Strip club owner and newspaper publisher Sam
Zherka is accusing Westchester’s Public Safety Commissioner Thomas
Belfiore and New York City as defendants. of falsely labeling him a
mobster and sparking a grand jury investigation of him.
Zherka is accusing Westchester’s Public Safety Commissioner Thomas
Belfiore and New York City as defendants. of falsely labeling him a
mobster and sparking a grand jury investigation of him.
Zherka filed a federal lawsuit yesterday in U.S.
District Court in White Plains that asserts he was designated an
Albanian organized crime figure to his former colleagues in the NYPD.
Zherka stipulates that the NYPD’s organized crime unit launched an
investigation of Zherka, who owns the VIP Club in Manhattan and
publishes The Westchester Guardian.
District Court in White Plains that asserts he was designated an
Albanian organized crime figure to his former colleagues in the NYPD.
Zherka stipulates that the NYPD’s organized crime unit launched an
investigation of Zherka, who owns the VIP Club in Manhattan and
publishes The Westchester Guardian.
"They’re going to pay for slandering my name," he
said yesterday. "I’m not letting them do this to me as an Albanian and
get away with it."
said yesterday. "I’m not letting them do this to me as an Albanian and
get away with it."
A spokesman for Belfiore declined to comment on
the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Robert
Morgenthau declined to confirm or deny the existence of the
investigation.
the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Robert
Morgenthau declined to confirm or deny the existence of the
investigation.
But Susan Tolchin, a spokeswoman for Westchester
County Executive Andrew Spano, blasted Zherka and his lawyer, Jonathan
Lovett. She said Lovett has filed 19 lawsuits against the county since
2000, and 14 were dismissed or withdrawn but cost taxpayers $1.9
million to defend. She said Zherka’s trying to draw attention to
himself.
County Executive Andrew Spano, blasted Zherka and his lawyer, Jonathan
Lovett. She said Lovett has filed 19 lawsuits against the county since
2000, and 14 were dismissed or withdrawn but cost taxpayers $1.9
million to defend. She said Zherka’s trying to draw attention to
himself.
"Here we go again," she said. "It is simply a
publicity stunt by a strip club owner who, because of his own problems,
is the target of a criminal investigation by the Manhattan grand jury."
publicity stunt by a strip club owner who, because of his own problems,
is the target of a criminal investigation by the Manhattan grand jury."
Zherka says in the lawsuit that his problems with
the county stemmed from an article The Westchester Guardian published
in early 2007 that was critical of Westchester District Attorney Janet
DiFiore and her husband. He claims in a lawsuit he has filed against
DiFiore that she threatened him and his family in a conversation after
the article was published.
the county stemmed from an article The Westchester Guardian published
in early 2007 that was critical of Westchester District Attorney Janet
DiFiore and her husband. He claims in a lawsuit he has filed against
DiFiore that she threatened him and his family in a conversation after
the article was published.
Now, Zherka says, his name is in an NYPD database as being connected to organized crime.
"I’ve never been connected to anything," he said. "I’m going to crush every one of them in court."
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