A helicopter crash landed on the roof of a 54-story building in Midtown Manhattan in the middle of a rainy Monday afternoon, starting a fire and killing the pilot, NBC News reported.

The helicopter hard landed. on the roof of 787 Seventh Avenue.

A senior official told NBC NY 4 that the pilot, was identified  as Tim McCormack and had just dropped off a passenger at the East 34th Street heliport, and may have been making his way back to the chopper’s base in Linden, New Jersey, when the crash occurred.

The victim’s body remained inside the mangled wreckage of the chopper, which burst into flames but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, FDNY sources said

The incident happened around 2pm according to local media. Roads in the area were said to be closed with crews in the area as a precautionary measure. Hundreds of first responders were at the scene within seconds to keep the city safe and help with the evacuation of the 7th Ave building and several others.

The 54-floor skyscraper, known as the AXA Equitable Center, is home to Le Bernardin, the acclaimed French seafood restaurant.

Zach Escalante, a computer programmer who works on the third floor told the NY Post “We felt the building move, It felt like something hit or impacted the building,” he said.

Governor Cuomo was on the scene very quickly and said at a briefing “”the helicopter was making a forced landing or emergency landing… and landed on the roof.” He added that there was no indication of terrorism.

The mayor arrived over two hours later as he was busy campaigning for president. Local talk radio show commentators on WNYM 970 AM pointed out that it is not responsible for a mayor of most powerful city in the country to be out and about campaigning for president, when major incidents occur like this one in NYC.

The chopper is an Agusta 109E that was not being handled by air traffic controllers, Zero Hedge reported. The Agusta 109E is a two-engine model that can carry two crew members and as many as seven passengers, according to the online GlobalAir aviation marketplace.

This is not the first time in recent memory a lightweight aircraft crashed in NYC. The most recent significant crash occurred on October 11, 2006, when a Cirrus SR20 general aviation, fixed-wing, single-engine light aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartment. Both people aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor.

“This could have a tremendous impact as we head into the season where helicopter rides are popular from the City to the Hamptons, and could have a chilling effect”, Jewish Voice publisher David Ben Hooren, keenly observed.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced last Thursday that a Crown Heights man has been sentenced to 24 years to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of Williamsburg businessman Menachem Stark during a botched abduction in 2014.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant orchestrated the callous kidnapping that led to the murder of Menachem Stark, a husband, father and beloved member of the Williamsburg community. With today’s substantial prison sentence this defendant has now been brought to justice and held accountable for his role in this senseless loss of life.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Erskin Felix, 40, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced last week by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 24 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence on April 8, 2019, following a jury trial.

In the aftermath of the Stark kidnapping and murder, newspapers portrayed a vehemently anti-Semitic portrait of the Williamsburg resident. The media purposely attempted to concoct an image of Stark as a callous and ruthless slumlord, when nothing could be further from the truth. People who had professional business dealings with Stark, as well as friends and neighbors described him as an exceptionally generous man and someone who donated significant sums of money to various charities.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 2, 2014, at approximately 11:30 p.m., during a blizzard, the defendant and his cousin Kendel Felix, 31, ambushed Menachem Stark, 39, on the street as he left his office, located at 331 Rutledge Street in Williamsburg, and abducted him with the intention of holding him for ransom. Erskin Felix worked as a contractor for the victim and his cousin, Kendel Felix, did construction work for him.

After the victim fought unsuccessfully to escape, the defendants forced him into a Dodge minivan, bound his arms and legs with duct tape, taped his mouth and placed a ski mask over his head. Kendel drove away while Erskin restrained Stark in the back of the van by sitting on his chest, according to testimony. Erskin and Kendel picked up defendant Kendall Felix (Erskin’s brother) and they drove to the home of Irvine Henry (another cousin), the evidence showed.

Upon arrival, they discovered that the victim was dead due to Erskin’s actions in trying to subdue him, according to the evidence. The defendants attempted to return to the kidnapping scene to retrieve the victim’s Lexus SUV, but saw police on the scene.

Erskin then directed Kendel and Kendall to drive to Long Island to dispose of the body, the evidence showed. They drove to Nassau County, threw the body in a dumpster and set it on fire.

