Carl Kruger

It's the First Anniversary of the Marriage Equality Act Passing and the Weather is Perfect: Happy Pride Sunday!

One year ago today, we had the chance to travel to Albany for our first and only day of reporting there. As days of political reporting go, it did not disappoint. On arrival, the halls were filled with passionate protesters: those demanding that gay and lesbian people not be allowed to "sully" the ... More >>

Gay Marriage In Time For Pride? Not Yet, But Eat Your Veggies

​As the Daily Show pointed out last night, the New York State Senate has indeed succeeded in taking on one of the toughest issues of the day: finally settling what the Empire State vegetable ought to be. (Corn.) But though Governor Cuomo just tweeted about some real progress -- the long-awaite ... More >>

BREAKING: Gay Marriage Equality Passes in New York State

NO ONE!Who do we have to blow for gay marriage? NO ONE!To chants of "USA! USA! USA!" the galley of the Senate exploded after the Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act this evening, by a vote of to 33 to 29. The bill passed after the Senate previously passed a religious exemption amendment (which h ... More >>

Carl Kruger, Two Other Dems Now Reportedly Support Gay Marriage

Three more votes have reportedly been secured for gay marriage legislation working its way through the New York Senate, including Brooklyn Democrat Carl Kruger, who was formerly staunchly anti-gay but was recently outed. Three Democratic senators who voted "no" last time — Joseph Addabbo Jr. ... More >>

Finally, a List of Who You Have to Blow in the New York State Senate to Get Gay Marriage

Paul Schindler of Gay City News has put together a great scorecard of how everyone stands on gay marriage in the state Senate, which is where the issue will be decided. Senator Tom Duane's bill needs 32 votes. Currently, 26 Democrats and zero Republicans publicly support it. Those Log Cabin Republ ... More >>

Who Do We Have To Blow To Get Gay Marriage? The 2011 Version

​AFTER THE JUMP: An update on the growing coalition behind marriage equality. Just who do marriage equality activists have to blow to get gay marriage in New York State? In the fall of 2009, when we asked that question, the obvious answer was the state Senate Democrats. A marriage equality ... More >>

Corrupt Carl Kruger's Crony Michael Levitis to Star in Brighton Beach Version of Jersey Shore

Michael and Marina Levitis​We warned last year that Jersey Shore could be coming to Brooklyn's Brighton Beach, with Russian-Americans instead of Italian-Americans, but now the plot has become juicier. Michael Levitis, a confessed criminal, but also a lawyer and the owner of a nightclub called ... More >>

State Senator Carl Kruger Finally Hit With Corruption and Bribery Charges

​State Senator Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblyman William Boyland turned themselves into police this morning in order to face longstanding allegations of a bribery conspiracy. As the Village Voice's Tom Robbins wrote back in the summer of 2010, Kruger "has been relentlessly soaking [Sout ... More >>

Give Them a Shovel: Morning-After Pols Throwing Snow Balls

AP​Disasters always have to be someone else's fault, so we are a city of finger-pointers this morning. We have hapless Brooklyn state senator Carl Kruger, who only tried to shut down state government last year, being quoted on national radio complaining about the unplowed streets of his Mill B ... More >>

City May Relocate Ruby's Bar and Grill to Surf Avenue

Ruby's Bar and Grill​In the latest chapter of the sorry saga unfolding on what remains of Coney Island, the Post reports that the city is considering moving the so-called Coney 8 -- eight longtime boardwalk businesses that include Ruby's Bar and Grill -- one block away from the boardwalk, to S ... More >>

This Week in the Voice: Summer of Whippets

​It may not be the summer of love (in fact, we're pretty sure it isn't), but that doesn't mean that you can't spend the next two months "jamming to the familiar hiss of hippie crack." In this week's cover story, John H. Tucker goes inside the Nitrous Mafia, a surprisingly organized group made ... More >>

Carl Kruger's Russian Secrets

State senator's big stash attracts the FBI

Carl Kruger's Mighty Campaign Warchest Draws FBI Attention

​Just in time for the state budget showdown, the FBI is again poking around in the affairs of state senators. The latest probes are encouragingly bi-partisan, which is the best way to do corruption probing. There is one for a Democrat -- state senator Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, whose dealings wi ... More >>

Carl Kruger Supports Gay Rights After Death

​It turns out Carl Kruger, one of the few Democrats in the State Senate to vote against same-sex marriage (and the only one from Brooklyn) is willing to have the state extend the legal rights married couples enjoy to same-sex partnerships after all. Unfortunately, one of the partners has to di ... More >>

Activists Claim Paul Lynde, Hoop Dancer Prove Carl Kruger is Gay

​The thought never crossed our minds, but apparently after the gay marriage vote in Albany last month, a couple of gay activists displeased with state senator Carl Kruger's vote started heckling Kruger and suggesting the senator is gay. GaySocialites insinuatingly called Kruger an "unmarried o ... More >>

State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill, 38-24

​The New York Senate voted down the Marriage Equality Bill, on a roll call vote of 24 to 38. The vote was taken after two hours of debate, ending with an impassioned plea by Senator Duane, during which time sniffling and crying could clearly be heard in the Senate gallery. The roll call vot ... More >>

This Is, Apparently, Who We Have To Blow

​ ...or rather, blow away, in the next election. Ladies and gentlemen, the 'No' votes...

