April 13, 2000

MART IN MICRO-SHOCK - TANKING TECHS IN TERROR OF GOV'T REGULATION

The Microsoft antitrust-ruling earthquake continued to produce aftershocks in the market yesterday, forcing the Nasdaq composite index officially into a bear market. The main reason, say strategists, is that shareholders...

AREA HOSPITALS TRAIN THEIR SIGHTS ON AETNA

Local hospitals plan to sue Aetna U.S. HealthCare - and perhaps other HMOs - charging they illegally refuse to pay for $1 billion in services, The Post has learned. The...

ONE SCREEN TO ANOTHER - SALON LATEST WEB SITE GOING TO TV

This must be what they mean by Web TV. In the search for eyeballs, Internet properties are increasingly turning to television. Culture Webzine Salon yesterday announced it will team with...

CELEBRITY PAYBACK - GIACCHETTO ESCAPEES MAY HAVE TO ANTE UP FOR VICTIMS

Legal plans are under way to force the celebrity clients who quietly bailed out of Dana Giacchetto's alleged Ponzi scheme before its collapse to give back their rescued millions to...

LAUDER GETS WIRED - CYBER-MAKEOVER @COSMETICS GIANT

The proverbial 600-pound gorilla stomped into the online beauty jungle yesterday. Estee Lauder said that it will launch a Web site for all its brands next year, will start selling...

LAUREN HIRES ROGER FARAH AS PRESIDENT

Roger Farah has landed on his feet - the former chairman of Venator is heading to Polo Ralph Lauren as president and chief operating officer. Farah will take over the...

KOZMO ACCUSED OF AVOIDING BLACK AREAS

Kozmo denied yesterday that it practices redlining in its choice of where its delivers snacks, movies and convenience items. The company, headed by Joseph Park, made its comments in response...

EX-D.H. BLAIR BROKER PLEADS GUILTY IN STOCK FRAUD CASE

A 29-year-old stockbroker pleaded guilty to securities fraud yesterday - the latest crook caught in Manhattan prosecutors' ongoing probe of the defunct D.H. Blair & Co. Patrick Falco of Wantagh,...

UNILEVER SCOOPS UP BEN & JERRY'S

It's like fattening you up and slimming you down in one fell scoop. Corporate giant Unilever yesterday swallowed up Ben & Jerry's Homemade, the quirky Vermont ice-cream company that offers...

BURGEONING AFTER-WORK BAR SCENE IS WHERE GOTHAMITES GO TO FORGET THEIR TROUBLES AND ... GET HAPPY!

HAPPY hours are here again! If it's true that New Yorkers are working harder than ever, they're playing harder after work, too - piling into thriving bars and lounges all...

THE STARR REPORT

'20/20' gets action An "20/20" report has spurred some Yale University alumni into taking online action. On March 1, "20/20" and John Miller investigated the case of Yale political science...

CLEAN HANDS FOR FOX IN PROBE

AN internal review has exonerated the Fox network of any wrongdoing or negligence in the "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire" fiasco. Fox yesterday released the results of the investigation...

HUGE PAIN IN THE JUR-ASSIC - THREE HOURS OF 'DINOSAURS' CAN FEEL LIKE A MILLION YEARS

I'M as crazy as the next guy for dinosaurs, especially the giant, flesh-eating, slimy, disgusting, wet ones. In fact, my three favorite movies are "One Million B.C." (1939, starring Victor...

THWAP! MARVEL-COMICS HERO LEE JOINING FORCES WITH DC

Holy defection, Batman! Stan Lee, who created such legendary Marvel comic-book characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk, has signed a deal with his former...

TWO NEW SHOWS TO CLOSE

OFF-Broadway was awash in red ink yesterday, with the news that both "Family Week" and "Noel Coward's Suite in Two Keys" posted closing notices. Beth Henley's "Family Week," a drama...

'ROSE' LOST IN TIME

ROSELyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St.; (212) 239-6200. Reviewed: April 8.OLYMPIA Dukakis sits for the entire evening center stage - it looks like she's sitting on a table in the...