Approximately 17 hours later, a Nassau County police officer found the partially burned body in a garbage dumpster behind a gas station in Great Neck, Long Island. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was asphyxia by compression of the neck and chest.

Kendel Felix was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on May 1, 2019. A jury convicted him of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder in September 2016.

Kendall Felix was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison on March 27, 2019 following his guilty plea to second-degree conspiracy and first-degree hindering prosecution over the objection of the prosecution.

Irvine Henry was sentenced to three months in prison on May 1, 2019 following his guilty plea to attempted tampering with physical evidence.

                                                (VIN Staff)

It is nearly impossible find a parking spot frequently in New York City and drivers spend hundreds a month on parking spots. Nearly every spot seems to be off limits with restrictive signs and limitations. It should come as no surprise drivers are looking for creative ways to park and afterwards get out of endless parking tickets.

The Daily News reported that forged “city-issued” placards recently led police to the arrests of eight drivers nabbed trying to scam their way out of parking tickets. According to the News, half of them were using forged “handicapped placards”. The phony documentation was “issued” by the Department of Transportation, the City Law Department, the New York Blood Center and the U.S. Post Office, according to authorities.

“Parking comes at a premium in a city like New York and using fraudulent placards to circumvent the rules is a crime,” Margaret Garnett, the commissioner of the Department of Investigation, said in a statement to the NY Times.

“These individuals abused city parking regulations and attempted to escape paying the penalties by posing as city employees with city-issued placards or by using fake handicap parking placards reserved for those in real need,” Ms. Garnett added.

The City took these forgeries quite seriously in a time where ironically de Blasio sent new guidelines to judges recently telling them to “more than triple” the number of people eligible for no-bail release, including violent criminals. The guidelines sent by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice expands the release program to include first and second-degree burglary, assault, and robbery., according to Washington Examiner.

In NYC violent assault, burglary and robbery apparently are less serious crimes than someone trying to get out of a parking ticket. According to the NY Times, the defendants can face up to 4 years in prison if found guilty., according to the NY Times.

The Times described that the defenders in this forgery scam were led to their arraignment in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Tuesday in handcuffs, bowing their heads as members of the news media swarmed around them, taking photos. The suspects faced felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing, officials said.

Meanwhile, Mayor DeBlasio bragged about his prison reform program and said would make a fairer society, on ultra-liberal CNN recently.

The expansion of the city’s release program comes as de Blasio promotes criminal justice reform as part of his absurdist aspiration of winning 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

“In our city, we have reduced our jail population about 30% already. We’re going to close the infamous Rikers Island jail. We are ending the era of mass incarceration in New York City, the mayor said on CNN.

588 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of a measles outbreak last October

The Health Department recently announced that it has closed a school in Williamsburg for failing to comply with an Order of the Health Commissioner in response to the current measles outbreak. Central UTA Boys Division (762 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg, NY 11249) was closed for failing to exclude staff and students who did not have documentation of immunity. The school also received violations for not having an adequate staff to student ratio and for not providing Health Department inspectors with vaccination and attendance records in the time allotted. The school will not be allowed to reopen until the Health Department reviews and approves a submitted corrective action plan that addresses the lapses in complying with the Commissioner’s Order. The Health Department had previously closed nine schools—not including the program shut today—for failing to comply with the Commissioner’s Order. After submitting a corrective action plan, all nine have been authorized to reopen under Health Department monitoring.

“School staff, parents, and health care providers need to continue playing their role in bringing this outbreak to an end” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We’ve seen our weekly case counts decline, but the reality is, this outbreak is not over, and the Health Department will continue to use all the resources and strategies available to us. We urge anyone who can get vaccinated to do so.”

To date, 588 cases of measles have been confirmed since the beginning of the outbreak last October. 437 cases (74%) have occurred in Williamsburg (ZIP codes 11205, 11206, 11211, 11249), which has been under an Emergency Order issued April 9 requiring those who live or work in these ZIP codes to have been vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). A small number of cases have occurred outside of these neighborhoods but have, to date, not resulted in sustained transmission of measles.

Since the April 9 Emergency Order, 51,124 MMR vaccinations have been administered to children 6 months to 18 years citywide, a 38% increase when compared to the same time period last year. Of those immunizations, 3,844 vaccines were administered to children in Williamsburg, a 99% increase in that neighborhood compared to the same time period last year.

