Garden Bay Manor

More than a housing development, Garden Bay Manor was a symbol of recovery from depression. Sponsors promoted the development as testament to the wisdom of New Deal polices. Not surprisingly, Garden Bay Manor attracted leading Democrats as tenants.

In 1937, Norman K. Winston and Arde Bulova sponsored the Garden Bay Manor housing development in Jackson Heights. Initially they raised 20% of their $10,000,000 cost from the traditional lending institutions. The Bowery Savings Bank took a $1,100,000 mortgage and the Union Central Life Insurance Company financed a $850,000 mortgage. In the early post depression period this achievement was remarkable.

Steward McDonald of the Federal Housing Administration noted that the mortgages taken by these two lending institutions demonstrated soundness of the mortgage insurance program. Prior to completion of Garden Bay Manor, the sponsors raised another 10% of their costs from the $1,040,000 mortgage taken by the New York Life Insurance Company.

They designed Garden Bay Manor for an urban middle-class who desired rental apartments in a suburban setting. Four hundred buildings containing six or eight apartments occupied 30% of the area. Gardens, playgrounds, parks and recreational facilities separated two-story English and Norman style houses.

Grand Central Parkway on the southern boundary of Garden Bay Manor provided rapid access to Manhattan and the Bronx. Three bus lines on the western perimeter at seventy-fifth street connected to downtown Jackson Heights and neighboring communities. Beyond the eastern extension at eightieth street travelers had two airports. Garden Bay Manor was a fine community with a boat club on its northern edge at Flushing Bay.

Monthly rents of fifty-one to seventy dollars limited tenancy to businesspeople and professionals. Doctors, lawyers and engineers were among the early inhabitants of Garden Bay Manor. J. F. X. Sheridan and John A. Dwyer belonged to this group.

In the early years of the New Deal, J. F. X. Sheridan was active in politics. He belonged to the progressive faction of the Democratic Party. His brother, James C. Sheridan, temporarily replaced James A. Roe as Queens County leader.

J. F. X. Sheridan began his legal career in 1933 and entered legal practice before the Supreme Court in 1937. Between 1943 and 1947, J. F. X. Sheridan and C. Parke Masterson shared a law office at 31-13 23rd Avenue, Astoria. During this period, J. F. X. Sheridan lived at 22-43 77th Street, Jackson Heights.

Following this association these former partners went separate ways. J. F. X. Sheridan remained active with the Democratic Speakers Bureau. In 1951, C. Parke Masterson managed the successful campaign of the Republican candidate, James A. Lundy, for Queens Borough President. Upon announcing his appointment as campaign manger the New York Times quoted the former Democrat, C. Parke Masterson: "The independent-thinking voters of Queens are angry. They're sick and tired of unkept New Deal promises. Especially, they are worried about a future that holds only the promise of higher and higher taxes."

John A. Dwyer graduated from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in 1924. He began his career with New York City in 1927 as a structural steel draftsman for the Board of Transportation. While employed as an assistant engineer by the Board of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity he studied law during evenings at Fordham University. In 1945, after admission to the bar, Mayor La Guardia appointed John A. Dwyer to the Magistrates Court.

Between 1941 and 1950, John A. Dwyer lived at 19-83 78th Street, Jackson Heights. He moved to Bayside in 1951 and resided at 242-18 Thornhill Avenue. In 1952, John A. Dwyer joined with Chief Assistant District Attorney J. Wolfe Chassen.

J. F. X. Sheridan and John A. Dwyer were two early residents of Garden Bay Manor who associated with people that became involved with the sewer scandals of the fifties and they were not the last.

In 1947, two former Woodside lawyers, Harold Morrison and Lawrence Peirez resumed their legal practice as attorneys. They formed Morrison & Peirez with offices at 60-10 Roosevelt Avenue. This modest site, at the intersection of the Inter-borough Rapid Transit and the Long Island Railroad, housed the Democratic Club of Woodside. Harold Morrison remained at his previous address while Lawrence Peirez moved his residence from Woodside to Garden Bay Manor in Jackson Heights. Initially, Lawrence Peirez lived at 19-77 78th Street. The next year he moved to 19-73 78th Street and remained until 1957.

