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🌱 Patch AM: How a Brooklyn dealmaker’s empire ended up buried in lawsuits

Coming up on the Brooklyn Patch calendar: Join us for a Public Information Meeting for the Grand Street Bridge Project!

Monday May 18th Patch AM

Good morning Brooklyn! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

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In today's newsletter:

  • How a Brooklyn dealmaker’s empire ended up buried in lawsuits
  • Did a Brooklyn developer really think he controlled a courthouse?
  • Why a woman gave birth on a bench in Brooklyn court

Also on today's calendar: Join us for a Public Information Meeting for the Grand Street Bridge Project! and 13 more events.

Today's riddle: Why do Honeydew Melons have to get married in church? 🤔 (Answer below!)


Weather forecast:

  • Monday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 82 and low of 69 degrees.
  • Tuesday: Hot, temps: high: 95, low: 72. 🌶 Hot!
  • Wednesday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 93 and low of 57 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. A Brooklyn dealmaker's legal avalanche (therealdeal.com) — Brooklyn real estate players are entangled in a wave of lawsuits, including claims that local dealmaker Bert Dweck owes millions and allegedly issued numerous bad checks to a Brooklyn investor. The piece also highlights a reprieve for an East Flatbush property owner and other high-stakes New York real estate disputes, underscoring how fragile some local investment networks may be.    

2. NYC developer allegedly bragged about court scam the day before FBI bust: ‘Ha ha' (amedpost.com) — Brooklyn readers are seeing stunning allegations that a local developer boasted about influencing judges and connections inside Brooklyn courts before being arrested alongside a former Brooklyn judge. Prosecutors say the pair are tied to extensive fraud and wire-fraud conspiracy cases, with civil suits and disciplinary actions rippling through Brooklyn’s legal and political circles.    

3. Woman gives birth ‘on courtroom bench' during arraignment in Brooklyn (nbcnewyork.com) — A woman in NYPD custody went into labor during a late-night arraignment in a Brooklyn courtroom and delivered her baby on a bench before being taken to Brooklyn Hospital. Public defender groups are demanding an investigation into how a pregnant detainee ended up giving birth without privacy or adequate medical care in a local court.    

4. Woman stabbed to death in suspected Brooklyn domestic violence incident; man in custody (nydailynews.com) — Police say a 41-year-old woman was fatally stabbed inside her Brooklyn townhouse on Cooper Street in Bushwick Sunday morning, in what investigators are treating as a domestic violence case. Officers entered through a window, found a man on the couch and the victim in the kitchen, and took the man into custody while charges remain pending.    

5. With largest US commuter rail system shut down, federal labor officials urge unions to resume talks (taylorvilledailynews.com) — Brooklyn commuters who rely on the Long Island Rail Road face major disruptions as a strike by several unions has shut down North America’s largest commuter rail system. Federal mediators and Gov. Kathy Hochul are urging both sides back to the table, while limited bus options and work-from-home requests try to ease the impact across Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.    


📸 Around Brooklyn

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

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    Sports cards, Wax & Pokémon Cards Mangas BULK/ QUANTITY Collections Top $$ Cash paid Mike 201-892-1212 mikecarbo@gmail.com  (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • NYC Minority Small Business Chamber of Commerce (NYCMSBCC Named Event Partner for Queens Expo June 11th, 2026 —Phillip Andrews Read on Patch
  • Tonight I performed on Broadway for the first time.
    It's an adrenaline rush. I performed at Actor's Temple Hell's Kitchen Theater District. The theater is considered Off Broadway because the venue… (Nextdoor Bushwick N (Grove-Knickrbkr))
  • Found cat!
    Looking for their family. Small black cat, white spot on chest, green eyes with tints of blue, maybe 6mo-1year old. Wearing a red and blue, plaid,… (Nextdoor E Flatbush (E35St-Clarendon))
  • Kimco Facility Services, LLC posted a job opening for Warehouse Janitorial Associate in Brooklyn. Apply here.
  • Chick-fil-A posted a job opening for Dining Room Cleaner in Brooklyn. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brooklyn here.

Ok Brooklyn! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because they cant elope!! (Thank you Charlie H. for sending it in!)Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!


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