Local news from metro.us/newyork

Jilted groom Steven Silverstein sues ex-fiance Kendra Platt-Lee over wedding expenses

CASSANDRA GARRISON, NEW YORK — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:59:23 -0400

In a story of a love grown cold, a rejected groom says it's time for his ex-fiance to pay up.

Upper East Side business executive Steven Silverstein filed a lawsuit against former flame Kendra Platt-Lee, claiming she owes him about $50,000 after she called off their wedding twice, the most recent time just months before she was set to walk down the aisle, according to the New York Post.

The couple met while Platt-Lee was working as a flight attendant in 2008 and were engaged a year later. She moved into Silverstein's $2,595-a-month East 86th Street apartment, which he claimed was paid for by him. That engagement was called off 2010 and the couple went their separate ways.

When they rekindled the flame and reunited more than a later, they moved into a more expensive apartment at $3,945 a month, which Silverstein said he also paid entirely on his own. The two made plans to wed at the Allegria Hote in Long Beach, Long Island this coming September 22 and Silverstein said in his suit that he shelled out money for down payments on the venue, the band, the DJ, the photographer and a videographer.

Things took a turn for the worse when Pratt-Lee when to California for a "one-week visit" in April and called Silverstein after ten days to cancel the wedding and end the relationship. Silverstein claims that she withdrew $54,367.87 from their joint bank account that same day, even though $19,269 of that money belonged to him.

Pratt-Lee did give back the $32,000 engagement ring given to her by Silverstein, but he is asking for much more — Silverstein is suing his former fiance for the $19,269 from the bank account, $28,000 in rent, and half of the $27,000 in wedding down payments.

But it doesn't end there — Pratt-Lee is filing a counter-suit against Silverstein claiming that he hasn't returned some of her possessions, including her make up. Her lawyer said she "generally denies" Silverstein's allegations.

Nearly half of all New York women earn more than their husbands

ALISON BOWEN, New York — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:17:31 -0400

For the first time in history, nearly half of the women in New York state are the main breadwinners in their families, according to a new study released today.

But just because women might be bringing home the bacon, their paychecks still do not equal those of their male counterparts. Working women earn about $142 less than men each week, according to a report released by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office.

Nearly 42 percent of New York mothers are the primary source of household income for their families, according to the report. In New York City, that means more than 530,000 households depend on the mother’s earnings.

Economists say the recession played a large role in dampening men’s strength in the workforce.

“The recession led to higher job losses among men, which meant that in a greater number of families, the husband was unemployed while the wife supported the family,” according to the report.

One 29-year-old mother of one in Middle Village, Queens told Metro that her family is forced to move out of New York City after her husband could not find a job.

When he had a part-time job, as well as veteran’s benefits from the state, he made just slightly more than she does. But once he lost the job, she became the primary earner.

But it’s still not enough.

“We don’t make ends meet,” she said. “We go into debt each month.”

The family is moving to Utah next week.

“We looked for other apartments. But who wants to be in in a one-bedroom with a 3-year-old?” she said. “It wasn’t really worth it to stay.

Paycheck fairness

Sen. Gillibrand is pushing for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is expected on the Senate floor for a vote in the next few weeks.

On average, women in New York make about 14.6 percent less than men.

“Shortchanging women doesn’t just rob them of a fair paycheck,” Gillibrand said. “It makes families less secure.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act would hold employers accountable and make it easier for workers to pursue back pay.

Money talks the key to happy couples

These days, it’s not uncommon to find women making more than men. Manhattan marriage therapist Rachel Sussman said that money issues can affect relationships, but the key is communication.

No longer, she said, does the man have to be the main breadwinner and the woman stays home to take care of the kids.

Her clients include women who work in finance, law or advertising, who rake in more than $200,000 a year. Sometimes she said, her female clients admit they have difficulty dating someone who makes less than they do.

“Maybe you’re dating someone who does research, or who is an artist, or someone who lost their job,” she said. But she encourages women not to limit themselves by a potential partner’s salary.

