Veteran Queens prosecutor Bradley Chain has died

Prosecutor Bradley Chain died Jan. 2 at age 40. Photo via LinkedIn

By David Brand

Veteran Queens trial prosecutor and supervisor Bradley Chain died Saturday. He was 40.

Chain began working in the Queens District Attorney’s Office in 2006 and moved through the ranks to become a supervisor in the Organized Crime Bureau. In recent years, he handled various high-profile cases, including as lead prosecutor trying NYPD officers and detectives accused of running a lucrative ring of brothels throughout Queens and Brooklyn. 

Chain, a graduate of Duke University and Brooklyn Law School, grew up in Forest Hills and continued to call Queens home until his death. 

In a statement Monday, Queens DA Melinda Katz said Chain “served with distinction” and “was a smart, committed prosecutor who was giving of himself to his colleagues and the people of Queens County.”

Several current and former colleagues remembered Chain’s work ethic, competence and good-natured attitude, even as he led a team trying complex cases. Many posted tributes on an online memorial page and shared their support for his wife and daughter.

“Whenever I had an issue with something at work, he was my go-to person because he never made me feel like a pest,” said Jacqueline Collins, a paralegal who worked with Chain for 10 years. “He would do anything for anyone and not expect anything in return. I think everyone would agree that he was one of the kindest and most genuine people around.”

“Brad was a mensch through and through and the words being shared about him now is a testament to his spirit and work ethic,” wrote Jackie Belson, investigative counsel at the New York Office of Inspector General and a former Queens ADA.

Friends from other parts of Chain’s life have also recalled his care and kindness, as well as his sense of humor.

Writer Jesse Spector attended St. Ann’s School with Chain and together established a “Simpsons” fan club for high school students. 

There they watched VHS tapes of episodes that Chain had recorded and discussed the themes and philosophy of the show. Though they failed to get writers and cast members to visit the Brooklyn school, they did manage to obtain an illustration of Bart signed by voice actor Nancy Cartwright, as well as an early script for the “The Last Temptation of Krust” episode, featuring the famous “Canyonero” commercial.

In adulthood, Spector said, Chain was “always the guy who made sure you had a cab to get into or made sure you were OK to get on the subway by yourself.”

“That’s who he was,” Spector said. “He looked out for his friends and he looked out for people and he was a guy who wanted to do the right thing all the time.”