The 73rd and 75th Street Scofflaw Con Artists ignore the law AGAIN

 After about a month of peace, the 73rd Street "psychic" has come back, this time raising the scam price (from $10 to $20) and offering Internet facetime sessions. 

Bareburger could put a sign on the corner to promote their failing business, but they RESPECT the LAW and know that they don't OWN the sidewalk or the lightpole. 

The second photo of the sign, to prove it's NEW, has a newspaper front page taped to it. It's about the departure of Trump following the riot and insurrection in Washington. The photo was taken around January 14th. 

Meanwhile the pests on 75th are the competition. The Pony Bar is out of business thanks to the pandemic, but the obnoxious "PSYCHIC" continues to act like she owns the sidewalk and the city should be endorsing her scams. 

The sign-happy lunatic has created a real eyesore at 435 East 75th where she preys on the gullible and the lonely. If the landlord is getting extra money from her for the EYESORE, fine. She is NOT entitled to CHAIN a SIGN to the lamppost on the corner. Will she get enough fines to understand this, after eight years? 

In DeBlasio's New York, monkeys see, and so monkeys do. As soon as some graffiti "artists" sees that a good neighborhood has buildings "tagged," it's open season. Same with the phony "psychics." Once they see others get away with chaining signs all day every day, they try it, too. It seems people who live in the neighborhood  don't like the eyesore sign and somebody knocked it over. But whoever did it, didn't understand it's possible to call 311 and get action, and explain that THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION can and should clip and remove signs chained to lampposts, and that the DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION handles complaints on free-standing signs or signs chained to other structures.

The sign is on 71st and 2nd, on the corner where THE GARDEN FLORIST pays rent (1382 2nd Avenue). Anyone seeing this sign is invited to tell 311 the location and request its removal. 

73rd Street Clear while the 75th Street Pest Remains...for now

 Thanks to working together, Sanitation and the Dept. of Transportation were able to remove the perpetual "PSYCHIC" sign chained to a lamppost om the corner of 73rd and 1st Avenue (opposite Bareburger). Nice to NOT see that eyesore:

Meanwhile, two blocks up, the classy neighborhood is still sullied by yet another phony with palm reading games and a scofflaw mentality. Like the 73rd Street "psychic," this one has been a scofflaw since 2012, if not longer. You'll find entries on her antics throughout this blog. She's still at it, chaining up a sign in broad daylight on 75th in front of the Pony Bar (1444 First Avenue). All to try and get grieving people and superstitious immigrants to go down the block and part with their money. 

This kind of trashy, ugly sign has no place in any neighborhood. The "psychic" (at 435 E 75) has somehow festooned the front of the building with three huge signs advertising her "skills," and that's not enough. She's been called up time and again and told to remove the sign, and she says, "Oh my, I had no  idea it was illegal," and then it's chained up a few days later. One sanitation worker, Scott James, went to her door, knocked, announced he was with Sanitation, identified himself, and she wouldn't let him in.

In the summer, her repulsive husband lounges in front of the walk-up building...while she pesters passersby with illegal flyers....

When there's a summer street fair, she doesn't buy a table like any normal merchant. She sneaks a chair at the corner of 75th and 1st, puts up a table, and goes after fools:

Yes, cops were there, and the local politicians had staffers at paid-for tables, and she was not paying a cent for her street fair "space." This has been going on since...well, here's an entry on this blog going back to 2012, when she had a preposterous sign that offered "pet readings." It does look like the dog might be stupid enough to bite...

The bottom line is that none of this should be going on after eight years. Both "psychics" (73rd and 75th) should have been fined so heavily they'd never THINK of chaining up a sign ever again. Some of the problem has been the "it's not my job" and "who handles this" confusion when people report to 311. A free-standing sign and a chained one can be two different city agencies! But clearly, the 19th Precinct and its "Community Affairs" officer should have been on this and personally told off BOTH "psychics" to stop their games and respect the neighborhood.  

What's the Different between a Bicycle "Hoop Rack" and a Lamppost?

For the SECOND time in about a year, the "PSYCHIC" scofflaw had a sign CLIPPED AND REMOVED from the bicycle "Hoop Rack" in front of the Asian deli-bodega between 72nd and 73rd on YORK. 

But, despite being reported at the SAME TIME, nobody has CLIPPED AND REMOVED the OTHER sign, which the "PSYCHIC" has chained to a lamppost on the corner of 73rd and 1st Avenue.

WHY IS THAT? 

This "PSYCHIC" has been a scofflaw for over EIGHT YEARS. Not enough fines to make this con-job nuisance stop? 

The city could be making a fortune fining this creep, removing the signs, and forcing her to buy a new one or STOP THE SWINDLING. (Or risk pestering passersby with leaflets, as her stooges have done so often!) 

The "PSYCHIC" has a storefront down the block at 425 east 73rd so if the fines aren't paid, the city could PADLOCK the place and even EVICT this blight on the neighborhood.

The Upper East Side is no place for ugly signs that try might lead the elderly and the immigrants to be taken for every sent they have due to a smooth-talking BAJOUR. 

MICHAEL WILSON of THE NEW YORK TIMES has written up the fake psychics as long as THIS creepy East Side menace has been scofflawing.

He knows these "psychics" can not only con superstitious people, and the elderly, but "normal" people who are caught at a vulnerable time, like Niall Rice:   

JULY 24 and BRAZEN SIGNS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT FROM THE "PSYCHIC" - 8 YEARS a SCOFFLAW

Here she comes again. 

