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for larger version       Reply to Jo-Ann Adams' Letter It would have been a wonderful way for the community to express their loss and respect for the victims had it not been organized by a person who is alleged to have cheated and disrespected so many already. What people should have done was research the people behind the "Healing Field." It was brought to my attention that Floyd Bennett Field would be having a "Healing Field" flag display [on the September 11] weekend. Several thousand American flags would be on display (bought at $35 a piece) in order to honor the men and women that were killed during the September 11 attacks and others who had lost their lives in war. It was also brought to our attention [in an email message from the fire department warning that the sale of the flags might well be a scam]] that the FDNY had declined to support the Healing Field display, because the event was being coordinated and flags sold by an individual with a previous history of allegedly misrepresenting his affiliation with the FDNY, and allegedly misusing material from the World Trade Center. The connection of Michael Bellone and Gary Gere (also known as Gary Suson), to what I believe is a scam has been well documented. On August 31, 2005, a story about Gere appeared in the New York Post. That article said that the FDNY union officials were preparing to send a letter to Suson demanding that he stop claiming that he worked at the World Trade Center site after 9/11. Both the FDNY and the union charged that Suson had not honored a pledge to donate thousands of dollars that he earned by selling 9/11 artwork and memorabilia, such as the flags. Suson has also been challenged by experts for claiming that he found a page from the Bible in the rubble, telling the story of the building of the Tower of Babel. Bellone, who is listed as the Event Chairman for the Floyd Bennett Field event, was reportedly arrested by Fire Marshall Conrad Tinney, who found Bellone with an FDNY Scott Air Pack. He was charged with grand larceny, criminal impersonation of a firefighter and possession of stolen property. It was charged that Bellone regularly showed up at 9/11 events dressed as a firefighter, recalling his time as an "honorary firefighter." Bellone returned all of the items and made restitution as part of a plea bargain to drop the charges, it was reported by a Concordia (New York) newspaper, where Bellone spoke about being a "honorary firefighter" and a person who worked at the pit for many days. Bellone and Suson have written a book together about their "heroics" after 9/11. Sad to say. I believe that these two are nothing but con artists who continue to prey on the hearts and pockets of those who have lost. They were charged with stealing sacred items (he sometimes refers to garbage) from the trade site and used them for their own benefit. Gere (Suson) had even opened his own ground zero museum despite requests to return the items and photos that should have been property of the FDNY if that is whom he was claiming to represent. Gere even donated (or sold) not sure, pieces of the World Trade Center to be auctioned off in Chicago. Who knows what else he is really in possession of. So sorry Jo-Ann, that you and many others have been deceived by these people, who, I strongly believe, use the tragic losses of others for their own gain. What we really should do is demand that they return the money taken from the sale of those "flags" and add something to the Tribute Park.
9/11 VICTIM FAMILY MEMBER
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