County breaks ground on ice center

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County Legislator Kevan Abrahams, a Democrat from Freeport who is the Legislature’s minority leader, said that Mangano issued a “very quiet RFP” last June, and that Democratic legislators initially opposed the resolution to give Mangano, a Republican, the authority to execute a permit agreement with Twin Rinks at Eisenhower. But Republicans control the Legislature, 10-9, so the measure passed.

Abrahams said that Democrats opposed the vote at the time because they wanted more information about the project’s finances and public accessibility. “Mangano was pushing a vote without giving the Legislature the proper answers,” he said.

Abrahams added that while Democrats will keep a close eye on the project’s finances, they have since lent their support to it. “It sounds like it could be a good idea,” he said.

According to an online legal notice, Twin Rinks at Eisenhower was incorporated on May 29, two weeks before the county issued the RFP. And, according to the New York State Board of Elections, two campaign donations were made by Ronald Friedman to the Friends of Ed Mangano days after the RFP was issued, including a $1,000 contribution on June 15 and an $800 contribution on June 22.

The county did not respond to an inquiry from the Herald about the RFP process.

Silverman Acampora LLC is a commercial law firm based in Jericho. Ronald Friedman, a partner in the firm, provides clients with legal guidance on bankruptcies, liquidations and acquisitions as well as real estate.

Joel Friedman has a background in finance, having worked at Morgan Stanley and a private global financial services firm called Guggenheim Partners before he founded Clearview Capital Management LLC in 2009.

The Ferraro brothers, both 40, played professional hockey throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Both were members of the New York Rangers, and Chris also played for the Islanders. Both played for the 1994 U.S. Olympic team in Norway. The brothers, who live in Suffolk County, own the Jericho-based Ferraro Brothers Hockey.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to try and change the landscape and the dynamics of Long Island hockey and sports,” said Chris. “This is a dream come true for us.”

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