October 19, 2005

REFCO SCANDAL HELPS OUT RIVAL O'BRIEN

The sudden and surprising demise of Refco Inc. is likely to boost the value of a rival Chicago trading firm that has been quietly shopping itself to potential buyers. Family-owned...

E. 63RD ST. TO GAIN ACCESS

THE New York Academy of Sciences has pocketed $31.25 million for its mansion quarters at 2 E. 63rd St. The buyer is an entity related to Access Industries, a global,...

EX-SPIKE BOSS HAS 'BIG' PLANS

Albie Hecht, the former boss at Viacom's men's network Spike TV, is launching his own media company to produce children's programming. Hecht, who left Spike earlier this year after his...

VIACOM SPLIT IS MOVED UP

Media giant Viacom said yesterday it was accelerating its split, and will now complete the deal by the end of the year. Previously, Viacom said it would finalize the breakup...

REFCO SHORT SELLERS IN THE PINK (SHEETS)

The only clear-cut winners in the collapse of futures trading giant Refco appear to be short sellers in the stock of the now-bankrupt Wall Street firm. Yesterday morning, the New...

NEW BREW VOWS NO HANGOVER

A new vodka from China that's hitting town promises a buzz but no hangover. The new Asian vodka Han - named after China's golden-age Han Dynasty - is touted by...

APPLE NICKS ITS AD LOOK

Apple Computer, known for its trendsetting technology, finds itself in the uncomfortable position of being labeled a follower - or worse, a rip-off artist - over a new ad campaign....

COSTCO GETS GLOSSY; BIG DISCOUNTER NEAR DEAL TO SELL MAGAZINES FOR FIRST TIME

FAJARDO, Puerto Rico - Costco is said to be close to a deal to begin selling magazines at its warehouse stores across the United States, according to several sources here...

FORMER BOSS AT SPIKE NOW PROGRAMMING FOR TYKES

Albie Hecht, the former boss at Viacom's men's network Spike TV, is launching his own media company to produce children's programming. Hecht, who left Spike earlier this year after his...

REVOLT AT SAKS; SHAREHOLDERS ENRAGED AT EXECS' STOCK AWARDS

Despite lackluster performance at its department stores, the management team of Saks Inc. continues to receive large stock grants, raising the ire of some shareholders, who say there is a...

VIACOM SPEEDING UP SPLIT OF COMPANY IN TWO

Media giant Viacom figures if it's going to break up, it might as well do so as soon as possible. The company said yesterday it was accelerating its split, and...

RARE LOOK AT JEWISH HOLIDAY

USHPIZIN*** Miracle in Jerusalem.In Hebrew, with English subtitles. Running time: 90 minutes. Not rated (mature subject matter). At the Lincoln Center and the Sunshine. GIDDI Dar's "Ushpizin" is an oddity...

COLBERT CHEESE - 'DAILY SHOW' REPORTER TAKES A SPIN ON HIS OWN

"The Colbert Report" Weeknights at 11:30 on Comedy Central * * (two stars) SOME people are just born to be second bananas. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless...

'SINGULAR' SENSATION OF LAUGHS

ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR***Biltmore Theatre, 261 W. 47th St.; (212) 239-6200. THREE catastrophes in three acts, all quietly, slyly offered, sum up "Absurd Person Singular," Alan Ayckbourn's blackish comedy, which opened...

'THEY CAN'T ALL BE GEMS'

Disappointed with the new episodes of "Desperate Housewives"? So is the guy who created it. The producer of the show concedes that the show's second season has been slightly rocky,...

SHOULD'VE HAD IT SO MUCH BETTER

FRANZ FERDINAND IT was a deadly combination: short set,sterile theater and a cold-fish band. That didn't stop New York hipsters from nodding and gently twitching to the music of Franz...

BASEBALL PLAYOFF PAY OFF

MONDAY's Astros-Cardinals playoff game, featuring a ninth-inning meltdown by the Astros, helped Fox score some solid baseball numbers against stiff competition. Game 5 of the NLCS, highlighted by Albert Pujols'...

'SWEET' MELANIE; GRIFFITH MAY BE A 'CHARITY' CASE

SHE can't really sing and she can't really dance, but she does look like a shopworn dance-hall hostess, and she certainly sells tickets. Which is why Melanie Griffith, that veteran...

