shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................quiet now....lets not alarm anyone!!  


http://www.timesunion.com/loca.....response-5886070.php



SCHENECTADY -- The owner of the Mont Pleasant Bakery says he is disappointed by police response to the gunpoint robbery last week of his business by two masked men.

"I don't think they're doing enough and I would like to see these guys caught," Joe Riitano said Tuesday.

The crime occurred sometime between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Riitano said both bandits were armed when they burst through an open side door of the Crane Street bakery, accosted two employees and marched them upstairs where Riitano was working in his office. The business was closed at the time.

He said the robbers, who had their faces concealed and their fingers on the trigger, demanded money. Riitano handed over about $1,500.

He said the pair made their demands in Spanish to one of his employees and called him by his first name. They also ransacked the office, ripped out the phone lines, stole surveillance equipment, cell phones and the keys to Riitano's pickup truck.

He said the robbery suspects hustled away only after Riitano told them the bakery items in the oven would burn, trigger the fire alarm and cause the fire department to respond.

Before they left, the men ordered him and the two employees to get on their knees and count to 50. Once they were gone, Riitano said he ran to the bar next door and asked someone there to call police.

Rittano said the crime has shaken his approximately 15 employees.

"My people are even scared to come into work, and now when the come in, we have to lock everything because you never know who's going to be behind you," he said. "I would like to see these guys caught."

Riitano, who has owned the bakery since 1983, said he suspects he may have been set up.

He also wondered why police never alerted the public of the crime.

Lt. Mark McCracken, a city police spokesman, said Tuesday that sometimes he and his fellow police spokesmen talk to reporters over the phone about crimes instead of putting out a news release.

He said police have identified the Mont Pleasant neighborhood as a "hot spot" based on crime mapping and recent crimes. As a result, the department has increased patrols by marked and unmarked cars along Crane Street and officers are on foot patrol in the area.

Riitano acknowledged that the bakery is struggling but that he planned to stay in business.

"I'm not going to let them run me out," he said.

This man is not one of the connected few. There is a direct correlation between this story, and the story of the wonderful beer garden opening up downtown. I would go over it, one more time, but those to thick to put two and two together still wouldn't get it.

Quoted from Madam X

This man is not one of the connected few. There is a direct correlation between this story, and the story of the wonderful beer garden opening up downtown. I would go over it, one more time, but those to thick to put two and two together still wouldn't get it.

First....this was being discussed on talk 1500 radio this morning. but they didn't name the bakery.
Second....he may not be one of the connected few....but his wife is a staunch dem and supports them completely....or at least she did.

Mt Pleasant Bakery is directly across from the police cameras.

The wife is a staunch Dem? Interesting. We had a staunch Dem, on the City Council, no less, who finally woke up and realized that she wasn't benefitting from what she was inflicting on the rest of us on their behalf. I guess it takes some people a little longer.
The Democratic Party in Schenectady is a FRONT, for some goings-on, that shouldn't be going on. Not everyone in the Democratic Party is in on it, but by continuing to support the Democrats, you continue to support the festering cancer. I don't know how to make it plainer. Witness the fact that some who used to call themselves Republicans, switched to the Democratic party not because of any change in philosophy, but so they could also be IN ON IT.

Nice to see that someone saw to it that this got into the news.  

Wonder if someone contacted the paper?   Or if a reporter at last night's meeting might have gone to Riggi afterwards to inquire what business on Crane St was robbed and didn't get in the news.



Ah, yes, this is what Riggi spoke about last night, that this was not in the news, you know, the mayor and his dem team keep all the bad news hushed (no wonder they get voted in all the time -- let's see if this story has a big bold front page headline in the Gazette; admittedly I don't know what paper is read by more, and would have to see the paper edition of the TU to see where the story was located)



So just how good is a city where homeowners pay taxes of the downtown rich and the employees of long time taxpaying mom & pop businesses are scared to go to work?     (p.s., YES, I know that Riitano is no 100% a faithful taxpayer, he's had some delinquencies, not like Popolizio who the city leaders refused to seize his houses in order to pay for the burned out building on McClellan & Eastern)

Obviously the city doesn't care.   Long time taxpaying bakery is treated like this and the taxpayers have to lavish a new building and tax exemptions on the millionaire Mallozzi political cronies

A city in a renaissance???????    

It is a renaissance. This business has to die for the downtown ones to be born.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Obviously the city doesn't care.   Long time taxpaying bakery is treated like this and the taxpayers have to lavish a new building and tax exemptions on the millionaire Mallozzi political cronies

    

oh trust me....this kind of crap goes on ALL the time....EVERYWHERE!!!! go talk to some folks at cumberland farms/stewarts....they have had confrontations too...but they never hit the paper. And don't think for a minute that downtown isn't getting their share of vandals...............CAUSE THEY ARE....YOU'D BE SHOCKED.......TRUST ME!!!

you will never read/hear about it in the news either.

7:30 at night on Crane St?

Leaving the side door open?

Too bad Joe didn't have a concealed weapon.

For those who don't know who Joe is, he used to own the Arco Station at Altamont Ave and Patton Drive where the Mobil station currently sits.

He also had the alternator and starter rebuilding shop on Mitchell Rd down on the left behind the Adult store across from Dagostino Block.

i really like the place...the daytime lady's that work there are a hoot...but most times during the day you have to yell into the back to get service to get some renaissance rolls..

i'm really surprised someone has not just ripped the cash register off the counter and run with it

Quoted from sanfordy2

i really like the place...the daytime lady's that work there are a hoot...but most times during the day you have to yell into the back to get service to get some renaissance rolls..

i'm really surprised someone has not just ripped the cash register off the counter and run with it

You are right. I go there all the time and anyone can walk in and help themselves to the entire place if they want.

The woman who works there is very nice. I always tip her.

She uses the tip money to pay for baked goods that she gives away to neighborhood kids.

White Eagle was a great bakery too.

Quoted from bumblethru

oh trust me....this kind of crap goes on ALL the time....EVERYWHERE!!!! go talk to some folks at cumberland farms/stewarts....they have had confrontations too...but they never hit the paper. And don't think for a minute that downtown isn't getting their share of vandals...............CAUSE THEY ARE....YOU'D BE SHOCKED.......TRUST ME!!!

you will never read/hear about it in the news either.

However:

Quoted Text

Riitano acknowledged that the bakery is struggling but that he planned to stay in business.

Gee, these city/plex leaders have--under threat of seizing his bakery--FORCED Riitano to pay not only the taxes on his own bakery property, but also pay for the taxes of his competitor bakery in a fancy schmancy building, Riitano has to pay the taxes of the Villa Italia as well, as the city and plex have make that property 100% tax exempt WITH NO END DATE.  

and his wife supported them all!!!!
and he ain't no poor person by any stretch!
Why the hell is he even staying there?
he could 'easily' move it to a better location.
he has a choice and the $$$$ to choose!
ya just can't make this crap up!!!!!

no sympathy here!

At least he is a businessman who is not getting handouts from the city county or plex that I can see
At least he lives in the county and thus pays taxes where he lives and he is not tax exempt on his businesses in the county.