HORROR ON THE TRACKS

HORROR ON THE TRACKS
One MTA employee is dead and another is in critical condition after they were struck by a Northbound 'G' train in Brooklyn. Police found the two workers when they responded to the Hoyt Street and Schermerhorn station around 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Joey Buttafuoco Freed From California Jail

SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (1010 WINS) -- Joey Buttafuoco, whose 17-year-old lover shot his wife in the face more than a decade ago, was released from jail after serving three months for illegally possessing ammunition, authorities said.

Buttafuoco, 50, walked out of Los Angeles County Jail just before 9 a.m. Saturday, according to the Sheriff's Department Web site. His release was first reported by the syndicated television program ``The Insider.''

Buttafuoco pleaded no contest in July to illegally possessing ammunition. The case stemmed from a search of his Chatsworth home in 2005 by the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

At the time, Buttafuoco was on probation for a felony insurance fraud conviction. Prosecutors had said that Buttafuoco, who co-owned a San Fernando Valley auto body shop, told undercover investigators how to file false claims and cheat insurance companies.

Buttafuoco was running an auto body shop on Long Island in 1992 when his 17-year-old lover, Amy Fisher, shot his wife in the face as she answered the door at the couple's home.

Fisher, nicknamed the ``Long Island Lolita,'' served seven years in prison. Buttafuoco pleaded guilty to statutory rape and served four months in jail.

His wife, Mary Jo, recovered. The couple remained together after the Fisher affair but divorced after moving to California.

CREEP!

Police say he's the creep who mugged old ladies in a crime that outraged New Yorkers. After a day-long interrogation by police, Jack Rhodes, 44, was arrested on charges of robbery, grand larceny, burglary and the brutal assault of 101-year-old Rose Morat . He's also accused of robbing an 85-year-old woman the same day Morat was attacked.

A Concrete Plan to Speed Up Buses in Traffic

.It is springtime in New York and everywhere bulbs are blooming. Daffodils. Crocuses. Bus bulbs.

In a program intended to help buses move more speedily down the traffic-and-construction-clogged streets of lower Broadway, the city is building a series of extensions to the sidewalk that should make it easier for buses to load and unload. In the taxonomy of traffic engineers, these extensions are known as bus bulbs.

Although the Broadway bulbs are rectangular, not bulbous, the term actually comes from the fact that in other parts of the world where bus bulbs have been used, like London, they tend to be rounded extensions near a corner.

The Broadway bulbs are concrete islands set just off the sidewalk. They are about 130 feet long and 9 feet wide.

The first bulb on Broadway was finished earlier this month at Spring Street. Another has been completed at Grand Street. And workers are building two more, at Walker and Franklin Streets.

The idea is that buses lose a lot of time pulling over to a curb and then pulling back into traffic. The bulbs essentially bring the curb to the bus, which does not have to pull over but instead stops in front of the bulbs to let passengers on and off and then continues on its way.

That is the theory at least.

Earlier this week, as this reporter waited at Broadway and Spring Street, a taxi pulled up to the bulb to discharge a fare, just ahead of an approaching M1 bus. The bus had to wait for the taxi to move on before it could pull up. Then, once passengers had boarded, the bus was blocked by a truck that was double-parked just beyond the end of the bus bulb, forcing the bus to pull into traffic to get around.

Apple earnings only expected to grow

Today, the iPod; tomorrow, the iPhone.

Investors Thursday cheered Apple's record second-quarter results, which showed major sales growth for its iPod digital music device and Mac computers. But Apple's best days are ahead, tech analysts say.

Apple is putting most of its energies into the June release of the iPhone, a combination iPod/Internet browser and cellphone that will sell for $499 and $599. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has projected sales of 10 million iPhones in its first year. At an average price of $500, that would generate $5 billion in additional retail sales.

"The iPhone has the potential to be even bigger than the iPod," says Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray. "The cellphone market is gigantic."

Charles Wolf, president of investment consultant Wolf Insights, says Apple will likely follow its iPod pricing strategy — starting with a high retail price, and lowering it as costs decrease. "Once the price comes down, Apple could get to a 5% market share of phones, good for 75 to 100 million units a year," Wolf says.

Mac sales have doubled from five years ago, when the iPod was introduced. Wolf believes the iPhone will have a similar "halo effect."

New York City and Tribeca Film Festival Align with Fight Against Global Warming

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg yesterday joined former Vice President Al Gore and Tribeca Film Festival co- founder Jane Rosenthal at a press conference opening the sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival, the largest international film festival in the U.S. and one of New York City's own cultural touchstones. This year the festival is using its global platform to raise awareness of the worldwide climate crisis with a screening of nine environmental films commissioned by SOS-Live Earth.

"If we act today, we can stop global warming

and leave a brighter future for our children and grandchildren," Mayor Bloomberg said. "We cannot let global warming ravage our city and our planet-that's why I laid out a vision for New York's future on Sunday that will cut New York's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% between now and 2030. Al Gore has been leading this fight for years, and with the help of Live Earth and the Tribeca Film Festival's premiere of nine environmental films, our message can be delivered to more people throughout the world."

Suspect Wanted in Mugging of 101-Year-Old

She is 101-years-old and a few days before the New Year rang in, she was viciously mugged in her basement. The heartless robber punched Rose Morat in the face and stole her handbag. Now police need your help in bringing this man to justice.

Police have identified the suspected mugger as 44-year-old Jack Rhodes (pictured right).

The December 30, 2006 attack was caught on surveillance camera.

Anyone with information is asked to call crime stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). All calls are confidential.

Brooklyn Building's Facade Collapses, 350 Residents Displaced

The facade of a vacant building on Pacific Street in Brooklyn collapsed Wednesday.

No one was hurt, but a neighboring building was evacuated and residents were told to flee their homes.

The city's Department of Buildings said there was asbestos abatement work going on at the site. Tests are being conducted to determine if there is any asbestos in the air.

Officials said the parapet on the former Ward Bread Bakery complex came crashing onto the sidewalk and Pacific Street just after 9:45 a.m. No workers were reported injured, and no pedestrians were struck.

Both buildings are in the area which will eventually be used for the Atlantic Yards project, which includes a new Nets arena.

Councilwoman Letitia James released a statement:

I am relieved no one was hurt in the partial "collapse" of part of the historic Ward's Bakery building this morning -- I have been asking for an oversight structure of construction work at the site for some time. There is still no formal structure, other than the developer's own "Community Liaison Office," from which the public can get information. It is tragic that 350 residents, consisting of 94 families, have been displaced because of this morning's occurrence.

Apple Corners 5% of U.S. PC Market

Fueled by a 30 percent year-over-year growth rate, Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL) shipments hit 741,000 units in the first quarter, up from 570,000 units from a year ago.

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And according to Gartner, that tally equates to 5 percent market share in the U.S. PC market, up a percentage point from this time a year ago.

As far as growth goes, Apple grew the fastest of the U.S. PC makers in shipments with a 30 percent growth rate (Techmeme). Toshiba grew at a 26.8 percent clip in shipments with Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ - News) delivering growth of 25.8 percent. Toshiba and Apple, however, are working off of much smaller bases.

Took a little brake and will be back...

i'm planning a wedding and its been a bit crazy here. its going to be Oct, 2007