July 6, 2005

REFCO FACES $22M CLAIM

The deal maker who said commodities trading powerhouse Refco Securities stiffed him out of $22 million after he helped arrange a crucial investment by Thomas H. Lee, is getting his...

MEDIA BIGS ARE CLEARED FOR LANDING IN SUN VALLEY

THE top media and entertainment moguls began streaming into this Idaho mountain resort yesterday, for their annual schmoozefest. Arrivals at the gathering were hampered by tight security awaiting the arrival...

TOWERING EDIFICE FOR LOVERS OF ART

THE art world is getting glammed by a 20-story, sparkling new gallery condo tower in west Chelsea. Due to open in 2006, the Chelsea Arts Tower at 545 W. 25th...

COURT BATTLE MEANS AD $$

The slugfest to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor promises to deliver a surge in political ad spending. With furious fundraising efforts already under way,...

EX-VOGUE EXEC EXITS SAKS AFTER SIX MONTHS

Linn Tanzman, the vice president of communications and publicity for Saks Fifth Avenue, has left the company after fewer than six months in her new job, The Post has learned....

IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Josh Kriteman thought it was the perfect opportunity. The 34-year-old consultant saw Rainmaker's come-on ad in the newspaper, the one promising a 25 percent return on his investment - guaranteed...

SKY'S THE LIMIT

'COME see the moon," the 89-year-old gentleman with a white ponytail says to passersby on a busy San Francisco street corner. No, he's not, as one girl thought, a dirty...

YOU CAN OWN A PIECE OF B'WAY FOR A MERE $50M

THE owner of Broadway's third largest theater chain is looking for a partner. Rocco Landesman, the colorful Broadway producer who bought Jujamcyn Theaters last year for $30 million, is trying...

STARR REPORT

Feline good at Nick It's extremely rare that a show receives an extra-episode order before even hitting the air (or cable)- but that's what happened with Nickelodeon's "Catscratch." The animated...

NEVER MISS A GAME AGAIN

A candy-bar shaped silver box and an Internet connection are all it takes to watch TV anywhere now. Slingbox is a new gizmo that connects your TV's cable box, satellite...

HAIR & THERE - IS THERE A BETTER SETTING FOR A SOAP THAN A BEAUTY PARLOR?

IF the first cut is the deepest, then the second is even more dangerous - at least as far as the first two episodes of "Cutting It," a deliciously wicked...

'8' ISN'T ENOUGH - MILLIONS SOUGHT TO END POVERTY, BUT OUR VERSION OF THIS GOOD DEED DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED

THERE'LL be no way to measure the impact of Saturday's Live 8 concert until the end of the G8 summit, which begins today. But one thing's for sure - the...

BECOMING A BASKET CASE - PICNICS GO UPSCALE WITH HELP FROM THE CITY'S HOTTEST CHEFS

FRIED chicken, watermelon, cold soda, ants - another ho-hum picnic. Now imagine yourself dipping into your cooler and tucking into salmon tartare, cabrales cheese, rare steak and shrimp chowder. What's...

'DANCE' FEVER - OUR REPORTER STEPS OUT WITH 'STARS'

THE idea that made "Dancing with the Stars" a smash hit this summer is that anyone can look like Fred Astaire - with the right partner. So when I was...

MOVE OVER, CHAPPELLE

OUTRAGEOUS funnyman Carlos Mencia, 37, has been making audiences laugh for nineteen years, and now the Mexican/Honduran comic is stepping onto his biggest stage yet - his Comedy Central show,...

HAMPTONS DINING: LIKE EATING SAND

IT'S high summer and the Hamptons-restaurant hype machine is running on all cylinders - literally. Only in the Hamptons could a new place to eat be announced this way: "Annona...

SAD LAST PHOTO - CONEY VICTIM HAD A FEW BEERS

Here is the last picture of Vicente Ruiz taken on the beach at Coney Island - just hours before he drowned there after a day of July Fourth fun. New...

