December 9, 2005

BALLY'S DUMB BELLS - CEO DUMPS SHARES FOR $2.93M; HEDGE FUNDS IRATE

There's more trouble brewing at beleaguered health club chain Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. The company's largest shareholder, Pardus Capital Management, is fuming about the 1.2 million shares sold by...

HOT DONUT SALE - BUYOUT GIANTS EYE AUCTION FOR DUNKIN' DONUTS

Wall Street's biggest buyout titans are shoving in line to buy Dunkin' Donuts so they can use it as a budget rival to beat down Starbucks. The 4,400 shops in...

POLICE BROKER HUNT

Investigators raided Joseph Stevens & Co., a small New York brokerage firm, and shut its Manhattan and Staten Island offices yesterday in a hunt for information on brokers who once...

'DREAM'-Y PAY PACKAGE

You don't see this very often: two corporate chieftains giving up millions in stock in order to pay an incoming executive. But that is just what happened yesterday when DreamWorks...

HALLMARK CHANNEL BIDS NOT IN CARDS

If your bids for the Hallmark Channel aren't the very best, don't bother submitting them. Owner Crown Media rejected bids as high as $1.8 billion for the channel, claiming offers...

EARLY CHILL HEATS UP OIL AND GAS PRICES

As New York plunged into its coldest day of the month of December so far, natural gas prices soared to a new high - and will climb as much as...

THESTREET'S SWEET SPOT ; CRAMER'S BABY WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE OF A SALE

SHARES of financial news service, TheStreet.com have soared recently on takeover rumors. The company was founded by frantic hedge fund manager James Cramer, who turned over day-to-day control years ago...

BLOOMIE'S LOSES A LEGEND

Kalman Ruttenstein, Bloomingdale's senior vice president of fashion direction, and an inspirational figure to designers young and old for nearly three decades, died yesterday at The Mount Sinai Medical Center...

TRUMP WINS A ROUND

Donald J. Trump won a round yesterday in an ongoing court battle with his Chinese partners over the sale of their West Side land and buildings. Trump claims the $1.75...

BYRNED INTO MEMORY

A TOUCH OF THE POET*** (three stars)Studio 54, 234 W. 54th St.; (212) 239-6200. A wild flash of acting and we're off to the races with a magnificent Gabriel Byrne...

IT'S A TIME CAPSULE

ISN'T THIS A TIME! *** (three stars) I'M not exactly a fan of folk music, but Jim Brown's docu mentary "Isn't This a Time!" had me singing along with the...

BLAND OF THE RISING SUN

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA** (two stars) Beautiful bore.Running time: 137 minutes. Rated PG-13 (mature subject matter, sexual content). At the Lincoln Square, the Empire, the Union Square. EVERY December, they...

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS IN JAPAN

MAREBITO*** (three stars) Underground movie.In Japanese, with English subtitles. Running time: 92 minutes. Not rated (nudity and violence). At the Angelika, Mercer and Houston streets. IF you should happen to...

DAME JUDI AND NUDIES BOOST BLITZ MORALE

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS *** ½ (three and a half stars) One of the year's best.Running time: 103 minutes. Rated R (nudity, brief swearing). At the Lincoln Plaza and the Angelika....

RECOVERY MODE

DEPECHE MODE WITH the resurgence of synth rock, the electronic sonics that Depeche Mode pioneered in the '80s, and continues to fiddle with today, showed surprising relevance at the first...

COWPOKES - OPEN RANGE, CLOSETED GUYS, VERY GOOD FILM

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (three stars) The lonesome West. Running time: 134 minutes. Rated R (sex, nudity, profanity, some violence). At the Lincoln Square, the Chelsea, the Loews Village. A love story...

'DANCE' CARD IS FILLED

ABC has finally announced its roster for "Dancing with the Stars" - and the new crew includes a few surprises. The "Oscar winner" touted in ABC promos for the show...

BIG 'BOYS'; FOUR SEASONS MUSICAL QUIETLY BEATS BROADWAY COMPETITION

LAST Friday, after 24 hours of Oprah-fueled media hype, "The Color Purple" sold around $350,000 worth of tickets. Just a few blocks south, "Jersey Boys," which Oprah hasn't even seen...

ARCHITECT OF OWN CAREER

MORGAN Phalen, lead singer of Diamond Nights, left a 9-to-5 job at an architect's office to focus full time on rock. So Phalen, unlike many jaded musicians, appreciates every sleepless...

LAUGH TRACKED - WHO KNEW THIS YEAR WAS SO DARN FUNNY?

"Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05" Sunday night at 9 (three and one half stars) LET'S face it, 2005 was no laughing matter. In fact, it was a downright crying shame...

'FRAMED' SCALDER IN COURT

Friends and relatives of a Queens man who says he was framed for assault by a vindictive girlfriend packed a tiny courtroom yesterday as he made his bid for freedom....

UNEMPLOYED MAN ROBS HIS OWN BANK

A Long Island bank robber was busted when employees recognized him as a regular customer. Nassau cops said yesterday that Karoly Nagy, 61, wasn't wearing a mask when he entered...

NO JAIL FOR DWI COMA-GIRL CRASH

A Queens carpenter who admitted drinking four beers before slamming into a carful of wedding guests and putting a 10-year-old girl in a coma walked away with a sentence of...

HERE'S THE PLANE TRUTH: GET TOUGHER ON FLIERS

I FERVENTLY refuse to consider or brook any debate as to whether sky marshals acted on time and in line in the shooting death of Rigoberto Alpizar. Tragically unhinged he...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

BROOKLYN *** Shoplifters aren't typically the brightest crooks, but Louis Sotto takes the cake. After getting caught trying to swipe detergent from a Bushwick bodega, he tried to pay for...

PHONE CARDS STRUCK OUT

Yer out! The prepaid phone cards pitched by Mets ace Pedro Martinez and other Dominican baseball stars - exposed by The Post for allegedly cheating customers - are being pulled...

DR. DEAN'S RETREAT; KILLING OUR TROOPS WITH LIES

WE can't win in Iraq: Howard Dean said so - guess it must be true. Doc Dean, famed for his deadly surgery on the Democratic Party, has been hiding his...

FDNY FLOOZY A 'WHACK WHORE'; COPS: SHE SOLD SEX AND SOUGHT HIT ON EX

The woman at the center of a Bronx firehouse sex scandal has been arrested again, this time oncharges of trying to sellher body to an undercover cop - and then...

SWEET SMELL OF EXCE$$

The most expensive perfume in the world just got more obnoxious. Clive Christian yesterday unveiled a $215,000 bottle of luxury perfume with a five-carat brilliant cut diamond on the neck,...

CAPO IS CAPPED IN S.I.; 'RENEGADE' ATTACK

A reputed Gambino capo was shot in the gut in Staten Island during a brawl with two Bonanno thugs and a retired NYPD officer - who attacked him because they...

AIR-SCREENER ROB SHOCKER

WASHINGTON - Two federal airport security screeners got busted after the feds were tipped off that they were stealing prescription drugs from wheelchair-bound passengers, The Post has learned. One screener...

SHOOTERS GET AIR SUPPORT; BUSH: FEDS DID OK

Two air marshals who fatally shot a mentally ill man as he bolted from a jet in Miami appear to have acted properly, the White House said yesterday. An autopsy...

'BUST-IN ROB' THUG BAGGED

A Brooklyn woman who relied on the kindness of a stranger was repeatedly victimized by the brutish man for months, police sources said yesterday. Jaime Rodriguez, 33, of East New...

SCHUMER: ADD $TRINGS TO WTC AID

Sen. Charles Schumer warned yesterday that he supports developer Larry Silverstein's bid for $3.35 billion in Liberty Bonds to rebuild the World Trade Center only if the developer can fill...

FIRE MOM'S FUNERAL PLANS; WILL BURY 3 KIDS AMID WELFARE PROBE

A Queens mother yesterday made funeral arrangements for three of her children who died in a horrible house blaze. A distraught Jennifer Gaston prepared for the grim task of burying...

GOPERS RAIL THAT GOV'S MIA IN MTA TALKS

ALBANY - Some Republicans are privately calling on Gov. Pataki to take a more active role as talks to avert a transit strike enter the tense final week. "The governor...

OH, HOLY FIGHT! TOWN TREE FUROR

The fir has been flying on Long Island over a Christmas tree-lighting celebration in the tony North Shore community of Manhasset. The North Hempstead town supervisor, who is Jewish, objected...

CITY PREPS FOR LATEST SNOW DAZE

Here we snow again! The city was braced last night for up to 6 inches of snow before this latest storm blows out to sea this afternoon. "The worst will...

BACK ON THE HOT SEAT; 'KID SEX' TEACHER DEAL OFF

Hot-to-trot teacher Debra LaFave's hopes of dodging punishment were dashed yesterday, when a Florida judge reportedly rejected a plea deal that would have kept her from facing trial for allegedly...

