October 15, 2002

HOW WALL STREET IS LIKE WRESTLING

WHAT'S the difference between professional wrestling and the stock market? Everyone knows wrestling is fixed. With Wall Street you only suspect it. Another thing: the folks who wrassle for a...

FIFTH AVE. FITS ITALIAN SHOPS - FERRAGAMO BUILDING TO ADD ZEGNA STORE, OFFICE SPACE

WHEN construction is finished soon at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, shoppers will find a gleaming new Ferragamo flagship store and another high-end Italian retailer, Ermenegildo...

NASDAQ PLAN MAKES 'CENTS'

The Nasdaq Stock Market is considering a proposal to eliminate automatic delisting for any company whose share price drops below $1 for a long period of time. Nasdaq Chairman Hardwick...

TOMMY CHANGING ITS TUNE AFTER TOP EXECUTIVES' EXIT

Tommy Hilfiger has enlisted the help of executive recruiter Herbert Mines Associates to search for a new exec to lead the company. The company is searching for a new president...

PUBLICIS CLOSES AD AGENCY THAT CREATED SANTA ICON

French businessmen are pulling the plug on the ailing father of America's biggest icon - Santa Claus. The legendary advertising agency that created the rotund, red-coated Santa in 1934 for...

HINDERY: GLOBAL CROSSING STIFFED ME ON RENT, PAY

Leo Hindery says he still has a gripe with his old company, Global Crossing - that it owes him rent for his Waldorf-Astoria apartment and a year's back pay. Hindery...

JPM CHASE CHOPS JOBS IN LONDON; U.S. NEXT

Embattled J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc. let loose with a flurry of pink slips in London yesterday - and the U.S. operations are next. In the big bank's drive...

SANDY'S 7-ELEVEN - CITI ALWAYS OPEN FOR DISGRACED WORLDCOM

The megabank may be doomed. The latest criticism of Wall Street's giant banks came after yesterday's disclosure that Citigroup's Travelers unit lent $679 million to WorldCom's former chief executive, Bernie...

PARADISE REGAINED

* COOLIO "El Cool Magnifico" [ 1/2] Riviera/D3 Entertainment After a long hiatus in which the do-ragged Coolio played the token rapper on TV's "Hollywood Squares," he's finally returned to...

ATTACK OF THE CLONES - STOP BEFORE WE GET SWEPT AWAY BY REMAKES!

THOSE Madonna fans running screaming for the exits this weekend after subjecting themselves to the abominable "Swept Away" are just the latest victims of Hollywood's obsession with remakes. While Guy...

EAST SCARES WEST - U.S. FILMMAKERS THRILL TO ASIAN HORROR

BE afraid. Be very afraid. American filmmakers are snapping up English-language rights to popular Asian psychological thrillers - many never released in the United States - that couldn't be further...

JAPANESE FLICKS RING TRUE

'THE Ring" got its start as a novel written by Koji Suzuki, who has been called the Japanese Stephen King. In Japan, his novel spawned five films and a TV...

'REAL WORLD' IS IN SEINE

THE 13th season of "The Real World" will be filmed in Paris, France this January. Producers for the longest running reality show of all are scouring the U.S. for a...

STARR REPORT

Revamped 'Early Show' set to debut As expected, CBS announced yesterday that Harry Smith, Julie Chen, Hannah Storm and Rene Syler will co-anchor the revamped "Early Show" beginning Oct. 28...

A WARM WELCOME TO WILCO, PAST & PRESENT

IT'S another Wilco kind of week. The Midwestern band completed the transition from alt-country to pop and experimental rock with this year's delayed release of the moving "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."...

STAR SHIP ENTERPRISE

CURRENTS TREKKIES, beam yourselves aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Star next summer for a week of Trek events. On deck for the June 1-8 sailing from Honolulu: George Takei (Sulu on...

