It’s Fort Fein Again For Redeemed Totten Historian

The long nightmare is now officially over for Jack Fein, the 83-year-old Bayside veteran who after decades of civic-historical volunteerism in the community had been charged last February with a series of misdemeanors involving alleged sexual abuse.
It is expected that this Friday, Fein will appear at the courthouse on Queens Boulevard where law enforcement officials will hand over all of the records of the now-dismissed case, including any fingerprints, mug shots and transcripts, thus wiping the entire seven-month ordeal from the public record.
Fein — the virtual mayor of historic Fort Totten — "is satisfied that he was vindicated in the civil justice system," Fein’s attorney, Dan Morrison said.
Fein, a longtime fixture and volunteer historian at the centuries-old military installation on the shores of Long Island Sound, had been the subject of an accusation that he sexually abused a 10-year-old boy, kissing him on the face and rubbing his hands against the boy’s buttocks while they were alone in the Fort Totten museum. The boy’s father, who reportedly knew Fein from the years of Fein’s tours, reported the alleged incident and Fein was taken into custody on February 24 and arraigned before Judge Stephan Painter.
Fein had been scheduled to face a hearing on March 22 on a number of charges ranging from sexual abuse in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child sexual abuse in the third degree and a lesser charge of harassment in the second degree. The most serious charge carried a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail.
There was immediately a problem with a public who had known this man and his works for decades in the community. The faith these residents had in Fein’s years of service seemed to be vindicated when the District Attorney’s office dropped the case, saying that according to a D.A. spokesperson everyone signed off on this, the boy’s family knew of the dismissal and that the case was basically closed.
The case, however, still required a six-month waiting period to determine that there were no new accusations within that time. That period ended this past week. But the Parks Department had shown faith in Fein by handing him back the keys to the Fort Totten museum shortly after the March dismissal decision. Since then Fein has continued giving his tours of the fort right up to this week when he had a heavy schedule of group tours planned.
"Thank you for the love of Moses and Jesus," said an emotional Fein who had proclaimed his innocence of any misbehavior from the beginning. The DA’s office confirmed to The Queens Courier that there was no plea bargain, financial or other arrangement in the government’s dropping the case. The dismissal and vindication indicates that the case against the venerable civic leader was weak.
Fein, who volunteered for many years to maintain the museum and conduct tours, was recently hired by the Parks Department to perform these same functions after the city took control of many of the historic sites.
Fein had served over 30 years in the Army and another five years in the Army Reserve during the Vietnam period. Among many honors he has received over the years including being made the Grand Marshal of the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day parade, the largest such parade in the nation.
One northeast Queens civic leader on hearing the news of the case against Fein being dismissed said that "thank God that this man can live in his golden years with the memories of a great service to his country as well as being restored to service again — service to bring that history to a new generation in a new century