Corporate travel agent and paranormal romance novelist Victoria Wofford threw herself on the mercy of the court yesterday at her sentencing for Grand Larceny. Last May, Wofford pleaded guilty to making a whopping $25 million in fraudulent charges against American Express over the course of four years. Using two defunct business travel accounts belonging to one of her clients, she racked up millions in debt, using the money to develop software, purchase an apartment in Florida, invest in a restaurant chain, and support herself while she penned Lifelines, a "bewitching paranormal murder mystery" about "a beautiful redhead criminal lawyer and her past lives and loves as an ancient warrior and as a survivor in a burning Atlanta Civil War battle." more ›

When you're a feng shui master whose bold attempt to seize the $4 billion estate of a late client-turned-lover essentially made all of Hong Kong hate you, is it karma when you get taken for a ride by a Queens limo driver? Well, that's what happened to Tony Chan, an infamous Hong Kong "boy toy", who was charged nearly $800,000 after taking a car service from Teterboro Airport to NYC. more ›

Merrie Harris, global business director at ad agency JWT, was chatting with her cigarette-smoking friend outside La Esquina the other night when a beggar approached, asking for money to buy a bottle of Vitaminwater. According to an "Exclusive" report in the NY Post, Harris told the man, "I don't [have cash]—I only have my credit card." To which he replied, "Would it be OK if I borrow it?" As you know from reading the headline, Harris said yes and handed over her American Express card. Why not? more ›

Any time you bring your children on a European vacation, it's generally assumed that you are exposing them to some loosey goosey lifestyles, the likes of which are not commonly seen here in the States. But an Italian hotel staff who took a Queens family's American Express card and then bullied them into taking staff members out dining and clubbing may have taken things to a new level. Alexander Maryasin alleges that staffers held him and his two sons up at gunpoint, stealing the AmEx card as well as $60,000 in jewelry. So who is he seeking justice with? Naturally, it's the travel agency (via the very same green plastic used by their torturers) that recommended the hotel that he had requested be kid-friendly. The suit alleges that the forcible family bonding caused him and his sons to suffer "great psychological harm" and exhibit "physical symptoms stemming from their psychological injuries." more ›

Credit card company American Express was approved to be a bank holding company, allowing it to access government funds, yesterday. The Federal Reserver released a statement saying it waived the usual 30-day waiting period due to "the unusual and exigent circumstances affecting the financial markets." AmEx said it's taking almost twice as long for credit-card holders to repay loans--D.A. Davidson & Co.'s chief market strategist Frederic Dickson told Bloomberg News, "That business has totally dried up. If I were a shareholder, it wouldn't send a very warm and fuzzy message to me." AmEx, which recently announced it would cut 10% of its workforce (equaling about 7,000 jobs), joins Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as companies who recently became bank holding companies. more ›

For those New Yorkers not fortunate enough to have snagged U.S. Open tickets (and to nibble on the fancy food options out in Flushing), American Express has set up an alternate viewing and eating spot -- no 7 train necessary. more ›

James Colliton, who pleaded guilty to statutory rape, is suing American Express for telling the authorities his whereabouts when authorities were looking for him. more ›

Thank you, NY Times, for updating us on the activities of George Elmer Pataki. Although Pataki has been out of politics, he still spent $1.4 million from his political action committee on "Broadway theater tickets, gatherings at the Yale Club and payments to political loyalists and advisers." more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist. more ›

Okay, so we've heard about how Rudy Giuliani's mayoral administration billed his police security detail expenses - accrued during trips to the Hamptons, possibly visiting then-mistress Judi Nathan - to various obscure city agencies. And then there are reports that Nathan, now married to the former mayor, used her NYPD security detail to chauffeur friends and family. Naturally, now there's talk of the police security expenses of Giuliani's then-wife Donna Hanover. The Post's David Seifman... more ›

Rudy Giuliani told the American public, via a sit-down with Katie Couric, that the story pointing out expenses for trips to the Hamptons - to see then-mistress Judi Nathan - were billed across a number of obscure city agencies was a "typical political hit job" and a "debate day dirty trick." He even called it a "false story," but Politco, the website that broke the story, pointed out neither Giuilani or his aides "have questioned... more ›

Up above you have Park Slope #17 and Carroll Gardens #13, respectively. Jennifer Loeber is bringing nude photography close to home with her series that show different Brooklynites in the flesh, in their apartments. They could even be your neighbors! And her inspiration? It came from a flasher on the subway, of course: "The idea to shoot nude portraits came about as I rode the NYC subway and pretended not to notice, across the aisle, a man fumbling to remove his clothes and expose himself to me. He looked distinctly uncomfortable yet wholly determined in his goal. His great drive to reveal himself to the commuting populace was made more palpable by the fact that he hadn't quite worked out the logistics." An unlikely muse, indeed. We recently asked Loeber some more questions about her ongoing project... more ›