'IDOL' RICH: $26M FOR SERIES II ADS

WANTED: One or more advertisers to cough up a record $26 million for the second edition of Fox's "American Idol." Fox is seeking an "integrated marketing package" for "American Idol,"...

WHACK SOMEBODY! - 'THE SOPRANOS' HAS BECOME AIMLESS AND DEADLY DULL. IT NEEDS A NASTY DEATH - FAST

IT'S over. I realized it the moment I reached for the newspaper Sunday night during "The Sopranos." I never thought it would come to this, but "The Sopranos" was so...

FRIEND JOEY WANTS MORE

THERE could be a "Friends" spinoff in Matt LeBlanc's future. LeBlanc, who plays Joey on the hit NBC sitcom, told last night's "Extra" that he would consider doing a spinoff...

WHAT IF ...

PRONTO! Q: I'm going to Italy to relax, but I need to stay connected. What are the options for renting a cell phone? A: Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) recommends not...

SNL'S NEW BUSH TO BASH

'SATURDAY Night Live" has found someone in its own cast to play President Bush - four-season vet Chris Parnell. "It is nearly six months since I last addressed you from...

TIGHTWAD: SLUMMING IN TOKYO - YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE YOU'RE BROKE, EVEN IF YOU ARE, IN THE WORLD'S PRICIEST CITY

YOU haven't lived until you've woken up, stumbled into an Italian-style café on a Tokyo back street, plunked down a few hundred yen for an espresso and rubbed your alcohol-addled...

GEAR & GADGETS

It's a snap: digital cameras IT'S time to trade in your film for tiny computer chips. The latest generation of high-tech digital cameras come packed with more bells and whistles...

WHERE TO? NEW YORKERS ON THE MOVE

Emily Gordon, 22 Student at Manhattan College "My last vacation was in London - I stayed in an apartment in Knightsbridge. My next vacation will be in Ibiza. My dream...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

An Iowa farmer, mad at being stopped for a traffic violation, rammed his minivan into a police officer's car, then told his son to mow the cop down with the...

SHARON TO PALESTINIANS: GIVE YASSER HEAVE-HO

JERUSALEM - On the eve of tomorrow's White House summit with President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday urged Palestinians to overthrow the "despotic regime that is leading you...

9/11 WIDOWER OK TO STAY

A grieving World Trade Center widower, who was in danger of being deported and separated from his two sons, has been given a lifeline to stay in the United States...

TUNNEL VISION: B'KLYN-BATTERY DECKS MAY BE USED FOR APTS.

Adding more real estate to Manhattan is every developer's dream, and downtown planners have found a way to do just that - by building a deck over the entrance ramp...

SEAGAL PAL: P.I. HAS ME UNDER SIEGE

Authorities say a mobbed-up film producer accused of extorting Steven Seagal is now using strong-arm tactics on a man sources identified as Seagal's former personal assistant. The frightened ex-employee, whose...

SCHOOLS REVAMPING - NEW BID TO WHIP WORST INTO SHAPE

The city Department of Education yesterday revealed battle plans to turn around 11 of its worst schools that received failing grades from state inspectors. The Post yesterday reported the bombshell...

IVANA HIT BY 'FRAUD' CLAIM

Czech millionairess Ivana Trump pillaged her House of Ivana clothing company to avoid a $205,000 bill and fraudulently transferred assets to buy Florida real estate and repair her yacht, court...

NOW, THAT'S ITALIAN - MIKE WINES AND DINES 'SOPRANOS' IN PARADE SNUB

Mayor Bloomberg immersed himself in all things Italian yesterday - including a ballad sung by a teary "Sopranos" star - as he upstaged the Columbus Day Parade by celebrating his...

PARADE SAILS ALONG WITHOUT MIKE

New Yorkers proudly celebrated Italian-American heritage at the Columbus Day Parade yesterday - and gave a pizza their mind to the "Sopranos" flap and Mayor Bloomberg's bada-boycott. The parade's floats,...