Frank R. McGlynn Jr. moved to Garden Bay Manor in 1951. He lived at 77-17 Ditmars Boulevard. In 1953, he left a law office in Bayside and joined Morrison & Peirez as an Assistant District Attorney.

In 1955, Frank R. McGlynn Jr. moved to 21-48 78th Street and ran the following year as the Democratic candidate for the New York State Assembly. After a recount, he defeated the Republican candidate by ten votes. Assemblyman McGlynn irked the district leaders of Astoria and Woodside and ran for renomination without support from the Democratic Party organization. Jules G. Sabbatino defeated Assemblyman McGlynn in the primary election of 1958.

Between 1953 and 1955, a special grand jury under direction of Lawrence Peirez investigated charges by James A. Lundy that the Kissena Corridor sewer was faulty in design, excessive in cost and in danger of collapse. This investigation produced no indictments and a sixty-seven page tirade against Queens Borough President, James A. Lundy, his special assistant I. Robert Bassin, and Commissioner of Public Works, C. Parke Masterson.

While Lawrence Peirez was conducting this investigation, forerunners of another group of professionals arrived at Garden Bay Manor. The newcomers were comfortable living among doctors, scientists, a legislator, assistant district attorneys and engineers. These recent arrivals also achieved success by their own intelligence. The newcomers were the public housing spies.

I. Robert Bassin

In 1936, I. Robert Bassin moved his law office of three years from 92-32 Union Hall Street to 161-19 Jamaica Avenue. From 1947 or earlier to 1962, he practiced law from this office with Leo Blatt. I. Robert Bassin remained at this office until 1971.

In 1955, I. Robert Bassin was a member of Cosgrove&Bassin with offices at 149-18 Jamaica Avenue and 957 Kings Highway, Brooklyn. By 1957, they relocated their Queens County office of Bassin&Cosgrove at 67-07 Main Street, Flushing.

From 1933 to early 1937, I. Robert Bassin lived at 150-22 88th Avenue, Jamaica. He moved his residence to 104-33 193rd Street, Hollis in late 1937. In 1958, he left his home in Hollis and moved to 137-36 71st Avenue, Flushing.

Arde Bulova

Arde Bulova learned the jewelry business under his father and founder of the Bulova Watch Company. By 1930, Arde Bulova became Chairman of the Board. During the thirties, Arde Bulova found new markets for timepieces. He became a supplier to the munitions industry. This expansion began a long and profitable relationship between the Bulova Watch Company and a revitalized defense industry.

Arde Bulova was active in real estate and joined with Norman K. Winston in several undertakings, one of which was Garden Bay Manor in Jackson Heights.

During the forties, the Bulova Watch Company grew as a defense contractor. By the late forties Bulova had branches in Canada and Switzerland. In 1953, the Bulova Watch Company underscored the importance of defense work to their market position. They appointed an unassigned army officer as chairman of their research and development laboratories. This officer was General of the Army, Omar N. Bradley.

Arde Bulova died in 1958. His funeral procession showed his influence stretched beyond watchmaking. Governor W. Averell Harriman headed the political dignitaries. Two former general-grade officers were among the eighty-eight honorary pallbearers. They were Omar N. Bradley, chairman of the Bulova Research and Development Laboratories and Melvin J. Maas, chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped. Four days later, Omar N. Bradley succeeded Arde Bulova as Chairman of the Board of the Bulova Watch Company.

J. Wolfe Chassen

J. Wolfe Chassen was Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York in 1936-46, Chief Assistant District Attorney of Queens in 1952-55, Queens Borough Works Commissioner in 1959-62, and Judge of the Criminal Court in 1962-65.

From 1933 to 1946, J. Wolfe Chassen and Arthur J. Katzman were partners in Katzman&Chassen. Originally 66-11 Catalpa Avenue housed their law office. They moved to 66-60 Fresh Pond Road in 1939. Three years later Katzman&Chassen relocated to the Bank of Manhattan Building at 66-58 Fresh Pond Road.

Henry R. Eisenberg joined Katzman&Chassen in 1943. Two years later Joseph Winston of 35-55 73rd Street, Jackson Heights joined Katzman&Chassen. In 1953, Joseph Winston moved his residence to 199-26 22nd Avenue, Bayside and continued his legal association with J. Wolfe Chassen until 1960.

