A 30-year-old woman was killed yesterday morning when a SUV driven by her boyfriend hit a guardrail and flipped on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. According to police, Kareem Dupass, 34, was speeding when he lost control of the Ford Explorer near the Flatbush exit around 5 a.m. Amanda Marty died at Brookdale Hospital, and Dupass was charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, DWI, reckless driving and speeding. more ›

Street racing may look like fun in the movies but this is why it is a bad idea in real life. Even if you get through the race okay, the people on the road with you might not be so lucky. more ›

Last night around 8 p.m., a vehicle carrying Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was caught in a three-car accident on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. And snow is involved. According to WCBS 2, "First, a white van was cut off by a red sedan as the lanes merged. The van swerved to avoid hitting the sedan and struck a snow embankment and a road barrier. Commissioner Kelly’s driver put on the brakes, but the SUV slid into the van and was then struck by a Lincoln Towncar." more ›

Earlier this morning, around 1:30AM, police were chasing a stolen car in Brooklyn, at 93rd Street and 4th Avenue, but the 1997 Nissan slipped away, heading onto the Belt Parkway. The cops later found it on the Parkway at 65th Street, after it had crashed into a car carrying four people, killing one. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: someone fell three floors from a fire escape on Leland Ave. in the Bronx, a pedestrian struck on Delancey and Eldridge Sts. in Manhattan, and a homicide on Edison and Randall Aves. in the Bronx.
• Nassau County cops searched a Syosset, Long Island home yesterday to find a menagerie of animals living admidst filth. Dozens of dogs and cats populated the home, alongside 87 hamsters.
• Squeezing a customer's buttocks may have cost one Staten Island waiter more than a good tip, as he could face 90 days in jail.

Early Sunday morning, an 86-year-old man was found driving in the opposite direction as traffic on the Belt Parkway. Luckily no one was hurt, but the highway patrol had to divert traffic in order to stop Bernard Hummel. more ›

A year after Michael Sandy was lured to a parking lot at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn under the pretense of a sexual encounter and then killed in an attempted robbery, the spot on Sheepshead Bay continues to be a place where men congregate for furtive homosexual encounters. John Fox and Anthony Fortunato were both convicted last week of manslaughter as a hate crime in the death of Sandy, who was struck by a car on the Belt Parkway, where Fox and Ilya Shurov chased him. The violent crime doesn't seem to be deterring the men who still sit by themselves in their cars, smoking and waiting––for what isn't entirely clear. The New York Times sent a reporter to observe the scene in the parking lot Friday night. He approached one of the cars and the driver said he had heard of Sandy's death and the parking lot's reputation, but that wasn't why he was there. Nonetheless, the older gentleman drove off with a younger man who approached his car soon thereafter. A perfunctory search of gay cruising sites indicates that Plumb Beach is still a popular site for meetings. One site rated the rest stop parking lot as 3 ("Average") out of 5 for safety and 5 ("Hot!") out of 5 for action [Warning: site page contains graphic images]. more ›

Anthony Fortunato was found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime yesterday, after intense arguments by the jury. He was the second man found guilty of the crime. Fortunato was accused of killing Michael Sandy in a hate crime after luring him to a known gay cruising spot at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn. The encounter ended with Sandy being chased and beaten onto the Belt Parkway where he was struck by a car and later died. Fortunato's defense claimed that he himself was gay and that the luring of Sandy to a secluded area was an exploratory gay experience gone wrong. more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Waring Ave. and White Plains Rd. in the Bronx, a water rescue at the foot of East 79th St. in Manhattan, and a pedestrian fatally struck at Cropsy Ave. and the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. A Jewish family had to have their housekeeper call animal control to report a five-foot-long snake in their Brooklyn driveway. The definitions of midtown and the stress of establishing boundaries. New... more ›

John Fox was found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Michael Sandy. Fox was convicted on charges of a hate crime and manslaughter, but not murder, for chasing Michael Sandy onto the Belt Parkway where he was fatally struck by a car. Three men are on trial for Sandy's killing: John Fox, Ilya Shurov, and Michael Fortunato. A fourth man, Michael Timmins, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony. Fox was being tried alongside Fortunato, albeit with separate juries. Fortunato's defense involves a claim that his innocence is tied to his newly-announced gay status. more ›

Accused murderer Michael Fortunato is pinning his hopes of exoneration by baring his soul on the stand and revealing that he was an until-now closeted gay person. In the opening statements of the trial, the lawyer for Michael Fortunato––the purported ringleader of the three men charged––stated that his client was not guilty of a hate crime murder against a gay man because he himself was gay. Michael Sandy was attacked by a group of men near Plumb Beach in Brooklyn, after arranging a meeting over an online site for gay men. Fleeing his attackers, Sandy was chased on to the Belt Parkway where he was struck by a car and later removed from life support. more ›

