Beloved Central Park Carriage Driver Anthony D’Onofrio spent much of his young life taking care of working horses: feeding them, ensuring they received proper medical care, arranging their annual vacations on farms, and more.
On Thursday, a pair of white carriage horses helped honor Anthony, leading his funeral procession through the streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The stately animals, pulling a white hearse beneath a gray sky, brought the 22-year-old’s coffin from the funeral home to the church where his funeral mass was celebrated.
His father, Giuseppe, also a carriage driver, accompanied Anthony on his last ride, sitting up front with the carriage driver.
D’Onofrio – an active member of Transport Workers Union Local 100 – was killed early Saturday morning. He apparently was picking up some friends from a Bay Ridge restaurant, and was parked outside. A law enforcement source cited in the Daily News said Anthony was warming up his car while cleaning snow off of it when a brawl broke out between exiting patrons. D'Onofrio attempted to defuse the situation and protect his pal before he was stabbed.
Anthony was a mainstay of the historic horse-carriage industry since he was 8 years old, coming to the stable and park with his father. He was remembered as a kind, generous, and funny young man.
“Anthony touched all of so deeply,” carriage driver Ariel Fintzi said. “He was the best. He would make people so happy, taking people on a carriage ride.”
TWU Local 100 President Anthony Utano joined more than 200 mourners, including dozens of carriage drivers, at the funeral. He expressed his condolences to the family and expressed hope the Mayor Adams’ administration will turn the tide against crime in the city.
TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano backed Mayor Adams’ Blueprint to End Gun Violence, signing onto a letter of support along with more than 200 business, civic, and labor leaders. More about the plan here.
The plan includes increasing police resources focused on combating gun violence, spot checks for weapons at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and other inter-state transit hubs, greatly expanding summer youth employment programs, and deploying more violence interrupters – outreach workers, often reformed street gang members, to mediate in volatile situations that could lead to more gunfire.
As Utano noted, the blueprint also rightly focuses on the mental health crisis, which is on display throughout the transit system, making it less safe for workers and riders. The plan calls for the hospitalization of mentally ill individuals who refuse treatment, and pose a danger to themselves or others, if such action is recommended by a doctor and a judge.
“On our buses, in the subway, and in the neighborhoods where we live, transit workers see the need to improve public safety every single day,” Utano said. “All branches ofgovernment must take action, and that includes addressing the mental health crisis more effectively. The mayor’s plan is a big step forward.”
The International Union's annual Michael J. Quill Scholarship Program is now open for applications. It will award $4,800 to 15 college-bound dependents of TWU members. You can read the memo announcing the program here.
The deadline to apply is April 25th and all applications must be mailed in. Here's a link to the application itself.
Stations Department Vice President Robert Kelley acknowledges management's memo commending our Station Agents and CTA's for their exemplary work during the just-concluded snow emergency situation that dumped more than a foot of snow on the City.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams praised transit workers on Sunday along with City workers on January 30 in the aftermath of a major snowfall that saw no significant interruptions in transit service.
The NYPD installed a new chief of police for the subway system.
The new Chief of Transit, Jason Wilcox, is a 35-year police veteran. He spent seven years as the commanding officer for all of Manhattan, supervising operations in Transit Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Transit Districts are essentially underground police precincts with geographic boundaries encompassing stations and segments of subway lines.
Introducing himself to the NYC Transit Committee at its monthly meeting Monday morning, Wilcox echoed the operational directives Mayor Eric Adams has vocalized when speaking about subway crime: greater visibility of police and more active patrols by uniformed officers.
“They will be on the trains and on the platforms,” Wilcox said. “They will be moving around. Every night, every day, you will see them. They will be there to protect you and make you feel safer.”
Wilcox said he is a lifelong city resident who has relied on the subway and bus system throughout his life. Growing up in Manhattan, his family never owned a car, he said.
A Local 100 campaign helped pressure the previous mayor to boost the number of officers in the Transit Bureau last year.
The number of Transit Bureau officers increased by approximately 1,000.
Local 100 endorsed Eric Adams based on his pledge to increase subway safety for both riders and workers. Local 100 President Tony Utano, who has spoken with Adams about the better deployment of officers, said he is encouraged by some of his actions in his first weeks in office, including directing above-ground precinct police officers to regularly park their cars and enter subway stations for spot-checks and to increase police visibility.
The new chief also indicated a greater focus on fare evasion began last year with a significant increase in summonses.
“We get it,” Wilcox said to a committee member pushing for enforcement. “I understand it. We’re committed to addressing that as well. It’s a matter of order that will we continue to try and maintain.”