Cheek, In Review: 7 Days of Runnin' Scared

​ Kristen Stewart, New Moon premiere. Twitpic via KriisStewart_. Our Man of the Week is Rudolph Giuliani. He started off with confused but belligerent comments about the KSM trial, making him look like a candidate for something. Then word leaked that he would not run for Governor, then that ... More >>

Albany Special Sessions Grow Increasingly Less Special

​We know this stretches the definition of news, but the Albany special sessions haven't accomplished much in the way of deficit reduction. Sheldon Silver informs us the hard-working assembly has been churning out bills, including one inspired by the sad case of Leandra Rosado that will make it ... More >>

Poor Dave: Here Comes Carl Kruger Again

Senator Fireplug​Just when you thought you could never feel sorry for David Paterson again, along comes kooky Carl Kruger, the comic book hero of the Democratic state senate. The fire-plug shaped Brooklyn legislator has launched himself as a one-man band fighting Paterson's proposed budget cut ... More >>

Coup Update: Weird Scenes Outside the Senate Chamber

The defenestrated Dems of Albany are fighting back against the Skelos-Espada-Golisano coup -- not in the state senate chamber, which remains locked and where they were pretty useless anyhow, but with picket signs and press conferences. The Albany Times-Union reports protesters outside new senate pr ... More >>

Tolls Coming Back to MTA Rescue?

Back in February it looked like bridge tolls were going to save us from the MTA Doomsday budget. But in March the tolls were tabled, and the MTA started lining up a crappier subway with $2.50 fares. But hark! What do we hear from Albany? They're talking about tolls again. Some modifications are bei ... More >>

Vanguard of the Senate Revolution

When no one else will, Kruger and Espada battle on behalf of the people

This Week in the Voice

Remember the epidemic years of AIDS, when infected New Yorkers fought to get into untested drug trials? People fought to get infected babies into those trials, too. Some of them, because of the nature of the trials, were given placebo drugs. Some made it, some didn't. Not much has been written abo ... More >>

Silver: Bridge Tolls Off, For Now

The Queens Gazette was wondering whether Sheldon Silver had the votes to push bridge tolls through the assembly. Now it looks as if he doesn't: thanks in part to outer-borough opposition, Silver is backing off, says PolitickerNY. It's not that the assembly speaker doesn't necessarily have the votes, ... More >>

Espada, Hailed as "Mi Hermano" by Malcolm Smith, Swears Into Senate

Homophobe Ruben Diaz, l., gives gavel to Pedro Espada. Photos by John DeSio. Fresh from their behind-closed-doors victory over Malcolm Smith and the new Democratic majority in the State Senate, the so-called "Gang of Three" held what amounted to a victory party last night in the concert hall of Le ... More >>

Habemus Corruptio! Senates Dems' Deal Settled

We know we've said this before, but it looks as if, on the morning of the actual vote, the Democrats of the state senate have pulled together a deal that will get everyone, including the rebellious Gang of Three, on board for Malcolm Smith to be elected to majority leader. The New York Times break ... More >>

Albany! LL Cool J Endorses Smith, Diaz Fights "Homosexual Marriage"

Say, aren't our elected representatives supposed to go to Albany and get sworn in on January 1? And isn't the fate of the elected Democratic majority -- the state's first since the Ice Age -- still unsettled? Would-be Majority Leader Malcolm Smith's biggest achievement recently was to pick up the en ... More >>

How the 'Gang of Three' Ties Up Senate Dems

Memo Allegedly Details Espada & Co.'s Power, Payoff Demands

Diaz "Sanctified" Now-Dead Senate Deal with Prayer

State Senate Deal Collapsing: Espada, Maybe Smith Out?

Pedro Espada's 'Clerical Error'

Dems Deal -- Espada to Majority Leader?

Diaz Splits, and Now It's a "Gang of 2" in State Senate (Updated)

4 State Senate Dems Continue to Defy Leadership

GOP-Friendly Dem Senators Muscle Their Albany Colleagues

Letters

Living the Political Life Fantastic

Surf, turf, and doughnuts: A state senator dines out on his campaign war chest

Coney Est Mort, Vive Coney!

Brooklyn Court Insurgent Wins Round as Foes Rally

Girl Fight

Students say a Marine Park brawl was kid stuff. Prosecutors are calling it race rage.

Close-Up on Brighton Beach

Close-up on Sheepshead Bay

Close-Up on Ditmas Park

Close-Up on Brighton Beach, Brooklyn

Close-Up on Midwood

Senate for Sale

GOP Uses Public Pots of Gold to Entice Converts

Paying Disorders

Insurers Shortchange Bulimics and Anorexics