POSTMODERN LOVE STORY IS A THREE FOR ALL

THREE OF HEARTS: A POSTMODERN FAMILY (three stars) Husbands and wife. Running time: 97 minutes. Not rated (adult situations). At the IFC Center, Sixth Avenue and Third Street. 'THREE of...

ON THE SIDE - CHICAGO'S TROTTER VOWS HE'LL GALLOP INTO N.Y.

CHICAGO chef Charlie Trotter, whose deal at the Time Warner Center fell through a few weeks ago, vows that he will open a restaurant in New York. Trotter, who was...

THE STEAKS ARE HIGH - BUT PETER LUGER CLONES NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME

A thundering herd of Peter Luger imitators is stampeding Manhattan, rattling quiet neighborhoods with noisy boasts by owners who once toiled at the gold-standard Brooklyn beefery and claim to replicate...

CASH-IN KUTCHER - ASHTON SELLS A COMEDY ABOUT LIFE WITH DEMI

THE May-December romance between Ashton Kutcher and bombshell mommy Demi Moore could be headed to Fox as a new comedy. Kutcher is producing a new sitcom based on his life...

STARR REPORT

Thorne in his side Callie Thorne, who stars opposite Denis Leary in FX's "Rescue Me," is joining "ER" for three episodes as Jodie Kenyon, the ex-girl friend of Dr. Victor...

GINGER SNACKS - ENTREPRENEURS OPEN A HEALTHY, UPSCALE CHINESE BISTRO UPTOWN

DINE-ASTY GINGER 1400 Fifth Avenue, at 116th Street (212) 423-1111 How's this for a bunch of seemingly disconnected adjectives - a Guatemalan banker and a Haitian-American former collegiate tennis star...

POSITIVE ID ON VALERY MOM'S BODY

The body of the mother of abandoned 4-year-old Valery Lozada has now been formally identified. The city Medical Examiner has determined from fingerprints that the corpse found dumped in a...

MTA'S AMAZING HOLIDAY GIFT: A RIDE FOR A BUCK

Straphangers are getting lower bus and subway fares just in time for the holidays. In an unprecedented move, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will cut the base fare in half to...

'A PIZZA PARTY - LITTLE ITALY'S LOMBARDI'S TURNS 100

Forget cake - this birthday party calls for pie. The pizzeria turns 100 this year, and the saucy trail of its American debut leads back to Little Italy. Before designer...

OLD-AGE RAGE AT CELEB DUO - RUN 'HELL' NURSING HOME

A wealthy, SoHo-based filmmaker and his ballet-benefactor buddy are running a New Jersey "nursing home from hell," patients' fuming relatives told The Post. "Jersey Guy" director Elia Zois and American...

CHEESE WIZ PROVES IT'S STILL LORD OF THE PIES

IN AN age when "pizza" can mean almost any thing - from Mario Batali's eerily conceived pies at Otto to "Brazilian crispy pizza" at Caviar & Banana - it's refreshing...

CHURCH THIEF REPENTS OVER THE PHONE

Long Island police say this is the sorry sinner who stole a handbag in a Dix Hills church - and then called three days later to apologize for his crime....

INMATE-BEATING OFFICER IS JAILED

A veteran corrections officer was hit with a 28-month prison sentence yesterday for pummeling an inmate so severely that the man's eye socket and cheekbone were shattered. Edward Mulroney, 53,...

PIRRO IN RADIO DAZE

ALBANY - Republican Senate hopeful Jeanine Pirro sought to energize her struggling campaign against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday with her first radio commercial - but again found herself dogged...

TUITION BRAKE; N.Y. BUCKS TREND WITH 1% HIKE

The price of a college degree in New York state is stabilizing, but students across the country are relying on loans more than ever before, according to new figures released...

CITY FEARS 'EMINENT' DANGER

ALBANY - The Bloomberg administration yesterday warned state lawmakers they could seriously hurt future development by changing a law that allows government to condemn and seize property. "Eminent domain is...

EAST SIDE GULPS AT 7-ELEVEN

Residents of one Upper East Side block worry their peaceful existence is about to drown in the icy waters of the Slurpee. The convenience-store chain 7-Eleven is opening an outlet...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

STATEN ISLAND * Police yesterday identified the young man fatally stabbed and set on fire in a Princes Bay park. Jeremy Chavis, 20, died of several stab wounds to his...

HANDS OFF HIZZ"NER - MIKE'S MY GUY: DIANA

The mayor's gal pal, Diana Taylor, said yesterday she's not surprised someone would place a personal ad pretending to be Mayor Bloomberg - and she wants New Yorkers to know...

