Earlier this week Mark Wahlberg's interview with Men's Journal revealed that the actor fancies himself a real life action hero. He told the magazine that he was scheduled to be on one of the planes that flew into the Twin Towers on September 11th, adding: "If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying,'OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'" The only thing that could have made this worse is if he were actually developing a movie where his character single-handedly stopped 9/11 from happening (maybe he is?). Anyway, he has since apologized, but the relatives of the victims killed on 9/11 want him to show up to the memorial in person. more ›

Kanye West performed at an intimate memorial service for pioneer musician Gil Scott-Heron at Riverside Church earlier today. "Gia Scott-Heron and family, Kanye West and GSH's band offered wonderful words and music in tribute today at Riverside Church. A blessing," tweeted Malaika Adero. more ›

Last year, a judge agreed with a family who was fighting for retired FDNY Captain James Corrigan to be listed on the 9/11 Memorial. Corrigan was helping others when he was killed at the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 attacks, but the city argued he was working as a private sector safety coordinator at the time. Now, the city has decided his name will indeed be placed on the memorial. more ›

Last December, the oldest son of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff killed himself in his Soho apartment, emotionally distraught over the cloud his father's dealings had left over his life. Mark Madoff had been estranged from his now-imprisoned father and mother Ruth, and now it's reported that Ruth Madoff was "turned away" from his memorial "by his unforgiving widow, Stephanie." more ›

Last year we looked back at the in-air plane crash that sent the wreckage of a United Airlines flight onto the streets of Park Slope, and a TWA aircraft onto Staten Island. This December 16th will mark the 50th anniversary of the crash, and the Brooklyn Paper revisits it today, noting that there isn't much of a memorial in the neighborhood, but still some locals left who witnessed the tragedy. more ›

Believe it or not, someday in the future there will be a memorial and museum commemorating the victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Some officials say the museum part is just two years away from opening (and others promise Bigfoot will be at the ribbon cutting with Elvis and Tupac). But operating expenses alone are expected to cost $50 million a year, and with New York State broke, it looks like they're going to need to charge admission. Proceeds from the gift shop won't be enough? more ›

After a long fight with cancer, Cynthia Wood, the 72-year-old co-owner and creator of Bed-Stuy’s one-of-a-kind Broken Angel House died recently. There’s a memorial with a note outside the landmark, that shares beautiful details about Wood’s life. Among other things it describes her “purple hair and dynamic energy” and the circumstances under which the idea for the house was born. Wood was walking with her husband Arthur when she found an angel figurine in the gutter. At home they rebuilt it, making it "better than the original," the same way they would later rebuild the house. The full text of the note is after the break. more ›

Yesterday a small but dedicated group of cyclists braved the brutal winter winds for the fifth annual Memorial Ride across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn to dedicate eleven "Ghost Bikes." The all-white bikes, a tragically common reminder of bicyclist fatalities, commemorate the estimated ten lives lost while bicycling in NYC during 2009. Linda Langergaard, whose son James Langergaard was killed biking across Queens Boulevard in August, said in a statement, "James was a wonderful part of so many lives and we miss him terribly. It hurts to know so many families are feeling the same loss as we are. It is so important that we come together to prevent these tragedies from ever happening to another family." more ›

More bitterly sad details have emerged on that fatal SUV crash on the Bruckner expressway late Monday night. 12-year-old Kaitlin Booth was killed when the SUV she was riding in jumped a curb, tore through a chain-link fence, crashed into a tree stump, and flipped on its side. Police believe the SUV was driven by an unnamed 15-year-old boy who took his mother's vehicle for a spin, with his neighbor Kaitlin along for the ride. Investigators say he was probably going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, and may have lied about his actions when police arrived. more ›

Last night was the memorial for late musician Mary Travers, which took place at the Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. NY1 reports back, saying that her long-time collaborators Peter Yarrow and Noel 'Paul' Stookey were joined by Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton and more. Stookey said, "We dearly miss her. And this thing, death, it's like two shoes dropping. The first one drops when the death occurs. The other one drops a month or two later when you face up to the fact that, yeah, she's really gone." more ›

Mary Travers, of folk singing group Peter, Paul & Mary fame, died at the age of 72 back in mid-September. The NY Times now reports that a memorial celebration of her life and music will be held at 7 p.m. this coming Monday at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. "The service will be open to the public. Tickets will be available on the day of the event on a first-come-first-served basis. Half the seats will be reserved for invited guests," and everyone from Pete Seeger to Whoopi Goldberg is expected to show. more ›

