Joann Ariola NYC Council District 32

06/17/2026

We had a blast on Saturday with for our America 250 Celebration. Thanks to Portia and the crew and the hundreds of families that came out for our party in the USA! 🇺🇸

06/16/2026

🇺🇸 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟒𝟑 - 𝐁.𝐂. 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏𝟏 🇺🇸

One balmy night in the fall of 2000, an off-duty battalion chief, John Paolillo, stood outside an apartment fire on the Upper East Side when a police officer told everyone to clear the sidewalk. A reporter waited for Chief Paolillo, who was in street clothes, to flash his badge at the officer. But the chief just moved away.

He could be like that. Or not. When he was made captain of Engine 53 in East Harlem, he arrived at the firehouse with a few ideas on how things should run. The men gave him a nickname: Mussolini. But Chief Paolillo was a person big enough to realize an officer didn't need a heavy hand. The nickname was shortened: The Moose.

His theory on junior firefighters was that they should keep their mouths shut until they had enough years on the job to know a thing or two. He basked in company pride. Once a new firefighter stopped by Engine 53 before his first day and hopped on the rig when they got a call.

"So, how'd you get assigned to 53?" Chief Paolillo asked over the blaring siren. The new kid replied that, actually, it hadn't been his first choice. The driver slammed on the brakes. "Get out," Chief Paolillo said.

The Chief was impatient to save lives, and, at age 51, kept himself in top shape to do so. He brought firefighting manuals on vacation and read them on the beach. He ran marathons.

His younger brother, Joe, recalled once stopping by a firehouse with him to see a friend. A young firefighter they didn't know opened the door and greeted them curtly. Joe Paolillo waited for his brother to show his badge. But Chief Paolillo didn't.

- Published by The Star-Ledger on Dec. 4, 2001.

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My office will continue to remind everyone of the sacrifices that were made by so many on September 11th, 2001, and continue our promise to Never Forget. May all who perished rest in eternal peace. We will continue to honor your memory.

06/16/2026

The ACE New York squad was out in Glendale recently, working along Myrtle Avenue to keep the area looking its best.

ACE does an incredible job delivering the residents of District 32 with a quality of life they deserve, all while providing homeless and at-risk individuals with incredible employment and job-training opportunities. Partnering with ACE really is a win-win, and it is truly an honor to fund their mission through my office. Thank you for all that you do, ACE!

06/16/2026

Last night, I joined host Rick Leventhal on NEWSMAX to discuss the Knicks, the unfortunate chaos on the streets of NYC after their incredible championship win, UFC 250, and more!

As we talked about, New Yorkers should be able to celebrate a historic sports win without seeing things turn destructive. The overwhelming majority of fans just wanted to enjoy the moment, but when a small group crosses the line into vandalism and property damage there needs to be accountability. The environment being cultivated here in NYC, however, is only emboldening these bad actors, and letting them know that they can cause chaos and walk away with little more than a slap on the wrist - if anything at all.

This needs to change. Public safety and celebration should go hand in hand. We can have pride in our city, enjoy big moments together, and still make it clear that destructive behavior is not acceptable.

Give it a watch below, and thank you for having me on, Rick and Newsmax. Always a pleasure to join you.

06/16/2026

Today I met with New York City Department of Parks & Recreation officials at the Veterans Memorial Triangle in Broad Channel to discuss ways to beautify the area and properly pay respects to those veterans this plot of land represents.

We had a productive conversation, and I am looking forward to the next steps to improve this area and give local residents an even better quality of life!

06/16/2026

Far too many people have been abusing the 311 system and using it for little more than a harassment tool against people and businesses they don't like. From January 2025 to the present, there have been approximately 23,000 unsubstantiated calls for inspection made via 311 to the DOB alone. Each of these calls clogs up the system, and pulls inspectors away from real issues that put New Yorkers in jeopardy.

That's why I have introduced legislation to combat this problem. Read more about my legislation to stop 311 harassment in The Real Deal article below, and let me know what you think!

Queens lawmaker eyes crackdown on repeated building inspections, deemed as landlord harassment.

06/15/2026

🇺🇸 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟒𝟑 - 𝐅𝐅 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐢, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟎 🇺🇸

Paul Pansini loved the excitement of being a firefighter in downtown Manhattan, but his days off meant a great deal, too. Firefighter Pansini, 36, took his son, Paul Jack, now 7, and his twin daughters, Anna and Claire, now 3, everywhere when he was not working. "He was brave enough to even take them to the store," his wife, Janice, recalled.

Since Sept. 11, the family has, in turn, felt his presence everywhere. "I feel him definitely in my house," Mrs. Pansini said. The family lives in his childhood home in Tottenville in Staten Island. When they moved there in November 1994, the couple almost tore the century-old house down.

Now she is glad they did not. In Tottenville, they are surrounded by family members who keep his presence strong, including his sister, Loretta Halpert.

Lake George was Firefighter Pansini's favorite spot in the world. This summer, as Mrs. Pansini packed for their annual vacation to the lake, Claire asked if they were going to meet Daddy there. "I'm blown away by how much they remember him," Mrs. Pansini said. "I don't think he knew how much he meant to so many people. He was a very comical person. The love of my life. People keep coming up to me and saying, `I miss him so much.' "

- Published by Patriot-News on Dec. 4, 2001.

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My office will continue to remind everyone of the sacrifices that were made by so many on September 11th, 2001, and continue our promise to Never Forget. May all who perished rest in eternal peace. We will continue to honor your memory.

06/15/2026

We are having a great time here at 17th Road Park in Broad Channel for our early celebration of America's 250th birthday!

If you're in the area, stop by! It's a beautiful day to celebrate our great nation!!

06/15/2026

Anti-cop radicals have infected the agency meant to oversee police interactions with civilians. Members of the Civilian Complaint Review Board are supposed to be neutral watchdogs, but instead they have been tainted against the very people they are supposed to oversee.

This is unacceptable. That's why I signed on to a bipartisan letter questioning the fairness of CCRB findings. If someone is blatantly posting about their contempt for law enforcement, then they should not be in any position that impacts the lives and well-being of our police.

New York City’s police watchdog is probing allegations by the NYPD’s biggest union that its investigators are anti-cop radicals, The Post has learned.

06/15/2026

The Center for Employment Opportunities - CEO squad was back in Rockaway recently, cleaning Beach 116th Street and making their way along Rockaway Beach Boulevard to keep the area looking its best.

Thank you, CEO, for all that you do to give the people of District 32 a quality of life they deserve - a quality of life that starts with clean, litter-free streets. It is an honor to fund your mission!