NYPD arrests Neal Milano, condo President and manager of Sunnyside Condominiums, a 47-unit building in Queens
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Multiple media reports of alleged abuse and discrimination are circulating about Sunnyside Condominium Association in Queens, New York.
Photographs and TV news videos reveal a bizarre and frightening display installed by 70-year-old condo board President and property manager, Neal Milano. Uncle Sam statues greet visitors and residents at the entrance. Posters of Adolf Hitler, Swastikas, Mussolini, former U.S. Presidents, plaster the walls of the main lobby. Milano’s attorney reportedly claims the display is a history lesson, not a deliberate attempt to intimidate residents, most of whom are tenants and immigrants.
Condo owners and tenants complain that Milano imposes $100 fines for arbitrary and minor offenses, screams at residents, hurls racial slurs, boasts about his gun collection, and physically assaults occupants.
The Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into multiple allegations of harassment and housing discrimination.
Meanwhile, a former condo owner has filed criminal complaints against Milano, resulting in his recent arrest on charges of harassment and stalking.
Several source articles and videos are linked below.
Queens Property Manager Behind Nazi, Confederate Posters in Condo Lobby Is Arrested
NBC News4, New York
The Queens property manager whose lobby posters of Nazis and Confederates scared residents and sparked an investigation by the city last month has been arrested.
Neal Milano, 70, was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with stalking and harassing a woman, according to police. He was arraigned and ordered to return to court on Friday.
Law enforcement sources say that on July 13 a woman told police Milano followed her on numerous occasions and that he grabbed and pulled her.
The arrest is not related to the city’s probe into the posters in the building, the sources said, adding that Milano has been out of the country up until recently.
Source: Queens Property Manager Behind Nazi, Confederate Posters in Condo Lobby Is Arrested – NBC New York (Video)
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Queens-Building-Manager-Neal-Milano-Nazi-Confederate-Posters-Arrested-Stalking-442639443.html#ixzz4sUHe8b4h
Follow us: @nbcnewyork on Twitter | NBCNewYork on Facebook
Queens condo property manager who decorated lobby with Nazi-related photos arrested for alleged harassment
BY ERIN DURKIN JOHN ANNESE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Monday, September 4, 2017, 5:30 AMThe property manager at a Queens condo building that’s adorned with symbols of hate is charged with harassing a former resident.
Neal Milano, 70, was busted Sunday afternoon, accused of repeatedly following, yelling obscenities at, grabbing and pulling a 43-year-old woman, cops said.
Milano runs a 47-unit condo building on 39th Place at 48th Ave. in Sunnyside, where the lobby is decked with photos of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Josef Stalin. The displays show swastikas, as well as Confederate icons, and the building directory appallingly lists Nazi war criminals Rudolf Hess and Josef Mengele as two of the tenants.
Milano’s arrest Sunday is not related to the lobby display, a police spokesman said.
Read more:
Human Rights Commission to probe Queens condo lobby flaunting Nazi, Confederate symbols
BY ERIN DURKIN
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, August 29, 2017, 4:00 AMThe city Human Rights Commission is launching an investigation into a Queens condo building that decked out its lobby with a bizarre display featuring Nazi and Confederate symbols.
Investigators will probe whether there’s illegal harassment going on at the Sunnyside building run by manager Neal Milano, according to the commission and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens).
“There are people in the building who believe a hostile environment has been created,” Van Bramer said. “If there are people in the building who fear retaliation and in some cases fear violence from him, clearly their rights are being violated.”
Read more: (Photo Gallery)
Sunnyside property manager charged with harassing woman
Posted: Tuesday, September 5, 2017 10:58 am | Updated: 12:06 pm, Thu Sep 7, 2017.
by Ryan Brady / Associate EditorQueens Chronicle
The manager of a Sunnyside condominium building who has been criticized for having hate symbols in his building has been arrested.
Cops nabbed Neal Milano, 69, on Sunday afternoon on charges of harassing and stalking a woman who used to live in the building, according to the police and the office of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
According to the complaint from Brown’s office, the woman said Milano grabbed her neck and pulled her in one incident; and another time, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her. On both occasions, the complaint says, the victim feared being harmed.
The complaint alleges that Milano committed one count of third-degree attempted assault, three of second-degree harassment, one of first-degree harassment and two of fourth-degree stalking.