As the Internal Affairs investigation on Officer Andrew Kelly and the potential police coverup of his DWI crash continues, yesterday the accident's victim, Vionique Valnord, was laid to rest inside her preacher father's Brooklyn church. Hundreds of friends and family gathered at the Church of God in Marine Park to pay their final respects. Her brother-in-law said, "We don't know how to feel. Sad, mad, but we are happy that we are able to send Veronica to the Lord. We will see her again one day." more ›

Please do heed the word "gruesome" before deciding whether to read further. Seriously. Police sources have told the Post that the body of slain Yale graduate student Annie Le was horrifically broken and mangled in order to fit through a wall opening the size of a computer screen. The corpse was found in a utility space in a bathroom wall near the basement lab where Le had been working the day she vanished. more ›

Given the sometimes scurrilous nature of anonymous website commentary, it's often regrettable when the families of victims read blog posts about deceased loved ones. So we're relieved that the comments on Gothamist's coverage of the devastating mistaken-identity murder of 21-year-old Glen Wright have been heartfelt. Wright, beloved by his family and the community, was tragically slain Saturday by a gang of men at the Lower East Side's Baruch Houses, which Wright was visiting to help his grandmother. The funeral is Saturday morning (details), and those commenters who've expressed their condolences to Wright's family should know that one of Wright's sisters has, we believe, made this remark to you: "On behalf of the Glenn Wright family we just want you all to know we are aware of your concern and reading your messages. We appreciate everyone's support. Our brother was as phenomenal as described and he will be missed. We intend to keep his legacy alive and thriving through various humanitarian and community support efforts. At this time EHTP is designated as the official trustee and representatives on behalf of the 'Glenn Wright Fund.' Please direct all of your inquiries or contributions to them. Thank you from the entire family." more ›

Relatives, friends, teachers, and students gathered last night to mourn the tragic death of Glen Wright, who was stabbed to death outside his grandmother's East Village building because gang members mistook him for someone else. (We noted this devastating story yesterday, and like many, we're still profoundly saddened.) Wright, who died at age 21, was taking a break from helping his grandmother wash windows at the Baruch Houses on the Lower East Side when a group of men approached him. Suspect Joel Herrera, 20, is accused of stabbing Wright repeatedly in the neck; he told detectives he confused Wright with someone who assaulted one of his friends. Cops are searching for the other assailants. more ›

Yesterday, numerous bold-faced names were at Lincoln Center for a memorial in honor of late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite. President Obama was on hand to pay tribute, "I did not know Mr. Cronkite personally. But I have benefited as a citizen from his dogged pursuit to find truth, his passionate defense of the truth of reporting. Walter wasn't afraid to rattle the high and the mighty...Too often, we fill that void [today] with instant commentary and celebrity gossip and the softer stories that Walter disdained, rather than the hard news and investigative journalism he championed." Other speakers included CBS News anchor Katie Couric, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former President Clinton and singer Jimmy Buffett, who performed "Son of a Son of a Sailor." more ›

Last night, you may have seen the Tribute in Light beams. The September 11 light installation, which involves 88 separate lights, was being tested ahead of its official annual lighting next week. We're checking to see if the location is the same as last year (West and Morris Streets), but they are visible throughout lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. On Friday, September 11, the lights will on at sunset and will "fade away" at dawn on September 12. The Tribute in Light was designed by artists Julian LaVerdiere and Paul Myoda, architects John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi of PROUN Space Studio, architect Richard Nash Gould, and lighting designer Paul Marantz and produced by the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time—it was first seen in March 2002 for a month and then became part of the September 11 anniversary fabric. In 2002, Bonevardi wrote about project, "We're not reconstructing the towers in their original size, but the distance between the two squares of light is the same as the distance between the actual towers. So in effect, we're not rebuilding the towers themselves, but the void between them." more ›

Before Ted Kennedy made his way down to Washington and onto his burial at Arlington National Ceremony, he was bid adieu Friday night by New York's most famous living Kennedy, his niece Caroline. After she and her cousin Robert greeted some of the thousands of visitors at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Caroline spoke before the crowd in a tribute to her Uncle Teddy. She described her moment of reflection the night he died saying, "I looked up and there was this one star hanging low in the sky that was just bigger than all the rest and brighter than all the rest. I know it was Jupiter but it was acting a lot like Teddy." Still unable to shake her botched attempt to fill the Senate seat of Hillary Clinton at the beginning of this year, the News introduced her speech by immediately mentioning that her last time in front of the cameras as "a tentative, tongue-tied U.S. Senate hopeful." Yesterday Caroline played a less vocal but still visible trole during the funeral, serving as one of her uncle's pallbearers at his funeral. more ›

