A low-budget indie film shooting inside a Long Island convenience store got a dose of real life drama last night when a passerby mistook a robbery scene for the real thing and called the cops. Twenty officers responded to the call, and when they arrived at the scene, they saw a man pointing a gun at another man behind the register. The director was filming from the back of the store with a small high-definition camera and no movie lights, so it was not immediately clear to cops that they were charging into an imaginary holdup with guns drawn. more ›

Authorities busted Bronx bodegas for selling "nutcracker"—a sweet cocktail illegally sold to underage drinkers at delis, convenience stores and barbershops across the city. Cops arrested two bodega employees and the state suspended the beer licenses at two Mott Haven delis after an under-aged, undercover auxiliary cop was able to purchase the homemade drinks. "This is so outrageous, we are going to seek revocation," said State Liquor Authority Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Jones. more ›

The Long Island convenience store owner who took pity on a bat-wielding robber and gave him $40 and a loaf of bread is facing trouble with the law—for selling drug paraphernalia. Mohammed Sohail, as well as other business owners, "face civil penalties for allegedly selling illegal pipes, bongs and hookahs," according to Newsday. Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko and Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota claim that "Undercover investigators bought items from Sohail, and the other store owners, after making clear that they would use them for drug use." Legislator Kate Browning said that while Sohail's generosity to the would-be robber was nice, "But I know who he is, I know what he was doing. No sympathy for him." And Sohail simply told Newsday, "I threw everything in the garbage. I don't want it anymore." more ›

A Long Island bodega owner showed a startling video surveillance of a bat-wielding man trying to rob his store—which ended with the store owner ultimately taking pity on the thief and giving him $40 and bread! Store owner Mohammad "Mo" Sohail said of the May incident, "He was begging, crying 'I'm sorry. I have no money, no food, no job. My family's hungry.' He's really crying, 'please don't call police.'" more ›

Big gas guzzling SUV's aren't completely worthless, especially if you need to withdraw some cash in a hurry. A surveillance camera in Orange County New York shows an intrepid robber ramming the back of his SUV through the front of a convenience store in an effort to steal its ATM--the whole machine. Starting at the top left and going clockwise, you can see 1) the SUV slamming through the front of the store 2) the driver pulling forward to give himself some room to work 3) wrestling with the heavy cash dispenser that he knocked over while entering, and 4) lifting it into the back of the vehicle. See, they aren't kidding when they advertise how much cargo space those things have! more ›