THE STATE IS CONSIDERING APPROVING SEVEN NEW PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

The state is considering approving seven new public charter schools in the city, including two Brooklyn all-boys schools. "The demand for charter schools remains strong. Parents, teachers and community leaders...

COPS AIM TO SLAM BURGLARS

Police brass are set to unveil a new strategy today for fighting burglars. Top cops from around the city - including commanding officers from each of the city's 76 precincts,...

ZETA-JONES PREGGERS AGAIN

Married Tinseltown titans Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas are expecting their second child this spring, their rep said yesterday. The raven-haired beauty, 33, and her 58-year-old hubby already have a...

MADONNA BOMBS - 'SWEPT AWAY' IS LATEST WA$HOUT IN LONG LINE OF FLOPS

Stick a fork in Madonna's new flick, it's done. The Material Mom's sex-and-sand movie, "Swept Away," has tanked soooooo badly at the box office, she may never see a starring...

L.I. CYBERSEX 'SLAVEMASTER' GOES ON TRIAL

The case of accused cybersex sicko James Warren, who allegedly kidnapped a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl and made her a sex slave, is set to go on trial today on Long...

SEARCH FOR QNS. BOATER CALLED OFF

The Coast Guard yesterday suspended its search for a Queens man who disappeared below the waters off the Jones Beach Inlet following a boating accident. Don Lee, 27, was fishing...

TEACHER FROM ARIZONA IS AMONG DEAD

An English teacher from Phoenix was the first American confirmed dead in last week's terrorist bombing in Bali - while the father of a former Nebraska football hero clung to...

WAKSAL SET TO COP PLEA - COULD MOVE FEDS CLOSER TO NAILING MARTHA

Martha Stewart's pal Sam Waksal is expected to plead guilty as early as today to insider-trading charges stemming from the ImClone scandal, putting federal investigators one step closer to prosecuting...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

MANHATTAN * A 54-year-old man died last yesterday when he plunged into the Hudson River from a rocky precipice in Riverside Park. Police believe the victim, whose name was not...

TRIGGERING SUSPICION - COPS EYE EX-MARINE WITH TAROT, VAN & RIFLE

An ex-Marine with sniper training and a large gun collection was being questioned last night about the Beltway attacks that have claimed eight lives in the past 13 days, sources...

MADONNA NEW FILM $WEPT AWAY

Stick a fork in Madonna's new flick, it's done. The Material Mom's sex-and-sand movie, "Swept Away," has tanked soooooo badly at the box office, she may never see a starring...

IVANA'S NEW WOE - SHE'S ACCUSED OF SHIFTING ASSETS TO DEFRAUD CREDITORS

Czech millionairess Ivana Trump pillaged her House of Ivana clothing company to avoid a $205,000 bill and fraudulently transferred assets to buy Florida real estate and repair her yacht, court...

IN HER SHARPEST ATTACK YET, THE REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TO STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ELIOT SPITZER ACCUSED HIM OF IGNORING THE PROBLEM OF ONLINE PEDOPHILES

ALBANY - In her sharpest attack yet, the Republican challenger to state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accused him of ignoring the problem of online pedophiles in favor of headline-grabbing Wall...

FASO SHOWCASES RUDY AD

Republican state comptroller candidate John Faso yesterday rolled out an ad featuring former Mayor Rudy Giuliani - while also attacking the record of his Democratic challenger, Alan Hevesi. In the...

PATAKI'S PAR'AID' - DEM N.J. GOV JOINS HIM, NOT MCCALL, IN COLUMBUS MARCH

Gov. Pataki got a lift yesterday from Democratic New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey - who jumped party lines in the Columbus Day Parade to march with Republican Pataki instead of...

JERSEY DEMS HOT TO GET HOLD OF TORCH WAR CHEST

WASHINGTON - Some Democrats are getting impatient with Sen. Robert Torricelli for holding on to his multimillion-dollar war chest two weeks after quitting the campaign. Torricelli has said that he'd...