TWO WORDS OF ADVICE FOR NASSAU: MORE COPS

WE FLED to Nassau County to enjoy beaches and squirrels - and to escape the five boroughs. Now, with the staggering rash of 33 home invasions by gun-toting mutts on...

AD TO BE STRIPPED

Brooklyn parents, who were hot and bothered by a billboard featuring a naked blonde across the street from an elementary school, have won their fight to have the sign taken...

REAL $CHLOCKER - ANTIQUES RIVALS DRAW SWORDS IN COURT

THE very rich, it is about to be proven in court, are different from you and me in two distinct ways: 1. They have more money. 2. They have less...

PRIEST FACES MOLEST CHARGE IN BROOKLYN

A visiting Catholic priest who is the top financial officer for his African diocese was busted yesterday on charges of molesting a teenage girl as she stuffed envelopes in a...

L.I. PANIC BUYING; HOME INVASIONS SPARK STORE RUN

Fear-stricken Long Islanders are rushing to arm themselves with the toughest locks, high- tech alarms and even shotguns to ensure they won't be the next victims in a string of...

LAWYER'S WIFE WAS SITTING DUCK

The sprawling Northern California estate where the wife of legal ace Daniel Horowitz was beaten to death Saturday offered no protection from intruders, it was revealed yesterday. The property's former...

HILLARY'S ALL-GAL $$ TEAM

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton - already one of the biggest Democratic campaign fund-raisers in the nation - has set up yet another way to collect cash, The Post...

BURNING BRIDGES - SPECTACULAR BLAZE SHUTS 59TH ST. SPAN

Plumes of black smoke rose from the 59th Street Bridge yesterday, as a fire raged on the upper roadway, closing the bridge for hours and snarling traffic on both sides....

BIRD BUG A 'GLOBAL THREAT' - EUROPE IN A FLAP OVER FEATHERED FLU

The deadly bird flu that's killed dozens of people in Asia and wiped out flocks from the Far East to Europe was declared a global threat by the European Union...

RIDER PERIL: MTA UNION

If the MTA expands its plan for one-crew subway trains, passengers could be endangered when cars have to be evacuated during emergencies, the transit-workers union charged yesterday. Ed Watt, secretary-treasurer...

SUICIDE PRIEST'S DESPAIR - TRAGIC DEPRESSION

The Rev. James Pilsner was a devout pro-life activist who boasted of saving more than 200 children from being aborted, but when it came to saving himself, the young Catholic...

NYPD ROASTS E-MOLES - BLOOMBERG WANTS THEM FIRED

WASHINGTON - Top New York cops, appearing yesterday before a congressional panel, blasted the conduct of federal Homeland Security officials for leaks of secret information about the subway bomb plot...

MIERS ONCE VOWED TO FIGHT ABORTION - MADE PROMISE TO TEX. PRO-LIFE GROUP IN 1989

WASHINGTON - A new controversy erupted over Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers yesterday, with the revelation that she vowed in 1989 to actively oppose abortion and support a ban except...

GRAMERCY PK. SHELTER NIXED

Residents of Gramercy Park rejoiced yesterday as the city announced that plans to replace a homeless shelter for women with one for men had been scrapped. "It was an ill-conceived...

CODGER CAPO COPS PLEA

Acting Genovese crime boss Dominick Cirillo - who dodged the feds for decades, earning the nickname "Quiet Dom" - is finally being sent up the river. The Mafioso pleaded guilty...

AL & JESSE REV. UP TTACKS ON MAYOR

The Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton yesterday rallied around Democratic mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, slamming Mayor Bloomberg for being on the wrong team - the Republican one. Sharpton and...

MTA EYEING E-ZIER STADIUM PARKING

Sports fans may soon be able to use their E-ZPass to avoid long lines for parking at stadiums throughout the region. An MTA committee yesterday said the agency should consider...

SMUTTY BUDDY BARES ALL - SEX DIRT FLUNG ON 'FLING' POL IN COURT

A former Long Island harbormaster took the stand yesterday and dished like a schoolgirl about his lust-fueled fling with a married Huntington Town official, detailing sex romps on public beaches,...

REFCO FALLOUT; THOMAS H. LEE COULD TAKE $392M HIT

The sudden and painful demise of Refco Inc. is likely to deliver a $392 million blow to one of the world's most respected investment firms. Boston's Thomas H. Lee Partners,...

