And now for this week’s installment of Stories from the Rubber Room: today meet Francisco Olivares, a Queens math teacher who knocked up and then married his 16-year-old student, then decades later sexually molested two 12-year-olds and one more student, according to the Department of Education. Like that rich gross lawyer guy profiled last week, he’s sat for years in the Rubber Room, all the while draining the city’s coffers in ever-growing increments. more ›

The wackiness surrounding this weekend’s G Train service (no it won’t run, yes it will) is sure to make for lots of memorable moments, none better than this one we were tipped off to via Twitter. It’s audio someone recorded of the station stop announcements, performed (and I do mean performed) by one very classy motorman on the green snail line. “My 4am G Train voyage from Smith/9th to Metro was made beautiful thanks to this,” wrote the audio engineer on Poorly Washed Silverware. Listen here. more ›

Daniel Ignacio, the man accused of setting the fire that killed five Guatemalans in Brooklyn last week, continues to spew about the devil and the evil spirits that prompted the act, from the prison ward at Bellevue Hospital. "It must have been the Devil. It could not have been Jesus Christ," he said "I know I have to face a living hell now and God's judgment later." Still, since allegedly telling cops he lit the fire with a cigarette lighter, he’s changed his story—now he insists it was all an accident, caused by six plus bottles of vodka. And Satan, of course. more ›

The father of the autistic boy found dead at the Peninsula Hotel Friday—allegedly killed by his mother—says Gigi Jordan was a totally devoted mom. “She was not a killer," said Emil Tzekov through tears. ... I cannot understand." Jordan, a successful pharmaceutical rep, even quit her job to be a better parent to little Jude. OK, not everything was copacetic: Tzekov, a successful yoga instructor, revealed that he hadn’t seen his son since 2007 because Jordan blocked his emails and cut off service to her cell phone. more ›

While the snow didn't really hit NYC (though it did bury parts of southern NJ and totally pummeled DC) as badly as feared, the snow festivities at Winter Jam went on as planned in Central Park. See, the Department of Parks & Recreation was prepared, with 10 inches of fake snow ready for skiing, sledding, snowboarding and more. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe told the Daily News, "It's a good thing that we did not listen to the meteorologist." more ›

A retired corrections officer working the security detail at a Woodside bowling alley shot two rowdy patrons early this morning, sending them to the hospital. Gerard Hourigan and Justin Donaghy, both 29 years old, were having cigarettes in the vestibule, flouting city non-smoking regulations when the guard, Michale Iavecchio, gave them the boot. But when he escorted them outside the friends attacked him, he says. Iavechhio—who because of this past employer had a license to carry a concealed weapon—reached for his .380 Ruger and fired two rounds, hitting one man in the stomach and the other in the chest. more ›

While former governor Eliot Spitzer reminded everyone he used to be the Sheriff of Wall Street on The Colbert Report this past week, "Manhattan Madam" Kristin Davis, the madam who claims Spitzer was one of her clients, has been eyeing one of Spitzer's former jobs—being governor! According to the Daily News, Republican operative Roger Stone has been helping her with a gubernatorial bid! more ›

Sarah Palin rallied attendees at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville by attacking President Obama and Democratic policies, saying, "How's that hopey, changey stuff working out for you?" and "America is ready for another revolution! ... This is about the people, and it’s bigger than any one king or queen of a tea party, and it’s a lot bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter." more ›

With 41 saves, Henrik Lundqvist was able to stop the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk, who played in his second game with this new team. Lundqvist stopped Kovalchuk eight times in the game, which was only the second win for New York in its last nine games. The Rangers did all its scoring in the 2nd period, when Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury each lit the lamp in under three minutes. The win put the Rangers in a tie with the Flyers for 8th place in the Eastern Conference. more ›

Today's afternoon linkage: Wesleyan calls shenanigans on its financial advisor, rumors of Bill Cosby's death have been greatly exaggerated, Precious' mother is a subway singer, some of the feral beagles of Long Island have found a home, and Julia Allison does some weird performance art. Plus more! more ›

To linguists our city is part of what’s known as the "R-less corridor,” because New Yawkas, like South Londonaws before them, drop their “R’s” (My Daughta’s a lawya). But, most language experts agree that the designation is quickly becoming irrelevant. “New Yorkers are more and more 'R'-ful, and the amount of R-dropping is decreasing," says Michael Newman, associate professor of linguistics at Queens College. more ›

Aww. Roots drummer ?uestlove, who questioned the menu choices of NBC's cafeteria in celebration of Black History Month (fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas)... has made peace with chef Leslie Calhoun. She defended her menu after the Twitpic he took of it made it all the way to the Jay Leno show, and now ?uestlove says: "just so yall dont think that im all talk. i presented leslie in our kitchen with flowers and an extremely sizable gift certificate spa treatment with the works." more ›

Days after a Brooklyn cop and a Queens politician accused the police of cooking its crime statistics, a survey of more than one hundred retired NYPD higher-ups showed that cops—who are under constant pressure to produce happy-looking stats—have routinely fabricated or manipulated their data, since the crime analysis system was put into place in 1995. And the statistics they produce are the very same that Bloomberg quotes when he says the city is safe, and getting safer every year. “Those people in the CompStat era felt enormous pressure to downgrade index crime, which determines the crime rate, and at the same time they felt less pressure to maintain the integrity of the crime statistics,” said John A. Eterno, one of the researchers and a former NYPD captain. more ›

There are plenty of downsides to being a lifer for the MTA—like spending your youth vole-like in the city’s subterranean passages—but unlimited cards for life have always been a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe not for much longer though, since Mayor Bloomberg said recently that if free student cards go, so should MetroCards for agency retirees. more ›

A monetarily secure hedge fund manager is suing to keep his rent on Park Avenue rock bottom. Though Ross Haberman could afford the increase (which could be as much as thirty times what he’s paying now) his lawyer says he shouldn’t have to since he was willed the apartment by his late grandpa, real-estate legend Louis Katz. But despite what the last letter said, relatives want him to pay up. more ›

Maybe you’ve seen this PSA around in the subway—well its turns out NYPD doesn’t know which one is real either. Early this morning Bushwick cops fired two round at a 61-year-old BB gunman, whose weapon they mistook for a real firearm. Should have turned it in for cash. more ›

Three months after being sued for using Bernard L. Madoff Securities Investments like a "family piggy bank," the sons, brother, and niece of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff have agreed to having their assets frozen—plus they agreed to disclose their finances within 30 days. more ›