Latest news with #PaulMartinka
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
NYC July 4th fireworks returning to East River after last year's display on Hudson
New York City's Fourth of July fireworks show will be returning to the East River next month to dazzle revelers after the display had moved across town to the Hudson River for last year's celebration, city officials said. The 49th annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show will launch thousands of shells from the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and four surrounding barges in the East River near Manhattan's Seaport District as part of the Big Apple's 400th birthday, according to the mayor's office. 'The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show is one of New York City's most iconic traditions, drawing thousands from across our city, the country, and the globe to witness a world-class celebration of America's birthday,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show will be back in the East River this year. Paul Martinka Last year's display was in the Hudson River for the first time in nearly a decade. James Keivom 'As we celebrate 400 years since New York City's founding, we're thrilled to welcome the crowds, once again, to experience an unforgettable Independence Day at our world-famous Brooklyn Bridge and East River skyline,' Hizzoner added. The display was moved to the East River nearly 10 years ago, with officials saying more New Yorkers could see them — however last year's show went back to the Hudson river off lower Manhattan. While the location shake-up may have delighted New Jerseyans and West siders, the sudden change left residents in Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt island and Manhattan's East Side feeling dumped. Public viewing this year will be available from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the lower East River, officials said. Additional details on viewing locations, live broadcasts, and a city-sponsored lottery for free public viewing tickets will be announced in the coming weeks, the mayor's office said.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC sees fewest reported murders, shootings in modern history to start year: mayor
New York City has recorded the lowest number of murders and shootings in modern history through the first five months of the year, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday. There were 112 homicides from January through May, one fewer than the 113 recorded in 2014 and 2017, the previous records for the same time period, according to NYPD data obtained by The Post. There were 18 murders reported for the month of May, one fewer than the previous low of 19 recorded in May 2019. Meanwhile, there were 264 shootings for the five months of 2025, three less than the 267 recorded in 2018. 3 There were 112 homicides between January and May, one fewer than the previous record stretch from 2014 to 2017. Paul Martinka There were 54 shootings in the month of May, besting the previous low of 61 in 2019, the data showed. Adams, who is seeking reelection this year on an independent ballot line, heralded the data. 'When I took the oath of office as mayor, I made a promise that we would make this city safer and that we would drive down crime. Today, the numbers prove that we have not just kept that promise — we have exceeded it,' Adams told The Post. 'I am exceptionally proud to share that from January 2025 to May 2025, New York City has seen the lowest number of shootings and homicides in recorded history.' 3 Mayor Eric Adams speaks at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Paul Martinka 3 NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised officers for the new record. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch thanked officers and the mayor – but took a jab at the state's recent criminal justice reforms. 'Results like this never happen by accident, and certainly not at a time when the state's criminal justice laws have made a revolving door out of our criminal justice system,' Tisch said. 'Here's how your Mayor and your NYPD cops delivered the safest January-May for gun violence in New York City: Three-plus years of relentlessly going after guns on our streets; and a data driven policing strategy that puts more cops in the right places at the right times to do what they do better than anyone else in the world.' Tisch vowed that the NYPD 'will not let up' and said a Summer Violence Reduction Plan by the department is 'bold and aggressive and designed to continue driving the same historic safety gains.'
New York Post
23-05-2025
- New York Post
Crypto investor allegedly tortured captive Italian tourist for weeks in luxe NYC apartment: sources
A cryptocurrency investor from Kentucky was arrested Friday after an Italian tourist who had apparently been tied up and tortured inside a ritzy New York City apartment was able to escape, police sources said. The victim, 28, broke out of the SoHo house of horrors Friday morning and immediately ran over to a police officer and told them he'd been held captive for more than two weeks, according to the sources. John Woeltz, 37, was taken into custody and is expected to be charged with assault, the sources said. 4 Cryptocurrency investor John Woeltz was taken into custody and is expected to be charged with assault after an Italian tourist had apparently been tied up inside a ritzy apartment, according to cops. Paul Martinka 4 Sources say the victim broke out of the SoHo house and immediately ran over to a police officer. Paul Martinka Two other people believed to be employed by Woeltz, a crypto entrepreneur and investor, were waiting to be interviewed by police, sources said. Woeltz and the victim apparently knew each other from previous business dealings, the sources said. The tourist arrived in New York City from Italy on May 6 and went to the luxurious apartment — but when he arrived, the suspect snatched his passport and tied him up, sources said. After speaking with the victim, police searched the posh pad and discovered multiple torture items in plain sight. 4 The inside of the SOHO house. Paul Martinka 4 Police at the 5th Precinct investigate the alleged torture incident at 38 Prince Street in SOHO. Paul Martinka Officers also found polaroid photographs showing the victim being tied up and tortured as well as a gun, the sources said. The department's emergency service unit searched the premises to make sure their were no other torture victims, sources said. The eight-bedroom apartment in one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods rents for $30,000 to $40,000 per month.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- New York Post
Authorities launch NYC crackdown on credit-card-skim rings: ‘People are coming for you'