TRAGIC FINAL PHOTO - DRINK-DROWN EYED

Here is the last picture of Vicente Ruiz taken on the beach at Coney Island - just hours before he drowned there after a day of July 4 fun. New...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A Russian astrologer is suing NASA, claiming the Deep Impact probe that smashed into a comet meant she had to rewrite all her horoscopes. "It is obvious that elements of...

SHOT SUSPECT SUES FOR $30M

A suspect shot by a cop in Brooklyn last month after police said he smacked around his girlfriend and threw a bike at the officer is suing the city for...

CHUCK URGES PERV CRACKDOWN

ALBANY - Saying that sex offenders can rarely be rehabilitated, Sen. Charles Schumer yesterday urged the Democrat-led state Assembly to pass tough laws to crack down on perverts released from...

SCHUMER HEATS UP SUPREME GRILL

ALBANY - Sen. Charles Schumer yesterday said he intends to quiz President Bush's Supreme Court nominee on a host of hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage - even though...

BLOOMBERG'S A LOCK TO WIN: DEM BIG

ALBANY - Mayor Bloomberg is a "9-to-1 prohibitive favorite" to win re-election in November, a top state Democrat unexpectedly declared yesterday. The oddsmaker was Senate Minority Leader David Paterson of...

GIFF OUT TO TAP JENNINGS' SALARY FOR 5G 'SEX' FINE

The City Council is moving to garnishee the wages of disgraced Councilman Allan Jennings after he refused to pay a $5,000 fine for sexually harassing staffers, officials said yesterday. The...

45,000 TROOPS TO EMPTY GAZA

JERUSALEM - Israel will use a vast force of 45,000 troops and police to evacuate Jewish settlers next month - and won't accept resistance or delay, government officials said yesterday....

'ANONYMOUS' BLOOMBERG GIVES $20M TO CHARITY

Mayor Bloomberg has once again made "anonymous" contributions to hundreds of nonprofit groups here - this time with his largest check to date: $20 million. For the fourth year in...

ROGUE DIPLOMATS - SELLING OUT THE KURDS

CONDI Rice has an Iraq problem. Among her subordinates. A new generation of "Arabists" wants to write off our Kurdish allies for the pipedream of winning friends among our enemies....

W. MAKES SIDE TRIP TO HAIL GREAT DANES

President Bush last night stopped off in Copenhagen to personally thank Denmark for sending troops to Iraq - a quickie stop to see a close ally en route to the...

DC 37 IS D-LIGHTED AS IT GETS 1% RAISE

Nearly 100,000 city workers will be receiving retroactive checks averaging $300 by September - two months before Election Day - following a productivity agreement with the city's largest municipal union....

WIFE KILLS HUBBY, SELF - PAROLE OFFICER LEFT NOTE FOR SON

Frustrated by her "controlling" husband, a parole officer shot him to death yesterday with her service gun and then turned it on herself, leaving their son to discover the grisly...

GOP SLAP AT FERRER 'FRONT'

The state Republican Party leader has accused a liberal think tank of being a front for Democrat Fernando Ferrer's mayoral campaign, and called on state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to...

SHIRT CLUE IN DEATH OF NEWBORN

Authorities are hoping that a golf shirt used as a swaddling blanket will lead them to the mom who dumped her newborn girl in a New Jersey train-station bathroom. A...

3RD DEADLY MOTORBIKE SMASH-UP

A motorcyclist was killed on the FDR Drive yesterday when he spun out of control and crashed into a cement wall - the third fatal motorcycle crash in recent days....

FAILING GRADES FOR PRINCIPALS IN SPECIAL CLASS

Six principals, specially groomed through a $75 million training program, have either resigned or been demoted after just a year on the job, officials said yesterday. Another five of the...

CYBER FANS LEAN-ING ON LINDSAY TO EAT FULL LOAD

Eat something, Lindsay! That's the desperate plea from fans of Lindsay Lohan, who fear the teen star has turned herself into a sickly stick figure. And they're swamping a new...