City Councilwoman Letitia James won't stop til she gets enough ... rejection from the MTA? She's still lobbying for the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station to be named after the late King of Pop, or for a plaque to go up recognizing he filmed his video for "Bad" there. She told the Daily News, "The Transit Authority has already said, 'Beat it,' literally" since MTA guidelines prohibit plaques and memorials in subway stations for some reason. As for renaming the station, the organization is still developing the guidelines for station naming rights. Earlier this year, however, the MTA agreed to sell naming rights at Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street to Bruce Ratner for $4 million (over 20 years). So James wonders, "if the Michael Jackson foundation offered them $10 million for naming rights they'd consider listening." Not that the foundation has offered that, but if they were the MTA should definitely consider it. In the meantime, James is starting a petition drive at the singer's 51st birthday celebration. If you've never seen the full 16-minute version of the Martin Scorsese-directed video, you can watch it here (part 1) and here (part 2). more ›

Like every other American raised in the Reagan era and versed in such quotable phrases as "Drinking and driving don't mix, that's why I ride a bike," we were saddened to learn of John Hughes's untimely death yesterday. But now we're also angry, because today's Times obituary fails to make any mention of Hughes's funniest movie, and one of the best comedies of the '80s: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Here's just a taste of comedy gold—anyone recognize that actor playing Owen? more ›

Earlier today a memorial garden honoring the late actor, writer and director Adrienne Shelly was unveiled in a ceremony at Abingdon Square Park (8th Avenue and 12th Street). Her widower, Andy Ostroy, who is also the Executive Director of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, was on hand along with other friends and family. NY1 talked to Paul Rudd on the scene, who said "She really was such a fixture in this neighborhood for so many years that it's impossible not to think of her whenever I'm here." more ›

It's been over a week now since Dash Snow was confirmed dead from an overdose, and today the NY Times sheds some light on what exactly happened to the artist, who would have turned 28 on Monday, during his last hours. more ›

Legendary former principal Frank Mickens died in his sleep yesterday. The 63-year-old Mickens was famous for turning around Bed-Stuy's Boys and Girls High School, described in the News as "a national symbol of an oversized, out-of-control inner-city high school" when Mickens began his twenty year reign in 1984. Mickens was often controversial for policies like instituting school uniforms and issuing long suspensions. A Brooklyn blog calls him "a no-nonsense disciplinarian..he patrolled the halls with a walkie talkie, often with a bullhorn." NY1 talks to a former student who said, "I honestly haven't met anyone who can hold a candle to him...4,000 students in there, and he knew each and every one of us." A Facebook memorial group already has over 250 members and includes the comment from his granddaughter: "If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I would walk right up to heaven and bring (you) back." Memorial services will be held for Mickens next Friday and Saturday in Bed-Stuy. more ›

Tomorrow, a memorial is being held to remember Gowanus Lounge blogger Bob Guskind, who passionately covered Brooklyn community issues before passing away last month. The memorial, which is open to the public (please RSVP), includes, as Miss Heather tells us, "a running slide show of photographs from The Gowanus Lounge (including a fine selection of “Street Couches”!); video footage of Bob from his numerous online and television appearances; and a roster of keynote speakers including— but not limited to— Jake Dobkin, Lockhart Steele, Norman Oder and yours truly." Donations to four charities are also being accepted. The program begins at 2 p.m. at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope, 4th Avenue between Union and President Streets in Park Slope. Also, earlier this week, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman passed Resolution 1131 to honor Bob—see the video here. more ›

Hmm, where have we seen white bikes like this one before? Oh yeah, they're locked up in cities across America to mark locations where cyclists were fatally run over. Nothing like the memory of blood-stained asphalt to make you want to run out and buy a pretty white dress. In a boneheaded move reminiscent of DKNY's failed fashion week bike-vertising, Macy's is now utilizing what appear to be replicas of the sadly familiar Ghost Bikes in their flagship store, as part of an adorable little display called "My Funny Valentine." more ›

On Saturday there will be an informal memorial service for the late vegetable peeler peddler Joe Ades, organized by admirers of the distinctive street salesman. (More on Ades, who passed away Sunday, here.) more ›

The fourth annual memorial ride and walk for cyclists and pedestrians killed in New York City took place yesterday. Groups of cyclists met with families of the deceased at the sites of 14 fatal bike accidents in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Memorials were held at each accident scene, and new "Ghost Bikes"—painted white with small plaques—were put in place as detailed reminders of the fatalities. The DOT has yet to release official numbers on fatalities in 2008, but according to last year's report, 23 cyclists were killed in 2007, up from 18 in 2006. more ›