Results tagged “westchestercounty”

The Westchester DA's office announced yesterday that it took down a "high end call girl enterprise that operated both out-call and in-call prostitution services using more than thirty women over a 29 month period servicing clients in major hotels throughout Westchester County." White Plains residents Kenneth Fuina and Shawana Smith—the alleged ring leaders—were charged with promoting prostitution in the third degree while Queens resident Genevieve Margaret Peattie was charged with prostitution.

Yesterday, a jury found disbarred lawyer Carlos Perez-Olivo guilty of killing his wife. In 2006, Perez-Olivo claimed he was run off Route 100 in Westchester County and that a gunman shot his wife in the head and him in the stomach, but police arrested him late last year. Cops, who had called it "an unusual-sounding incident," connected him to the gun, found in a lake and prosecutors noted that the gun looked a lot like some Perez-Olivo had been holding months earlier. Perez-Olivo, who lived on the same Chappaqua block as Bill and Hillary Clinton, had been disbarred over badly handling clients' cases (including defending a man who killed his wife's lover at the West 18th Street 1 station) and had attempted to get money from his wife's substantial insurance policy.

Yesterday state officials announced that they have chosen to forgo plans to repair the Tappan Zee Bridge and instead intend to build an entirely new one. The new bridge would also include new a new commuter rail line to link up with Metro North and high-speed bus lanes at a total cost of $16 billion.

A Westchester County home nearly finished with construction was destroyed by a gas explosion this afternoon. Construction workers had smelled gas--perhaps after dislodging or cutting a gas line--and called the fire department.

A veteran New Rochelle police officer accused of raping a 17-year-old girl pleaded not guilty in court today. Sergeant David Rodriguez posted his $25,000 and was accompanied to court by his wife, Darlene Rodriguez, an anchor for WNBC.

A New York State Assemblyman ticked off about congestion pricing for suburban drivers is retaliating by proposing a $4-per-ride surcharge for taxi riders, rather than the congestion fee of $8 for motorists entering Manhattan below 60th St. That taxis are another form of mass transit that allow New Yorkers to get around without owning a car escapes Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, whose district includes parts of Westchester County.

Former Westchester County District Attorney - and one-time Attorney General candidate and potential Senate candidate - Jeanine Pirro and her husband Al Pirro have announced they are separating. Their statement to the press: "We have agreed to amicably separate. As always, our priority remains our two wonderful children. We ask that people respect our privacy. There will be no further comment." The couple has been married 32 years and have weathered through many years of...

We admit that the departure of Yankees manager Joe Torre was a big story, but there was a bit of over kill with some of the coverage. On yesterday’s 5 p.m. newscast, WCBS devoted almost twenty minutes to the story. However, that seemed tame compared to WNYW following Torre from Westchester County Airport to his home with their helicopter. It seemed surreal and we felt as if we were watching some sort of Los Angeles style police chase, but without the pursuing patrol cars. The most restrained coverage came from WNBC, who devoted less not in the sports segment time to the story than anyone else.

An investigation into a fire at a seniors housing complex in Yonkers revealed a case or arson and then murder. WNBC reports that the Westchester County medical examiner's office announced that 78-year-old Louise Paciarello was strangled to death before her residence at the Kristensen Homes was set on fire Wednesday. Investigators initially thought the fire was suspicious because they found two points of origin for the blaze. Paciarello had lived at the seniors housing complex for 14 years, but her sister said she rarely left her apartment there except to go shopping.

In an effort to cut power consumption and adopt a more green profile, some New York City office towers are making use of a somewhat archaic air conditioning system: blowing air over giant blocks of ice. WNBC reports that financial firm Credit Suisse is using such a system to cool its offices in the Met Life tower off Madison Square. The basement of the building houses three main cooling rooms with "chilling machines and 64 tanks that hold 800 gallons of water each."

Thirty years ago tonight, New York City lost electricity when a Con Ed substation was hit by lightning strikes and a "cascading effect" caused the system to shut down around 9PM. And NYC, as well as parts of Westchester County, were powerless for over a day in the sweltering heart of the summer. Subways were stuck, mobs set fires and stores were looted.

Mrs. Astor's will includes directions about who gets certain personal possessions (e.g., friend David Rockefeller gets the stone Buddha head statue in the library of her apartment, another friend Annette de la Renta gets the four dog paintings from the staircase at Astor's Westchester mansion.) Most of Mrs. Astor's wealth is being given to NYC institutions she has supported throughout her life, like the Metropolitan Museum and the New York Public Library. A large sum is also being tranferred to her son, Anthony Marshall.

Does the story of women from Manhattan trying to keep up with their competition in the workplace while dealing with men issues sound familiar? Candace Bushnell's latest series (based on her book) "Lipstick Jungle" is filling that "Sex and the City" void that...probably none of us have felt.