TEEN DRIVER FREE IN PAL SLAY; COPS BOOZE-GUILT PLEA

A Queens teen who was behind the wheel when her SUV flipped on the Grand Central Parkway, killing a pal, walked out of court yesterday a free woman after taking...

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER - & YOUNG FANS PROVE THE POINT

ON THE day John Lennon was shot, Jayne Cooper was months away from being born. And, still, he sings to her. "It sounds a bit daft, though," Jayne was saying...

'NICHOLS' LANDMARK BID IS NIXED AGAIN BY POLS

The City Council yesterday shot down for the second time a move to designate Brooklyn's Austin Nichols warehouse a landmark. The Williamsburg structure, designed by Woolworth Building architect Cass Gilbert,...

UNION A 'WEE' BIT MIFFED OVER RULES

With a devastating transit strike looming, union leaders shifted from name-calling to potty talk yesterday - complaining the new MTA bus schedules left little time for drivers to pee. "Can...

CITY OK'D TO ADD 5 CHARTERS IN '06

The state Board of Regents is expected to give the go-ahead today for five charter schools to open in the city next fall, further pressuring the state to lift its...

MOBSTER EXTORTED PARTNER: FEDS

Feds yesterday busted a reputed Gambino associate for allegedly extorting a former business partner - who claims the mobster slapped him, held him at knifepoint and had his car shot...

10G WINNING HAND ; ANOTHER POST READER COLLECTS

Aida Negron is a big-time New York Post reader - and now she's a big-time New York Post winner. The 59-year-old upper Manhattan resident just nailed down a cool $10,000...

FLAP OVER PIRRO MOVE TO CLOSE PROBE

ALBANY - A Westchester County lawyer is raising questions about DA Jeanine Pirro's recent decision to close an investigation into a Yonkers development deal. Pirro, running for U.S. Senate, had...

FLA. SANTA CLOD GETS HUNG OUT TO DRY

A Scrooge-like sicko has stunned a south Florida neighborhood by placing a large blindfolded Santa Claus hanging from a noose in his yard. The sight of old St. Nick swinging...

BOOZY BRO 'A.J.' SHOCKS 'SOPRANOS' SIS

I'm telling Dad! "Sopranos" daughter Jamie-Lynn Sigler shot a disapproving eye at her on-screen brother, Robert Iler, Wednesday night as the bratty underage actor was caught swigging vodka straight from...

COPS NAB PAROLEE IN ARSON-STAB

An ex-con - paroled less than a week ago - brutally stabbed his aunt and burned down her Queens home after warning her not to sell it, authorities said yesterday....

SLOW-GO ON WTC $$ TALKS

After months of talks, the city and Ground Zero developer Larry Silverstein "remain far apart" over his request for $3.35 billion in Liberty Bonds for a massive rebuilding project at...

SHOT FLIER WAS SINGING; 'GO DOWN, MOSES'

The mentally ill passenger fatally shot by air marshals as he bolted from a jet in Miami was agitated before boarding the plane - singing "Go Down Moses" as his...

PA GIVING BROOKLYN A HOUSE OF PIERS

Plans to bring cruise ships like the Queen Mary II to Brooklyn sailed closer to reality yesterday when the Port Authority took the first step in turning over to city...

JUNKYARD STING ZINGS CAR CROOKS

Brownsville Auto Salvage had become a popular destination for car thieves over the past year. The Brooklyn salvage yard received more than 100 stolen cars and $2 million in stolen...

COUNCIL NIXES LANDMARK BID

The City Council yesterday rejected, for the second time, a move to designate Brooklyn's Austin Nichols warehouse a landmark. The Williamsburg structure, designed by Woolworth Building architect Cass Gilbert, is...

SARAH-SLAY 'SUSPECT' FREE TO FLY

Dimitri Sheinman, the "No. 1 suspect" in last year's grisly ritual murder of a Juilliard student, got a chilly reception when he flew back from South Africa to make a...

SUV TEEN FREE; PLEA IN PAL'S DEATH

A Queens teen who was behind the wheel when her SUV flipped on the Grand Central Parkway, killing a pal, walked out of court yesterday a free woman after taking...

APPLE'S BAD RAP; RANKS 7TH IN CITY-REPUTATION POLL

We're number . . . 7? A new ranking of cities according to how people see them as a consumer "brand" puts New York at a paltry seventh - well...

N.Y. COURT NIXES GAY MARRIAGE

A state appeals court spoke now and wouldn't hold its peace about gay marriage yesterday, finding a judge who'd OK'd same-sex unions in New York City had overstepped her bounds....