BEAST WOULD MEET HIS MATCH WITH THE BOYS IN THIS 'HOOD

WASHINGTON. DANNY Washington has often heard shots fired in anger. But he doesn't believe he will hear one from the Montgomery Monster. "Oh, yeah, I've heard a lot of shots...

KILLER RETURNS IN DEAD OF NIGHT - WOMAN CUT DOWN IN VIRGINIA MALL LOT

The Psycho Sniper apparently struck again last night - killing a woman as she and her husband loaded packages into their car trunk in a suburban Washington shopping mall. The...

BUSH: NO ONE'S SAFE FROM EVIL - VOWS FIGHT AS AMERICA'S FRIENDS SUFFER TERRIBLE LOSS

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday said the Bali bomb blasts are part of a pattern of terror attacks across the globe that show "no one is safe" because al Qaeda...

INDONESIANS: IT WAS AL QAEDA

Indonesia blamed Osama bin Laden's network of evil yesterday for the Bali bomb blast that killed 181 people and admitted the Muslim nation is honeycombed with terrorists. The South East...

EX-GRID STAR MOURNED AS 'GREAT MAN'

Jake Young - believed dead in Saturday's terrorist bombing in Bali - was more than just a two-time All-American center at the football-mad University of Nebraska. He was a husband,...

RETURN OF THE KILLER - WOMAN SLAIN IN HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT MAY BE VICTIM 11

A woman was shot and killed in a Washington suburb last night in what police fear is the latest attack by the rampaging Beltway Sniper. The victim, who was not...

OSAMA WRITE ALL WRONG: EXPERTS

Experts yesterday were skeptical that a new letter supposedly written by Osama bin Laden praising recent terror attacks was actually signed by world's most wanted man. The letter - read...

BRITS AND AUSSIES VOICE OUTRAGE

The leaders of Australia and Britain bitterly condemned the terror attacks that left nearly 200 dead and hundreds more injured. Prime Minister John Howard of Australia said the words used...

BUSH: NO ONE'S SAFE FROM EVIL - PRESIDENT URGES 'FREE WORLD' TO FIGHT BACK

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday said the Bali bomb blasts are part of a pattern of terror attacks across the globe that show "no one is safe" because al Qaeda...

SOJU, SO GOOD AS STATE OKS KOREAN COCKTAIL

ALBANY - Koreans in New York should raise a glass to the state for making one of their traditional alcoholic beverages easier to find. A new measure - just signed...

DUSTY MAY EYE SEATTLE

NLCS NOTEBOOK SAN FRANCISCO - Dusty Baker indicated before last night's pennant-clinching win that if he fails to work out a new contract to remain Giant manager he would love...

GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT - LOFTON'S CLUTCH HIT DECKS CARDS IN 9TH

SAN FRANCISCO - The scoreboard at Pac Bell Park said it all: "The Giants win the pennant . . . The Giants win the pennant." Did they ever. And when...

MEDIOCRE AT BEST

GIANTS REPORT CARDQUARTERBACKS: B- Some good work from Kerry Collins (20 of 31, 207 yards) was cancelled out by the one crushing interception in the fourth quarter with Giants marching...

A REAL PARITY CASE - FASSEL: JINTS FINE AT .500

The Giants are the very definition of inconsistency. "Who isn't?" Jim Fassel asked. The Giants are in a win-one, lose-one mode. "It's not just us, it's everybody," Fassel declared. The...

RANGERS IN UGLY MESH

It wasn't supposed to start this way. With a new coach who has championship experience and new players known for toughness and success, the Rangers weren't supposed to have lapses...

SCOTT SAYS DON TOOK BIG GAMBLE

Nets coach Byron Scott may not have directly condemned the Knicks for risking Antonio McDyess late in a meaningless preseason game, but when Scott heard of the star forward's fractured...

