After Crane Collapse, Looters Raid Ruined Penthouse

I think it is disgusting that all you people say the FDNY stole their items.

I'm sure if you are trapped in an apartment you would want them to come and rescue you. I hope they can't find you if that's the case.

Schadenfreude: The lost language of cranes.

They have money, they can re-buy all the stuff they lost. Rich people don't really care much for 'little people's' insurance.

I find John's commentary refreshing. And yes this is a blog, not the New York Times. Gothamist does not have the responsibility to the public discourse as say the Evening News does.

Bravo, John, Bravo.

I'll confess to playing my own tiny violin for the missing mac books, but when I got to the part about how they don't have renters insurance ... huh?

When my parents gave me ... oh wait. Seriously, my apartment was broken into exactly once (they stole, I kid you not, a plastic avon ring that I'd bought at a garage sale, along with a collection of rings my brother had made from the colored inner wires of telephone wire) before I went out and got renters insurance.

I would have thought that around the time while your folks are setting up your trust fund and handing off the family jewels, they would have had a serious talk about insurance.

How could anybody in Madhattan hate rich people?

They are now vastly becoming the majority on this island.Rich or in debt.

I feel sad for these 2 woman.

I ain't rich either, just Human.

I guess not too many people remember what it was like to be 25 years old.

It's almost like being a teenager but a just a little bit older.One can be naive.

I maintain that renters insurance companies

would not be in a rush to pay these fairly

large claims,without a challenge and needing

lots and lots of proof and documentation.

Ultimately the insurees would need a lawyer.

"During that time, dozens of people working for a number of local and federal agencies were in and out of the building in a clean-up site that was operating 24 hours a day. The agencies include the NYPD, FDNY, Office of Emergency Management, the city Environmental Protection Dept., the Buildings Dept., the Health Dept., the Environmental Protection Agency, and Con Ed."

"The New York Post talked to the president of a graphic-arts company located in the building, who found that approximately $45,000 in items had been stolen from the firm upon returning to its offices in August after six weeks. Stolen items included 12 laptops, every digital and video camera, iPods, memory sticks, as well as cash. He described the robbery as methodical."

Just read the article.

Dozens of city agencies.

Alleged.

Empty for six weeks.

Methodical robbery.

Do you think the FDNY and NYPD have a conspiracy going where they wait for huge disasters to loot goods?

For all of you FDNY/NYPD defenders, explain this http://gothamist.com/2007/09/17/offices_alleged.php

How do we know that a fireman ripped off the apartment? Could have been building personel, a neighbor or even a cat burglar. It's wrong to accuse anyone, much less a member of New York's bravest, without any formidable proof.

As for John Del Signore's, "ready your tiny violins"

remark, It's hard to find humor in a deadly crane accident but since you insist on trying.......I can only conclude that you are a fool.

If you haven't learned these things about New York yet, here's your primer:

1) Poor people don't like rich people.

2) Poor people really don't like when rich people have stuff like watches with names like Audemars Piguet.

3) Poor people like to see bad things happen to rich people, whether they deserve it or not.

"I did rely on Langewiesche in the Atlantic for that info and yes, maybe it was wrong. But the reason it's so easy for me to believe it is that I know someone who's an FDNY lieutenant out in the far reaches of eastern Queens who has seen with his own two eyes FDNY personnel looting material from buildings where fires were fought. And I asked him about it and even he didn't object to Langewiesche's allegations when I discussed them with him. So maybe the Gap jeans story is wrong but this kind of stuff does take place, even if not on 9/11."

You just responded to me, yet gave no example of what was taken, who took it, and where it was taken from.

So an FDNY lieutenant came out and said "Yes, I've seen guys loot material." This has to be an absolute joke.

There are a number of high ranking chiefs on the scene of any fire, and any fire that would take place in a department store would have every FDNY high-ranking chief under the sun there.

There are fire buffs across the city who listen to scanners and come to take pictures and video footage of fires.

There are NYPD officers who do traffic control, and building security at fires.

Think of the reporters at fires.

Think of all the civilians turned amateur videographers at fires.

It is almost logistically impossible for a fireman to loot goods.

Crane Collapse in Miami

Another crane collapsed today.

