Latest news with #SoHo
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The celeb haunt that hides a horrifying secret... and the ghost of a little boy lingers
Walking down Prince Street in SoHo today, few traces remain of the tragedy that took place 46 years ago and struck fear into parents across New York City - changing the way missing children's cases are investigated across America forever. Wealthy New Yorkers and tourists shop in the designer stores now lining the two blocks between the family home of 6-year-old Etan Patz and the bus stop he never made it to one morning back in 1979.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
A man with a bitcoin fortune was allegedly tortured for weeks in a New York City home. Here's what we know.
The investigation into the bitcoin torture case in New York City has revealed gruesome details about the alleged kidnapping and beating of an Italian man for his fortune in the cryptocurrency. What we know about the bitcoin torture case The unidentified 28-year-old man managed to escape from his alleged captors on May 23 in the affluent SoHo neighborhood in Manhattan, according to the New York Police Department. Bloodied and not wearing shoes, the man then found an NYPD traffic agent, who alerted police, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office. Two cryptocurrency investors, 37-year-old John Woeltz and 33-year-old William Duplessie, have been charged with kidnapping, assault and unlawful imprisonment in the case. They're being held without bail, and their attorneys didn't respond to requests for comment from CBS News. John Woeltz, 37, appears for arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for allegedly holding an Italian tourist hostage in an apparent scheme to steal the man's cryptocurrency fortune in New York City, May 24, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters When investigators went through the SoHo town house where the man said he was held, they found a saw, crack cocaine, chicken wire, body armor, night-vision goggles, pictures of the man with a gun pointed to his head and ammunition, according to prosecutors. Woeltz, who is originally from Kentucky, was arrested when police went to the town house. Prosecutors said the large house has eight bedrooms and that Woeltz had the means to flee the jurisdiction if granted bail, with access to a private jet and a helicopter. Duplessie turned himself in to police on May 27, the NYPD said. His attorney said in court that Duplessie's involvement in the case is hotly disputed and he decided to turn himself in when he found out about Woeltz's arrest, CBS News New York reported. William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for his alleged involvement in a cryptocurrency kidnapping, in New York City, May 30, 2025. Jefferson Siegel/Pool via Reuters The Italian man arrived at the town house on May 6, according to prosecutors. The suspects are accused of previously threatening to have the man's family killed unless he paid them in bitcoin, and the suspects allegedly lured him to New York with an offer to return the bitcoin to him in person, prosecutors said. The suspects then allegedly held the man captive for over two weeks as they tried to get him to give up the password for his bitcoin wallet. During that time, the suspects are accused of shocking the man with electric wires, hitting him on the head with a gun and pointing a gun at his head several times, prosecutors said. An AirTag tracking device was tied around the man's neck, and the suspects allegedly told him they would find him if he left the house. Prosecutors also said the suspects allegedly hanged the man over the ledge of the building and threatened to kill him if he didn't give up his password. The suspects also allegedly threatened to have the man's family killed if he didn't give them what they wanted, prosecutors said. The man told authorities the suspects cut his leg with a saw, forced him to smoke crack cocaine and urinated on him during his captivity, according to prosecutors. "To be tortured for 17 days in terms of a chain saw cutting your leg, in terms of putting your feet in water and electrocuting him, in terms of making the person ingest narcotics, horrible crime," NYPD Chief of Department John Chell, the police department's highest-ranking uniformed member, told CBS News New York. The Manhattan town house where an Italian man was allegedly tortured for weeks in an attempt to gain access to his bitcoin wallet is seen in New York City, May 29, 2025. Reuters/David "Dee" Delgado The man escaped after telling Woeltz he would give him the password, but it was on his laptop, prosecutors said. When Woeltz went to get the laptop, the man went downstairs and bolted from the house. Police sources told CBS News New York that two NYPD detectives did private security work for the suspects, but there isn't any indication that the detectives knew about the alleged kidnapping. One of the detectives picked up the Italian man at an airport and brought him to the SoHo town house, two sources told CBS News New York. The detectives were placed on desk duty May 28 and had their guns and badges taken from them pending an internal affairs investigation into the off-duty work, which the NYPD said wasn't authorized. One of the detectives was assigned to the security detail for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty," Kayla Mamelak Altus, Adams' press secretary, said in a statement. "We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty." contributed to this report.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Storytelling Power Behind Parke's Rise And Pop-Ups
