A 31-year NYPD veteran who battled his way back from cancer collared his last criminal in Times Square yesterday. Detective Nelson Dones saw 26-year-old Fernando Francis allegedly swipe an iPhone from an undercover detective on the N/Q/R platform. "It was closing the door the way I would have loved to close the door on my career," Dones told DNAinfo. "I wanted to be proactive." A colleague says Dones, who worked for the Transit Police when it was a separate bureau, is skilled at spotting subway thieves: "He has the eyes. He has the X-Ray vision." He also apparently has a voice "just like Al Pacino." HOO-AH. more ›

This week, actor Sean Penn confessed that he didn't entirely get the Terrance Malick-helmed movie he starred in, Tree of Life... but may he just needs to look at the movie through other people's eyes! It seems that's just what Al Pacino needed to appreciate his 1983 blockbuster Scarface: "The hip-hop people and the rappers got together and they made a video and they talked about the movie. I don't think anybody's ever talked about it as articulately and clearly. I understood it better having heard them talk about it," Pacino told MTV News at a "Scarface" Blu-ray release party on Tuesday night. more ›

Many celebrity progeny *COUGH TheodoraRichards COUGH* use their parents' wealth and connections to secure preferential treatment. Such is life. So it was somewhat refreshing to read Julie Pacino openly talk about her recent DUI with humility: "I never want it to happen again," she tells the Post. "I was always raised with perspective, and my mom always kept me in check and made sure that I never felt entitled or that I deserved anything because of something my father did." more ›

The 21-year-old daughter of Al Pacino was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs and alcohol at around 1:20 a.m. in Manhattan this morning. According to the Daily News, Julie Pacino, who was pulled over at a West Houston Street checkpoint, allegdly told cops, "Yes I was drinking. I had about three beers and I smoked weed at home. That was a few hours ago." more ›

Mere hours after we excoriated the yellow-bellied teenagers who burned down PS 29's playground comes the news that a Saint Ann's student has stood up to take responsibility. (You're welcome, Cobble Hill). The Daily News reports that 16-year-old Max Laytan turned himself into police earlier today. In his defense, we assume he's co-captain of Saint Ann's legendary Public School Playground Burning Team, which last year really wailed on Dalton in the semis. more ›

Every week, it seems, we're hearing about some new development with the upcoming Gotti biopic and its ever-evolving cast and crew—Lindsay Lohan this, Kelly Preston that. But today comes some news that the flick's producer, Marc Fiore, has somehow snagged the Godfather of them all, Al Pacino, to co-star in the flick alongside John Travolta. Just when he thought he was out...they pull him back in! more ›

The well-received Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice is transferring to Broadway in October. The Public Theater announced today that Al Pacino will reprise his role as Shylock for 78 performances only, beginning October 19th at the Broadhurst Theatre and running through January 9th. You can still see it in the park through Sunday, but come fall New Yorkers can legitimately pay hundreds to see Pacino as Shylock, instead of shelling out money to the Craigslist line sitters. Director Daniel Sullivan tells the Times they'll have to make some changes to adjust to the smaller, indoor proscenium stage, but thinks "it’ll be nice for [Pacino] not to have helicopters in this production." more ›

Beginning June 9th, the 2010 season of The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park will bring The Winter's Tale and The Merchant of Venice to the outdoor stage. The cast, as usual, is talent-studded, with the likes of Al Pacino, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and beloved Broadway and Law & Order actor Jesse L. Martin sharing the stage. more ›

The tale of accountant-turned-alleged Ponzi scammer Kenneth Starr has plenty grist for the mill, thanks to his celebrity clients like Uma Thurman, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese and his stripper-turned-pole dancing philanthropist third wife Diane Passage. An "insider" tells the Daily News, "The story of Ken Starr is simple. He was one of the world's greatest salesmen whose entire life was turned upside down by his infatuation for a stripper." more ›

The rat problem in the Upper West Side's Verdi Square, once called Needle Park, has gotten so bad that recently the Parks Dept. called for back-up. "We have sent an extra staff person there in the early morning and later in the day," said Cristina DeLuca, a spokeswoman from the Parks Dept. "The park is now being cleaned as much as three times a day to address the rodent issues." Still, neighborhood residents say the rats are part of their routine. "If you clap your hands at night they all jump out of the bushes," said Rob Hafferman, who lives nearby. It turns out, the rodents have not gone undocumented. more ›

Al Pacino will be reprising the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in Central Park next summer, as part of The Public Theater's annual free Shakespeare series. (Pacino previously played Shylock in the 2004 film of The Merchant of Venice.) Daniel Sullivan (The Homecoming) will direct, while Michael Greif will helm next summer's other Shakespeare production, The Winter's Tale. According to a publicist for The Public, the two plays will be performed in repertory with the same core company of actors, though "due to a scheduling conflict with rehearsals, Pacino will only appear in The Merchant of Venice." Other cast members announced thus far include Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd); Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes); Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman); Ruben Santiago-Hudson as (Prince of Morocco/Leontes); and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd). more ›

