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FD-350 (Rev. 5-8-81) Nev yaue Posr Indicate page,name of newspaper, city and state.) (Mount Cipping in Space Below) Date: Edition feecystn Title: ErnE FAo-tO Character: or Classification: Submitting Office: Indexing: Showdown-at-the-Apollo Dumshoes working-for.New York state's at- Vacco,who.hassubstantial.oversight.pow torney general, Dennis -Vacco,areto ~ers-regardingnot-for-profit- corporations in begin digging intoa;truly fetidpolitical New Yorkhas the power toreconstitute the. foundation's'board'of directors-all by himself. rounding Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. He can fire.Rangel if he so chooses. 1Here's hoping that they're-up to the task, 'It may be-premature for Vacco to exercise and are brave enough to ruffle somevery ten- this authority: It probably first must be-de der political feathers.A lot is at stake. termined.exactly-what happened to.the pro- The.Apollo mess is a bewilderment. Mil- ceeds of the federal loan, to the$11 million in state-funded Apollo operational subsidies lions of taxpayer dollars dedicated to preserv- ing abuilding that many consider to.be a na that disappeared to no apparentbeneficialef- tional-treasure-have.disappearedRecords fect and to the missing rent money relating toa $1.2-millionfederalrehabilita- This can't be.doneovernight'-obviously. tion loan for whichno obvious value wasre- But, at.a minimum, the Apollo:Foundation ceived were destroyed ina mysterious fire. board musteventually be. reconstituted TheApolloTheaterFoundati9n meant to without Rangel.WhileVaccohas the author- oversee operations of the theater owes Al- ity to.do this, he also can'do the wrong thing bany more than $3 million in back.rent. and strike a deal withthe congressman : IThe-proper prescription is-decidedly -less and his cronies that would effectively pre- .complicated: Rep. CharlesB. Rangel, the serve'the status quo. Harlem powerhouse.whoheads the theater The-latter.course-might offer theAG some foundation that's responsible for the scandal, and-thus must resignorbe removed from that posi doubtless seems-tempting.But it, would be a tion: grave.mistake. + This wouldn't solve all of the theater's prob- The only way.to save.the Apollo is to.isolate. lems, but it would eliminate'theprincipalim the.probe from.politics.Theball,isin.Vacco's pediment to.their.resolution:Politics. court. SALE JUN.01 1998 3 FBI-NEW YORK 4i0B=Ny-70W730 F8I/00J