In addition, 173 individuals have received summonses for being non-compliant with the Emergency Order since the City began issuing summonses last week. 68 of those have been cancelled as the individual presented proof of immunity or got vaccinated. Any person receiving the summons is entitled to a hearing, and if the hearing officer upholds the summons, a $1,000 penalty will be imposed. Failing to appear at the hearing or respond to the summons will result in a $2,000 fine.

To stop the spread of measles in New York City, the Health Department on April 9 ordered adults and children ages 6 months and older who live, work or go to school in ZIP codes 11205, 11206, 11211 and 11249 receive a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine within 48 hours. If non-compliant, the Health Department announced it would issue a civil summons to those in the affected ZIP codes who had not been vaccinated as of April 12. For more information, New Yorkers can visit the Health Department’s Measles page.

The push is on once again to legalize prostitution in New York State.

A proposal introduced in the state legislature earlier this week would end, once and for all, criminal penalties for hookers and their clients.

Few are hopeful that the bill will get its vote before the state legislature adjourns next week. But others see in the bill itself some hope for the future.

“We only want to live, be free and be safe,” sex worker TS Candii said at a press conference in Manhattan yesterday.

Manhattan Democrat Richard Gottfried sponsored the bill in the Assembly, and said he hopes it could bring hookers out of the shadows. “Trying to stop sex work between consenting adults should not be the business of the criminal justice system,” he said. “It has not worked for a couple of thousand years.”

It goes without saying that not everyone is in favor of the bill. “Prostitution causes severe long-term psychological and physical harm,” said Judy Harris Kluger, a former judge who now serves as executive director of Sanctuary for Families, which provides services to sex trafficking victims. “We are better than this.”

Alexi Ashe Meyers and Rebecca Zipkin, attorneys at Sanctuary for Families and former prosecutors in Brooklyn for cases of sex trafficking and sex crimes, noted on the group’s web site that over the past few months “several strong voices have emerged in favor of full decriminalization of the sex trade in New York State. This comes on the heels of similar movements in other jurisdictions, including Washington D.C. The average citizen likely has no idea what it means to decriminalize the entire sex trade. So, let us translate: it means allowing pimping, brothel-owning, and buying of sexual services to become big business in New York City, at the expense of some of the most marginalized members of our community.”

“We need a legislative model shown to reduce the commercial sex market, increase safety, provide services for survivors, and hold men accountable for the crimes they commit,” the pair added. “Such a legal framework, initiated by Sweden in 1999 is now in place in Iceland, Norway, Northern Ireland, Canada, France, and Israel. It solely decriminalizes individuals who are bought and sold, while targeting sex buyers. Survivors are provided with exit strategies and services, housing and medical treatment.

“Let’s see prostitution for what it is—gender-based violence. It’s time to listen to survivors and demand an end to sexual violence. The answer is not making it legal to pimp or buy sex. The answer is ensuring that we respect the full equality and dignity of every human.”

A construction company owner has been jailed for a month for reportedly failing to pay $280,000 too little to workers.

Vickram Mangru, owner and operator of Valley Stream–based AVM Construction and Vick Construction, was given a 30 day sentence for failing to pay prevailing wages on construction work at public schools in the Bronx, according to prosecutors.

In addition, Mangru reportedly received three years of probation, according to Attorney General Letitia James and city Comptroller Scott Stringer.

Manru’s wife, Gayatri Mangru, was sentenced to a conditional discharge for a misdemeanor conviction on the same charge.

The defendants both pled guilty to the charges on February 11, 2019, and have paid $80,000 in restitution to three workers. The remaining $201,630.09 was subject to an Order of restitution issued by the court. In addition, all defendants will be prohibited from bidding on or being awarded any public works contract in the State of New York for a period of five (5) years.

“New Yorkers who work on publicly-funded projects deserve to be paid a prevailing wage,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Employers who underpay their employees, and attempt to evade wage laws have no business in the state of New York. My office will continue to ensure that all New Yorkers – no matter their trade – are paid a fair wage.”

