Trustee Demands Apology From Resident
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

Second Deputy Mayor Thomas Lamberti has demanded an apology from the wife of Trustee Nicholas Episcopia after she compared him to "someone like Mussolini" during the public comment portion of the Sept. 11th meeting of the Garden City Board of Trustees.

Dorothy Episcopia said it was "absolutely shocking" that Lamberti had considered the two property owners' associations who sought to hold a public opinion poll without the support of all four POAs to be "rogues" and moved to disavow the poll results.

"That to me is the thought of someone like Mussolini," she said.

Lamberti contacted the Garden City News days after the meeting to express his anger at her comment. "My parents were born in Italy and came as immigrants to this country," he says in an e-mail to the newspaper. "My relatives fought in the United States Army to liberate Europe from the dictatorships of Hitler and Mussolini. One of my cousins is buried in a cemetery in Belgium, having lost his life in the battle of Bastogne. I served for two years in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.

"My mother established the Ladies Italian American Society of Garden City when she moved here in1964. She fought for immigration reform. Later that year she was invited to the White House by President Johnson to be present at the signing of the immigration reform bill. It was one of her proudest moments to represent this Village as an Italian American.

"I was outraged by being compared to Mussolini, particularly on the anniversary of September 11th when we honor the fallen heroes of all nationalities. I was disappointed that Mayor Bee did not rule this remark out of order. I was gratified that George Salem and Rochelle Dowling rose to my defense.

"Dorothy Episcopia's comment is an insult to all Italian Americans. Ethnic slurs have no place in our civic debate. We, Italian Americans, demand a public apology."

Episcopia said she planned to contact Lamberti, whom she has known since the 1970s, and clarify her position. She submitted the following response via e-mail to the Garden City News:

"The unfortunate comment I made compared Trustee Lamberti's formal resolution to 'disavow the results of the proposed public opinion poll on St. Paul's' to 'the thought of someone like Mussolini.' While my choice of words might not have been the wisest, my remark certainly was not intended as an insult to Trustee Lamberti's heritage, or to anyone else's for that matter.

"My comment was a direct response to Trustee Lamberti's emphatic condemnation of the public opinion poll planned by the Eastern and Estates Property Owners' Associations, which he called a "rogue action," as well as his verbal assaults on the intelligence and common sense of the hard-working presidents and directors of these two POAs. The poll would have asked residents if they accept the AvalonBay proposal or choose demolition.

"I was shocked that Trustee Lamberti, who has vowed to bring the St. Paul's issue to an end, would think of disenfranchising the people by flatly disavowing an event that would have been open to, and provided, all of the residents the long-awaited opportunity to register their opinions on voting machines and help bring this matter to closure. I was under the impression that Trustee Lamberti wanted the public's opinion.

"We all listened to an hour of misinformation and statements by supporters of a one question poll: 'AvalonBay, Yes or No,' with no option for demolition. It is most unfortunate that my closing comment to Trustee Lamberti has become the target of those who might wish to obscure the correct facts that I also presented on the 15-year history of the concerted, but futile, efforts to find a suitable and affordable use for the building."

When contacted by the Garden City News for a response, Mayor Peter Bee replied in an e-mail: "I have consistently deplored the lack of courtesy and respect which members of the public-and members of the Board of Trustees-have shown to each other, especially over the contentious subject of St. Paul's.

"Mrs. Episcopia did not advance the cause of courteous debate when she said that Trustee Lamberti's advance rejection of any results from a proposed POA poll was 'the thought of someone like Mussolini ...' Sadly, her final remark was no more discourteous than many other comments recently made by others. I believe it's time for everyone involved in this democratic process to return to a level of civil discourse. I will use my gavel more vigorously in the future to achieve this goal."