DOCS SCRUB SLIPPERY SOAP CLAIMS

A group of doctors has some news about claims that antibacterial soaps are more effective - it just doesn't wash. Critics of the popular soaps say widespread use could lead...

DOCS IN FAKE-ACCIDENT SCAM: COPS

Eleven people were busted yesterday in an NYPD sting involving two Queens medical mills suspected of ripping off insurance companies by staging phony accidents, authorities said. They allegedly recruited "runners"...

NYPD PROBES COP IN BODY CHOP - MOVE SPARKED BY POST REVELATIONS

A veteran NYPD detective assigned to the Bronx Medical Examiner's Office is being investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau for his connection to the target of a criminal body-snatching probe,...

COPS DRILL 'PHONY' DENTIST

Cops responding to a possible robbery in Queens wound up arresting a phony dentist and a nurse instead, police said yesterday. At 12:15 p.m., cops responded to a report of...

NUMBER'S UP FOR CELL 'THIEF'

A savvy Brooklyn man helped police arrest one of the perps who allegedly robbed him of his cellphone at gunpoint, by getting numbers traced. Gregory Lindsey contacted his phone company...

AL & JESSE REV. UP ATTACKS ON MAYOR

The Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton yesterday rallied around Democratic mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, slamming Mayor Bloomberg for being on the wrong team - the Republican one. Sharpton and...

COPS EYE SLAIN-WIFE LAWYER'S FILES

Cops want to snoop through confidential files of a famed defense lawyer in hopes of unearthing clues to the brutal murder of his wife, a longtime pal said yesterday. Daniel...

POINTING FINGAZ AT 'GUN' RAPPER

Rapper Sticky Fingaz may have to change his name to Butter Fingers, for allegedly letting his 9 mm handgun slip into the hands of cops after he checked out of...

'GATSBY' GAL - L.I. MURDER VICTIM ID'D AS SINGLE MOM

The "Great Gatsby" murder victim is a 24-year-old single mom from Long Island with a troubled boyfriend and a history of violence, cops said yesterday. Police identified the woman -...

MOBSTER: GOTTI SAID HE'D KILL SNITCHES

A convicted Gambino soldier testified in a union-corruption trial yesterday that Peter Gotti once warned that if anyone cooperated with the government, he would, "kill them and their families." Primo...

E-MOLE PROBE WIDENS - NEW LEAKS SUSPECTED

WASHINGTON - The feds are expanding their probe and looking at additional Department of Homeland Security employees who may have blabbed about the New York City subway terror plot, sources...

OOPS! THUGS MUG OFF-DUTY OFFICER

Two muggers picked the wrong victim in Queens last night - he turned out to be an off-duty cop, and one of the robbers wound up getting shot in the...

TEACHER WALLOPS KID: COPS

A Bronx math teacher was arrested yesterday for punching a 14-year-old student in the face, police said. David Cody, 51, who teaches at Validus Preparatory Academy in Morrisania, punched Irvin...

GATSBY VICTIM A MOM - ID REVEALS RAP SHEET

The "Great Gatsby" murder victim is a 24-year-old single mother from Long Island who had a history of violence, cops said yesterday. Cops identified the woman as Elisabeth Parisi of...

BURNING YOUR BRIDGES - SPECTACULAR BLAZE SHUTS 59TH ST. SPAN

Plumes of black smoke rose from the 59th Street Bridge yesterday, as a fire raged on the upper roadway, closing the bridge for hours and snarling traffic on both sides....

TUITION BRAKE - N.Y. BUCKS TREND WITH 1% HIKE

The price of a college degree in New York state is stabilizing, but students across the country are relying on loans more than ever before, according to new figures released...

BALLOTS VITAL AS BULLETS

ELECTIONS are fast approaching and sportsmen and women should remember that they could very well determine the outcome of an election. With a base of more than 35 million, sportsmen...

CALL 'EM GANG GLOOM

NOW we know there's little hope for the 2005 Jets. Sunday's performance in Buffalo provided enough evidence of that. Sunday's game against the Bills, a mirror-image team to the Jets,...

ISLANDERS ARE DYING TO SHAKE EARLY ILLS

Punch-drunk from the mauling administered them in South Philly over the weekend, the Islanders now find themselves in a strange place, but one where they can learn a lot from...

WIFE KNEW IT WOULD WORK OUT

When Ali Torre's husband returned from Tampa on Monday, she was not surprised at his decision to remain as Yankees manager. "I know that he truly loves managing the Yankees...