“My office has zero tolerance for unscrupulous, predatory actors who flout the law and cheat workers out of their wages – that’s why we debarred this contractor,” said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer in a statement. “The defendant in this case was forbidden from obtaining contracts for public works projects in New York City and State after he was found to be violating our labor laws. We referred this case to the Attorney General’s Office after Mangru created a new company in an attempt to continue operating in New York City, but was allegedly still committing labor violations. There’s no place in New York for these kind of acts, and my office will always fight to break the grip of those who cheat our workers – finger by finger.”

Between December 22, 2012 and February 14, 2015, Vickram Mangru – as owner of Vick Construction and operator of AVM Construction Corp. – failed to pay several of his employees’ proper prevailing wages for construction and repair work on several public schools in the Bronx, according to James’ office. State law requires that on certain construction projects designated as “public works,” workers must be paid a pre-determined industry minimum wage per hour, plus a benefit rate, collectively known as a “prevailing wage rate.”

Get your check books out: luxury condos at New York City’s famed 88-year-old Waldorf Astoria hotel are on the market.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Douglass Elliman has been tapped to sell 375 apartments on behalf of Anbang Insurance Group. the company, based in Beijing, China, purchased the Waldorf in 2015 for just under $2 billion.

The decidedly upscale homes range from the small – a single room – to roomy apartments with as many as five bedrooms. They are reportedly being managed by Hilton Worldwide, along with over a thousand hotel rooms.

“It’s a chance to own a piece of New York history and all the stories that go with it,” Susan de França, chief executive of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, told the Journal.

Prices among luxury housing in the city are dipping, but the apartments are projected to sell for millions each anyway. Newly levied taxes on homes with sale prices topping $1 million have also helped slow business down.

“The Journal report notes that Chinese buyers are under pressure from the Chinese government to keep capital in the country and have held back on home purchases in New York,” writes Crain’s New York Business.

The Waldorf project “will have plenty of competition from new Manhattan skyscrapers aimed at wealthy condo buyers. The historical pedigree of the building, which has hosted U.S. presidents and a long list of foreign dignitaries, combined with the mix of unit sizes, should help the Waldorf apartments stand out,” reported Bloomberg News.

If the Waldorf’s hallowed history contributes to sales of the condominiums, Bloomberg continued, “it has also highlighted the prolonged closure of the hotel portion of the Waldorf, with lavish public spaces that received landmark protection in 2017. Anbang — which is shedding assets, including a portfolio of 15 hotels — was seized by its Chinese government regulator last year, raising questions about the future of the iconic property.”

“In additional to continued oversupply in the New York luxury condo market, ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions may present further challenges for sales at a Chinese government-controlled property, which has already raised national security concerns,” added therealdeal.com.

“Though Douglas Elliman declined to discuss pricing for the apartments,” the Wall Street Journal noted, “other brokers told the Journal that prices would likely reach $3,500 per square foot or more, among the city’s priciest.”

The Waldorf, located at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown Manhattan, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze and Weaver, which was completed in 1931.

In the aftermath of the mind-numbing reversal of corporate giant Amazon in establishing its HQ2 in the Long Island City section of New York City, those engaged in the local real estate industry have conducted incisive analyses as the proverbial post-mortem continues and the trauma still reverberates.

At these times that try men’s souls, it is comforting to know that such real estate fixtures as Evi Kokalari -Angelakis of Golden Key Realty can offer a painfully truthful perspective while injecting a sanguine tone that is predicated on reality.

A long-time realtor and one who has her finger on the pulse of the Long Island City building boom, Angelakis offers a background and perspective on the genesis of this ill-fated Amazon business plan.

“For a number of years now, the average observer can see that the entire face of Long Island City has dramatically transitioned from a run-down industrial neighborhood to a hub of vibrant commerce. This is evidenced by the increasing number of office spaces being taken in luxury buildings as well as an expanding upscale residential area that boasts a wide variety of rental and condo options; with all the amenities of city buildings, “Angelakis declared.

“Amazon and others made great deals with the city. They were in an advantageous position to obtain the land necessary for “a song.” There were a number of environmental hazards plaguing the LIC area but they invested in rectifying these issues. Major developers from Brooklyn and Queens wanted “a piece of the action” and initiated building in Long Island City as well. They converted these dilapidated industrial buildings into condos and office space and this seedy area, once left for dead, suddenly saw an explosive revival that no one thought possible,” said Angelakis

Angelakis recalls the sequence of events with remarkable clarity and insight. “Amazon was going to rent a million square feet from Citicorp and then another 8 million square feet. That is hugely significant if one considers the fact that Hudson Yards is composed of 18 million feet. At that juncture, Amazon was a week away from signing a lease,” she said.