Men face a different problem entirely, she said. “It’s a very different conversation if you started off as the breadwinner and you’ve lost your job. That’s a huge adjustment," she said.

She added, “I think that roles are changing, and some people are very comfortable with it, and other people are like, ‘This isn’t quite what I imagined.’”

FBI charges 10 more in massive LIRR pension fraud

CARLY BALDWIN, NEW YORK — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:53:52 -0400

They claimed they were too injured to work on the railroad, and instead spent their free time playing golf and tennis.

Even more Long Island Railroad workers were charged today in connection with the potentially massive pension fraud scheme that is draining millions from the commuter railroad — and taxpayers’ wallets.

Ten former LIRR workers were arrested, all who lied about being disabled so they could receive disability benefits, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The U.S. Attorney’s office led the investigation, joined by the FBI. The FBI started investigating after The New York Times wrote in 2008 about the suspiciously high rate of disability pensions for LIRR retirees.

All 10 people — Brian Delgiorno, Philip Pulsonetti, Gregory Bianchini Franklin Plaia, Michael Stavola, Michael Dasaro, Karl Brittell, Kevin Nugent, Gary Supper, and Thomas Delalla — are LIRR retirees. Six of the men were arrested this morning on Long Island, and one was arrested in Florida today.

These new ten men join 11 people who were arrested last October in connection with the scheme, bringing the total number of people charged to 21.

The retirees all claimed they had been injured while working on the job, and got to collect an early disability, some receiving more than $100,000 a year. But they were then spotted later working out at the gym, and playing golf and tennis. One of the retirees was even bike a 400-mile race after he claimed he was in too much pain to work.

“The LIRR is a commuter railroad, not a gravy train,” said Bahara today.

Two doctors were also charged, as prosecutors say they knowingly falsely diagnosed the LIRR workers as disabled. Long Island orthopedist Peter Ajemian is accused of helping more than 700 LIRR workers get disability benefits. His office manager was also arrested. Another Long Island orthopedist, Peter Lesniewski, is accused of helping more than 200 LIRR employees receive benefits. LIRR employees were allowed to choose their own doctors for diagnoses, and even joked the system was so easy to trick they dubbed it “disability by appointment.”

LIRR officials say the more than 20 people are inflating the railroad’s future pension costs by an estimated $1 billion.

Retire early like a king at the LIRR

The LIRR is the only commuter railroad in the United States that allows railroad employees to retire at the relatively young age of 50, if they have been working there for at least 20 years. But still some workers try to take advantage of the generous system: A study by the General Accounting Office last year showed that LIRR workers received disability pensions at a rate 12 times higher than workers at any other railroad. Other studies showed that for years, more than 90 percent of LIRR workers who requested a disability received one. Between 2004 and 2008, nearly 870 LIRR workers between ages 50 and 55 were granted a disability pension.

Asking those guilty to 'fess up

Authorities say these 21 people arrested are only the tip of the iceberg in the scheme, and suspect there are hundreds of other workers who are similarly ripping off the LIRR.

The widening of the fraud caused officials to try and take action. Bharara and LIRR president Helena Williams announced today they are asking former LIRR workers who pulled the same stunt to voluntarily come forward. In return, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will agree not to criminally prosecute or file a civil suit against them.

And FBI assistant director Janice Fedarcyk gave this ominous warning: “This is not an idle threat. If you are culpable in this fraud, the voluntary disclosure program is certainly a better choice than crossing your fingers and hoping we don’t find you.”

Our parents were criminals

DANNY CEVALLOS, DANNY CEVALLOS — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:06:26 -0400

In the wake of the Tanning Mom scandal, the New Jersey assembly is proposing banning use of tanning salons by children. In addition, yet another Mom has been arrested for solar abuse of a child in Pennsylvania.