I did rely on Langewiesche in the Atlantic for that info and yes, maybe it was wrong. But the reason it's so easy for me to believe it is that I know someone who's an FDNY lieutenant out in the far reaches of eastern Queens who has seen with his own two eyes FDNY personnel looting material from buildings where fires were fought. And I asked him about it and even he didn't object to Langewiesche's allegations when I discussed them with him. So maybe the Gap jeans story is wrong but this kind of stuff does take place, even if not on 9/11.

i have to step up and defend fdny here. i had a fire in my building in september. i was able to return to my apartment (which suffered extensive smoke and water damage, but no actual fire damage) immediately after the fire for 5 minutes to grab any belongings i wanted to take immediately. fdny had left by that point, and my apartment was secured by the building management. when i was able to return for a thorough pack-up of salvageable belongings 2 days later, half the stuff that was there after the building had been secured had all of a sudden gone missing. at this point, the contractors hired to clean up debris, etc. were supposed to be the only ones in the building...so in my case and in the one listed in this article, i would probably assume it was the contractors.

regardless, my advice to everyone: get renter's insurance!!! i learned the hard way. it's cheap, especially relative to what you stand to lose should tragedy strike!

EastRiver: No, I am not an asshole, I just think it's ridiculous that so many people would post negative comments. Just because these young ladies have expensive items or come from a wealthy family, that makes it ok that they were further victimized? Please.

And if you were robbed, you wouldn't report it? Whatever, jackass.

Fire department guys always take souveniers.

I hope all of you miserable people have some catastrophic accident happen to your home just so I can laugh at you when you complain about losing your property.

Wow. You must be the biggest asshole of them all. But you won't know when I suffer a loss because I won't go whining to the media about it. Life sucks. Deal with it.

As aside, there are bad apples in every job. The FDNY has been marred but 3 highly publicized events in the past few years. 2 involving alcohol and complete stupidity , and the other involving a woman who willingly went to the firehouse to get plowed.

"reily10138 & Hey NICE GASH: While I agree that it is too premature to accuse anyone for this, to completely exonerate the NYFD is naive. Yes, they are heroes but they are also human."

JP I totally agree with you. It just really bothered me that people would automatically assume that a firemen would steal jewelery like a thief in the night.

Then the ignoramus who posted about 6 men who died in 9/11 stole gap jeans before being crushed to death sent me over the edge.

I kind of tend to agree with John, the writer of this article, too, and the way he framed it ... if for no other reason than the fact that this kind of wealth (see: the Gothamist post on the new Yankee Stadium "premium" website) is sucking the life and excitement and reality out of the city.

Totally different than the new Yankee Stadium post.

In this post, the author "blames the victim." Whereas there are no victims with higher ticket prices because there's no crime, and there's no injustice in paying a premium price for premium seating.

reily10138 & Hey NICE GASH: While I agree that it is too premature to accuse anyone for this, to completely exonerate the NYFD is naive. Yes, they are heroes but they are also human.

All the comments made inferring the FDNY had any connection to this make me want to vomit.

Have they ever been shown to take anything from anyone's private residence while responding to a call? EVER?

"I'd say FDNY too. That fire truck they found at ground zero filled with GAP products? It was real." - Jen Chungs Bra

"Ladder 4 was the focus of rumors circulating around ground zero and therefore, is the fire truck we believe Mr. Langewiesche incorrectly and libelously refers to as having been found filled with “stolen” jeans “tagged, folded and stacked by size”. Discovered at the B5 level, the fire truck was originally positioned at street level under the bridge on the Liberty Street side of the South Tower. The official FDNY recovery ticket records December 17, 2001, 3:17 am as the time of discovery and the logbook further states that the truck was lifted out and placed outside of the pit by December 21st.