She added that, “I must say that it was a huge relief to know that Amazon was coming in. Contracts went out in the 4th quarter of 2018 and everything was moving at a fairly rapid pace.”

Angelakis said that in November, Amazon made the announcement of their impending arrival. “We learned that 8,000 brand new rental properties and condos would go up for sale. The question that was consistently raised among real estate industry professionals was how the market was going to absorb this as the pricing was plummeting.”

According to Angelakis, quite a formidable economic boom was percolating in the background and the entire scenario appeared rife with possibilities. “At a minimum, 25,000 new jobs were available with accompanying salaries in the $150 thousand per year range. Many construction jobs were being offered as Amazon sought to buy land for the express purpose of constructing residential buildings. It was clear that they were definitely seeking more square footage in terms of residential buildings for all these new employees to live.”

At this juncture, matters took a different turn. Says Angelakis, “Political wrangling and the pursuit of nefarious agendas by elected officials played an impactful role in ‘raining on Amazon’s parade’ so to speak.”

“Amazon then said that this situation was not the prime scenario. We were then left with an over supply of condos and rentals, “ she added.

Angelakis said that it is important to bear in mind that developers need to see results. “For developers, they saw their rate of return decreasing and they are concerned about repaying construction loans. Certainly, they are going feel the effects. Just remember, by the conclusion of 2020, almost 12,000 units were to be built.”

Apparently, the public transportation options to and from Long Island City which are absolutely essential for a thriving business community were in place.

The number 2 and 3 IRT subway lines were routed to accommodate Citicorp. Additionally, the train that connects Long Island City with Hudson Yards was also gearing up to carry commuters on a daily basis.

Then, of course, the proverbial bubble seemed to rattle the world as it burst in front of our collective eyes. Says Angelakis, “The ‘dark money’ began to emerge in the aftermath of the midterm congressional elections in November of 2018. Suddenly, there was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the New York City scene as this freshman congresswoman clearly had an anti-Amazon bias and was not timid about vocalizing it.”

Michael Gianaris, who represents New York’s 12th State Senate district, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and parts of Woodside, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Woodhaven began to insert himself in the Amazon scenario, according to Angelakis. To say that his position was effectively anti-business would be a gross understatement.

Angelakis recalls that Gianaris bickered with New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo over the course of negotiations with the retail powerhouse. “Gianaris refused to sit down with executives from Amazon and thrash out concerns and points of contention. He also made it clear that he had no interest whatsoever in meeting with the local developers in Long Island City. It appeared that all Gianaris was angling for was publicity and playing to the same base that Ocasio-Cortez was,” she added.

Nerves were indeed frazzled as business leaders and industry executives among many others began scratching their heads, asking, “what are we going to do now that Amazon is planning to leave?”

Published reports at the time indicated that Cuomo was willing to fork over $3 billion in tax incentives to Amazon, with the ostensible purpose of luring them into the deal. Says Angelakis, “Just remember that the return on the $3 billion that the state was going to offer Amazon would have resulted in the state receiving $27 billion back, so I think that is a pretty sound investment,” she added.

Angelakis said that Gianaris was concerned with an improved local infrastructure plan, but his adamant posture in not effectively communicating with business leaders and elected officials was the ultimate downfall.

“In my opinion, Gianaris could have gotten $5 billion for schools, housing and extra amenities for his district, but his objective was to garner as much attention as he could. Helping his constituents were definitely on a back burner” she said.

In the days preceding Amazon’s historic decision to pull the plug on New York City for their HQ2, Gianaris was contacted, according to Angelakis. “He said that Amazon was bluffing, but history has recorded that they certainly were not.”

On a more upbeat note, Angelakis has great hope for the future of real estate development and economic prosperity in Long Island City.

“One never knows when another big windfall will occur and the clients that I have served for many years are completely cognizant of this. In the meantime, we urge all New Yorkers and all people to come and visit Long Island City, come hear the success stories from those who lives have been changed immeasurably for the better in this area. Come visit the upscale retail stores, come and see for yourself that Long Island City is a place that is literally brimming with exciting possibilities.”