THE POST'S TOP 25

1 USC (6-0) Won, 34-31, at Notre Dame at Washington (1) Reggie Bush, a Bush we can all be proud of. 2 Texas (6-0) Beat Colorado, 42-17 vs. Texas Tech...

ACHING MCINNIS WILL GIVE IT A TRY

NET NOTES Jeff McInnis believes that if he can practice, he can play. McInnis practiced yesterday. So he intends to play tonight when the Nets visit Toronto. "I'm going to...

LEGACY OF PUJOLS' HR UNDETERMINED

NLCS NOTES ST LOUIS - It may not feel like it after Albert Pujols turned around Brad Lidge and certain defeat in the nick of time Monday night, but the...

MAZZONE COULD TAKE MEL'S PLACE

YANKEE NOTES Mel Stottlemyre's departure still stings Joe Torre, but it could be softened if the Yankees replace the pitching coach with Leo Mazzone. "They asked me about my thoughts,"...

NEXT UP: CASHMAN

With Joe Torre comfortably back in the fold, George Steinbrenner's attention is focused on retaining GM Brian Cashman before his contract expires Oct. 31. Of course, the decision is up...

GIANTS' FUTURE IS 'O' SO GOOD

THOSE wondering about the wisdom of investing in an authentic Giants jersey should go right ahead and take the financial plunge. Don't fear that your favorite player will be shown...

MONEY BUYS HAPPINESS ; 13 MILLION REASONS FOR TORRE TO STAY

MONEY won yesterday. What do you expect? These are the Yankees, where Cash is more than the current general manager's nickname. Joe Torre has $13 million owed to him and...

FRAZIER: RAISE '20' TO RAFTERS

One Allan Houston-hater suggested a $100 million check should be raised to the Garden rafters instead of his "20" jersey. If it's any consolation, Houston will not cost the Knicks...

MURRAY CAN'T STAND TORONTO

Lamond Murray was trying to hold his tongue and be professional about his feelings toward the Raptors organization. "They don't know basketball up there," said Murray, who did three years...

ROBBY SHAKES UP DEVILS' LINEUP

The lineup was stirred, not shaken, as Larry Robinson last night sought to find the blend that would make the Devils a less-distasteful concoction. Robinson simply swapped right wingers on...

HEISMAN HEADED TO 1 OF 2 TROJANS

COLLEGE GRID A colleague for whom I have the greatest respect had just returned from the Southern Cal locker room on Saturday when he turned to me and said, 'You...

NO BULL: DAVIS OPTS TO REPORT

KNICK NOTES With the Knicks refusing to waive Antonio Davis unless he agreed to a buyout that would save the club significant dollars, the ex-Bull finally reported yesterday and was...

KNICKS STILL NBA'S BEST-DRESSED TEAM

Commissioner David Stern consulted last season with team president Isiah Thomas and Garden president Steve Mills about the Knicks' unprecedented dress code; the NBA installed its own policy this week....

THEY'LL MANAGE, BUT FOR HOW LONG?

ON the charter airplane, somewhere around cruising level, Joe Torre heard exactly what he wanted to hear. "We want you back," Randy Levine said genially. In the Legends Field parking...

SITDOWN KEEPS TORRE STANDING - SHORT MEETING WITH BOSS CLINCHED IT

Fifteen minutes alone with George Steinbrenner in The Boss' Tampa office Monday convinced Joe Torre he wanted to remain the Yankees' manager and led Torre to believe The Boss wanted...

WIZARD OF OSWALT - ASTROS TURN TO ROY TO CLOSE DOOR ON CARDS

ST. LOUIS - On the Cardinals' last chance, Albert Pujols went deep and into the heart of Texas with one of the most shocking home runs in baseball history. Now,...

DEVILS STOP THE BLEEDING

DEVILS 4 PANTHERS 3 To the Devils, this was relief, a bandage, and that was enough. It was the victory they needed, no matter how it looked. "It wasn't our...

NO BULL: DAVISI OPTS TO REPORT

KNICK NOTES With the Knicks refusing to waive Antonio Davis unless he agreed to a buyout that would save the club significant dollars, the ex-Bull finally reported yesterday and was...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Schoolgirls in Ogden, Utah, have given casual dress a whole new meaning - they're wearing pajamas to class. "Some days, you don't want to get dressed up for school. Like...