TWU Local 100's Scholarship Program, sponsored by M3 Technology, is now accepting applications for 2022. $125,000 in scholarships will be given out in a random drawing of eligible applications. These college scholarships are open to union members, their children, their spouses, and the children and grandchildren of TWU Local 100 retirees. Just click on the image to download an application. Fill it out and mail it in! Good luck!
JANUARY 19 -- TWU Local 100 President Utano has demanded the MTA suspend use of Kronos timekeeping equipment for all Local 100 members because of the nationwide cyberattack and data breach.
In a letter to MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, Utano also insisted the MTA “fully and completely” compensate transit workers for any potential economic losses stemming from the attack - including time spent dealing with banks and credit card companies.
According to the MTA, unknown hackers gained access to files containing some personal information about MTA workers, which the MTA says is limited to commuter railroad workers. Previous representations by the MTA, however, have proved to be false so we are closely monitoring the situation.
The leaked data includes names, birthdates, addresses and emails, according to the authority.
The security breach is even more alarming because the MTA has revealed that Kronos does have some personal information about Local 100 members even though the Authority had repeatedly assured the union it would not provide the company with such data. The MTA was only supposed to provide individual names and pass numbers. The restriction was codified in an arbitration award after the union brought a case. Calling the disclosure an “absolute betrayal” that also violated a union arbitration award, Utano demanded an immediate investigation to determine those responsible.
In the absence of MTA compliance with these demands, Utano said the union will enforce its contractual rights for immediate arbitration.
In a welcome sign of cooperation and focus, Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul announced Thursday new subway initiatives to increase safety and reduce the homeless population dwelling underground.
Adams, who was endorsed by TWU Local 100, said street-level police officers not responding to emergencies will be directed to park their cars and enter subway stations for security checks – and to increase the uniformed presence in the system. Subway-dedicated officers in the Transit Bureau will be directed to ride and walk through trains instead of congregating on mezzanines, he said. And officers sitting behind desks who can be of better service on patrol will be placed into transit patrol, he said, appearing with Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
“Omnipresence is the key,” Adams said at a press conference at the Fulton Transit Center in Manhattan. Hochul said the state will fund new homeless outreach teams consisting of mental health professionals and build more affordable housing with support services.
“We’re happy the new governor and new mayor are working together to improve safety for both riders and workers,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “Riders come in and out of the system, but this is our office. This is where we spend 8, 10, or even more hours a day. The mayor and governor are giving the issue of public safety in the transit system the focus and attention that’s required.”
Officials said the goal was not to hound the homeless with enforcement for low-level infractions but to get them the help they need to move on with their lives, and out of the transit system. Adams indicated that he believes laws need to be enforced or adapted to deal with the thorny issue of handling subway dwellers who refuse services, including alternative shelter.
Our Training and Upgrading Fund (TUF) offers courses to Union members on site and online. Offerings include computers and electronics, learning software productivity tools like MS Word and MS Excel, Math, Spanish, and sign language. Also, a course for women on exploring non-traditional careers. Get all the details by clicking on image at left for a full copy of the two-page flyer.
DECEMBER 8 -- Local 100 members have re-elected President Tony Utano to a new three-year term, as well as incumbent running mates on the Stand United Slate, Earl Phillips as Secretary Treasurer, LaTonya Crisp as Recording Secretary and Lynwood Whichard as Administrative Vice President.
Six of the seven Vice Presidents on Utano’s slate, including John Chiarello (Maintenance of Way); Richard Davis (MaBSTOA); Shirley Martin (Car Equipment); Robert Kelley (Stations); Peter Rosconi (MTA Bus/School Bus/Private Operations), and JP Patafio (TAS) were all victorious. RTO members elected Canella Gomez as their Departmental Vice President from the Progressive Change slate.
President Utano said of the results: “I want to thank the membership for placing its faith in me to lead our union for the next three years. We all kept the faith throughout the pandemic, and together battled to keep our workplaces safe and to move the union forward on all fronts. We secured billions in federal aid for the MTA which will guarantee our jobs, our benefits and sanctity of our collective bargaining agreements for the foreseeable future. Better days are coming, and I am thrilled to be able to continue as President of this great organization, TWU.”
Unofficial results on all elections have been posted on the Elections Committee page. These results will be subject to certification.
Management has issued a memo on COVID-19 testing which explains testing procedures for members who choose not to get vaccinated. It also explains how to provide proof of vaccination. You can read it here.
The International Union's annual Michael J. Quill Scholarship Program is now open for applications. It will award $4,800 to 15 college-bound dependents of TWU members. You can read the memo announcing the program 
