Family Suing LES Synagogue After Falling Wall Killed Worker

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The family of a Ridgewood man crushed by a falling wall at a fire-gutted synagogue plans to sue over the dangerous work conditions they say caused his death, attorneys said.

The sister of Stanislaw Supinski, 62, intends to take the owners of the historic synagogue at 60 Norfolk St. to court, arguing the brick wall that fatally crushed him on Oct. 21 was not properly stabilized after a fire destroyed it, attorney Slawek Platta said.

"Whatever they were supposed to do to prevent the collapse of the wall was not done and it was not done for two years," said Platta.

"They knew what was wrong at the construction site, and yet they failed to do anything to prevent this collapse and the tragic death of a Polish worker."

Platta, of The Platta Law Firm, will seek worker's compensation for Supinski's sister and file a lawsuit in Queens Supreme Court against owners, which city records identify as Beth Medrash Hagodol of New York Restoration, Inc., and general contractors Titan Industrial SVC Corp, he said.

The building, which is expected to be replaced with a two-tower project of hundreds of apartments, had become a flashpoint for safety concerns at the dilapidated building even before the May 2017 fire.

Synagogue owners were slapped with violations that same year for failing to remove unstable parts of the building, Department of Buildings records show.

DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky said Tuesday the investigation regarding the worker's death at 60 Norfolk St. is ongoing.

"Additional enforcement actions may be taken by the Department as a result of this investigation," he said.

"Every worker who leaves for the job site in the morning deserves to come home safely at night," he said in a statement.

A representative for the property owner declined comment since the investigation is ongoing. Titan Industrial did not immediately return a call.

Platta described Supinski as the much beloved brother of his client who had lived in Queens with his girlfriend for about two decades, and who was mourned by more than 100 people at his funeral last week.

Platta said he told Supinski's sister, "I cannot bring your brother back," but he can "make sure that the financial security he was providing you with will continue in the future."

The falling wall badly injured another man, who remains in the hospital with leg injuries, according to Platta. He said two men were conducting asbestos abatement work at the site when the wall fell.

Buildings department experts were coordinating with contractors the day of the worker's death to stabilize a remaining 36-foot high arch window, with loose bricks set to be removed that afternoon, the department previously told Patch.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened safety inspections into Pal Environmental Services Corp. — the asbestos abatement company where Supinski worked — and general contractor Titan Industrial. Pal Environmental directed calls to lawyers, who did not immediately return a call.

This article has been updated with additional comments from the Department of Buildings.