The claim that Anthony Foturnato, one of three men on trial for hate crime murder of a gay man, was gay himself was not only strange to most everyone - it was apparently mysterious to the judge as well! Fortunato, Ilya Shurov John Fox, and Michael Timmins had lured Michael Sandy to meet them at a secluded location in Sheepshead Bay, via a gay chatroom, in 2006. Once there, they robbed and beat Sandy, who ran into the Belt Parkway and was hit by a car. Fortunato, Shurov and Fox were charged with murder as a hate crime; Timmins agreed to a plea deal in return for testifying against the others. more ›

One of the defendants accused of murdering Michael Sandy as part of a hate crime a year ago is now claiming that he is innocent because he himself is a gay man. Michael Fortunato is on trial for the murder of Michael Sandy after he and three friends arranged to meet him in a secluded spot in Sheepshead Bay for a gay tryst. Instead, they ambushed the 29-year-old Williamsburg man who, fleeing his attackers, ran onto the Belt Parkway and was struck by a car and died five days later. The youngest of the four men involved in the attack, Michael Timmins, is 17 years old and pleaded guilty in exchange for his testimony against the other three men, Fortunato, Ilya Shurov and John Fox. more ›

There were a number of deaths and injuries from incidents all over the city early Sunday morning. The first was a collision between a Toyota and BMW on Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island. The Toyota's driver, 29-year-old Paul Vinin, died while the BMW's driver Jolyn SIlva, was critically injured. Silva's passenger, 17-year-old Paulina Vivirito, had minor injuries. The Staten Island Advance, which said that Toyota "t-boned the BMW", reports that both Vinin and Silva had suspended licenses, from not paying tickets. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a possible abduction at the Mobil gas station off the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, a suspicious death on Cornelia St. in Queens, and a pedestrian struck at Buffalo St. and Hylan Blvd. on Staten Island.
• The Dept. of Buildings declined to revoke permits for Donald Trump's planned 46-story Trump SoHo "hotel" on Spring St. near the Holland Tunnel.
• A State Bridge Task Force completed its inspection of New York's 49 steel deck-truss bridges and found them all to be structurally sound. Still, a bill before the Senate to boost federal spending on bridge maintenance would direct 10% of a $1 billion increase, or $100 million, to New York State.
• A Coast Guard vessel conducting a routine homeland security patrol came upon a 27-year-old man treading water without a life jacket about 400 yards southeast of Staten Island's South Beach.
• Gridskipper has a guide to establishments that brew, distill, and ferment all kinds of potent potables right here in NYC.
• The Gowanus Lounge reports that an F train express line could arrive as early as next year. Or maybe around 2012 or early 2013.
• The New York Times describes the run of the vintage six-car 'A' train yesterday on the line's 75th anniversary.
• IvyGate reports that bars surrounding Columbia University will all be getting ID scanners to keep out underage patrons, and Columbia itself will be picking up the tab for the devices.

The three men accused of murdering Michael Sandy as part of a hate crime last year appeared in a Brooklyn courthouse yesterday. According to The New York Times, they struck humble poses––wearing ill-fitting suits and displaying good manners to courtroom personnel––that belie the joking manner they treated the alleged murder of a man chased onto the Belt Parkway, where he was struck by a car. The youngest of the four men accused in the crime, 17-year-old Gary Timmins, already pleaded guilty to attempted robbery as a hate crime and agreed to testify against Anthony Fortunato, Ilya Shurov and John Fox, who are now charged with murder as a hate crime, which carries a relatively stiffer penalty than simply murder. more ›

Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser has ruled that the three men charged in the murder of Michael Sandy can be charged with murder as a hate crime. Last October, Anthony Fortunato, John Fox, and Ilya Shurov had lured Michael Sandy through a gay chat room to meet them near the Belt Parkway. When Sandy arrived, they robbed and beat him, causing him to flee into the highway and get hit by a car. Sandy was critically injured and after many days, his family decided to turn take him off life support. more ›

There were a number of people injured or killed during vehicle crashes over the weekend. Yesterday afternoon, a livery cab went out of control at Flatbush and Glenwood in Brooklyn. The cab jumped a curb, after, per WABC, taking down a traffic light and street sign, and hit three pedestrians before crashing into a nail salon. A 51-year-old man and 16-year-old are in critical condition; a 15-year-old boy is in stable condition with a head injury. It's unclear why the cab was out of control, but police believe speeding may have played a part. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: brush fires in Jamaica caused delays and suspensions on the LIRR west of Jamaica Station (it's okay, just booze up) - there may still be some delays; a water main break on 3rd Ave at 86th Street; and found DOA on the Belt Parkway.
• Being the head of a crime family isn't easy these days. Danny "The Lion" Leo, the reputed head of the Genovese crime family was arrested on charges of extortion and conspiracy yesterday. He pleaded not guilty while wearing a large white t-shirt worn over navy sweat pants and white sneakers. No, not a stereotype at all.
• The accused rapist of a Columbia grad student was arraigned today on 71 charges. Robert Williams allegedly forced his way into a woman's Hamilton Heights apartment and held the woman hostage for 19 hours.

