Quick Bytes: Tennis Hall of Fame, Pharmacy to Penitentiary, Gujarati’s Confirmation, Indian Salsa Duo, Nadella’s Pitch

Indian American Vimal Patel to be Inducted Into Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame

Indian American tennis coach Vimal Patel will be inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame on Jan. 30, 2021 in Louisville. Patel, who grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky, is currently a coach at Tough Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida, Patel has coached and mentored some of the nations top talent for the past 20 years. “I’m so excited for my family,” Patel told the Messenger-Inquirer. “We put a lot of miles, a lot of hard work, a lot of years into tennis.” An elite junior player, Patel was ranked as high as #2 in the U.S. in the boys 18 and under division. He was the Kentucky state high school singles champion in 1988 and Florida state high school singles champion in 1989. He is the son of retired University of Louisville chemistry professor Dr. Amrit Patel, and mother Urmila Patel. After graduating from Owensboro Catholic High School, Patel attended Stanford University on a tennis scholarship where he was a 3-time All American and NCAA Team Champion. After Stanford, he competed professionally around the world and received an ATP ranking in both singles and doubles. He lives in Naples, Florida with his wife Lori and two sons Chase and Caden.

Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Prison for Defrauding IRS 

A New Jersey businessman was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Sept. 23, for conspiring to defraud the IRS. Rao Desu, 53, of Warren, who owned retail pharmacies in New Jersey and New York, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and four counts of aiding and assisting in subscribing to false tax returns. In addition to the prison term, Desu was sentenced to two years of supervised release, was fined $15,000 and was ordered to pay restitution of $459,075. Desu was a 50 percent owner in DVS Pharma Inc., (which was doing business as Heights Pharmacy), in Piscataway, New Jersey, and also a 50 percent owner of Manvihar Pharmacy (which was doing business as Arthur Avenue Pharmacy) in the Bronx, New York. The DOJ press release, citing statements made in court, said that from April 2004 through November 2013, Desu conspired with both his co-owners to conceal from the IRS the cash income that was earned by the pharmacy as part of a cash-skimming scheme. In addition, Desu, along with his co-owners, filed false corporate income tax returns for both the pharmacies. 

Diane Gujarati Confirmed as District Judge in Eastern New York

Diane Gujarati, an Indian American prosecutor who has worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, was confirmed earlier this month as the newest district judge in the Eastern District of New York. Gujarati’s nomination was sent for Senate confirmation in 2019, and was unanimously confirmed on Sept. 10. Gujarati began her legal career by serving as a law clerk to John M. Walker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In 2012, Judge Gujarati became the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, where she served until her confirmation. Additionally, she has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law. She received her BA in Economics from Barnard College of Columbia University, and her JD in 1995 from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of both the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal on Regulation.

Indian Salsa Duo Mesmerize Audience, Judges at ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 15

They might not have won Season 15 of “America’s Got Talent,” but Indian salsa duo, Sonali Majumder and Sumanth Maroju of Kolkata, members of BAD (Bivash Academy of Dance) Salsa, made a mark throughout the season. For the Sept. 23 final, BAD Salsa, a fan-favorite since they hit the stage at the auditions, teamed up with AGT champions V Unbeatable for a powerhouse performance filled with Latin dancing, acrobatic stunts and tricks as well as Bollywood music. Both Sonali and Samanth come from humble backgrounds. Sonali is from Bonga, a small village on the India-Bangladesh border. Sumanth comes from a lower-middle-class family of railway workers. TalentRecap says the duo practices anywhere from 8-12 hours a day. Sonali and Sumanth won season four of India’s Got Talentin 2012. Sonali was only 7 years old at the time. They absolutely dominated the competition and won by audience votes. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Throws First Pitch for Seattle Mariners 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella virtually threw out the first pitch for a Seattle Mariners before the team’s game against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 20. He was assisted by former MLB catcher and Mariner, David Valle. The Mariners shared a video on Twitter of Nadella tossing the first pitch to Valle, who thought Nadella didn’t bring enough heat to his patch. So, Nadella brought in some additional help, Master Chief and an entourage of other Spartans behind him. Nadella has spoken about his love for sports, especially cricket and soccer. In a 2014 interview to ZDNet, Nadella spoke about how playing cricket taught him more about working in teams and leadership “that has stayed with me throughout my career.” It seems that cricket also helped the CEO deliver a nice opening pitch. He previously told GeekWire that it was his dream as a boy to play the popular sport professionally. “The sport had a very rich heritage at my school and I went on to play school and junior cricket as a bowler (right arm off spin),” Nadella said. “At a certain point, I realized that I had reached my limit and luckily discovered my next passion in engineering and technology!” Nadella is part of the Seattle Sounders FC ownership group.

Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid Welcome Baby Girl

Singer Zayn Malik, 27, and model Gigi Hadid, 25, are proud parents of a baby girl. The former One Direction member took to social media to announce the birth. “Our baby girl is here, healthy & beautiful,” he wrote. “(T)o try put into words how I am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding.” Hadid confirmed she was expecting with Malik during an April 30 interview with Jimmy Fallon, telling The Tonight Show host, “Obviously, we wish they could’ve announced it on our own terms, but we’re very excited and happy and grateful for everyone’s well-wishes and support.”