink the Westhab Kool-Aid, but began serving it. Tartaglione, began helping the neighborhood as his deli and FPNA homes continued to be robbed. We're told the robberies were later proven to have been committed by a few Westhab residents.

Before Tartaglione knew he wanted to add a drive-through window, he began plying certain neighbors with floral deliveries to use for landscaping in their yards in a pseudo show of support for their fight against Westhab. A neighbor overheard him as he tried to coax a deal for himself with Westhab. But he got greedy and they turned him down. When the neighbors found this out, he was suddenly on the outside looking in.

ABG recently received a brief communication from a resident who had run for office. During that time, he attended a fundraiser for another candidate at the home of Chuck Pateman of Irvington. Pateman attempted to persuade him to convince the members of the neighborhood to agree to Ernie's plan for Deli Delicious to add a drive-thru window as well as increase parking. Pateman subsequently phoned him with the same request. The candidate would not agree to the request, stating he did not believe a drive-through window was the answer to Tartaglione's business woes. Pateman agreed, stating he had suggested pizza ovens as a solution, as there were no nearby pizza establishments nearby. He could clean up! 


Tartaglione knows Westhab is anxious to jettison the albatross property originally guaranteed as a slam-dunk by Feiner. Tartaglione knows the clientele from Westhab will not provide the income he desires and is looking to get out. In fact, the neighborhood believes Tartaglione wants the drive-through window so he can offer it to a potential purchaser. And, because the zoning rules won't allow a drive-through window, his window will be grandfathered for them to use. 

We’re sure Feiner keeps telling him not to worry, that he’ll make this right. But Tartaglione really can’t wait for Feiner because there are too many issues that even the Zoning Board couldn’t ignore. Pateman is probably telling him to sell because the deal with Feiner looks shaky. We’re thinking he should take a business management course or two and learn how to better deal with competition, all of whom seem to be doing quite well without Feiner’s help. Strange bedfellows indeed.