The device, a RadEye Pager, sounds its alarm when it detects higher than normal levels of radiation nearby. The police have about 900 RadEye Pagers in use citywide, all for counterterrorism purposes. more ›

David Byrne's foldable Montague mountain bike has been stolen. The avid city biker rode in the 5 Boro Bike Tour last year, commenting: "The organizers close the FDR drive, the BQE, the Belt Parkway and the Verrazano-Narrows bridge on one side — so we get the thrill of riding in the middle of the street, not having to stop at red lights and no worries of the ubiquitous jaywalking peds on suicide missions." more ›

The family of Imette St. Guillen spoke to the Daily News as tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of her death. St. Guillen, whose bound body was found dumped near the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, was last seen at the Falls restaurant and bar in SoHo. The gruesome nature of her death - raped, stripped naked, and tied with duct tape - worried some that she was killed by a serial murderer, but then suspicion fell on an ex-con bouncer at the Falls, who was later charged with her murder. more ›

Last fall, three men were charged with hate crimes in the October death of Michael Sandy. Prosecutors charged that lya Shurov, Anthony Fortunato, and John Fox had gone to a gay chat room, lured Sandy to Plum Beach, and then robbed and beat him. Sandy ran into the Belt Parkway and died from injuries sustained when he was hit by traffic. Sandy had been in a coma for six days; family took him off a respirator the day after his birthday. more ›

The first lawsuit has been filed by the family of Imette St. Guillen, the graduate student who was brutally murdered last February. The Post reports that St. Guillen's family believes "her death resulted directly from negligence of the owner of the now-shuttered Falls Bar and the brutality of its employee, [Darryl] Littlejohn, a paroled violent felon." more ›

If you've ever wondered how some big-name lawyers get attached to high-profile defendants without money, check out the NY Times article about lawyers jockeying to defend Darryl Littlejohn. Littlejohn, the bouncer of former SoHo bar and restaurant The Fall, is accused of murdering John Jay graduate student Imette St. Guillen, whose body was found late February off the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, bound and wrapped in a blanket. more ›

Three men were indicted yesterday for murder and attempted robbery as hate crimes in the Belt Parkway death of Michael Sandy. Ilya Shurov, Anthony Fortunato, and John Fox are accused of going to a gay chat room and asking Sandy to meet them at Plum Beach off the Belt Parkway. There, the three men are suspected of robbing and beating Sandy, who then ran to the highway and was hit by a car. Sandy lay brain dead in a coma for a few days until his family decided to take him off the life support. The Brooklyn DA's office explained how the incident could be classified as a hate crime:

Typically, according to state law, Hate Crimes are charged when prosecutors believe the defendants acted out of bias against the victims’ race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation. But the less used section of the law calls for Hate Crimes to be charged when the defendant “intentionally selects the person against whom the offense is committed or intended to be committed based on a belief about those same factors. more ›

-- Check out the sausage-fest at the "First Annual Male Escort Awards." more ›

Three Brooklyn men, ages 16-20, were charged with hate crimes in the beating of Michael Sandy. Police believe that John Fox, Ilya Shurov, and Gary Timmins met Sandy online and lured him to Plumb Beach, an area off the Belt Parkway, with the intention of robbing him - because Sandy was gay. While setting up the meeting, they asked him to bring enough money for a hotel room. From the NY Post:

Fox then lured him to a spot by the parkway, where the suspect and three friends allegedly robbed and beat Sandy, whom they considered "an easy mark" because he is gay, police said. more ›

Police are investigating whether a black man was hit by a car because he was trying to get away from assailants. The incident occured in Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach area. WABC 7 reports that two white men were "seen fleeing the man's body on the Belt Parkway after he was struck by a car" - and the car didn't stop. Police believe the victim and the two men got into a fight; since the man was hit at the west end of Plum Beach (which is a gay cruising spot), detectives "were trying to determine if either race or sexual orientation was the motive for the attack." more ›

Jordan’s Lobster Dock seemed like it would be right up my alley. It’s been open since Lou Gehrig was playing first base for the Yankees. There’s outdoor seating. It’s hidden on a side street in the old waterfront neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay. They proudly boast there is “No Tipping” necessary because of the cafeteria style setup. And they serve loads of seafood. Martin Scorsese even attached his name to a Danny Aiello movie about the place. more ›