TOP BROOKLYN LEGAL EAGLE CAGED FOR BRIBERY

The corrupt former head of the Brooklyn Bar Association yesterday was sentenced to more than two years in prison. "In the twilight of my career, I threw it all away,"...

'FAKES' ARE REAL

Shoppers buying fancy Coach goods on one Midtown sidewalk were getting a real steal. While many street vendors around 58th Street and Lexington Avenue sell cheap knockoffs of high-end products,...

MOTORMAN PERV SKIPS JAIL STOP - PROBATION FOR TEEN-GROPE ON Q TRAIN

He groped a teenage girl while she drove his subway train under the streets of Manhattan, but former motorman Reuben Petrus isn't exactly being ridden out of town on a...

CONCRETE UNION WALKS AS TALKS CRUMBLE

Construction in the city has ground to a halt as a result of a strike by concrete-delivery drivers. The strike - which began on Friday but hadn't had a great...

COPS ID JAILED TEEN AS 'MAIN GUY' IN IPOD SLAY

Police are still hunting for as many as four more suspects in the murder of a teenager for his iPod - but believe the suspect they have in custody actually...

ST. VINCENT HOSPITALS IN BANKRUPTCY

Financially troubled St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers, which runs hospitals in the city and Westchester, filed for bankruptcy yesterday. The Chapter 11 filing will not affect facilities, programs and patient...

LIZA LOSES BID TO GAG BODYGUARD

Liza Minnelli can't stop her former bodyguard from singing about their relationship, an appeals court has ruled. In a unanimous decision, a five-judge panel of the state Appellate Division denied...

MAFIA COP BOASTED: MURDER IS IN ME

Reputed mob cop Louis Eppolito once bragged that killing was "embedded" in him - and even boasted about grabbing a hatchet and threatening to murder a contractor working on his...

9/11 KIN RIPS WTC BIGS FOR MALL GALL

Plans for an enormous retail mall at Ground Zero have infuriated a 9/11 family activist, who claimed yesterday the memorial is becoming little more than a way to attract shoppers....

BIG WIN FOR GAY TEACH - 150G IN BIAS CASE

The city has agreed to pay $150,000 to a gay teacher who claimed a slew of administrative charges he beat were brought against him because of his sexual orientation, The...

ART OF THE BAIL 'DOUBLE DEAL'

Embattled philanthropist Alberto Vilar was hauled back to court yesterday after authorities caught the accused fraudster trying to raise bail money - by selling art that wasn't rightfully his. The...

BULLETS PIERCE INWOOD SCHOOL

Two rifle shots were fired through a fifth-floor window of an upper Manhattan school yesterday with 100 children inside at a summer-camp session, authorities said. Police were called to IS...

MTA GIVES $21 BIL PLAN A SECOND RIDE TO ALBANY

The MTA put much-needed subway repairs and projects like the Second Avenue subway back on track yesterday after agency officials resubmitted its proposed five- year capital program for state lawmakers...

SHOT SUSPECT SUES CITY FOR $30M

A suspect shot by a cop in Brooklyn last month after police said he smacked around his girlfriend and threw a bicycle at the officer is now suing the city...

SENIORS & DISABLED: LANDLORD IS AFTER US - PAIR'S EVICTION SEEN AS WARNING TO OTHERS

Tenants at a subsidized Manhattan apartment complex - many severely disabled and on fixed incomes - said yesterday they fear they'll be squeezed out unless a judge stops the landlord's...

FAMILY HOSTAGE SIEGE - STEPDAD HELD AT KNIFEPOINT

An emotionally disturbed man used a knife to hold his stepfather hostage in his Brooklyn house yesterday before cops broke in and subdued him. Christopher Henry, 37, was handcuffed and...

NEWS GETS BIFFED FOR ITS $TIFF

Thirteen outraged Daily News Scratch n' Stiff winners - nine of whom won $100,000 each in the paper's now-infamous game of shame - have slapped the paper with a $15.6...

COP-KID DEAL IN BASHING - 'HOWARD BEACH' IMMUNITY

The third assailant in the Howard Beach baseball- bat beating was given immunity for statements he made to cops about the alleged hate crime - but could still face charges...