The Jersey mom has been charged with child endangerment under NJ law, which provides that a person having a legal duty for the care of a child who causes the child harm that meets the definition of “abuse” or “neglect” (as defined by NJ law) commits a crime of the second degree. So what is abuse or neglect? It’s defined as loosely as: a risk of physical harm, or failing to take proper care of the child. What exactly does that mean? Under that broad definition, my own Mom committed crimes when she:

•   Locked my brothers and I in the station wagon at the grocery store parking lot with the window cracked;

•   Let us jump off the high dive at the community pool (remember high dives?--thanks lawyers);

•   Burned through two lighters a day smoking cigarettes around us. (Not two packs, mind you. Two lighters.)

All of these exposed us potentially to “harm,” under the statute. Under the statute, your parents were surely criminals at some point. And if you have kids, you have been a criminal at some point too, even though you likely strap your kid into his car seat like it’s a NASA shuttle launch.

And this is the problem: we’ve drafted criminal codes so broadly that criminal activity is not a matter of tangible, ascertainable definition, but rather human discretion. And that discretion is often influenced by a singular, bizarre incident, and the public pressure that results.

Do we really need to pass legislation on the tanning industry because of this one incident? Is that the best use of the lawmakers’ time?

I’m not saying Tanning Mom is Mother of the Year. I’m more concerned about how we as a society are now trying to legislate aspects of human behavior that are not really legislate-able. If exposing a kid to ultra-violet rays is abuse or endangerment, then isn’t letting your kids run amok on the beach in Wildwood in July without sunscreen also “endangerment”? Is moving your family to sunny Arizona per se endangerment of your children? All of these expose kids to solar radiation--possibly more than a tanning bed. Every parent arguably exposes their child to some harm every day. And while we’re talking about potential harm, what about the actual harm absent dads are imposing every day on an entire generation? If I had to choose between (1) Mom forcing me into a tanning booth, and (2) Dad being just a phone call at Christmas, I say: slather me in Hawaiian Tropic, and let’s get our Pauly-D on. But we won’t condemn absent Dads because, well, did you see Tanning Mom? What’s more interesting to you? Of course. The train wreck is.

Negligent parenting is about the biggest--and most ignored--social crisis today. But the solution begins with parents--not with legislation. We will always have bad parents--after all, without them, who’s going to keep the porn industry supplied with fresh talent? Hopefully, not you. Take care of your own little snowflake; don’t ask the law to do it for you.

Activists disappointed in Dharun Ravi jail sentence

JESSE GREENSPAN, NEW YORK — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:58:34 -0400

Gay rights activists said yesterday they were disappointed with the light sentence given to former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi, but hoped that the case would help prevent future incidents of bullying.

Ravi was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in prison, a small cry from the maximum 10 years he faced for using a webcam to spy on his roommate's sexual encounter with another man.

Ravi's roommate at Rutgers, Tyler Clementi, jumped off the George Washington Bridge in September 2010 after finding out about the webcam.

This March, a jury convicted Ravi of bias intimidation -- a hate crime.

The judge also sentenced him to three years of probation, along with 300 hours of community service. In addition, the judge ordered Ravi to pay $11,000.

Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman called Ravi's actions "wildly inappropriate"?but noted that Ravi was not charged in the suicide, according to the Associated?Press.

"This is an outrageous slap in the face to all who believe in equal justice," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement. "We continue to work to make sure that all LGBT people are accepted as equals."

Anthony M. Brown, executive director of The Wedding Party, an advocacy group that supports gay couples and families, told Metro that Clementi's anguish hit a bit close to home.

He said he was picked on so intensely while growing up in Virginia in the late 1960s and early 1970s that he tried to take his own life.

"My initial reaction to it was, 'Only 30 days?'" he said of the sentencing.

But he added that, in a way, he feels sorry for Ravi.

"The real problem is a society where it's OK to bully gay kids," Brown said. "It is like the last bastion of acceptable discrimination."

He said he hoped the sentencing would spur discussions about anti-gay bullying.

"My hope," he said, "is that at least it's going to start a conversation."

Ravi unlikely to face being deported

Ravi is scheduled to report to prison on May 31, but that could get pushed back.

