In-depth

The kidnapping of a toddler. A standoff ends in gunfire. These are 7 of the most harrowing gang-related cases on Staten Island.

Police assemble a shield after a Mariners Harbor man identified as Garland Tyree, a gang affiliate, shot a firefighter who responded to a blaze he set when U.S. Marshals tried to serve Tyree with a warrant on Aug. 14, 2015. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo) Staff-Shot

GANGS OF STATEN ISLAND: This is the final installment in a series examining the culture, inner workings and tragic fallout of gang-related activity in our borough, and the efforts of law enforcement and community leaders to contain it.

Part One: From the Gorilla Stone Mafia to OTA, a look at the crews operating in our borough (interactive map) | Part Two: The culture of gangs on Staten Island, as told by a man who lived it. | Part Three: The tragic fallout of S.I. gangs is felt by innocent residents, families of the fallen. | Part Four: What is the best way to stop gang violence?

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A dozen or so street gangs and crews operate in the borough — and almost all have been connected to grisly crimes and bloodshed throughout the years.

Here are some of the most notable incidents to occur on the Island in recent years:

Lawyers and prosecutors spar before trial in fatal shooting of innocent bystander, 67

Frances Williams, 67, died three weeks after she was shot on July 10, 2018, in New Brighton. An innocent bystander and a beloved community fixture, she was fatally shot while standing at a bus stop on Jersey Street, said authorities.

Courthouse chaos, then a bystander’s death

July 10, 2018

Frances Williams, affectionately known as “Miss Franny,” was standing at a bus stop on Jersey Street near Pauw Street in New Brighton when she was shot and killed by a stray bullet. The shooter, Isaiah Kelson, was firing at a fleeing gang rival he spotted on the street when his bullet struck Williams, prosecutors said at the time.

Earlier in the day, Kelson and others had driven to the neighborhood bent on revenge after witnessing a friend, Robert Craigwell, 26, get run over and killed by a van containing members of a rival gang.

At around 11:30 a.m., following two fights at and near the Staten Island Courthouse in St. George between members of rival crews from New Brighton and West Brighton, a van rammed into Craigwell and then barreled into the side of a three-story home at 22 Fort Place.

Courthouse ruckus

Police and rescue personnel work at the scene at Fort Place in St. George on Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)Staten Island Advance

The incident spurred a huge police and Fire Department response.

Police cruisers and SUVs lined Fort Place, while FDNY vehicles were spread out along Hyatt Street.

Throngs of people gathered at the site, which police immediately cordoned off with yellow crime-scene tape. The episode sparked the lockdown of the courthouse.

Kelson was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for second-degree murder in Williams’ death.

Crips gang members kidnapped couple, toddler at gunpoint, say feds

Authorities said this loaded .380-caliber handgun was recovered during a Feb. 27, 2019 search of Edward Gotay's residence, along with .380-caliber ammunition and suspected crack cocaine, among other paraphernalia. (Photos courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice)

Crips members kidnap couple, toddler: Feds

July 8, 2018

Two Crips street gang members and two reputed associates of the group committed a brazen daylight kidnapping at gunpoint in Port Richmond in which one of the victims was a 16-month-old toddler, authorities allege.

Staten Island residents Edward (Younggod Edde) Gotay, Barin (Scruff) Brown, Jason (Jason Ortiz) Crowder and Allen (Rugar Richmond Ace) Floyd were arrested and charged with armed kidnapping and robbery stemming from the incident.

Gotay and Floyd were identified as alleged members of the Paybacc Crips, while Brown and Crowder were reputed associates, according to authorities.

Prosecutors said at the time that the defendants surprised their victims, who believed they were meeting Brown for a marijuana sale at Slaight Street and Nicholas Avenue.

A photograph from the Feb. 27, 2019 search of Edward Gotay's residence, shows a loaded .380-caliber firearm, .380-caliber ammunition and suspected crack cocaine, among other paraphernalia. (Photos courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice)

The defendants ordered a male victim and his fiancée out of their car at gunpoint and demanded money and jewelry.

The woman informed them that a child was in the back seat.

“Get in the back seat; we are not doing this here,” authorities quoted Floyd as ordering the victims.

Floyd trained a gun on the man’s head while Gotay got behind the wheel and drove the unidentified victims to their home, officials said at the time.

Once there, Floyd, Gotay and Crowder donned latex gloves and snatched the victims’ cash, marijuana, jewelry and Michael Jordan collector sneakers, authorities said.