FIRM BOSS SLAIN ; FOUND IN N.J. GARAGE

A wealthy New Jersey woman who worked as administrator for a Manhattan law firm was found slain in her garage, authorities said yesterday. Police discovered the woman's body Wednesday in...

EAST SIDE MUG SUSPECT NAILED

A mugger who allegedly preyed on Upper East Side teenagers was caught yesterday after he threatened to stab a 13-year-old girl on her way to school this week, police said....

TEEN DODGES JAIL IN CRASH THAT KILLED PAL

A Queens teen who was behind the wheel when her SUV flipped on the Grand Central Parkway, killing a pal, walked out of court yesterday a free woman after taking...

PHONE CARDS KICKED; TAINTED BALLPLAYERS

Yer out! The prepaid phone cards pitched by Mets ace Pedro Martinez and other Dominican baseball stars - exposed by The Post for allegedly cheating customers - are being pulled...

'CROOKS' AUTO DESTRUCT

Police operating a phony Brooklyn chop shop yesterday busted 30 people allegedly linked to a stolen-car and illegal insurance-claims operation. Among those nabbed were middlemen in the Lucchese and Genovese...

CHAOS AFTER B'KLYN COLLAPSE

The foundation of a Brooklyn building collapsed last night and forced the evacuation of dozens of residents - and may also force the shutdown of a school today, officials said....

SARAH SLAY SHOCK - 'SUSPECT' FREE TO FLY

Dimitri Sheinman, the "No. 1 suspect" in last year's grisly ritual murder of a Juilliard student, got a chilly reception when he flew back from South Africa to make a...

GAZA AIRSTRIKE TAKES OUT TWO TERRORISTS

JERUSALEM - Israel blasted two terrorists in a Gaza airstrike yesterday while a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli soldier to death at a West Bank checkpoint. The incidents signaled that weeks...

PACK ISRAEL OFF TO EUROPE: IRAN PREZ

Iran's hard-line president said yesterday that Israel should be moved - to Europe. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also denied the Holocaust took place, but suggested that Europeans felt guilty about Hitler so...

'WIN' SPIN - DIZZYING DEAN U-TURN

WASHINGTON - Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean yesterday tried to eat his defeatist words about how America can't win in Iraq, after fellow party members repudiated his remarks en masse....

'SHEL' SHOCK GROWS - NAT'L COPS RIP SILVER

National law-enforcement organizations yesterday ripped state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for saying he doesn't go to police funerals, calling his comments a slap in the face to professional cops everywhere....

QM2'S B'KLYN HOUSE OF PIERS

Plans to bring cruise ships like the Queen Mary II to Brooklyn sailed closer to shore yesterday as the Port Authority took the first step toward turning over control of...

JAGR, RANGERS FEAST ON PREDATORS

Rangers 5Predators 1 NASHVILLE - Even at a stunning 19-8-4, there is plenty of space remaining on the Ranger bandwagon. Maybe not as much space as the Predators gave Tom...

THE FAN'S CORNER

Frank Certoma grew up in the shadow of Ebbets Field, where he sold programs at age 14. "Those were in the days when everyone used to buy programs," says the...

STREETS NOT 'MELO

IT'S JUST a matter of time. How long before we learn that a young pro, an NBA or NFL player, a kid suddenly being paid millions, has been the sustained...

NETS BUILD ON WIN

CLEVELAND - They're back. Stop fretting. The Nets you knew, the ones who defended, ran and won, have pushed aside the wretched sub-.500 imposters of the early days of 2005-06...

NO PROPS FOR JINTS' DROPS; WRS HAVE A LOT TO HOLD ON TO

Last week, Tim Carter had four passes thrown his way, by far his busiest day of the season. He made two catches and doesn't think the coaches have him in...

LARRY'S MOVES PUZZLE KNICKS

PHOENIX - The players bite their lips, numb to the craziness that is Larry Brown's array of starting lineups and playing rotations. Through the Knicks' seven preseason games and 18...

RANGER REALITY CHECK

NASHVILLE - Who is that guy playing Michal Rozsival and what did he do with him? We wait for the real Blair Betts to please stand up, understanding that we...

KURT'S PREPARED FOR REUNION

KNICK NOTES PHOENIX - With Quentin Richardson in Chicago grieving for his dead brother, it's unfair to try to evaluate the Knicks' draft-night trade that shipped Kurt Thomas to the...

INJURY REPORT LOOKS GOOD TO COUGHLIN

GIANT NOTESJets' Fiedler needs surgery / Page 85 After walking off the field inside the Giants' practice bubble, coach Tom Coughlin yesterday offered a quick update: "Everybody practiced," he said....