Prosecutors said yesterday they would appeal, calling the sentence insufficient, according to the Associated Press.

The judge in the case reportedly recommended that Ravi, who was born in India but grew up in the United States, not be deported.

He had faced deportation after his conviction.

Income gap in NYC twice national average: Report

ALISON BOWEN, NEW YORK — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:25:31 -0400

The top 1 percent of New Yorkers have one-third of all the personal income in the city, according to a report released yesterday.

The report, which was released by the city comptroller's office, revealed that the city's income gap is twice the national average.

According to the report, the top 1 percent of New?York tax filers accounted for 32.5 percent of the entire income in 2009, the last year studied.

In contrast, nationally, the top 1 percent accounted for 16.9 percent of all income, according to the comptroller's report.

The average income of these top earners in 2009 was $2.2 million, and the lower 99 percent of filers had an annual income of $47,000, according to the report.

The income gap "threatens the very fragile economic recovery we are now experiencing," Comptroller John Liu said.

"Such a wide income gap has financial consequences for the city," he added. "Income inequality can weaken or destabilize the local tax base, reinforce patterns of racial and economic segregation and undermine the vibrant social, cultural and economic mix that is the foundation of New York City's identity."

Lauren Odes: Woman claims she was fired from lingerie company for having big breasts

CASSANDRA GARRISON, NEW YORK — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:48:34 -0400

She said she was too hot to trot — at least, at work.

29-year-old Lauren Odes is suing her former employer after claiming she was fired for "being too hot" and having large breasts.

Odes was hired in April as a data entry worker for Native Intimates, a Garment District lingerie company with Orthodox Jewish owners. Odes, who has enlisted the legal assistance of celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, said in a press conference today that she was continually told by a supervisor that the owners wanted her to appear less sexy.

"When I was first told that I was too hot and that my breasts were too large, I was shocked," Odes told the Daily News. "I thought that I was dressed appropriately every day for my job as a production assistant."

She said she tried many different looks to appease the company's owners, from a T-shirt and jeggings, to a bathrobe pulled from a rack. She was even asked to tape down her breasts to make them "appear smaller."

After being driven to tears, Odes said she left work at one point to buy a new outfit and was fired while she was gone. Now, she is suing her former employer for gender and religious discrimination in the workplace.

"I understand there are Orthodox Jewish men who may have their views on how a woman should dress and how much she should be covered," Odes said. "But I am Jewish as well and don’t feel any employer has the right to impose their religious beliefs on me."

A employee for Native Intimates told Metro, "No comment," when asked about the lawsuit.

Native Intimates specializes in sexy lingerie and the company's website includes racy blog posts written by women. In the most recent entry, titled "The Weekend: Break Out The Best Bra And Panties," the author writes about her strategy for catching the attention of men.

"I like to put on a charming dress with a startling low cut neckline and show off more than a little of my bra, it’s more than enough to entice half the male population of any given bar or club to give me casual smiles and less than casual drink offers," the post reads.

This is the same company that is being accused of firing a woman for being "too hot"? Is it just us, or is something not adding up here?

Chen Guangcheng: Chinese dissident arrives in NYC

MARK LUNGARIELLO, NEW YORK — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:20:34 -0400

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is looking forward to the peace and quiet of Greenwich Village.
"For the past seven years, I never had a day's rest," Chen said through a translator Saturday. "I have come here for a bit of recuperation in body and of spirit."

Chen will join New York University School of Law as a visiting scholar. He arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport Saturday night after weeks of a diplomatic back-and-forth between China and the U.S.

He and his family have moved into a building in Washington Square Village, a complex of four buildings where many of NYU's star academics are known to live.

Chen's new digs may be restful and resort-like for the famous lawyer, but not everyone in the neighborhood is happy about the swarms of media stationed outside of the building.

"I was looking forward to the students being gone for the summer, but I guess this puts an end to that," said Francis Dard, a barrista who lives across the street.