CASE OF THE MURDERED PORKER SETTLED BY JUDGE JERRY... JUSTICE FOR A PIG IN THE CITY; ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF TINY BOO WAS A PILE OF RAW MEAT

THE case of a murdered pet pig proved too big for New Mexico small claims court. Instead, the case, which made national headlines earlier this month, yesterday wound up in...

'PSYCHO' BIDS TO 'NET FANS

IN an attempt to create pre-release buzz, "American Psycho" is riding on the cyber-highway paved by "The Blair Witch Project." The picture, due out tomorrow from Lions Gate Films, has...

MODERN DANCE TALENT DIES AT 65

THE show went on Tuesday night when the Erick Hawkins Company - one of America's leading modern dance troupes - offered the world premiere of "Motherwell Amor," despite the death...

(MD+BO)MARIAH VS. THE HUNKS(MD-BO) - DIVA FAILS TO CAREY THE DAY IN GARDEN MEGA-CONCERT SHOWDOWN

THEY say you can't be in two places at once, but that didn't stop me from try ing to cover two concerts at once on Tuesday night. Mariah Carey played...

GREAT-UNCLE REJECTS RENO PLEA - 'GOV'T WILL HAVE TO GET ELIAN BY FORCE'

Elian Gonzalez's defiant great-uncle said last night the feds will have to reclaim the tug-of-war kid "by force" - even as Attorney General Janet Reno ordered the family to hand...

OFF-DUTY COP KILLS SUSPECT AT B'KLYN MALL

A wild gun battle in Brooklyn's crowded Fulton Mall last night sent shoppers diving for cover as a moonlighting cop killed a suspected shoplifter after he pulled a gun, police...

HILL SHOWS HER COLORS - BASHING RUDY ON WELFARE TO PLEASE GOV'T WORKERS

Rudy's a pervert. That's what Hillary said. Aren't the next six months going to be fun? "We have a mayor who perverts welfare reform, who puts people in make-work jobs...

'I'M DAMN HAPPY' WITHOUT SEX

'I MISS sex all the time. I go for long periods without sex - like a camel," Lauren Hutton proclaims between mouthfuls of crab soup at the trendy Midtown restaurant...

LOTTO WILL HELP HIM WALK AGAIN

A Queens double amputee who hit the Lotto jackpot says the first thing he'll buy with his $17.5 million is a new pair of legs. "This will change my life,"...

WHITE HOUSE MAY RELEASE FULL LEO Q&A

The White House intends to release a full transcript of Leonardo DiCaprio's 30-minute interview with President Clinton - after an edited version of the controversial chat airs on TV next...

DANA BIDS TO TAKE FLIGHT, BUT LANDS IN JAIL, FEDS SAY

Accused celeb-scammer Dana Giacchetto is escorted into Manhattan federal court yesterday after allegedly trying to flee to Rome - where his lawyer said he wanted to propose to his girlfriend.N.Y....

PREZ MAKES COLO. GUN-CONTROL PITCH

DENVER - President Clinton took his gun-control crusade to firearms-loving Colorado yesterday, and told supporters that if guns can be regulated here, such laws can be passed anywhere. Gun-control advocates...

COPS HAVE SUSPECT IN THE DESECRATION OF CHURCH STATUES

Cops have identified a prime suspect in the spate of vandalism against sacred statues at Catholic churches, homes and clubs in Brooklyn, The Post has learned. The suspected statue-basher, whose...

POPE IS GONNA ROCK 'N' ROLL WITH LOU REED

The Vatican is taking a walk on the wild side. Pope John Paul II has agreed to host a May 1 concert starring hard-living rock star Lou Reed - along...

KING'S COURT KO COULD DETHRONE BOXING CHAMP

Heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis must forfeit one of his title belts before he enters the ring in New York because he reneged on a deal with Don King, a federal...

COUGHERS NOT FILLING STATE COFFERS WITH CIG-TAX HIKE

ALBANY - Cigarette purchases in New York plummeted last month when a whopping increase in the state's excise tax took effect, The Post has learned. According to figures provided by...

BEARS ARE TECH-NICALLY IN CONTROL OF NASDAQ

The Wall Street sell-off officially pushed technology stocks into a bear market yesterday. The Nasdaq composite index - where bellwether tech stocks like Microsoft, Cisco and Amazon trade - is...