A photograph from the Feb. 27, 2019 search of Edward Gotay's residence shows items seized. (Photos courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice)

Additionally, prior to Gotay’s arrest, a raid on his residence netted a loaded .380-caliber firearm, .380-caliber ammunition and suspected crack cocaine, among other paraphernalia, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

John (Tragedy) Pena

A Facebook photo of John (Tragedy) Pena, aka Don Tragg, shows the reputed Gorilla Stone Mafia leader perched on a park bench in the vicinity of what appears to be the Stapleton Houses. Tattooed on his right hand is the phrase, "Born a boss." On his left: "Die a Don."

2 men dead, an alleged boss charged

March 10-June 22, 2021

The reputed leader of the Gorilla Stone Mafia has either been connected to or involved in several incidents in recent years.

In March, John Pena shot and killed 26-year-old Mark Bajandas, of Mariners Harbor, firing more than 10 gunshots at close range, federal prosecutors said in a count filing. At this time, he has only been charged as a felon in possession of ammunition in that incident.

Man, 26, shot dead in Stapleton

A man was found fatally shot behind a building at 77 Hill St. at the Stapleton Houses on the morning of Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

The victim was visiting the memorial of former Gorilla Stone Mafia member Avanti Brock, who was killed a year earlier, feds said.

Pena fled the area after the incident and remained a fugitive for several weeks.

But he returned to Staten Island in June, where he “is believed to have committed another murder,” federal prosecutors said. In that case, he was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Francesco (Franky) Gonzalez. The victim was shot in the face while he was sleeping near his girlfriend in his New Brighton apartment.

nws-6222015-shooting

Police search for evidence at the scene of Lockman Avenue where shots were fired Monday, June 22, 2015. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) Staff-ShotStaff-Shot

Turf war sparks drive-by, cops say

June 22, 2015

In 2015, a drive-by shooting was reportedly sparked by a rivalry between the OTA crew in Clifton’s Park Hill and the Mariners Harbor-based Harbor Gang.

In a statement he made to police at the time, the alleged shooter, said: “I saw two kids from the Harbor in a gang called Harbor Gang that I recognized that shot at me recently about a week or two ago. I retaliated and shot back.”

Several suspects were arrested.

Alleged gang member pleads to manslaughter in 2017 slay

Carlos Perez shot Ivan Valentin, who was seated inside an SUV on Holland Avenue, Mariners Harbor, on Dec. 2, 2017, said police.

Fatal shooting near deli in Mariners Harbor

Dec. 2, 2017

In 2017, an alleged Latin Kings gang associate fatally shot Ivan Valentin, who was inside an SUV, police said.

Police said Valentin, 40, was sitting inside a Dodge Durango parked on Holland Avenue when he was fatally shot in the left side of the head at about 10 p.m.

Residents said the victim had been living inside the vehicle. Police sources described him as homeless.

A man who owns a business across the street from the shooting said Valentin helped him with odd jobs, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported.

Carlos Perez was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2020.

Garland Tyree

According to the official NYPD Twitter account, this weapon was recovered from the scene of shooting incident involving Garland Tyree in Mariners Harbor. (Twitter image)

Bloods leader dead in standoff with cops

Aug. 14, 2015

A quiet Friday morning erupted into gunfire, chaos and ultimately bloodshed in Mariners Harbor when a suspect grabbed a gun and set off a smoke bomb in his apartment as authorities attempted to arrest him on a probation violation warrant, police said.

A responding firefighter was shot in the buttocks and calf, and was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton.

The suspect, Garland Tyree, a reputed leader of the Bloods gang, died after exchanging gunfire with police following a six-hour standoff at his home at 15 Destiny Court.

Gangs of Port Richmond

In this 2005 photo, the wife and cousin of 22-year-old stabbing victim Leobardo Rojas collect money during a rally to send the man's body back to Mexico. Authorities deemed his death a gang-related incident and his killers had ties to the Latin Kings. (Staten Island Advance)

Immigrant stabbed by Latin Kings

Sept. 7, 2005

A brawl involving knives and belts on Port Richmond Avenue ended with Leobardo Rojas, a 22-year-old man who had immigrated to Staten Island from Mexico, fatally stabbed six times in the back and neck.

As they responded to the scene, police said they saw several of the suspects on top of Rojas, beating him.

One or more of the young people charged were believed to have ties to the Latin Kings, sources said at the time.

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