Times have certainly changed since the gritty and unsentimental 1971 film The Panic in Needle Park chronicled the downward spiral of Bobby and Helen, two crazy-in-love smack addicts. "Needle Park" is the film’s nom de parc for Sherman Square, which just isn’t the heroin hub it used to be. Though Sherman Square and the adjacent Verdi Square were once filled with anxious dealers, now it’s mostly fluffy dogs in neoprene cardigans. Furthermore, young Al Pacino (who starred as Bobby) is now one of the greatest actors in all of film history. more ›

We'd expect a lack of municipal fealty from most people in show business, but we were disappointed to hear that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro would be turning up a chance to shoot in the city in exchange for a building in Connecticut with a NYC backdrop behind it. The New York Post reported briefly that some scenes of the in-production film "Righteous Kill" will be posing scenes set in NYC in Stamford, CT, with backdrops outside the windows of an actual building illustrating New York. The film has been shooting in New Haven and Norwalk, CT for weeks and was lured to the Nutmeg State by tax breaks for film companies. more ›

TIP: According to Paper's Mr. Mickey, Chloë Sevigny is having a tag sale on her block this Saturday. We're guessing there will be lots of vintage Balenciaga. Check out her apartment in House & Garden...pretty nice! more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on East 79th St. in Manhattan, another bank robbery on East 89th St. in Manhattan, and a police scooter accident at Adams and Tillary Sts. in Brooklyn.
• A parking ticket fixer was sentenced to three-to-six years in jail for arranging false-documented excuses to get people out of parking tickets.
• Robert Deniro and Al Pacino are teaming up as detectives tracking a serial killer in a new film. 50 Cent will join them as a helpful drug dealer informant character.
• Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp. isn't about to cooperate with The New York Times or its China-based correspondent.
• No NYC tryouts for the latest incarnation of American Idol.
• Curbed notes an Upper West Side townhouse that can be yours for just a K-note under a half billion dollars, courtesy of a typo.
• An SUV struck two pedestrians in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, before crashing into a storefront. The female pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
• The "limited time only" lobster roll at Cosi gets a Midtown Lunch review: "There’s no way it’s healthy, and if you are not a fan of mayo you will probably hate this sandwich."

A look at some noteworthy programs this week:
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It really seems like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have co-starred in a lot of movies together, but they haven't. Sure, they had a couple of scenes together in "Heat", and both starred in "The Godfather 2" (though they never shared screen time) - but that's about it as far as collaborating has gone for these two legends in their own time. more ›

February 10th and 17th, class is in session at the UCB Theater. Welcome to the Al Pacino School of Acting , where you learn from the master, portrayed by Cesar Gracia. Audience members will have the opportunity to pick up some of the tricks of the trade as Pacino calls them onstage and brings out the true auteur in them. more ›

With Tina Fey gone from the writers' staff to primetimier pastures and Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell axed from the staff, people were wondering how this season of Saturday Night Live would stack up. And while articles calling it "Saturday Night Dead" are a mainstay every fall, Gothamist wasn't very confident given that the host would be Dane Cook, who already hosted not even a year ago! Here's our thoughts about the season premiere: more ›

- Acela trains more ›

Ah January. That lovely first month of the year which big Hollywood uses as its annual dumping ground. The Awards eligibility period is over, and now is the time to catch-up on all those films being talked about that came out at the same time over the past few weeks. Still, New Yorkers are lucky as we retain many filmgoing options. Sure you can check-out the latest video game adaptation from hackmeister Uwe Boll, but if you heard about last year's which we're sure somebody will find funny. more ›

Steven Beer,
Entertainment Lawyer more ›

Yesterday, people from TV, film, and Broadway, as well as the public, gathered to pay tribute to the dearly missed Jerry Orbach. The attendees included Angela Lansbury, Al Pacino, Benjamin Bratt, Chris Noth, Jill Hennessy, Jane Alexander, Karen Ziemba, and Dick Wolf, plus many regular New Yorkers who cherished Orbach's contribution as an actor. Former Mayor David Dinkins was there, and Mayor Bloomberg spoke to the crowd, saying, "Briscoe exuded the life of the city in all its moxie...Jerry came to personify New York in both body and soul." NBC President Jeff Zucker and L&O producer Dick Wolf presented Orbach's widow Elaine with a $1 million check for Sloane Kettering's Cancer research fund as well. more ›

Circa 7PM: We were pretty excited that Joan Rivers and Melissa Rivers were off Red Carpet duty for E!, because if there's one word we don't care to hear on Hollywood-congratulates-itself night, it's "Missy!" But we have our new Missy: It's "Al," as in Al Reynolds, Star Jones' "fiance." Star, who took over E!'s red carpet hosting duties (with some fashion guy named Robert), kept referring to her upcoming marriage and fiance throughout the evening. Eh. And what Star lacks in the bitchiness that Joan brought, she does make up for it in being able to be "black" with black. But still, hearing about Star watching TV in bed with Al makes Gothamist tempted to scream, "Bring back Joan and Missy, those horse faced, plastic-surgeried bitches!" more ›

Sue Sena, S.W.i.S.H. Founder more ›

Zach and Wen Schieffelin, Vespa Soho more ›