Feds give city 5.7M to wipe out graffiti



BY JEGO R. ARMSTRONG
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Vincent Taliercio stood outside his graffiti-plagued Carroll Gardens store on Friday, frustrated with mounting citywide vandalism, and in need of good news.
Thanks to "Weiner's Cleaners," help is on the way.

Taliercio rejoiced as Rep. Anthony Weiner announced a $5.75 million federally funded anti-graffiti campaign to combat the recent rise in graffiti vandalism in the city.

"The one pet peeve that unites all New Yorkers is graffiti," said Weiner, who was joined by small-business owners outside Taliercio's 60-year-old Smith Union Market on the corner of Smith and Union Sts.

"Nothing would make a community happier than seeing an eyesore like graffiti removed from their community," Weiner said.

Twenty-eight areas have been targeted for the initial graffiti-removal stage - beginning in spring 2006 - with Brooklyn topping the list at 15. Queens was second with seven, the Bronx with five and only one on Staten Island.

"This is still the number one complaint here in Brooklyn," said Weiner.

The $5.75 million graffiti-elimination initiative will be administered through the Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization that finds jobs for homeless men.

Transported in vans, 10 teams of homeless men will paint and power wash away graffiti around the city within a week of getting a complaint.

Graffiti gained notoriety in the '70s and '80s on subways and buses, eventually making its way to commercial and residential buildings.

Street graffiti consists of drawings such as "tags" and "pieces." A "tag" is the vandal's street signature.

A "piece," short for "masterpiece," is a large mural-like drawing that many consider artistic.

Taliercio didn't agree.

"Some people take it as art, but I don't," said Taliercio, 54, who has spent more than $5,000 to remove graffiti from his store walls since 1992.

"Once one graffiti person writes their name, the rest just follow," said Taliercio. "It's a shame they keep doing this but hopefully this program will stop this."