NYC begins bulldozing Sandy-ravaged homes

Raymond Weiler's childhood home was ravaged twice: first by superstorm Sandy three months ago, and then by a city bulldozer Monday.

Weiler hugged his sister as the machine tore into the house where their mother, Veronica Weiler, reared them and four other siblings in the Ocean Breeze section of Staten Island.

The tight-knit community, made up mostly of winterized bungalows just steps from the beach, was the first of what will be many stops for city demolition crews finishing the work that Sandy started. The area was deluged with 12 to 14 feet of water during the Oct. 29 storm, and two people in the neighborhood died.

Weiler said his 86-year-old mother has temporarily relocated to Texas. He told her Sunday that her home of more than five decades was coming down. "She's pretty broken up about it," he said. "I'm glad she's not here for it.

A few steps away, the tiny home of 85-year-old James Rossi is also slated for demolition. Rossi was one of 23 Staten Island residents who died in the storm, more than half the citywide total of 43.

The houses aren't the first razed in the 11 weeks since Sandy. A handful of property owners called in bulldozers on their own to remove shattered remains.

But the first city-facilitated demolitions started Monday. Other homes in the adjacent Midland Beach area are also on the list to be demolished.

No city demolitions have started in the Rockaways section of Queens or in Brooklyn, according to the mayor's office, but they are expected there as well.