The Mayor's Office said, back around September 24, 2019, that the sign in front of the Deli (between 72nd and 73rd on York) was REMOVED. And it was. So look who got a NEW ONE: 

Who owns that pole? Department of Transportation? Who is going to remove it again and FINE this SCOFFLAW and force her to sign a CEASE AND DESIST document? 

Also in broad daylight, there's always a sign in front of BAREBURGER, 73rd and 1st Avenue. BAREBURGER doesn't put a sign there to call attention to themselves -- the PSYCHIC DOES. 

TWO SIGNS BRAZENLY PLACED by the "PSYCHIC" at 425 East 73rd. 

THE PLAGUE IS BACK - not COVID, THE GYPSY SCAMMER

Update:

AS OF JULY 24th, 2020 the EIGHT YEAR problem remains: a "PSYCHIC" on 73rd CONTINUES to chain A-Frame signs at 73rd and 1st and 72nd and York and the 19th Precinct looks the other way.

This is a shame because they have a "community affairs" officer, one who shows up at meetings of the 79th Street Block Association. 

In a perfect world, this officer should go to the "psychic" at 425 East 75th and say: "No more chaining of signs. You'll get tossed in jail for 3 days without bail for...(you name it, public nuisance, scofflawing, etc.) 

Back on September 24, 2019, a small victory was reported here: 

GOOD NEWS: 

This sign is NO LONGER an eyesore on York avenue between 72nd and 73rd (in front of the deli).  

BAD NEWS: 

The 'Psychic' still has another one on 72nd and 1st in front of Bareburger, and then put up another at the deli where the first sign was removed! 

THE RESPITE LASTED NINE MONTHS.  The Mayor's Office reported the deli sign's removal, and promised to "monitor" the problem. But the sign chained to the bike rack is back and the one at Bareburger's never been removed at all: 

Here is the replaced sign in front of the upscale bodega, between 72nd and 73rd on YORK AVENUE. 

HOPEFULLY NEW YORK CITY ISN'T GOING TO LET THIS CHEATING SCOFFLAW GET AWAY WITH THIS ANY LONGER.

This is a good neighborhood. One of the best. Real estate prices are still high. It should NOT look like a slum with crappy A-frame signs advertising con games.  

BEN KALLOS - Angry at Scaffolds, Not so Concerned about Con-Artist Scofflaw Gypsies

December 16th, and BEN KALLOS sends out an email -- the concern? SCAFFOLDS. 

The New York Post has pointed out that BEN KALLOS has, in essence, DONE NOTHING about the scaffold problem for THREE YEARS. 

BEN KALLOS, who has a Democrat-controlled council, mayor and Borough President behind him, can't get a law passed? Can't get any action? Has to complain to the New York Post and send e-mails to his constituents? And asks for donations to his Borough President campaign?

He's proud of this?

Of ALL the issues this guy faces in this Big City, the ONE thing that concerns him most is....SCAFFOLDS? 

How about clean neighborhood free from deadbeat panhandlers or gypsy scum who chain signs to public property? 

How about graffiti? Benny Boy promised in an email to constituents that he was partnering with a charitable company that would remove graffiti if reported to his office. A few days later, he sent an apology to anyone "offended" by his remark that graffiti should be removed (ie, it's really ART). His office ignores all emails reporting graffiti...like THIS restaurant (formerly known as SAUCY) on York Avenue: 

 

Meanwhle, on 75th and 1st Avenue, a "PSYCHIC" sign has remained chain to a lamppost for years and years. Shouldn't the tony "Upper East Side" retain its real estate values and "quality of life?"

Instead, Kallos is concerned with scaffolding (how does he prove which scaffolds need to be taken down and how hard the workers are working?) He also is concerned that drag queens read fairy tales to children at public libraries. Wheee. 

Kallos has staffers who turn up once a month at a NYPL branch or other facility, to answer questions and solve problems. One of them was given photos of the chained signs. He smiled and said, "We'll look into it." That was all.  

FOR EIGHT YEARS now "psychic" signs have been chained at 75th St and 1st (PONY BAR) and 73rd and 1st (BAREBURGER) with impunity. 

A suggestion for Benny the K: write a law doubling the fine for a scofflaw sign, and tripling it for each additional offense.  

The city makes money on the fines and the streets look better. 

Mr. Kallos would like to be Borough President. Maybe he should visit a psychic to see if his dreams will come true? It's hard to miss their signs.

FREE AD SPACE at the NYC MARATHON

Yes, November 3rd, the New York City Marathon. 

The corner of 73rd and 1st in front of BAREBURGER.

And the "PSYCHIC" blatantly chains up an illegal sign in broad daylight: 

Another sign was removed a month ago, but nobody's chopped the chain on THIS one.  

How about THESE TWO GUYS? 

They don't look too busy. There were DOZENS of them, at least two every block or so. 

THESE two could've called the number on the sign and said, "Take your sign away. NOW. You are disturbing the peace. Creating a public nuisance. You could be held 72 hours for this."

Nope. Not THEIR job.  

They say "Don't take the law into your own hands, report it." And nothing happens. For a chronic scofflaw, the 19th precinct should make an exception. Just call the number or walk down the block to the store and say: "ENOUGH." 

Is it really asking too much for the 19th Precinct and "Community Affairs" to help remove a neighborhood pest's illegal signs?