KNICKS GO TO DOGS ; WOODS SIGNING A PET PEEVE

ISIAH Thomas and Larry Brown really outdid themselves earlier this week when they picked up Qyntel Woods, undoubtedly with a pooper scooper. Any pit bull that hasn't fled the city...

CENTER FILLED? CANO: I WOULD PLAY CF

Mickey Mantle was converted into a center fielder. Could Robinson Cano be next? Yesterday afternoon, Cano offered to move to the outfield if it will aid the Yankees' quest for...

ISLES HAPPY TO GET POINT

Jackets 4Islanders 3 COLUMBUS - Maybe there really is something to these road-warrior Islanders, who had every chance to lose here last night like they always do against the Blue...

YANKS SNAG MYERS, EYE ROBERTO

DALLAS - Before pulling out of the Winter Meetings yesterday, the Yankees added lefty Mike Myers to their bullpen, dealt utilityman Tony Womack to Cincinnati and made a proposal to...

WHEN ROCKET DECIDES, BOMBERS SHOULD ABIDE

THE folks around Roger Clemens think he may be ready to walk away for good this time. They believe it may be different now, that he really may take his...

VEGA IS SHINING STAR OF MONTAUK 'SURFERS'

MONTAUK'S surfcasters described this year's fishing as disappointing, but at the annual dinner that closed the season, anglers agreed they would not want to be doing anything else. Matt Vega,...

DAMON STILL A HOT ITEM

WINTER MEETINGS NOTES DALLAS - According to Scott Boras, multiple teams have made offers for free agent center fielder Johnny Damon. So, are the Yankees one of them? "You are...

SENIOR CIRCUIT - METS GO OLD, HOOK FRANCO, 47

DALLAS - It appears as if 47-year-old Julio Franco, who was the majors' oldest player this past season, will turn 48 and 49 while a member of the Mets. Franco...

MATSUI, TAKE THREE

THANKS to a new con tract, there will be a Matsui in The Bronx for at least four more years. And until further notice, there is also a Matsui in...

HE'S TYREE-FIC! GIANTS HAIL SPECIAL-TEAMS ACE

David Tyree was on the sidelines against the Vikings when the Giants' special teams self-destructed in the 24-21 loss. "It was like watching a car blow a tire," said Tyree,...

IT'S A 'STRANGE' WAY TO MOTIVATE A TEAM

He has shaken them. We'll see tonight if Larry Robinson has stirred the Devils by calling them "the strangest team I've ever been around." The Devils coach did not retreat...

MARTIN IS PLAYING AT 'HALF' SPEED

JET NOTES Curtis Martin has always been consistent with what he does in all phases of life. One thing he doesn't talk about publicly is his physical health when it...

FIEDLER FINISHED - SHOULDER INJURY LIKELY TO END STINT WITH JETS

One of the final remaining fun subplots of mild interest remaining in this lost season of the Jets was dashed yesterday when they officially announced that Jay Fiedler's season is...

MARCHAND'S MEMO OF THE WEEK

To: NASCAR From: Andrew Marchand Re: Being loved in N.Y. CC: Freddy Adu Dear NASCAR, Congrats. You just signed TV contracts that will guarantee you $4.48 billion over the next...

METS' MIKE MAN: MCCARTHY - PHILLIES' VOICE SET FOR RADIO GIG

With ESPN's Jon Sciambi turning down an offer to be the Mets' new radio play-by-player, Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy is on the verge of signing with WFAN, NYP TV Sports...

5 QUESTIONS FOR TIM BROWN

This week, NYP TV Sports' Andrew Marchand spoke with Fox Sports Net's Tim Brown. After retiring from the NFL after last year, Brown, 39, is an analyst on FSN's Pro...

EXTRA 'D' SUITS ISLES

COLUMBUS - Short of being the magnificent seven, the Islanders have dressed an extra defenseman all through the three-game road trip that concluded here last night. At first, carrying a...

BIG A SHUT TODAY

For the first time since Aqueduct's inner track opened last week for the long winter meet, but certainly not the last, racing has been cancelled today at the Big A...

DECEMBER MADNESS - DUKE VERSUS TEXAS HAS DANCE FLAVOR

IT WILL feel like March at the Meadowlands on Saturday. That 's when No.1 Duke faces No.2 Texas in a major earlyseason college basketball matchup. Who is going to win?...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

You could say Kendra Austin got fast delivery at her local Dairy Queen. The 25-year-old Michigan woman had just pulled into the fast-food joint in Waterford Township when she went...