Tragedy Foretold: The Murder of Nina Kravtsov and the Scandal of Seagate Rehabilitation’s Neglect
- Brett Leitner
- Nov 15
- 4 min read
The tragic murder of Nina Kravtsov inside Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has become a chilling wake-up call for New York’s long-term care industry. Leitner Warywoda, on behalf of the Kravtsov family, is spearheading a fight for justice, demanding sweeping accountability and reform for nursing home residents statewide.
The Tragedy at Seagate
On September 14, 2025, 89-year-old Holocaust survivor Nina Kravtsov was fatally assaulted in her room at Seagate, struck repeatedly by 95-year-old Galina Smirnova with a detached metal wheelchair leg. Kravtsov died from her injuries at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. This brutal incident shocked Brooklyn, but advocates insist it was a tragedy foretold by years of regulatory failures and neglect.
A Pattern of Neglect and Citations
Seagate, operating 360 beds under Excelsior Care Group, holds a “much below average” staffing rating from Medicare Care Compare, with residents receiving half the recommended registered nurse care time compared to the national norm. Inspection records since 2021 reveal chronic problems:
Understaffing: Multiple citations for inadequate levels of certified nursing assistants, frequently running units with three rather than five CNAs, especially on weekends and overnight.
Neglect: Reports of missed medications, delayed care, and unsanitary conditions, including persistent smells of urine on units.
Dementia Care Failures: Insufficient planning and inadequate supervision for residents with dementia, with instances of new admissions placed in rooms with roommates despite clear risks.
Delayed and Incomplete Reporting: Multiple failures to promptly report incidents to the Department of Health (DOH), including abuse, altercations, and unexplained fractures.
DOH Inspections: Key Citations
September 2022: Seagate cited for failure to report a resident’s fractured femur of unknown origin, as well as a delayed report of a resident-to-resident assault, violating mandatory reporting rules.
2024 Inspection: Cited for “failed to maintain sufficient nursing staff,” with units often short-staffed, resulting in missed care and extended periods between resident changes.
Dementia Care Investigation: Evidence showed that individualized care plans for dementia residents were not properly developed or updated, with staff routinely unable to communicate and address distress behaviors.
Neglect of Investigations: Reports showed accidents were not thoroughly investigated, and witness statements were not collected, leaving abuse or neglect plausibly unaddressed.
Systemic Failures Under Profit-Oriented Ownership
Seagate’s operator, Shorefront Operating LLC, is closely linked to the Philipson family, infamous in New York for their chain of troubled nursing homes—including Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, now facing bankruptcy, emergency evacuations, repeated lawsuits, and bankruptcy protection filings. The pattern behind Philipson-owned facilities is stark:
Chronic Understaffing for Profit: Night shifts gutted, care delayed, and safety sacrificed for profit margins.
Financial Mismanagement: Millions diverted, non-payment for healthcare staff benefits, and repeated fines skirted as mere “costs of business”.health-inspection.pdf+2
Legal Action: The Attorney General’s office has sued the Philipson facilities for allegations ranging from neglect to financial misconduct and illegal resident evictions.
The Fight for Justice
Leitner Warywoda, representing Kravtsov’s estate, has already petitioned the surrogate’s court to appoint her daughter as administrator and plans immediate suit on behalf of Nina’s family. But as partner Brett Leitner emphasizes, this is about much more than damages:
“True accountability requires not just justice for the Kravtsov family, but a lasting commitment to reform. New Yorkers deserve more than apologies—they deserve policies and oversight that guarantee safety, dignity, and compassion for every elder entrusted to long-term care.”
Calling Upon Regulators for Action
The persistent regulatory failures at Seagate must not be taken lightly. The Department of Health (DOH) and the Attorney General have a duty to conduct exhaustive, transparent investigations—not only into the specific events of Kravtsov’s death, but the underlying systemic neglect and exploitation that enabled it.
DOH’s Immediate Role: The department must leverage its full investigative powers, ensure maximum penalties are enforced, and implement corrective actions with rigorous post-citation follow-up—not just paper audits.
Attorney General’s Mandate: Attorney General Letitia James has a track record of aggressive action against the Philipson entities; her office should broaden its investigation, looking into staffing records, financial operations, care quality shortcuts, and patterns of neglect across all associated facilities.
Legislative Reform: State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and other lawmakers are calling for new legislation to bolster accountability and ensure every vulnerable adult receives the standard of care they are owed.
A Call to Action
This tragedy is a neon warning—one that demands an unequivocal response from every stakeholder in New York elder care. No family should have to endure the horror and heartbreak suffered by Nina Kravtsov’s loved ones, nor fight through bureaucratic barriers to secure dignity for those in care.
What Needs to Change
Mandated Staffing Ratios: Strict enforcement of minimum staffing ratios for CNAs and nurses must be implemented to prevent dangerous shortages and delayed care.
Timely Reporting and Investigation: Facilities must comply with federal and state reporting requirements within prescribed timeframes for all incidents, with severe penalties for noncompliance.
Transparency About Ownership and Operations: Owners with histories of neglect and financial misconduct—like the Philipson family—should face heightened scrutiny and be barred from expanding or acquiring new facilities.
Resident-Centered Dementia Care: Individualized care plans for dementia residents must be consistently reviewed and updated, with staff trained in evidence-based management and communication strategies.
Facility-Wide Cultural Change: Accountability should extend beyond regulatory fines to mandatory culture assessments and ongoing staff retraining focused on ethics, transparency, and compassion.
Toward Meaningful Reform
In memory of Nina Kravtsov and all residents at risk, the fight for accountability continues. As legal proceedings begin, Leitner Warywoda stands united with the Kravtsov family in demanding not only compensation, but a clear and lasting change—a system where surviving the Holocaust is not followed by preventable tragedy in a Brooklyn nursing home.
Only when the DOH, Attorney General, and Legislature work hand-in-hand, driven by urgency and oversight, will New York’s most vulnerable finally be guaranteed the care and protection they deserve.
This post is informed by Brooklyn Paper reporting, federal and state inspection records, and recent developments in nursing home oversight, with a direct call to action for lasting transparency and reform.
