Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
$1.50
Friday, September 23, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 38
N E W H Y D E PA R K
GUIDE TO FALL
ELMONT MAN CHARGED IN MINEOLA MURDER
BLANK SLATE HONORS 40 UNDER 40
PAGES 24-32
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
Lafazan did not report $100k loan Nassau legislator amended financial disclosures from billionaire investors BY C E L EST E H A D R I C K Although Nassau County requires public officials to disclose their debts, Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan for two years did not report a 2020 loan of as much as $100,000 that he received from a billionaire couple. Lafazan, a Woodbury Democrat who lost his bid for the Democratic nomination to Congress last month, waited until last Wednesday to amend his 2021 and 2022 Nassau financial disclosure forms to reflect a “student loan” from billionaire investor Bryan Lawrence and his wife Elizabeth. By then, Lafazan, who was elected to the county Legislature in 2017, had already lost his primary race for the Democratic nomination to run for the 3rd Congressional District being vacated by U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove); a political rival had requested a federal investigation into the loan and alleged Lafazan disclosure forms that did not disclose the loan had been circulating for a month. Last Friday, Lafazan’s initial and amended disclosures were released by the County Board of Ethics pursuant to a Freedom of Information Law request. The county requires elected of-
ficials and other county officers to file annual financial disclosures by May 15 of the following year.The 2021 disclosure, covering the previous year of 2020, shows it was started on April 26, 2021 at 1:41 p.m. and completed on April 26, 2012 at 2:14 p.m. The amended disclosure shows the same start time but says it was completed on Sept, 7, 2020 at 2:20 p.m. The amended 2022 disclosure, for the 2021 year, says it was started May 16, 2022 but completed Sept. 7, 2022 at 2:23 p.m. Nothing was listed under debts on the initial disclosures for 2020 and 2021. The amended disclosures showed this same addition under the section labeled “Debts” in excess of $5,000, “Joshua Lafazan, Student Loan Bryan & Elizabeth Lawrence, Park Ave., NY.NY”The amount category was redacted. Neither Lafazan nor the county’s Democratic legislative spokesman responded to an inquiry asking why Lafazan waited so long to disclose the loan. Lafazan’s amendments to his county forms came more than a month after The New York Post on Aug. 6 questioned the loan. Continued on Page 46
PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY
A young boy sprays a fire hose with help from the New Hyde Park Fire Department during the village’s 25th annual street fair. See additional photos on page 10.
Families enjoy sold out 25th annual street fair BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
Saturday was the second street fair after a two-year delay in 2019 Food, families and fun were due to LIRR construction in 2020 spread along Jericho Turnpike Sat- and COVID-19 in 2021. The village, in conjunction with urday afternoon for the 25th annual Craft-A-Fair Long Island, held the New Hyde Park Street Fair.
event on Jericho from New Hyde Park Road to Lakeville Road. Attendees were treated to a number of activities and options, ranging from a slice at Gino’s, a Continued on Page 47
Visit thenewhydeparkheraldcourier.com or theisland360.com for the latest in breaking news.