By 3 a.m., the first eager fans were waiting. By 10 a.m., the line wrapped around multiple SoHo blocks. And by day's end, Parke had its biggest sales day in history. When Parke popped up in SoHo on the weekend of May 16, the turnout surpassed all expectations. Some eager shoppers arrived as early as 3 a.m., taking trains from New Jersey and Connecticut — all to support founder and CEO Chelsea Kramer and her namesake brand ("Parke" is her middle name). The lines continued through Sunday, and Friday marked the brand's single biggest sales day ever, with nearly 1,000 shoppers walking through the door. If that sounds like a fluke, it's not. The beloved direct-to-consumer brand best known for its mockneck sweatshirts (with 'PARKE' embroidered across the chest) has gained a reputation for selling out of collections in less than five minutes. The frenzy isn't just luck — it's a perfect storm of product design, branding, storytelling, and community. And Parke has pulled it off without spending a single dollar on paid media (a notable flex). "From the beginning, I wanted Parke to grow from genuine connection, not paid reach," says Kramer. "I'm a consumer first, and I know how I connect with brands. Paid can be done well, but we've never needed it. The product and story resonated enough to be shared naturally. Word of mouth has been our most powerful tool, especially on college campuses. We've seen organic growth that performance marketing can't always replicate." What the data reveals is a masterclass in modern brand building: $16 million in revenue in 2024, and over 3,500 people lined up around the SoHo block for its most recent pop-up (1,000 more than the year prior). It's the type of momentum that earned Kramer a spot on Forbes' 2025 30 Under 30 list in the Retail and Ecommerce category. At the heart of Parke's engine is consistency. Launches follow a deliberate rhythm, with every detail — from teaser posts to email sends — timed to create anticipation and habit. "If the launch is on a Tuesday, we'll start the build-up on Thursday," Kramer explains. 'That typically looks like an inspo photo in-feed and a story set to introduce the vibe. Friday we share a few sneak peeks from the campaign shoot. Saturday, we always post the full line sheet. And by Sunday, our audience knows it's almost time for the full unveiling.' The marketing playbook extends beyond product. At the start of each month, Kramer writes a newsletter that blends reflection, behind-the-scenes updates, and a calendar of what's coming: including restocks, limited releases and seasonal collections. 'It builds real anticipation,' she says. 'Sometimes it's just: 'Here's what we're celebrating this month.'' This consistent cadence helps the consumer develop a habit to anticipate Parke's emails and accompanying news. Predictability and consistency breed trust — and trust builds loyalty. And great product, supported by great content, travels far — even without a paid push. Kramer adds: 'As a consumer, I love knowing when a brand will launch their collections. Tuesday at 10 a.m.? I'll make time for that.' It's no surprise, then, that Parke's pop-ups aren't just shopping events, they're brand pilgrimages. Treating pop-ups and IRL activations as cultural moments underscores that retail isn't just transactional: it's emotional. Photo Credit: PARKE, Madison Lane Photo Credit: PARKE, Madison Lane From hotdogs and pretzels to iconic taxi cabs, the NYC-themed branding – designed by brand design lead Camila Walter (@itsgpf) – at this May's SoHo pop-up wasn't just playful — it transformed the venue into a visual love letter to the city. For fans, it wasn't just merch. It was memorabilia. 'It wasn't just a store,' says Kramer. 'It was a physical extension of the brand. We brought in real things from my office: sketches, fabrics, notes from friends. Our whole team was there, and people could feel the energy. It's about memories and connection, not just sales.' Kramer refers to herself as a 'visual storyteller' and approaches content creation from the lens of a consumer and creative. Photo Credit: Madison Lane Photo Credit: Madison Lane "I never want something to feel salesy, whether it's Parke or a brand I collaborate with. I share because I love the product, and that goes back to before Parke even existed. My sister-in-law (Kira Kramer, who is the brand's COO) says I've always been like this — if I loved something, I'd buy it for everyone around me.' 