It's been a tough week for Bernie Kerik. The former NYPD commissioner who had his bid to head up Homeland Security unceremoniously thwarted in 2004 amid allegations of shady dealings is now facing serious federal charges. The Washington Post reports today that federal prosecutors have informed Kerik that he is likely to be charged with multiple felonies, including tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wiretapping. This comes two weeks after Kerik refused a plea deal offered by prosecutors that would have required the former police commissioner to serve some time in prison. The wiretapping charge stems from an incident that would seem to straddle the categories Very Dumb and Plain Crazy, when Kerik and Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro were overheard planning to wiretap Pirro's husband in order to catch him engaging in an extramarital affair. Ironically, this conversation took place over a line that federal law enforcement had legally wiretapped.

Fascinating legal ruling concerning a gay marriage split. Couple Steven Green and David Gonzalez were married in Massachusetts on Valentine's Day 2005, after four years of living together. Then a few months after the marriage, they separated and started their courtship with the law. From the NY Times:

...Mr. Green’s lawyer drafted a separation agreement, which both parties signed in September 2005, the court papers said.

Continue reading "Gay or Straight, Contracts are Contracts"

Where's Reverend Billy? That quote is from today's NY Times article about people trying to stop a Wal-Mart from coming to the Bronx. Nevermind that Wal-Mart hasn't officially said that they'd like to bring one of its store to the borough - activists are just making sure it never ever happens. This is in spite of the majority of Bronx residents saying they would welcome a Wal-Mart.

Dare we believe our eyes - there's a blue sky over us! Yesterday was pretty miserable - Tropical "Depression" Ernesto left thousands without power in the Bronx and Staten Island, plus parts of Westchester County and Long Island and caused delays at JFK and LaGuardia. Tennis fans also had to wait, with most of yesterday's matches postponed to today. But today - it's not dreary and gray, it's not a weekday, there's no work tomorrow - today is full of promise and hope!

Springtime must be coyote time: There's another coyote in the news, but this time in the Bronx. A coyote has been spotted at Van Cortlandt Park, and is now duly named "Jacob," after Jacob Van Cortlandt (if it's a girl, she'll be "Vannie," not Cortney). Parks officials want Van Cortlandt Park visitors to be on alert, as coyotes are interested in eating small animals, even turkeys! A coyote in Van Cortlandt Park makes more sense, as it's right near Westchester County - it's still a mystery how Hal managed to find his way to Central Park last month.

Looks like St. Brigid was just the beginning...

beats hit the trifecta yesterday, with news that there was a coyote wandering around Central Park, not too unlike a tourist in awe of the 800+ acre urban oasis. Visitors to the park reported seeing a wolf-like animal yesterday afternoon, and even Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe saw the coyote (and then hit speed dial to the press office to round up some reporters). Benepe told the Post, "We'll call him 'Hal' for now because he was found near the Hallett Sanctuary. If we discover that it's a she, then we'll just have to call her 'Henrietta.'" Uh, Mr. Parks Commissioner, how about Halle? Anyway, Benepe also thinks the coyote traveled from Westchester County, and the commuter was tracked by the police (armed with tranquilizer guns and/or in helicopters - don't worry, the tranq-patrol stopped at night). And to be tracking the coyote's moves! The NY Times seems to have the only firsthand account:

About 10:30 p.m. a reporter spotted what appeared to be the coyote — a tawny, furry animal that resembled a German shepherd — on the steps leading to the parks department headquarters, at 64th Street off Fifth Avenue. It leveled a distinctly blank stare from black eyes as it was approached.

As if things couldn't get worse for Jeanine Pirro, State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has told the Westchester County DA to get out of the race for US Senate. Pirro has been fighting an uphill battle ever since her campaign started with a flub and the more recent news that her fundraising has been less than stellar. In his statement, Bruno said:

"I have said from the beginning, and I know a lot of my colleagues, and people within the party, share the thought, that she would make a great attorney general. By background, by her experience, by her prosecutorial record. And I hope that before this procedure gets too much further, that Jeanine Pirro would reconsider and run for A.G."

Nancy Bass, Bookseller

Ida Dupont, Professor of Criminal Justice, Women's Advocate

A couple of weeks back, Gothamist told you about the planned debut of the breathable booze machine at Trust Lounge. Trust apparently wussed out, as Slate reports:

The photo is from the AWOL website, and to paraphrase Tony Soprano, we thought, that's kinda gay, no? Anyway, Gothamist braces ourselves for the advent of commercialized glue sniffing, scented fart machines, and intravenous alcohol use.

By popular demand, snowfall amounts over Friday and Saturday, from the New York Times:

Tonight, the Municipal Art Society is taking one of NY's favorite debates to the East River: Discussion "The Better Borough: Brooklyn or Manhattan" will be held on a boat. Areas of discussion will include "the G and the V trains, Bleecker St. vs. Bedford Ave., Washington Heights and Crown Heights, SoHo boutiques vs. Smith St. boutiques, Central Park and Prospect Park, architecture, fashion, PBR, BAM, NYPL, the BQE and the FDR."