JURY DOESN'T CLEAR SHEPPARD

The late Dr. Sam Sheppard lost again yesterday when a Cleveland jury rejected his son's bid to clear his name in the 46-year-old murder case that inspired "The Fugitive" TV...

COLUMBINE ILLUSTRATES CRISIS OF SPIRIT, NOT LAW

FACTS are stubborn things, as President Clinton found out yesterday at a Colorado town meeting. A state legislator told Clinton that the proposed gun-show legislation he came to advocate wouldn't...

WHEN GOING GETS ROUGH, PREZ HIDES BEHIND HER

THE two hottest issues in America right now are Elian Gonzalez and Microsoft and, on both, Bill Clinton is acting as if the president's name was Janet Reno. Profile in...

'SOPRANOS' ACTOR PRISON-BOUND

A walk-on actor from "The Sopranos" will soon be playing a continuing role in a state prison - for being a real-life crook. Thomas Bifalco, 26, of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, was...

BETSY: ROSS MADE ME SIGN POSTNUP PACT

In the War of the Rosses latest salvo, Betsy McCaughey Ross socked her estranged hubby with a $40 million suit yesterday, charging she was forced to sign a postnuptial agreement...

90 PERCENT OF SPORTS COLLECTIBLES MAY BE FAKE: FED PROSECUTOR

A federal prosecutor said yesterday that up to 90 percent of sports memorabilia sold in the United States is fake - and the more popular the athlete, the more likely...

'FRONT-RUNNER' LEVY WANTS TO STAY ON AS CHANCELLOR

Interim Schools Chancellor Harold Levy said yesterday he wants the job on a permanent basis, and Board of Ed President Bill Thompson said he's a front-runner. Levy, who met yesterday...

DORISMOND KILLING MAY BE LATEST TO SWAY AN ELECTION ; DORISMOND KILLING MIGHT BE LATEST TO SWAY ELECTION

RUDY GIULIANI's sudden double-digit plunge in the polls may indicate that another killing will decide yet another New York election. In August of 1989, a mob of whites in Bensonhurst...

DIALLO'S MOM & REVS. CALL FOR RACIAL PEACE

The mother of Amadou Diallo, the unarmed African immigrant gunned down by cops last year, joined a group of ministers yesterday in calling for peace and continued prayer. Still pursuing...

HILL PINCH HITS FOR RUDY IN ROCHESTER - HE BOWED OUT TO SEE BOMBERS

Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday made a hastily arranged stop at a Rochester restaurant to spotlight Mayor Giuliani's decision to cancel his visit to the upstate city because of the Yankees'...

RUDY REACTS TO CANCER MAPS WITH EXTRA $2M

Mayor Giuliani, pouncing on an issue critical to women voters, yesterday allocated an extra $2 million to a groundbreaking cancer study. The mayor said he was reacting to the state...

EX-PERELMAN AIDE SAYS: DUFF BEAT RON

The gloves came off at the sound of the bell in Round 2 of the Ron Perelman-Patricia Duff custody clash yesterday, with each side hitting the other with charges of...

READING TESTS ARE 'A BREEZE' FOR SOME, BUT OTHERS SWEAT

It was a tale of two cities yesterday as public-school kids sat down to the reading tests they must pass to be promoted. While students at top-performing Upper East Side...

DERAILMENT HELL ON LEXINGTON AVE. IRT

Nearly 2,000 frightened straphangers were stranded for more than two hours last night waiting to be rescued from a hot and hellishly crowded Lexington Avenue express train that derailed between...

CON TOLD CELLMATE HE KILLED ETAN: COPS

New York detectives, reopening one of the city's most notorious unsolved crimes, have interviewed a prisoner who said his former cellmate confessed to killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in 1979, sources...

QUEEN VISITS ULSTER TO HONOR COP WHO LOST BOTH HIS LEGS

Queen Elizabeth flew to troubled Northern Ireland yesterday to bestow Britain's highest civilian honor on the embattled police force. Amid tight security - and following a bomb hoax - the...

'EXHAUSTIVE' DEAL TO BRING CLEAN BUSES

The city's fleet of dirty diesel buses is on the way out thanks to a sweeping deal reached by Albany lawmakers yesterday. Under the $250 million program, the MTA has...