Read more:
This outrageous story of abuse serves as a reminder that just about anyone can be “elected” to the board of a condo, co-op, or homeowners’ association board. Small associations are particularly vulnerable to abuse (and corruption) – the smaller the association, the fewer potential board candidates. And when the majority of an association’s units are owned by absentee landlord-owners, and inhabited mainly by tenants without voting rights, the power-hungry condo owner may be the only willing volunteer.
State laws enable board members of residential associations with broad powers to enact rules, impose fines and other penalties against owners and residents, and decide how to spend money collected as assessments.
That combination of circumstances practically invites abuse.
And when an association board is hijacked by a toxic, abusive personality, residents and owners often fear for their personal safety.
Unfortunately, what is happening at Sunnyside is not an isolated incident, as I hear from owners and residents all over the U.S. that their association is ruled by one or more bullies on the board, often aided and abetted by a community manager or attorney.
In almost all cases, as we see with Sunnyside, owners and residents avoid revealing their identities, fearful of retribution.
Adult bullying
There is a label for what is happening at Sunnyside and thousands of other HOAs: Adult Bullying.
Author Preston Ni M.S.B.A. outlines some basic facts about adult bullies, and tips on how to deal with them.
The 5 Most Common Types of Adult Bullying
Five types of bullying tactics.Posted Jan 22, 2017
Preston Ni M.S.B.A. Preston Ni M.S.B.A.
“Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others.” —Paramahansa Yogananda
The American Psychological Association defines bullying as “a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words, or more subtle actions.” A bully can be an aggressive juvenile, an intimidating boss or colleague, a controlling romantic partner, an unruly neighbor, a high pressure sales/business representative, a condescending family member, a shaming social acquaintance, or those in a variety of other types of abusive relationships.
Here are five common tactics bullies use to extort undue influence and power, with references from my book, “How to Handle Aggressive, Intimidating, and Controlling People”. A bully may utilize one or more of the following methods to inflict harm, while deriving wretched pleasure from the suffering of the victim.
Read more:
8 Keys to Handling Adult Bullies
How to handle adult bulliesPreston Ni M.S.B.A. Preston Ni M.S.B.A.
Communication SuccessPosted Nov 06, 2016
“Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others.”
— Paramahansa Yogananda
Most of us encounter adult bullies at certain points in our lives. An adult bully can be an intimidating boss or colleague, a controlling romantic partner, an unruly neighbor, a high pressure sales/business representative, a condescending family member, a shaming social acquaintance, or other types of abusive relationships.
On the surface, an adult bully may come across as aggressive, demanding, and domineering. However, with an astute approach and assertive communication, you can turn aggression into respect. Here are eight keys to successfully handle adult bullies, with excerpts from my book: “How to Successfully Handle Aggressive, Intimidating, and Controlling People.” Not all of the tips below may apply to your particular situation. Simply use what works, and leave the rest.
Read more:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/communication-success/201611/8-keys-handling-adult-bullies
Among the many helpful tips provided by Ni, a few become problematic in the setting of an association-governed community, particularly when the bullying is perpetrated by an association board member, a property manager working on behalf of the board, or an HOA attorney.
The problematic suggestions for HOA owners and residents are:
Knowing your fundamental human rights, as well as U.S. Constitutional rights
and
Setting consequences for the bully to “compel respect”
In an association-governed community, when the bully is a person in a position of power, with legal rights supported by contract law and authorities enabled by state law, a homeowner or resident’s Constitutional rights are fundamentally compromised.
As long as U.S. Courts and legislation continue to support the misguided notion that The Bill of Rights Need Not Apply in situations involving so-called “contracts” between private parties, the victim of adult bullying in an HOA has nowhere to turn for legal support.
In fact, the owner or resident who dares to defend his or her rights and stand up to a bully may be forced into civil litigation, in a legal environment slanted heavily in favor of HOAs and its supporting industry. (See HOA Lawsuits\ A reality check)
Likewise, state legislation provides little or no enforceable legal consequence for HOA bullying by board members, managers, and HOA attorneys, making it practically impossible for an owner or resident to set any meaningful consequence for the bully’s continued abusive behavior.
Legislators, housing policy makers, and members of the judiciary must take note of the stark realities of association-governed communities, and recognize that the current legal and political system enables bullying and abusive leadership, while creating an environment where victims may be unable to adequately defend themselves.
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