Authorities cracking down on national organized-crime rings swiping $18 billion a year through ATM card-skimming have now turned their sights on aiding Big Apple victims. The US Secret Service, which investigates financial crimes along with protecting the president, started the crackdown in California last year because of the staggering problem and has now expanded to team up with a new NYPD task force to try to thwart the criminals better here. 'It's billions of dollars [stolen] annually across the nation, so that jumps off the page by any metric,' Secret Service spokesman James Byrne told The Post on Wednesday, as the New York City initiative was rolled out. Advertisement 3 The NYPD and the US Secret Service announced Operation Flagship, which targets ATM crooks in the city. Paul Martinka for the NYPost 'That's the impetus for it.' The feds launched 'Operation Flagship' after the US Department of Agriculture and credit-card carriers detected such theft involving the government's food-assistance, or Electronic Benefits Transfer, cards. The skimming devices can be installed on top of the ATM and remotely steal PIN numbers and other data from the user's card use the information to steal the simply attack the device using double-sided tape. Thieves can also install tiny cameras in the ATMs that grab images of the PIN number on a card. Advertisement In the Big Apple, the rings primarily target the poorest neighborhoods, authorities said. 'Unfortunately, they're targeting people who really need the money the most, and that's why this problem is really blowing up in the city,' NYPD Detective James Lilla said. 'They'll come in, distract the teller, the [skimming] device will go on. It can take 2 to 4 seconds to install the device. 'They're targeting, particularly, for EBT cash benefits,' said Lilla, who is assigned to work with the Secret Service. 'So, [it's] direct access for those victims, because those cards are not chip-protected. They're able to get direct access and a monthly income coming in for the money.' 3 The US Secret Service said ATM skimming is an $18 billion underground industry in the country, including in New York. Paul Martinka for the NYPost Advertisement The devices steal an average of $300,000 per skimming device — and $1,000 for each person targeted, authorities said. The joint federal task force focused on bodegas and small markets in Brooklyn on Wednesday and plans to hit locations this week to look for skimmers. 'It's a message to folks that are doing these crimes,' said Patrick Freaney, Secret Service special agent in charge of the agency's New York office, to The Post. 'People are coming for you.' Secret Service agent Michael Peck said, 'They are taking the terminals that you see in stores visually, and they are fitting these skimmers so perfectly that the average eye doesn't catch them. Advertisement 3 ATM scammers target New York's poorest because public assistance cards are the easiest to hack into, authorities said. Paul Martinka for the NYPost 'You have to know specifically how to feel for them, or you have to look for other triggers,' he added. 'Maybe glue, maybe a piece of tape and maybe fake seals.' The task force uses a high-tech approach to track down the scamming ATMs, which triangulates data from the USDA, credit card companies and local law enforcement to catch the crooks. 'it's definitely organized crime that's doing this,' Peck said.
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Unsung Big Apple heroes — NYC's hospital cops — finally get their day
They typically fly under the radar, but they wear uniforms and fight crime — and finally got noticed in a major way Tuesday. Members of the New York City Health + Hospitals Police Department in Brooklyn were honored at the agency's first medal ceremony, with more than 200 on hand to acknowledge the crew that tackles wrongdoers without guns or even pepper spray. 'The philosophy is, do excellent work, everyone lives, the bad guys go to jail, job done,' said Vincent Martinos, a former NYPD detective and now chief of the South Brooklyn hospital force, at the Coney Island event. 'This ceremony is trying to honor them and their dedication to the community that we serve. 5 Thirty Brooklyn members of the underappreciated New York City Health + Hospitals Police Department were honored Tuesday. Paul Martinka 'We only patrol hospitals, and we don't have firearms or mace, but we do have the responsibility to make arrests just the same as the NYPD,' said Martinos, a three-star borough chief. It can get pretty hairy in the hallways of Big Apple hospitals. Officer Stephen Cummings received a commendation Tuesday for nabbing a wanted man as he was being discharged from a hospital — after a nurse who had been assaulted by the creep recognized him and tipped off the cop. 'I went over to talk to him to deescalate, and he just started punching me in the face,' Cummings recalled to The Post. 'I saw blood all over, and I said, 'Where's the blood coming from? Who's hurt?' And my partner was like, 'Hey, Cummings. It's you!' ' 5 Vincent Martinos, head of the South Brooklyn hospital force, speaks at the department's awards ceremony. Paul Martinka 5 Martinos has made the cover of the South Brooklyn Health Magazine for his work. Paul Martinka Cummings said the suspect had two open cases in Queens for assaulting women, including the nurse. Another award was given to hospital cop Matvey Gornack, who received the meritorious medal for saving a patient's life by giving him a dose of Narcan in a quick-thinking move inside a van. But it wasn't the craziest feat in his career, he said. 'The craziest thing was 10 years ago when the person in the ER jumped out the window,' Gornack said. 'He was in the psych ER, and he jumped right through the glass outside, and here I am chasing him down Ocean Parkway, and he is naked and has a bad cut and bleeding.' Officer Collins Daley also was given the Excellent Police Duty medal for helping deliver a baby. 5 Officer Collins Daley receives his award Tuesday. Paul Martinka 5 New York City hospital cops have to fight crime without guns or even pepper spray, officials said. Paul Martinka 'I have two kids of my own, and when I saw [the mother's] face, I saw she needed me to stay with her and act quickly,' he said. 'Instinct kicked in. I reacted, it was an urgent situation. 'I stayed with her all the way up until she gave birth,' Daley said. In all, 30 hospital police officers were cited Tuesday for their service. While average New Yorkers may not know there are cops patrolling city hospitals, the NYPD and FDNY are well-versed in the exploits of their brethren and frequent partners. 'This isn't just good partners,' said FDNY Lt. Marat Nurilov. 'This is a necessary partnership. 'We bring patients in to them who can sometimes be violent, and their officers got our backs so that we can focus on patient care,' Nurilov said.