Mr. Langewiesche is incorrect when he states it was in the “afternoon…that the excavators were digging…” FDNY Lt. Lawrence Tompkins, a team leader who was there that night, states emphatically that the jeans were spread around the entire area, “There were no neat stacks or jeans stowed in the crew cab” states Tompkins. Mark Dolan, a grappler operator who was also there that night took photographs of the truck (we have copies). Dolan specifically denies that a grappler “pulled off the roof” of the truck and “the jeans were revealed for all to see” or that “jeering” by construction workers occurred. Jeans were spread around just like other clothing throughout the site. Michael Del Preti also working this night tour, and member of local 14B (grappler operator) says he only knows of a similar situation where he unearthed a front end loader that had “Office Depot” supplies blown inside it’s cab from an Office Depot truck nearby and nobody accused the front end loader operator of stealing office supplies. Del Preti saw Ladder 4 unearthed that night and agrees that its “bullshit” to say that the jeans “spread all over” looked like the firefighters in Ladder 4 had looted before the towers fell. Jack Mirto, Local 14, states that night “clothes were everywhere around the site”. Mirto gives another example; that he saw 50 PAPD shirts spread around on another night— and the source upon examination was a storage bin. Mike Moonen, Night Superintendent for Tully that night also states that it was night – “not afternoon” when the truck was unearthed. Moonen denies that as “a crowd of initially bewildered firemen looked on, the construction workers went wild. “Jeans! Look at these… Fucking guys, jeans!” Moonen; the grappler operators who unearthed the truck; and many others in construction we canvassed (therefore independent witnesses) deny that anything like Mr. Langewiesche describes took place. Mr. Moonen further states that the jeans were “Structure”, not “Gap” as Mr. Langewiesche claims. FDNY Battalion Chief Frank Ryan, an eyewitness on duty that night also denies the truthfulness of Mr. Langewiesche’s story “jeans were scattered everywhere and were not neatly folded and stowed inside Ladder 4’s crew cab”. Mr. Langewiesche’s statement is absurd; that it was “hard to avoid the conclusion that the looting had begun even before the 1st tower fell” and “that while hundreds of doomed firefighters had climbed through the wounded buildings, this particular crew had been engaged in something else entirely, without the slightest suspicion that the South Tower was about to hammer down.” The upcoming book should be shredded for this libelous statement alone.

Mr. Langewiesche believes six firefighters responding in on the initial alarms to the WTC disaster would park their vehicle; assume the role of looters at the sub-level store areas of the WTC; return to their vehicle to store their stolen goods prior to reporting into the command post for their assignment, with all hell breaking loose around them; or, did Mr. Langewiesche think that the six firefighters of Ladder 4 arrive at the command post, receive their orders, and, as victims are jumping out of the tower windows, they totally disregard their orders; go down stairs to a sub-level clothing store; gather up dozens and dozens of jeans; go back upstairs, returning to their truck at street level while recovery workers and FDNY personnel are operating (and with a FDNY command post nearby); and then, load these looted jeans in neat “folded” stacks by size “in their windowed crew cab”.

Beyond these outrageous and impossible scenarios that Mr. Langewiesche suggests within his “reportage of the facts”, were hard, physical evidence: that the six doomed firefighters of Ladder 4 were actually doing their job within a time constraint of less than one hour (the time between, Ladder 4 arriving on the scene and Tower 2 [south] collapsing). The bodies of Ladder 4 members were discovered near a South Tower elevator along with the Hurst tool (from their truck) that they, in their last moments of life, were using to extract the victims trapped inside. The body of a civilian woman was found entangled with that of a Ladder 4 firefighter holding the Hurst tool.

How can Mr. Langewiesche now make up for this injustice? Former FDNY Deputy Commissioner Lynn Tearney, states that many news agencies heard the rumors and, called her to fact- check. After hearing the absurdity of what the scenarios would have had to been, all news agencies passed on the “story”. Mr. Tearney states, “what did Atlantic Monthly think?, that they had the scoop of the century ?-- When so many other news groups were down there too? (Despite Mr. Langewiesche’s claim of having press exclusive). Mr. Tearney also states that Mr. Cullen Murphy, Managing Editor of Atlantic Monthly told her that fact-checkers asked 2 sources for confirmation regarding “the looting of jeans”. A story of this magnitude and impact that will forever sully and stain heroes who died on duty—more checking surely should have been done by Mr. Langewiesche and Atlantic Monthly itself."

http://www.wtclivinghistory.org/groundzerocorrection3.htm

John's a lazy writer who basically plagiarizes print articles. This alone should indicate his character but this new post of his confirms it.

yes, I mispelled weak-minded. sue me.

