A dastardly mummy smuggler was busted in Brooklyn today! The Ancient Egypt-loving "antiques dealer" was caught allegedly trying to illegally ship mummy-related objects into the city from Dubai and...Michigan, of all places. more ›

Remember way back in March when Billy LeRoy, the owner of Houston Street's Billy's Antiques, was arrested for selling subway signs? And how the police took more than 100 of his subway signs, which they felt he had gotten illegally? And then how the case was essentially dismissed over the summer? You do? So does Billy LeRoy, and he wants his signs back. more ›

Billy Leroy, who was arrested in March for selling potentially illegal subway signs at Billy's Antiques and Props on East Houston Street, was due in court today. However, it seems they weren't interested in the case! Billy told us, "I was in court today for the subway sign fiasco and it has been adjourned till Sept 22. with no appearance necessary. It seems the DA has no time for me and this case will be dismissed and my signs returned. What a giant waste of time and money..." more ›

The case of Billy Leroy—arrested recently for selling old subways signs at his Houston Street junk store—may hinge on a licensing issue, not on theft of MTA property. The 50-year-old has stocked the signs for 12 years, but only last month did cops raid the place and take most (though not all) of them, charging him with possessing stolen city property. Since Leroy allegedly bought them from an agency contractor, he says they're legit. "Billy deserves some sort of M.T.A. entrepreneur-of-the-year award instead of what he went through,” his lawyer, civil-rights advocate Ronald Kuby told CityRoom. more ›

Hidden away at the end of Greenpoint Avenue by the East River in Brooklyn you'll find Le Grenier, an inviting new boutique that mixes a wide variety of "Industrial & Machine Age" antiques with contemporary housewares. Owner Maya Marzolf spent years renovating the late 1800s building and filling it with her eclectic collection, which her friends have dubbed "Apothecary Chic." Each of the antiques seems to tell a story, and many of them are refreshingly affordable, especially the dishware. We recently asked Marzolf to elaborate on some of the more intriguing items, her love for Greenpoint, and the riverfront park that's finally opened at the end of her block. (Click on the images above for more on the collection.) more ›