David Hassan

Home: Ozone Park
Age: 21
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 115
Waist: 32
Suit: 38
Shoe: 10  

Ozone Park resident David Hassan is any woman’s dream. He’s tall, dark and handsome, loves to dance, calls cooking his favorite hobby, and enjoys long walks on the beach. But, alas, Hassan hasn’t found that special someone yet. “I guess I’m just waiting for my special angel to come and take me away on her wings,” the shy and sweet 21-year-old said.

Hassan, a native of Guyana who has lived in Ozone Park for the past 12 years, said having a girlfriend is hard because he’s focusing on his acting and modeling career. “This is my dream,” he said. “It’s not easy to break into the entertainment business, but I’m not going to give up.”

The persistent Manhattan College student has already appeared on the television show “Now and Again” and has worked on promos for the radio station Z100. He met several celebrities at the station’s parties, including classically trained pianist and R&B singer Alicia Keyes. “It would have been nice to get her number,” Hassan said. “But she had her bodyguards there. Oh well.”

Hassan also scored a role as Stephanie’s boyfriend on “NYPD Blue,” which he called, “a really great experience.” He said, “I had to walk down the street with [Stephanie] and then someone started shooting at us. We had to jump behind a car to make sure we didn’t get hit. I still have one of the shells.”

Most recently, Hassan worked as an extra in the upcoming movie “Rollerball,” playing a screaming fan. He said, “I hope I get in the film. I don’t know if they’re going to edit me out or anything. There were a lot of people there.”

Either way, Hassan plans to keep acting and modeling and said, “I’m going to ride this as long as it takes me. If it doesn’t work out, I’m studying broadcast in college, and that will be my backup plan.” The former JHS 226 student also plans to expand his cooking expertise. He said, “I really want to learn how to make Japanese food. I love it.”

Anyone interested in meeting Hassan can catch him on the Manhattan dance club circuit, or on 71st Avenue in Forest Hills. He said, “When I can’t get to Manhattan, the hot spot is Forest Hills. It’s got a real Manhattan feel for me.”

Queens Tunes From Beyond The Grave

Joey Ramone Still Singing?

A new album released this month by Queens native and punk rock icon the late Joey Ramone offers a unique new take on a classic made famous by another Queens music legend who is no longer with us.

“What a Wonderful World” is the first single from Ramone’s posthumously released LP entitled “Don’t Worry About Me.”

The song was originally made famous by jazz legend Louis Armstrong who lived in Corona from 1943 until his death in 1971.

Ramone, who died of lymphoma in April 2001,occasionally sang the tune during his live solo shows and according to the album’s producer, “What A Wonderful World” also reflected the punk rocker’s outlook on life. 

Producer Daniel Rey said in published reports that “Joey was an optimist and the song is very positive, life-affirming, and the changes are great. They’re very powerful in their own soft way.”

Ramone began recording the album soon after his 1996 split from The Ramones who formed in 1974 in Forest Hills.

Taking another cue from Armstrong who got the nod in 1990, The Ramones are slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 18.

At press time, there was no way to be certain if Ramone and Armstrong were writing tunes together or jamming in that big night club in the sky.

Toilet Humor

According to City Councilman John Liu, it was fate that he be elected representative of Flushing. He was raised there, he went to school there, he worked on the Community Board there, he lives there, and he’s raising his son there. His connections to Flushing are strong and found in every aspect of his life – even in his name.

“It’s ironic,” Liu told QConf, “that both the first and last name of the person representing Flushing mean toilet.” He then pointed out that “john” is a slang American term for bathroom, and “loo” is the English term. He said of his last name, “It’s spelled differently, but it sounds the same . . . I think that’s funny.”

Liu is the first Asian City Council member, and assured his constituents that his name will not represent his tenure in the office. He said, “I’ll keep Flushing out of the toilet. That I can promise.”

We watched with the rest of the world as Great Neck’s Sarah Hughes skated her way to Olympic Gold. We listened intently to each interview with the local teenage super skater.

Gary Ackerman Gold Medal Photo

When asked by an NBC correspondent just after the hysteria calmed down, who she was on the phone with, the 16 year-old said, “I think it was some Congressman.”

Our collective QConfidential ears perked up since we know that Sarah’s Great Neck congressman is really our Queens Congressman and Queens Tribune Founder Gary Ackerman.

It took only a day for the Ackerman operation to provide us a picture of that famous call. Unfortunately, it shows Ackerman talking on the cell phone from the Great Neck House, the local community center where he watched the event with Sarah's neighbors. We can only imagine shining star Sarah is at the other end of the conversation in which Ackerman promised to throw her a parade in Great Neck.

“Some Congressman,” she said!

We guess teenagers (and  adults) don’t always know the name of their Congressmen.

 Jay Leno joked, maybe it was Gary Condit.

No, Sarah, he's not quite as good looking but a lot safer.

 It was your very own Congressman representing Queens and the North Shore of Long Island,  Gary Whatshisname?

One of Queens' best known successes, Mario Cuomo – born in  Jamaica, long-time resident of Holliswood, New York’s 54th governor – has apparently been upstaged by real estate mogul Donald Trump, also from Queens.

Cuomo had committed to give a talk in February at the Learning Annex, a Manhattan-based adult education center that advertises through a catalogue, which was to feature Cuomo and Trump on the cover.

But shortly after the catalogue came out featuring only Trump on the cover, Cuomo’s nostrils flared, and he canceled the “gig.”

Reports indicate Cuomo’s response was, “It had nothing to do with the cover.  I’m happy for Trump.  We’re both from Queens.  I was really busy for the rest of the year.” 

Platinum R&B singer, Carl Thomas will be seeking film roles with the help of a talent agency in Southeast Queens.

The agency Talent Express in Hollis has over 1,400 clients in various entertainment genres, not limited to print advertisements, television commercials and television and film. Thomas is not currently up for any upcoming film appearances – his rep, said, they are looking for a role to suit him.

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Queens NYConfidential is edited by: Michael Schenkler and Tamara Hartman.
Contributors:	Nick Abadjian, Steve Azzara, Ira Cohen, Marcia Moxam Comrie, Arlene Lewis, Stephen McGuire, Angela Montefinise, Mike Nussbaum, and Dee Richard.