I like snarky, rude remarks. And I like all different sorts of opinions. I don't think John's comments were insulting towards the victims so much as they were toward the press for taking attention away from those who died. It's a fair contrast. Anyone who is offended by Johns comments and who thinks he should be fired for them is a big douche who clearly doesn't appreciate freedom of speech. This is the Internet!!!! If you don't like what you read, stop reading. You week minded people really bug me.

I think that the tone is acceptable for Gothamist; as someone else said, this is not the AP or the NY Times -- it's a blog. I kind of tend to agree with John, the writer of this article, too, and the way he framed it ... if for no other reason than the fact that this kind of wealth (see: the Gothamist post on the new Yankee Stadium "premium" website) is sucking the life and excitement and reality out of the city. (Personal note: I put lots of blame on Sex on the City, may that show rot in hell.) Two twentysomethings should not have $80k worth of jewelry in their apartment. They should also not have a $4000 a month rent. That's just disgusting.

And, yeah, they shouldn't've gotten ripped off ... but compared to what happened to the people who died in the crane collapse (which is just one more example of how unchecked greed, wealth, and capitalism is killing -- literally! -- this city), this is nothing. Also, renter's insurance is like $13 a month. Buy it.

people who blame the FDNY for missing items are just one step up from being fucking brain dead.

god i hate new york

Anyone else remember the Heath Ledger story that was written by John? It, like this article, contained much more snark appropriate for a story revolving around death.

http://gothamist.com/2008/01/25/heath_ledger_up.php

While we want to/like to know your opinion, please keep it decent. You're a good writer, John, but you need to tone down the offensive remarks.

The Ladies Auxiliary won't be back until you publish a post with JDS's head on a stick!

Yay, finally other people realize what an ass JDS is!!! Cut him loose, Gothamist! As someone who came home one day to find her apartment covered in soot from a fire and most of her belongings fried, I can attest that, while you realize that possessions are ultimately only "things," it is pretty traumatic. JDS is always snide and rude in his posts -- Gothamist would be much better without his bitter, pathetic contributions.

And yeah, everyone should have renters' insurance, but after the fire, I took a survey of my friends, and only one person I knew had renters' insurance. So, kids, learn from the mistakes of others, and hook yourselves up today! You don't want to deal with trying to sue someone after something traumatic like this happens.

Did this slip by you all?

$3,900 for a 2 Bedroom Penthouse apartment?

I thought 1 BR high rise in Midtown East are starting at $3900

http://www.tregny.com/manhattan-apt-rental-report.jsp

We, too, are aghast at the glib attitude displayed here toward these devastated young ladies and their missing jewelry! This is our first time commenting and our last - cancel our subscription Gothamist!

The fact that people would treat the death of 7 people as an opportunity to get free stuff is just low. The looters compounded the tragedy by essentially defiling a gravesite to steal a few pawnable items.

So that makes John angry at...the victims. For complaining about it. Or for...not dying, I guess. Or for being rich. Or something. Seriously.

Novanglus... read American Ground by William Langewiesche. Not a trash read. It will detail the finding of the Gap clothes in the fire engine. It's a very sad but very true story.

Who cares if the tenants were rich or poor? They don't deserve to have their stuff stolen.

I hope all of you miserable people have some catastrophic accident happen to your home just so I can laugh at you when you complain about losing your property.

Our building had a fire, I came home to find my fridge emptied by New York's "Hungriest". I didn't know I was required to feed the firemen.

This isn't a news site. It's a privately-owned news BLOG. If he wants to post his opinions, then he can. That's why we read this site instead of the Daily News or the Post.

Does it suck that they were looted? Yes. Do I feel pity for them? No. I'm sure their possessions will all be replaced very fast by Mommy and Daddy.

The only sad part in regards to the looting are the family heirlooms that can't be replaced no matter how much money they have that they probably did not earn themselves.

JenChungsBra, I'd like to see your evidence on the FDNY/Gap/9-11 thing. I tried to do more research myself and found nothing more than hearsay.

Can you imagine the emotional effects of coming home to find your apartment totally destroyed?

Well, it wasn't totally destroyed now was it? Total destruction is what happens when a tornado or hurricane flattens your house like it was made of matchsticks. So the apartment isn't habitable now but they don't even own the apartment! And 99% of their possessions are still there. But because they couldn't be bothered with insurance I'll bet the sue everyone imaginable: the city, the crane operator, the general contractor, the developer, their own landlord, etc. which only serves to raise insurance costs for those of us dumb enough to pay for it.