JUDGE CASTS TV WISEGUY AS CON IN REAL JAIL DRAMA

A walk-on actor from "The Sopranos" will soon be playing a continuing role in a state prison - for being a real-life crook. Thomas Bifalco, 26, of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, was...

SURVEY SAYS SEX IS GOOD IN THE LONG RUN

Making whoopee the night before a big race may help runners make better time, a new British survey says. The kiss-and-run finding - bound to fan the long-running debate over...

RENO FLIES TO MIAMI TO MAKE A DEAL - ELIAN HAND-OVER PUT ON HOLD ONCE AGAIN

Attorney General Janet Reno flew into the eye of the storm over Elian Gonzalez last night - jetting to Miami in a dramatic showdown to broker a peaceful handover of...

HILLARY'S BUSY FRIENDS

The Civil Rights Commission report is just the latest in a long series of anti-Rudy moves by Hillary allies. here are some of the others: Dec. 1998: Health and Human...

KNICKS NOT QUITE BAD ENOUGH

In the end, the Knicks gained a game on the Heat, closed to one behind for first place in the Atlantic Division. Talk about undeserving. The Knicks won in overtime...

HAMPTON MAKING AN AMAZIN' MESS

PHILADELPHIA - The puddle on the Mets' pillow is as chilly as an early April evening, as they toss and turn in a 3-6 start. Their worst, ongoing frustration dream...

HAMPTON ADMITS: I STINK - MET 'ACE' FALLS TO 0-3 IN LOSS TO PHILS

Phillies 8 - Mets 5 PHILADELPHIA - Mike Hampton's arm isn't the problem. It's his head. "All I can say is I stink right now," said Hampton, who had absolutely...

DEVILS SCARRED & SCARED - OPEN PLAYOFFS VS. PANTHERS

This time it's different and the Devils hope that makes this playoff different. They've already suffered their annual humbling before these playoffs even begin. They hope it spares them one...

REPLAY SHOWS RUSTY WAS ROBBED OF HR

Give Rusty Greer and the Rangers credit. They've lost more than their share of heartbreakers to the Yankees, including yesterday's 8-6 defeat in which Greer seemingly was robbed of a...

KEYSHAWN: BLAME GROH! - SAYS HE WOULD HAVE STAYED IF JETS WERE STILL TUNA'S TEAM

In the end, if you listened carefully to Keyshawn Johnson's words, it was all the fault of Al Groh. Disgruntled Jets fans, Johnson said, should blame his controversial departure on...

CONE LET 'W' SLIP AWAY

IN A miserable week, David Cone was presented with a gift. All he had to do was take it. He had endured a lousy start last Wednesday in Anaheim and...

GANG GREEN TARGETING PICKENS

In the wake of the Keyshawn Johnson trade, the Jets have made inquiries with the Bengals about acquiring disgruntled receiver Carl Pickens in a trade, The Post has learned. A...

DISABLED LIST SEEMS LIKELY FOR PETTITTE

YANKEE NOTES Armed with the results of an MRI that uncovered a strained latissimus dorsi muscle in Andy Pettitte's left side, the Yankees today are likely to place their only...

MONTGOMERY UP FOR CHALLENGE - WON'T CONCEDE JOB TO ROOKIE

That trademark intensity nearly burned up the phone line as he spoke. Joe Montgomery meant business. Doesn't he always? "I'm going to tell you one thing," he stated, firmly, as...

THE BEAT GOES ON - BOMBERS HAND RANGER PATSIES ANOTHER WHIPPIN'

Yankees 8 - Rangers 6 No matter how many walks their pitchers issued, it made no difference. Nor did it matter that their hitters squandered numerous scoring chances early. Or...

JETER: CHAD WAS OFF BASE

Chad Curtis' assumption that his relationship with Derek Jeter was never the same after Curtis criticized Jeter for fraternizing with Seattle's Alex Rodriguez during a fight between the Mariners and...

BOXING FANS BELTED AGAIN

LAS VEGAS - Only in boxing can such a thing happen: Yesterday, on the same day that federal prosecutors were presenting a case against the IBF involving bribery, corruption and...