MCMOURNING AFTER - SAD KNICKS TRY TO COPE WITH LOSS OF ANTONIO

The frustration was visible on people's faces, their dejection resonating from simple gestures like sagging shoulders or sunken eyes. Actions speak louder than words and, try as they did yesterday,...

HAMILTON'S CAREER MAY NOT BE OVER: DOCTOR

GIANT NOTES Keith Hamilton was to undergo an MRI yesterday to determine the full extent of the injury to his right Achilles tendon. According to Jim Fassel, trainer Ronnie Barnes...

CHREBET'S TARGETING RETURN VS. VIKINGS

JET NOTES The Jets hope to have wide receiver Wayne Chrebet back in the lineup against the Vikings Sunday at Giants Stadium. Chrebet, who missed the Jets' last game with...

0-2 ISLES ALREADY MAKING CHANGES

Raffi Torres is back. The electric right wing arrived at the Islanders' practice facility yesterday, a clear sign that help is just a phone call away. With Bridgeport being so...

KENNEDY DID PARENTS PROUD

ANAHEIM - Three home runs that put the Angels into their first-ever World Series weren't enough of a gift from this son to his father. No, Adam Kennedy had something...

JARVIS LIKES FLEXIBLE STORM

Mike Jarvis has yearned for a team like this since he came to St. John's in 1998. He has always wanted a group of interchangeable players who would comprise a...

JETS PLAN TO GET SAM ON THE RUN

Sam Cowart was going to be the difference maker for the Jets this season. The former All-Pro linebacker with the Bills was going to be the one offseason acquisition that...

SPREE READY TO START REHAB

Don't worry - it's not all bad news. Latrell Sprewell, out with a broken pinkie (in case you hadn't heard), will begin his rehab conditioning today. Now sporting a smaller...

TIME TO THINK ABOUT NEXT YEAR

HAVING scarcely caught their second wind 19 games into last season, weirdness engulfed the 10-9 Knicks when Jeff Van Gundy abruptly withdrew his coaching services and fled the franchise. Acutely...

BOSS SEEKS TO BALANCE WINS, BUCKS

ANAHEIM - George Steinbrenner's Inner Circle is busy preparing for three days of organizational meetings beginning today at the club's minor league complex in Tampa. The meetings will deal with...

WILPON CALLS M'S, BUT LOU WON'T BE FREE

Lou Piniella moved another step closer to becoming the next Mets manager yesterday, as the Mariners finally issued a public statement declaring Piniella will be allowed to speak with other...

GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! - LOFTON'S CLUTCH HIT DECKS CARDS IN NINTH

GAME 5: Giants 2 - Cardinals 1 SAN FRANCISCO - The scoreboard at Pac Bell Park said it all: "The Giants win the pennant . . . The Giants win...

LA RUSSA PROVES A REAL BIRD BRAIN

SAN FRANCISCO - In a game filled with drama, tension, controversy, risky managerial moves and pitching brilliance - pretty much everything that makes baseball great - the Giants won the...

DUSTY MIGHT LEAVE HIS HEART IN SEATTLE

NLCS NOTEBOOK SAN FRANCISCO - Dusty Baker indicated before last night's pennant-clinching win that if he fails to work out a new contract to remain Giant manager he would love...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS - ROLE PLAYERS HAVE BONDS & CO. ROLLING

SAN FRANCISCO - How easy it is to forget there were actually 23 other players on the World Series champion Diamondbacks last year, so towering was the impact of Randy...

PINIELLA HAS PERMISSION TO TALK: M'S

A huge hurdle was cleared yesterday for Lou Piniella to become the next manager of the Mets, as the Mariners issued a public statement saying Piniella will be allowed to...

GOLDEN GATEWAY - GIANTS ARE DEAD SET ON RETURN TO SERIES

SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants are California dreamin'. One victory away from their first World Series appearance since 1989 and only the second Series appearance since 1962, Dusty Baker's club...