DEATH-CRASH CAM

A video camera inside the doomed Long Island wedding limo caught the "gut-wrenching" final seconds before the vehicle was demolished in a DWI crash that killed an angelic 7-year-old girl...

'FORGING' AHEAD - RACE-MIX PIX A FIELDS FAKE

Virginia Fields' campaign admitted yesterday that it doctored a photograph on one of its fliers to make it appear the mayoral hopeful was accompanied by Asian and black supporters. Fields'...

'ANTI-U.S.' ART GROUP GETS DONOR MIKE'S $$

A cultural group that infuriated Gov. Pataki by displaying art attacking America's war on terror turned up yesterday on a long list of nonprofit organizations getting a total of $20...

SUBWAY RIDER IN 3RD-RAIL HORROR

A homeless man suffered severe burns yesterday after he fell onto the tracks at the Union Square subway station and got his head wedged near the electrified third rail. The...

VILAR'S ART OF THE BAIL 'DOUBLE DEAL'

Embattled philanthropist Alberto Vilar was hauled back to court yesterday after authorities caught the accused fraudster trying to raise bail money - by selling art that wasn't rightfully his. The...

MARTHA MOCKS PAROLE RULES

Martha Stewart admits she flouted her house arrest rules by repeatedly walking off-limits at her Bedford estate - and then mocked her parole officer for checking out the situation. "...

VANDROSS ON VIEW FOR FANS

Fans of R&B legend Luther Vandross will gather in Manhattan today for the start of two days of public viewing of the singer, who died last Friday at 54. Large...

BULLET 'PARALYZES' WOMAN IN HARLEM

A Harlem woman was shot yesterday by her boyfriend and she may be paralyzed, cops said. Lynnae Jones, 20, was shot in the second-floor apartment of the boyfriend - who...

JOLIE ADOPTS SECOND CHILD

Angelina Jolie is celebrating a new addition to her family - and it's not Brad Pitt. The most glamorous mom on the planet is adopting her second child, an Ethiopian...

BEAU'S 'BULLET' PARALYZES GAL: COPS

A Harlem woman was shot yesterday by her boyfriend and may be paralyzed, cops said. Lynnae Jones, 20, was shot in the second-floor apartment of the boyfriend - who police...

'MOB' COP: KILLING IS IN ME

Reputed mob cop Louis Eppolito once bragged that killing was "imbedded" in him - and even boasted about threatening to murder a contractor working on his Las Vegas home by...

MIMIC MARTHA - MOCKS HER PAROLE GUY AFTER SHE 'STRAYS'

Martha Stewart admits she flouted her house arrest rules by repeatedly walking off-limits at her Bedford estate - and then mocked her parole officer for checking out the situation. "...

BLOOMBERG'S A LOCK TO WIN: DEM LEADER

ALBANY - Mayor Bloomberg is a "9-to-1 prohibitive favorite" to win re-election in November, a top state Democrat unexpectedly declared yesterday. The oddsmaker was Senate Minority Leader David Paterson of...

LIZA LOSES BID TO GAG BLABBING BODYGUARD

Liza Minnelli can't stop her former bodyguard from singing about their relationship, an appeals court has ruled. In a unanimous decision, a five-judge panel of the state Appellate Division denied...

SHAREEF LIKES NETS BUT WILL SHOP AROUND

To Shareef Abdur-Rahim, it's a two-way street for him and the Nets. "They have a very good team, a team that can win," the 6-9 prized free agent said yesterday...

MAZ HAS NO ANSWERS FOR ORIOLES' FREE FALL

Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli tried to calm his team down during the bottom of the third following two Baltimore errors, but doesn't exactly have the Midas touch these days. On...

GRIN & BEAR IT GRIN & BEAR IT - UNIT HAS BEEN ERRATIC, NOT AUTOMATIC

FROM THE moment Randy Johnson introduced himself to New York by oafishly confronting a cameraman on the streets of Manhattan, something has been amiss with him far beyond his a-missing...

