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4w ago

Broadway Stages Owners Indicted in Alleged Bribery to Derail McGuinness Blvd Redesign

Prosecutors say the benefits sought to influence City Hall’s handling of a long-promised street safety overhaul.

A ghost bike marking where a cyclist was killed on McGuinness Boulevard.
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Overview

  • Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, working with the Department of Investigation, charged Gina and Anthony “Tony” Argento with conspiracy and bribery tied to efforts to block the DOT’s McGuinness Boulevard plan.
  • Ingrid Lewis‑Martin, Mayor Eric Adams’s former chief adviser, was also indicted and is accused of accepting about $75,000 in bribes, allegations her attorney denies.
  • Court papers cite a $2,500 Zelle payment on June 26, 2023, a paid cameo on the TV series Godfather of Harlem, and $10,887.50 in catering for an Aug. 17, 2024 Gracie Mansion event as alleged benefits.
  • Texts and emails in 2023 and 2024 depict Lewis‑Martin pushing to alter or halt the redesign, and investigators later seized phones before the city advanced a truncated version of the project.
  • Attorneys for the Argentos called the charges baseless, while safety advocates urged the mayor to order DOT to complete the full road diet on the remaining sections of McGuinness Boulevard.