After two years in service and almost as long as media gossip fodder, Times Select, NYTimes.com's service that offered access to the rich archives of the New York Times through a paid subscription modeled, is officially dead. The service put certain current online content behind the Times Select wall, such as columns by Op-Ed writers, and there was much criticism, even from within the Times, about restricting access the paper. more ›

We all knew the real estate bubble was causing insanity, but we should have known it's encouraged people to divorce. There's a NY Times Styles section article about some who wait until the market's at its peak to divorce - that way, they can benefit from an even bigger profit when selling their homes. more ›

American Express developed an interesting promotional tool that combines good press and good works with a dash of American Idol-style competition thrown in for good measure. The Members Project has been a winnowing contest where AmEx cardholders (or "members") have selected five charitable causes from a large number of entries. The single charitable project that then receives the most votes among the five will receive as much as $5 million from American Express to continue its work. Some people are now complaining that Procter & Gamble, which currently hold a sizable lead as the voting window is near its close, has hijacked the competition to make itself look good at the expense of smaller non-profits to whom $5 million would make a huge difference. more ›

When we saw it on the wine list at Cru, we rubbed our eyes in such disbelief that you could almost hear that signature squeaky sound if you listened closely. There it was, a 1989 Zind-Humbrecht Muscat Goldert from Alsace, France. It went against everything we were taught to know about Muscat. We were told that wines made from the Muscat grapes were best enjoyed young. That the fresh floral and grapey aromas would grow tired with age and that it was certainly not a wine that would improve with some time in the bottle. But here was a Muscat that was 18 years old, from one of the best producers in the region. Our curiosity got the best of us; maybe aged Muscat was misunderstood. We had to taste it to find out (at a cost of around $90). more ›

April 27: Taste of the Lower East Side more ›

JC: ALL RIGHT! I just took extra Vitamin C - I'm waiting for some food delivery. more ›

The FBI raided the offices of State Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, suspecting him of helping electrical contractors to win city streetlight and traffic-signal bids. McLaughlin represents a part of Queens in the State Assembly and is also the president of the NYC Central Labor Council (that West 15th Street was also raided), and has been a supporter of Mayor Bloomberg. Right now, two electric companies have about $162 million of city contracts for street lights with the Department of Transportation. There is suspicion that McLaughlin received an American Express card from a contractor, as well as a home security system, so the feds took anything that could be a paper trail. more ›

Now that the holidays are over, the hangovers subsiding and thoughts of American Express bills floating in our heads, the transition back to the real world can be a startling experience. Say goodbye to fresh baked cookies in the shape of snowmen or warm apple pies to fill our tummy and hello to promises of visits to the gym. Being one not to adapt to change all that well, Gothamist has decided to make this transition a little more palatable. Time to bust out the pint glass and the elastic-waist pants… more ›

- DMX was sentenced to jail! Imagine the inmates yelling "What's my name!" more ›

The Post ("BIZ BOOB BUSTS BANK FOR BABES") and the Daily News ($lap dance!) are having a good time at the expense of Robert McCormick, who apparently managed to blow through $241,000 in one drunken night of partying at Scores. McCormick, CEO of Savvis Communications and a 38-year old father of three kids, was in from Missouri and celebrating some business his company had just closed. Scores claims that after the tab hit $10,000, they got fingerprints and signed waivers testifying that he wasn't intoxicated-- and they also called American Express every hour to verify he had the rights to continue using the card. AMEX was forced to pay the 241k, and now they are suing McCormick for the cash. more ›

Forget OPTO, the best reason to ride the L train might be its status as "the love train." American Express released survey results saying that New Yorkers claim the L is the "hot spot" for meeting new people. Among the 600 people questioned, 30% said the L was the best. Gothamist has a few theories of our own. First, the L is so crowded at certain times that you're virtually on top of your fellow passengers. If that's not good enough for an introduction, the L is great at transporting people to and from nightlife. from the Meatpacking district (gag) to the East Village to Williamsburg. Move enough drunk people back and forth and you're guaranteed a love connection. more ›

by Dana Cowin & Kate Heddings (American Express, 2005). more ›

Karen Quinn, Author of The Ivy Chronicles more ›

- Waterford Wedgwood Outstanding Restauranteur Award: Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group more ›

It turns out that Warner Brothers even posted a listing on Craigslist for the role. It seems like all the listings have been deleted, but the Post has the details from Craigslist, "Late 20s, tall (must be at least 6 feet), handsome, chiseled, good looks, athletic, strong character, all-American, confident yet awkward." I guess Gothamist won't be in the running for Superman (we're not tall enough, but we've got plenty of awkward). more ›