GIAMBI EMERGES FROM CAVE

TEN RUNS. That is how much the Yankees were winning by when Joe Torre ordered Tom Gordon to begin warming up in the ninth inning. Ten runs. Think about the...

PORGY SEASON AT ITS BESS-T

THE porgy season opened with a bang on Friday, especially in the New York Bight, but, as predicted, all the boat traffic on Sunday and Monday made for difficult fishing....

COMPLETE FREEDOM FOR ANDRE

NOTEBOOK Andre Barrett, who averaged 3.1 ppg as an NBA rookie last season with the Rockets and Magic, worked out at the camp yesterday in preparation for playing with defending...

YANKEES KEEP UP FIREWORKS - BIG BATS BOMB O'S FOR 2ND DAY IN ROW

Yankees 12 - Orioles 3 Dare we say it? Or maybe it's a thought that should stay muted until the Yankees prove they aren't high-priced Baseball Teasers. Believe they are...

GIAMBI'S HEARING CHEERS, NOT JEERS

Joe Torre noticed the change in Jason Giambi's demeanor a week or 10 days ago. Everyone's noticed the change of results lately. The Giambino launched his third homer in two...

PAVANO'S SHOULDER ONLY SORE

YANKEE NOTES There is no guarantee Carl Pavano can give the Yankees more in the second half than he did in the first, but at least the club and pitcher...

BOSS GRATEFUL FOR 'BIRTHDAY GIFT'

While we may never know what George Steinbrenner was thinking when the Yankees flushed a 6-0 lead Monday on his 75th birthday, The Boss gladly accepted the 13-8 victory. He...

PUNCH LINE-UP - RANDOLPH HOPES NEW ORDER MEANS AMAZIN' RESULTS

WASHINGTON - On Monday, Willie Randolph didn't want to commit to how long his team's revised lineup would last. Yesterday, he used the same 1-through-8 configuration for last night's game....

WOODY FEELS THE KNEED TO PLAY

MET NOTES WASHINGTON - Chris Woodward didn't need that much time to recover from his left knee contusion. Woodward was back in the lineup last night for the Mets, just...

NEW LABOR RULE SHOULD SAFEGUARD TREVOR

KNICK NOTES A change in the NBA's new collective-bargaining agreement will solidify a long Knick future for acrobatic swingman Trevor Ariza. It's unofficially called the Gilbert Arenas Rule, and prevents...

BUTERA REALLY DAD'S 'CLONE'

The Brooklyn Cyclones' Drew Butera faces a challenge that's unique among his teammates in the Penn League: carrying on the family name. Butera, the Mets' fifth-round pick, is the son...

HE'S CITY'S BEST . . . AND HE'S 14! - SUMMER SPOTLIGHT ON LOUGHLIN'S STEPHENSON

ABCD HOOP CAMP When Lance Stephenson decided last year where he wanted to go to high school, there was a news conference to make the announcement. And people came. That's...

BARRETT'S GLAD WITH COMPLETE FREEDOM

ABCD NOTEBOOK Andre Barrett, who averaged 3.1 ppg as an NBA rookie last season with the Rockets and Magic, worked out at the camp yesterday in preparation for playing with...

CAPITAL PAINS - PEDRO, METS ON SHORT END OF D.C. PITCHING DUEL

Nationals 3 - Mets 2 WASHINGTON - On Sunday, the Mets didn't score at all. On Monday, they didn't score until the seventh inning. And last night, they didn't score...

CARDS' FIFTH RUINS B'KLYN

Cardinals 5 - Cyclones 4 Coming into the fifth inning of last night's game against the visiting New Jersey Cardinals, the Brooklyn Cyclones' pitching staff had allowed only one run...

AS LARRY BROWN RECOVERS FROM SURGERY, WIFE TELLS POST: MY HUSBAND WILL NOT BE THE KNICKS' NEXT COACH

LARRY Brown will not coach the Knicks next year, and instead hopes to return to the Pistons' bench, health permitting, his wife said emphatically yesterday in an exclusive interview with...