"I have no sympathy for these two brats. Who doesn't have renter's insurance? It's the cheapest deal you can get; a couple of hundred dollars a year for up to $100K in coverage. Stupid."

a million dollars worth of renters insurance would not replace my dead grandmother's engagement ring asshat.

I'm so tired of this nonsense ranting about how horrible rich people are simply because they are rich. Its bullshit.

People are so fucking bitter. It's pretty simple: Don't live in a city that is as wealthy as this one if you hate rich people.

and FWIW (as if it makes my comments more or less valid) I am *far* from wealthy. I was able to file my taxes on line for free :)

I'm as disdainful of penthouse-dwelling yuppies as the next guy (assuming the next guy is JDS), but... no one deserves to have their stuff stolen, particularly heirloom items that can't be replaced. Yes, it pales in comparison to what the families of these construction workers have to go through.

But...

Someone used this tragedy, which resulted in seven horrifying deaths and countless people living on friends' couches, as an opportunity to scarf up free stuff. To me that's as outrageous in its own way as the soon-to-be uncovered rampant neglect and corrution which caused the accident in the first place.

And if the looters were FDNY, whose brothers do the work of heroes and are hailed as such, so much the worse.

Hi first time commenter, just registered to say that this guy John should be fired for this article. I don't see what these girls did wrong, what if they were inside when it collapsed, would that make you feel any better? asshole

I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with this post. You think the Post picked up this story because they felt BAD for them? Having your stuff stolen sucks, but it's just stuff. Pouting in The Post and The News about your heirloom jewelry is in bad taste and SHOULD elicit a tiny violin.

Losing a loved one is by far worse. But apples ≠ oranges.

Don't minimize the pain for people who lose their homes. If you were thrown out of your home because of an accident and couldn't return, and then found out you'd been robbed after, I think you would all be upset about it.

macbook pro laptops can be traced via their serial numbers once said users are on-line, no?

Uh, no.

macbook pro laptops can be traced via their serial numbers once said users are on-line, no?

Uh, no.

Wow. I have been reading gothamist for a while and have never actually commented until now. Can you imagine the emotional effects of coming home to find your apartment totally destroyed? And having to replace everything you owned. I don't care if you are rich or poor, that would be horrible. Of course it is not as bad as the people who tragically passed away, but it's something I doubt most of us would wish on our worst enemy. The fact that you belitteled it like that, quite frankly, disgusts me. "Ready your tiny violins"? Have a heart because karma can be a bitch.

Now we know why they call it a "recovery effort" for days after the collapse!

Looting is such a vile and despicable act. If it was a public servant like a cop or fireman I would be in favor of taking there pension and a good old tar and feather. Sickening!

sounds like a padded claim!

screw them.

receipts, copies of wills, appraisals will do, not boo-hoo-hooing about it.

all that high value stuff in one apt needs renter's insurance! HAHAHAHA good for you!

All that stuff and no renter's insurance! Doh!

If you're eligible, USAA has great deals. I've been very happy with the coverage I receive (thankfully, I've never had to use it).

I'm glad most other commenters think the article is inappropriate.

I also think the police/FDNY/construction workers need to be investigated for this theft. But I know they won't be because there is very little moral direction in city politics. Each of these is a very political group.

I say sue the city and it may make them take responsibility for controlling this kind of theft in future.

completely agree with zodak. the framing of the article is really tasteless and unnecessary.

This sounds like a law school torts exam; identify who can be held liable and litigate away!

I should mention no one hates rich people more than me but even this was low. anyhow, more reason to booby trap one's home for intruders. I heard cigarettes are sometimes missing, some rat poison in a few packs ought to teach a thief a lesson.

Who has this much stuff lying around? more than one may think.

you can easily make 80-100k as an account executive at an upscale clothing store in New York City if you're good at your job.

I figured as much but this means if they both made this much they would barely qualify for a $3900 apartment without a cosigner. Like I said, they have rich parents. Not that there's anything wrong with that unless you turn your kid into a brat. And again, not saying these two are brats but people like this are a dime a dozen in this town.

i don't understand people who don't have tenant's insurance. i highly recommend it. even if you don't own anything extravagant, look around your apartment and do a quick tally on how much you'd have to pay to replace everything if there were a fire. no-brainer.