'I didn't start with a platform or a big following,' she says. 'But in this digital age, giving people a window into your world matters. I don't share everything, but I love showing the behind-the-scenes — it makes the brand feel personal.' The moment that made it all feel real? Valentine's Day 2024. 'We sold out in seconds,' Kramer recalls. 'That was when I knew something big was happening. I only had two employees at the time. Since then, I've just kept my head down and kept going.' (Today, Parke has 12 full-time employees.) Of course, with popularity comes scrutiny. In April, a TikTok user accused Parke of white labeling items sourced from Alibaba. Kramer denied the claims, clarifying that all of Parke's products are developed in-house with a technical designer and go through multiple rounds of fit, wash and fabric refinement. 'Just keep showing up,' Kramer says. 'That's my mantra. On the hard days, on the tired days — just show up. That's when the magic happens.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Second man charged in violent New York kidnapping crypto case appears in court
NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) - William Duplessie, one of the two men charged in New York with kidnapping a man for three weeks in Manhattan's upscale SoHo neighborhood, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his Bitcoin password, appeared in court on Friday. In court, a prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney's office told Judge Kacie Lallie that Duplessie, 33, has not yet been indicted. His co-defendant, John Woeltz, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday and is due to be arraigned on June 11, prosecutors said. Duplessie, wearing beige prison garb, was led handcuffed out of the courtroom after the brief hearing ended. Both he and Woeltz, who was arrested on May 23, had been ordered jailed earlier this week. Duplessie was arrested on Tuesday. His lawyer, Sam Talkin, declined to comment after Friday's hearing. Local media have called Woeltz a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both Woeltz and the alleged victim had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. When the man refused to share his password, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly began a series of brutal beatings over three weeks in a luxury townhouse until the man managed to escape. They tied his wrists, hit him on the head with a gun, and threatened to kill his family, according to the complaints against the two men. Woeltz has been indicted by a grand jury and is due to be arraigned on June 11, prosecutors said on Thursday. Neither Woeltz nor Duplessie has entered pleas.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Accused SoHo crypto kidnappers had 2 NYPD detectives working as security, police sources say
Two New York City police detectives had been working security for the cryptocurrency investors who police say kidnapped a man and held him captive in SoHo, police sources tell CBS News New York. Those two detectives have now been placed on desk duty as the police department investigates. Read more: NYC crypto kidnapping case proceedings put on hold over legal deadline Detectives weren't authorized to work as security, NYPD says It's not unusual for police to work security in their off hours -- it's called moonlighting. But NYPD personnel must get authorization from the department to do so, and police say the two detectives in question did not. They have since been stripped of their guns and badges as the Internal Affairs Bureau investigates. One of the detectives was assigned within the NYPD to Mayor Eric Adams' security detail. Police have not said when or where either of them worked for the investors and there is nothing to suggest they were in on the kidnapping scheme. Two sources say one of the detectives picked up the victim, an Italian tourist, from the airport on May 6 and brought him to the home in SoHo. Right now, there is no indication that either detective knew of or were involved in the alleged criminality that happened inside. Italian tourist allegedly kidnapped, tortured for 17 days Prosecutors say John Woeltz and William Duplessie held the man captive for 17 days inside the home as they tried to get the password to his Bitcoin wallet. Investigators say the victim was shocked with electric wires, cut on the leg with a saw, and forced to smoke crack cocaine. An attorney for Woeltz declined to answer questions from reporters after a judge denied his client bail on Thursday morning. The NYPD is still looking into what, if anything, these detectives knew or witnessed about the alleged crimes. The mayor's office sent CBS News New York a statement on Thursday, saying, "Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty. We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing."