On Sunday, barricades blocked the entrance to the building and an officer was on duty to assist building security.

Nearby to the Chen family's new home, some students don't have time to ponder the international hubbub.

Third-year law student Dan Shapiro said he hadn't even heard of Chen. "I've spent the last few weeks immersed in finals," he said.

High danger on city roofs

ALISON BOWEN, NEW YORK — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:10:23 -0400

Warmer weather is giving way to a season of sunny balconies and rooftop parties -- but make sure that the city view doesn't come with a nasty fall.

A vertical city can mean high-rise accidents, whether falls from rooftops and balconies or accidental fires sparked during a barbecue.

Anthony Albino, a builder with City Decks New York, told Metro he often sees roof decks that are not built nearly strong enough to hold someone getting a tan -- much less dozens of people crowded together for a rooftop party.

Weak beams can allow pockets of water that may mildew and decay the wood -- leading to soft spots, he said.

"This poses a serious accident," he said.

Many buildings, he said, have railings that are not tall enough -- he advises 42 inches.

"We often encounter situations where the railing is smaller than this, and any person leaning on the railing can flip over," he said.

In 2010, the Department of Buildings declared balconies in 16 buildings unsafe after a 24-year-old man fell to his death when a 24th-floor railing gave way.

At the time, inspectors said that 800 building owners had not filed inspection reports proving the safety of balconies and terraces in their buildings.

Two months later, a musician fell off a Chelsea balcony and impaled his head on a fence -- in that incident, the man survived.

"There should be no leaning or sitting on railings in regards to a balcony," FDNY spokesman Jim Long told Metro.

And Long said that falls are not the only concern.

An innocent barbecue can turn into a fire if it's not controlled, he said. And the fire department has also responded to blazes started by people carelessly flicking cigarettes at a rooftop party.

A few years ago, a cigarette started a fire at a Chelsea building, he said.

"Someone put out a cigarette on the roof deck," Long recalled. "It smoldered for a while, and it lit everything up."

And make sure however you arrive at a high space is safe.

"We've had situations where people are on roofs and decide to get down an unsafe manner, climbing down a pole or a fire escape, and they slipped and fell," Long said.

Warning signs

Albino listed these problem areas in roof decks:

Railings that are not high enough

Beams under the deck that are not structured well enough to support a deck, which can lead to decay and weak spots

Decks created with wood, which can decay or easily catch fire

High-altitude fails

1. In March 2010, Connor Donohue, 24, fell from his 24th-floor balcony in Midtown after a railing gave way. Officials later ordered residents in 16 buildings to stop using balconies.

2. In May 2010, Nicholas Blossom, 21, fell from a balcony in Chelsea, hitting his head on a fence as he fell. He survived.

3. In August 2010, Nicole John, 17, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Thailand, fell to her death from a Herald Square apartment’s 25th floor.

4. Hana Lin, 26, fell from a Warren Street balcony in March 2011, landing on a fifth-floor roof. She reportedly might have been trying to reach her cell phone, found next to her at the scene.

Hero dad saves woman’s life after fall into subway tracks

MARK LUNGARIELLO, NEW YORK — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:00:47 -0400

Greg Wetzel had repeatedly told his three young children to stay off of the subway tracks, but he broke his own rule of the rail Saturday when he saved a woman's life at the West 72nd Street station.

According to the Daily News, Greg Wetzel and his kids saw a commotion on the platform near a woman unconscious on the tracks. Wetzel jumped down from the platform while his kids watched with terrified yells.

Several other bystanders were able to pull Wetzel and the 50-year-old woman back onto the platform just a minute before the No. 1 train pulled up to the station.

Wetzel told the Daily News that it was "mildly ironic" to jump on the tracks after all the years of telling his kids to stay off.

But Wetzel said there was a lesson to be learned for his two sons, ages 6 and 7, and his daughter, age 4.

"That should give them a healthy fear of the platform," he said.

The unidentified woman was taken to Roosevelt Hospital following the rescue, according to the report.