In 1947, the partnership between Arthur J. Katzman and J. Wolfe Chassen ended. Following this association, Arthur J. Katzman practiced law in Manhattan before returning to Queens. Arthur J. Katzman belonged to the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Democratic Action.

From 1951 to 1953, George J. Schneider worked with J. Wolfe Chassen. In late 1953 or early 1954, George J. Schneider ended his association with the J. Wolf Chassen. He joined with Jeremiah J. Sullivan to form Schneider&Sullivan with offices at 66-31 Fresh Pond Road. During this period, George J. Schneider resided at 60-40 Madison Street and 70-21 72nd Street, both in Glendale. In 1961, Schneider&Sullivan moved their offices to 68-07 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale.

James A. Lundy

James A. Lundy was a successful businessman who patriotically volunteered for wartime service in the Queens Office of Price Administration. After serving as President of the Queensboro Chamber of Commerce, the Republican Party of Queens nominated James A. Lundy to run for the office of Borough President. This nomination followed by one day the announcement by Borough President James A. Burke to decline nomination for reelection. In November 1949, James A. Lundy ran against Maurice A. FitzGerald and lost.

Following the death of Borough President FitzGerald in 1951, James A. Lundy ran a successful campaign for the Borough Presidency. Afterwards voters reelected James A. Lundy for a full term.

C. Parke Masterson

In 1934, C. Parke Masterson opened a law office at 29-28 41st Avenue, Long Island City. He moved his office to 28-02 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria in 1942. From 1943 to 1947, C. Parke Masterson also practiced law from the office of J. F. X. Sheridan at 31-13 23rd Avenue, Astoria.

In 1951, C. Parke Masterson managed the successful campaign of James A. Lundy for Borough President. Following the election, James A. Lundy appointed C. Parke Masterson to head the Department of Borough Works with William B. Groat, Jr. as Assistant Commissioner of Borough Works.

Lawrence Peirez

In the early forties, Lawrence Peirez and Harold Morrison practiced law from their office at 39-72 61st Street. In 1947, he joined with Harold Morrison and formed Morrison&Peirez with an office at 60-10 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside. Harold Morrison remained with Morrison&Peirez into the seventies.

In 1952, Abraham Chasser, Harold Karmiol, Benjamin S. Rosenthal and Aaron Wallace were members of this firm.

Since 1950, Benjamin S. Rosenthal was a resident of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. In 1962, the eighth district elected Benjamin S. Rosenthal to the House of Representatives. He served in Congress for twenty-one years.

Presentment

On June 29, 1955, the special grand jury under direction of Lawrence Peirez returned one of the most bitter presentments received by the Queens County Court. This sixty-seven-page tirade asserted James A. Lundy, C. Parke Masterson and I. Robert Bassin "lacked a proper concept of public office" and accused them of "willful deceit for political purposes."

The special grand jury charged arrogant, defiant and hostile behavior by James A. Lundy, C. Parke Masterson and I. Robert Bassin hampered and prolonged their investigation. The presentment concluded James A. Lundy, C. Parke Masterson and I. Robert Bassin intended to willfully deceive by giving "evasive and contradictory" testimony.

Upon motion by James A. Lundy to expunge the presentment, Judge Peter J. Farrell upheld the right of presentment and struck down nearly every charge.

Norman K. Winston

During the depression of the early thirties, Norman K. Winston was a real estate speculator. He bought vast tracts of open land near the suburban communities of the larger cities. When the New Deal recovery gained strength in the late thirties, Norman K. Winston became a builder and a salesman.

Norman K. Winston built houses and sold New Deal ideology. He became an unofficial promoter of the mortgage insurance program of the Federal Housing Administration, FHA. Under this program, the private sector provided capital for mortgages, which enabled builders to construct houses. The mortgage insurance program guaranteed the private sector would at least recover their principal. In return for this publicly guaranteed security, the FHA regulated rents or sales of the houses and placed ceilings on potential profits. These regulations applied during the lifetime of the mortgage insurance contract.

During the Roosevelt years, Norman K. Winston became closely associated with New Deal polices. This association caused him to drop out of favor with the media during the early days of the cold war. He emerged during the late fifties as a supporter of improved US-USSR relations. In 1959, Norman K. Winston exhibited houses at the US trade fair in Moscow. Earlier that year he hosted a luncheon in New York City for Frol R. Kozlov, First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union.