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If you’ve been channel surfing on Friday nights this summer, you might have caught a few minutes of a program on ABC that features a former Queens cop working a new job as security for a soon-to-hit-the-scene "Boy Band." The hour-long show titled "Making The Band" has chronicled the "making" of a band dubbed "O-Town," from first auditions to the "final five" members. The man behind the group, Lou Perlman, is responsible for the creation of the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. So where does the ex-cop fit in? No, he’s not singing and gyrating. Mark Piacenza, formerly assigned to the 110 Precinct in Elmhurst, is shown traveling with the band members, offering an ear — and some direction when it’s needed — and generally looking out for the boys in the band. Sources tell us Mark hung up his gun belt, Piacenza was a mild-mannered, soft spoken
and very well liked cop during his stint in Elmhurst. Piacenza’s original partner on the job bailed out for big bucks as a Suffolk cop in the mid-90s. Mark worked solo after that for the most part, until he turned in his papers and headed for the glitz of the show biz. Baywatch Bickering Two lifeguards saved the lives of two drowning swimmers at Rockaway Beach this August, sparking a disagreement between two Councilmen over which one of them deserves the kudos. Queens Councilman Alfonso Stabile lashed out at Brooklyn Councilman and Congressional candidate Noach Dear after he allegedly took credit for the stationing of the lifeguards at unmanned beaches in Rockaway. On Aug. 15, Dear released a statement notifying the press that two guards he secured to work a stretch of beach between Beach 136th Street and Beach 143rd Street had saved two lives since they took their posts on Aug. 1. After the Daily News ran a story on it, Stabile fired out a response charging that Dear had taken credit for the lifeguards he actually attained through his correspondences with Parks Commish Henry Stern. As if the debate couldn’t get any hotter, Stabile continued to blast Dear in his statement maintaining that the whole debacle was a ploy to garner votes for Dear’s Congressional race against incumbent Anthony Weiner. Though Stabile briefly praised the efforts of lifeguards Kristin Hutton and Dylan Farrell in his tirade, the two intrepid guards, who most would agree deserve the bulk of the credit, were largely left out of the two statements and the news article. Big Alice As reported recently in the Tribune, Keyspan Energy is seeking to expand its Ravenswood power plant — a place that QConfidential has found to have a colorful history. The plant is known to local residents as "Big Alice," a nickname derived from the Alliss Chalmers manufacturing company that built the generator at the power plant. When it was installed in 1960, it was the largest electric generator in the world — capable of producing 1,000 megawatts of power. During the NYC blackout of 1965, it was a power failure at the western Queens plant that plunged the City into darkness and prompted the Daily News to publish "Big Alice Goes Bust" as its front page headline. The power plant, considered a landmark by many Queens commuters because of the three unmistakable orange and white striped smokestacks, has even figured prominently into Hollywood cinema. "Conspiracy Theory," a 1997 thriller starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts featured the plant. Ironically, Roberts plays a dedicated Justice Department attorney working in New York who’s name is . . . you guessed it, Alice. Coincidence? We’ll let you be the judge of that. Queens Kids
This swinger was named the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team last year. Queens boy John McEnroe, of Douglaston, holds six U.S. Davis Cup records, including: most years on the team (12); most ties played (30); most singles matches played (49); most singles victories (41); most total matches (69) and most total victories (59). In 1979 he added an extra touch of Queens drama to the U.S. Open competition that Queens hosts every year when he defeated Vitas Gerulaitis — who was raised in Howard Beach — to win an all-Queens men’s U.S. Open final. When announcing McEnroe’s appointment as captain, USTA President Judy Levering said of the tennis star "John personifies the spirit and tradition of Davis Cup. We are extremely pleased that he has decided to accept the captaincy and are confident that he will be able to convey his passion for the Davis Cup to all the players on the team." Passion, is that what it's called? Room Fit For A King The Queens Kings are battling for first place, but first place can only mean misery for the management, QConfidential has learned. If the borough’s new minor league team makes the playoffs this year, it will mean games at the new St. John’s field will continue after the college crowd returns for the Fall session . . . and wants their dorms back. Those are the same new dorms that the home team has been calling home base all season. Should their winning ways continue, be prepared to see King managers hitting the classifieds in search of any and all local apartment space. Or maybe, they’ll just live out of the bus. Anyone want to adopt a King? ABC's of AOL So you think you have email problems! Last week, the American Jewish Congress held a press conference wherein 17 members of Congress from the metropolitan area called for the passage of the National Hate Crimes Bill. In addition to a large turnout of the New York Congressional delegation, AJC had several others involved in fighting hate crimes including NAACP NYS Director Hazel Dukes, HUD Regional Director Charlie King. They also invited Steve Case, CEO of America On Line (AOL) the mega Internet service provider. Following up on the invite to Case, the AJC staff called AOL to confirm receipt. Case’s office acknowledged having a record of receiving the email but explained they were unable to locate it. They requested that a copy be faxed to their office. That email stuff is real tricky, huh?
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