Illuzzi Letter

Sources have confirmed that Frank Toscano is a definite, and the most likely candidate for Executive Director of the Broadway Market. Toscano would replace the 76 year old Joe Petruso who stepped in as interim Executive Director after Tamar Rathuas recently resigned.

Toscano, who retired from Tops Markets as a top executive, brings significant business experience to the financially troubled and (formerly) poorly managed market.. Toscano worked for 23 years as Vice President with Tops, running their perishable area, a billion dollar business, and his duties included overseeing warehousing, buying, marketing and merchandising. What a remarkable and dramatic change in a market that only ayear ago saw waste and extravagance as the hallmark, where precious market monies were spent on, for instance, racing car advertising, billboards in Allegheny county, and trips to Seattle for privileged board members. (see wnypulse.com for the complete audit on the waste of the Broadway Market. It’s an eye opener.)

"They spent like drunken sailors," said one tenant referring to the old board. Now the new board, the result of a coup, that ousted long time defacto operator of the Market, Gregory Olma, has put in place a group of individuals who seek to improve and keep the cherished institution as part of a regional treasure.

Attorney David Dale is the new president, appointed by Fillmore council person Karen Ellington.

Dale said the board has a lot of strategies in place, and with a new harmonious board, one that is tenant friendly, already new tenants are moving in. Petra Mangus, a long time business women in the area is set to open a health food store in the Market, and Laidlaw (with some co- sponsorship from the Market tenants) as a bonus to its employees who worked so diligently during the November storm, are giving $100 gift certificates for purchases at the Broadway market. So things are happening fast and if Toscano takes the helm, there is little doubt that the Market can turn the corner and be the stabilizing community asset it has been for the last 113 years.

Toscano is already a board member of the Market, appointed by Comptroller Anthony Nanula, the man who helped spearhead the investigation into waste at the Market that ultimately led to its reversion from patronage haven to community asset.