WOOD-DERBY COMBO WOULD YIELD BIG BUCKS

It's been six years since a horse who prepped for the Kentucky Derby at Aqueduct won the roses, when Go for Gin went wire to wire in '94 after finishing...

TINO'S A PERFECT FIT IN PINSTRIPES

AN ERROR fielding a bunt by an infielder named Wilson Delgado? Four walks in one inning from the starting pitcher? Find something else to do in late October. The Yankees...

TO ROGERS, METS LOOK LIKE CHAMPS

Kenny Rogers says he has no gripes with the Mets. In fact, he's picking them to knock off the Braves this season and reach the World Series. You would think...

'KIP' PRIMED FOR THREEPEAT

Kelly Kip, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, worked four furlongs over the Belmont main track yesterday morning in :46 in his final preparation for the Grade 3...

COX GETS TURNED OFF BY KEY DEAL

Brian Cox is one Jet veteran who is extremely unhappy about the Keyshawn Johnson trade and not afraid to air his feelings. "I'm not sticking around for rebuilding," Cox said...

LEDEE GETS A BIG BOOST FROM BIG HIT

The first two pitches buzzed him inside for called strikes, but Ricky Ledee was going to be stubborn. Two more pitches whizzed by - "in the same place," the lefty...

RECEPTION GIVES STOTT CHILLS

Mel Stottlemyre's face was tanned and his eyes twinkled as he paused outside the clubhouse door just minutes after receiving an emotional standing ovation from the Yankees' Opening Day sellout...

SLUMPIN' REY: NERVOUS, WHO ME?

MET NOTES PHILADELPHIA - Bobby Valentine thinks its anxiety. Rey Ordonez disagrees. The one thing that is certain is that Ordonez now has one hit in 214 at-bats this season....

SNAG DELAYS ISLES SALE

With continued financial wrangling between Islanders majority owner Howard Milstein and the team's Class B owners, the pending sale of the club to Computer Associates CEO Charles Wang has stalled,...

KNICKS NEED ALLAN TO GO 4TH

EVERYTHING seems perfect in the Knick world heading into the playoffs. Patrick Ewing is flying through the air decimating all opposing centers not named Shaq or 'Zo. Miami is collapsing....

VAN GUNDY BITTER ABOUT PACERS' WHINE

KNICK NOTES Jeff Van Gundy is not denying Patrick Ewing touched the ball on Larry Johnson's big 3-pointer with 21.7 seconds left Monday night in their dramatic win over the...

FAITH IN REED PAYS OFF - MET RIGHTY DELIVERS FOR BOBBY

PHILADELPHIA - They all gave the same answer during the spring. Whoever is pitching that day is the No. 1 starter. So tonight, it's good, ol' reliable Rick Reed against...

MIKE'S BLOODIED, BUT IT'S STILL EARLY

PHILADELPHIA - April 12 is too early for bleeding. You want to see the full, massive hemorrhage, the Mets showed that to you here on the next-to-last weekend of the...

KNICKS STRUGGLE TO GO 4TH

EVERYTHING looks perfect in the Knick world right now, heading into the playoffs. Patrick Ewing is flying through the air decimating all opposing centers not named Shaq or Zo. Latrell...

WALLACE READY TO LACE 'EM UP IN TORONTO

KNICK-NET NOTEBOOK John Wallace participated in yesterday's morning shootaround, not holding back, and said he will be activated for tomorrow's road game against his former team, the Raptors. Wallace was...

VAN GUNDY SPITS OUT WHINE - DISPUTES INDY'S CONSPIRACY THEORY

Jeff Van Gundy is not denying Patrick Ewing touched the ball on Larry Johnson's big 3-pointer with 21.7 seconds left Monday night in their dramatic win over the Pacers -...

IT'S HARDLY A BURE THING, BUT JERSEY WILL GET IT DONE

The Devils have their own reputations to salvage in these playoffs, especially in the first round. More than that, they have one reputation to save - that of GM Lou...

MUSEUMS CAST 'NET FOR NAZI-ART OWNERS

New York museum directors are posting pictures of paintings with questionable histories on the Internet in hopes of being able to return any works that may have been stolen by...