By Dan Rattiner

Last Thursday, some people, without authorization, entered the Hampton Subway Club Southampton Station, took the escalator down to the platform, started up the subway car that was parked there and proceeded to run it on its normal route underground throughout the Hamptons. We are told by our security people that as many as 100 people were involved in this dastardly act and that it went on for the rest of the day with people getting on and off at the various stops as if the subway were in use as an authorized transportation facility.

I want to make it clear that breaches such as this will not be tolerated. The Hampton Subway is closed for business. We, the Hussein Tel Aviv Company LLC, have purchased it and shortly will begin to convert it to its new intended use, which is as an upscale, exclusive, private underground club with a $1 million initiation fee, although I am free to tell you that the initiation fee, under certain circumstances, can be as little as $850,000. I emphasize the word "club."

Violators will be punished. Our new Security Manager, Eliot Spitzer, who was busy with other things when this breach took place, is now back and will be fully vigilant. So be warned.

On another matter, I am told that there is an effort on the part of our public officials to buy back the subway system from our club to restore it back to its former use. We here at Hussein Tel Aviv Company LLC are fully appreciative that the subway was in use for nearly 15 years, carrying folks back and forth underground to the different stations prior to our purchase. But the money offered, which is $500 million, mentioned in a bill that is being considered up in Albany, is less than half of what we want. It is true we only paid $800,000 for the old system. But in its decrepit condition, and considering all the unpaid bills that were on the books, that price was all it was worth. This will all need to be accounted for.

As for the disgraced former Commissioner of the old Hampton Subway, Bill Aspinall, he was convicted of the 172 charges involving bribery, extortion, mismanagement and simple theft two weeks ago and though we sympathize with his family, we do have to say that the death sentence handed down to him last week in State Supreme Court in Islip by Judge Irene Hardman is not nearly as much as we think he deserved.

He can console himself there on death row with the knowledge that he is the only person in America to ever be sentenced to death for a non-capital offense. At least that is something.

This breach of security was reported to the police.

Back to Contents