I'm actually looking a renters insurance providers right now because of this...

The articles say that Battistello is an account executive at Ermenegildo Zegna. Isn't that the fancy way of saying she is in sales? So these aren't rich people.

It's a managerial level; and as someone who once worked at a Brooks Brothers in a suburban-ish area, you can easily make 80-100k as an account executive at an upscale clothing store in New York City if you're good at your job.

I'm a new commenter who specifically registered to voice my disappointment with John's belittling of the looting victims. It just seems inappropriate and unnecessarily mean-spirited.

ouch! Man, John your getting worked in here!

You don't necessarily have to interpret the comments as a "hatred of well-to-do people". I don't hate all rich people. I hate rich douchebags - which isn't to say that these two are. But in a case where seven people are dead and one of the two in the this story posed for pictures for the newspapers (check the links) I find my sympathy waning. I doubt I am too far off in assuming that these two are heavily supported by their families. The articles say that Battistello is an account executive at Ermenegildo Zegna. Isn't that the fancy way of saying she is in sales? So these aren't rich people. They're people with rich parents. That also alone doesn't irk me but I am surrounded by these types in the building I live in and too many of them have a ridiculous sense of entitlement. In my day (and I'm less than 10 years older than these two) you could have rich parents, graduate from an Ivy League school, and get a job on Wall Street and you ended up living in a cramped walk up apartment with roommates for a while. It's all in the parenting. Who has that much stuff lying around and doesn't have insurance? Probably the same types that - and I am going to strike a nerve here - died on 9/11 with three kids, a stay at home wife, and a huge mortgage and didn't have any life insurance. Buy one less MacBook Pro and get some renters insurance.

Irresponsible of the author to belittle the loss the tenants suffered by someone else's neglect.

Apples and oranges comparisons are not only unprofessional, but irresponsible.

Actually, the women can sue the crane company, since their things would not have been stolen but for the crane collapse.

I have no sympathy for these two brats. Who doesn't have renter's insurance? It's the cheapest deal you can get; a couple of hundred dollars a year for up to $100K in coverage. Stupid.

I'd say FDNY too. That fire truck they found at ground zero filled with GAP products? It was real.

macbook pro laptops can be traced via their serial numbers once said users are on-line, no?

as for family treasures, does that include the trunk filed with gold bars passed down by their grandaunt selma?

also, how did looters get to this spot past all the police etc, not to mention the extreme danger involved? perhaps it was the infamous spiderman.

haha, police go check into this. this sounds faker than hilary clinton.

Wow, those are some rich 25 year olds.

aha- probably FDNY five-finger discounts

shouldn't be really hard to find out who did it,

the building was controlled access. some FDNY family got some pretty nice st. patrick's day gifts.

don't feel bad for the workers either, they make a very nice living segregated from city riff raff.

John del Signore, you're a fucking idiot.

Did these girls cause the crane collapse?

Did they cause the construction worker's death?

No? Then why the shitty little comments? WTF does the theft have to do with the death?

If it were a Seiko rather than a Piaget stolen would that make you feel better?

Wow. Gothamist - where do you get these jackasses?

Remember construction workers get first dibs on the "clean up".

the only compensation they can count on is their security deposit and their March rent

Return of a security deposit isn't compensation. Still, I'm guessing when all the dust settles, they'll get their share of settlement money.

Hey, John -- Get a life. Spewing hatred of well-to-do people won't make your life suck any less.

This is a blog, not the Associated Press, the comments were correct in intent and true.

This is just one more thing in a long line of events that surround this horrible thing. Considering you can't even get down 51st or 50th if you live in the neighborhood you have to wonder who is taking adavantage of this tragedy for personal gain?

And I agree no commentary is necessary. It's not ok that these things were stolen.

Wow.

Stop building strawmen, John; the guy's mutilated body has nothing to do with these people getting things stolen from their home. Both things suck, one more than the other, but they are independent of each other.

The NYFD didn't leave a thank you note?

Two Macbook Pros? Something seems fishy here already.

john, your comments "(Ready your tiny violins)" & "It's a bummer, but you know what else sucks?" don't belong in the article. you should leave your snarky comments for the comment section.