General Daily Insight for February 10, 2024

Exaggeration can make both our prospects and our problems look bigger at the moment. When articulate Mercury squares dramatic Jupiter at 8:25 am EST, we’re likely to put a touch of theater into our words, whether we’re happy or sad. The inspirational Moon then slides into intuitive Pisces and unites with grounded Saturn, giving us an opportunity to connect with reality. As Luna goes on to sextile fortunate Jupiter, we’ll be equipped to identify the most promising portions of our latest brainstorms.

Kimberly Gotti, 55, and her 23-year-old daughter, Gianna Gotti, were attending an evening matchup between the Oyster Bay and Locust Valley high school boys’ basketball teams, which was being hosted by the latter in Lattingtown, according to NBC News. Gotti Jr.’s son Joseph reportedly plays for Oyster Bay.

A heated in exchange in the stands that occurred shortly after 8 p.m. allegedly prompted a 47-year-old woman to admonish adults who were hurling homophobic and misogynistic slurs at students.

Kimberly Gotti is accused of rushing that woman, punching her and taking the alleged victim’s hat, while Gianna allegedly joined in on the punching, tore at the woman’s hair and later boasted about the beatdown.

The victim reportedly suffered scratches to her face and injuries to her scalp, which she told police felt like it “was going to be ripped off.”

The Gotti women were arrested and spent the night in jail, but pleaded not guilty to third-degree assault, according to NBC News.

A Gotti family lawyer meanwhile claimed Kimberly Gotti was the first person punched in the fracas by the “very belligerent” other woman. He said Gianna only stepped in to help her mother.

John Gotti Jr., who was seen leaving court in Hempstead on Friday alongside his wife and daughter, told CBS News that his family has no plans to press charges.

Gotti Jr. is the son of infamous Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, who died of cancer in prison in 2002. “Junior” ran the crime family while his father was serving his life sentence.

Nassau County Police were unable to provide further information on the case against the Gotti women. They’re due back in court on March 6.

At a press conference Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said a “meticulous” multiagency review determined two officers were assaulted after they told a group of young men outside a Midtown shelter to disperse, and one refused.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the group was impeding pedestrians outside the shelter on W. 42nd St. near Seventh Ave. when 24-year-old Yohenry Brito — who’s being held on Rikers Island — became hostile.

“Everybody disperses except for Mr. Brito. He turned around and got confrontational with the police officers,” Kenny said. “He refused a lawful order, they attempted to place him under arrest, and the melee began with the officers trying to take Mr. Brito into custody, and the next thing you know, they’re being attacked by 13 other people. So that’s how it started.”

Footage released hours after the press conference appears to conflict with that narrative and claims that the group was blocking pedestrians while gathered by concrete dividers near the curb.

“Hey! Por favor! Como esta. Vamos. West 41! West 41! Go to West 41! Move! Vamos!” one of the cops is heard saying.

The video shows most of the group immediately complying, singing in unison as they walk away. But Brito lags behind and ignores the officers while looking at his phone, then gets confrontational with a cop who tries to nudge him along.

“Don’t touch me,” Brito says in Spanish more than once.

As Brito walks away, he stops to retrieve a baby stroller on the sidewalk. Body-cam footage shows him pushing the stroller and starting to walk away from the cops again before quipping in Spanish that one of the officers looked like the fictional TV character “Ugly Betty.” NYPD Lt. Ben Kurian then grabs him by the scruff of the neck and throws him up against a wall.

In the footage captured by the lieutenant’s bodycam, Brito repeatedly asks what is happening in Spanish. The situation quickly escalates as Brito tries to escape Kurian’s grasp, with both tumbling to the ground in seconds.

Officer Zunxu Tian then intervenes, and several of those with Brito descend on the two cops and repeatedly grab and kick them as they grapple with Brito on the ground, various pieces of footage show.

Neither of the officers was seriously injured, according to the NYPD. In the immediate aftermath, one of them is heard on body cam footage telling a colleague the fight started when they sought to “clear out” the migrants from the front of the shelter.

In all, seven of the 11 asylum seekers suspected of involvement have been indicted on a range of charges carrying significant prison time. Prosecutors are looking to speak with five unindicted suspects.

A spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society, representing Yorman Reveron, one of the initial arrestees, said his lawyers were still probing what happened but that the bodycam footage suggests charges should be dropped against the 24-year-old who’s been “fully compliant with the court’s conditions” since his release under supervision. Reveron is accused of grabbing one of the officers, pulling him away from the struggle with Brito, and pushing both cops to the ground.

“Late last night, we were finally provided discovery by the DA’s office, including body worn camera footage and other evidence,” Redmond Haskins said. “On its face, the footage directly contradicts the narrative peddled by law enforcement. We are still conducting our investigation and review, but based on this footage, these charges should have never been brought against our client.”

The whereabouts are unknown of two of those indicted accused of playing a more direct role, like kicking and grabbing the officers while they wrestled with Brito, who fled the scene and was arrested days later and held on $15,000 cash bail or a $50,000 bond. His attorney couldn’t be reached.

Some of those hit with felony charges in the indictments unsealed Thursday include two members of the group who aren’t accused of touching either officer. Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, faces more than seven years in prison if convicted of assault and obstructing government administration for allegedly kicking an officer’s radio. Authorities now say Wilson Juarez — accused initially of assault — watched from the sidelines and changed sweaters with someone afterwards. He could serve up to four years if found guilty of tampering with physical evidence.

Juarez’s attorney said the newly released footage directly contradicted what law enforcement said about anyone in the group refusing to comply with the dispersal order, noting the initial version of events had already been altered to clear her 24-year-old client of assault allegations.

“Originally, Mr. Juarez was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer, and his name and picture spread all over the media outlets,” Adrienne Edward said.

Edward said the deluge of media coverage couldn’t be taken back and lamented elected officials exploiting the hot-button issues for political gain.

“This case has garnered so much media attention and the politicians are using it as part of their reelection,” Edwards said.

Asked Friday to clarify what prosecutors believe Brito did to prompt being grabbed by the lieutenant, Bragg’s spokesman Doug Cohen declined to expand on what’s in the charging papers — which say he had declined to comply with orders to disperse, contrary to the newly released footage. A spokesperson for the police department did not respond to a request for comment.

The incident set off a media frenzy and led police unions and right-wing groups to call on DA Bragg to resign for not seeking bail for the suspects initially charged and Gov. Hochul to call on authorities to “get them all and send them back” to their native countries.

When asked about the conflicting information presented by the police footage on Friday, the governor said she wouldn’t “second guess” the information the DA has “in making sure that we take people who have committed crimes off the streets.”

With Chris Sommerfeldt and Liam Quigley

“@kanyewest asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the US festival without vocals and was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many,” Ozzy wrote on X Friday afternoon.

. @KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM…

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 9, 2024

“He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night,” the 75-year-old continued. “I want no association with this man!”

The former rock star’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, who was raised Jewish, told TMZ on Friday that “Kanye f—ed with the wrong Jew this time,” adding that she and Ozzy had already sent a cease-and-desist order to Ye.

Sharon, 71, reportedly told the outlet that a representative from Kanye’s team reached out about three weeks ago asking permission to sample the Black Sabbath song, and was met with an “absolutely not” from her husband.

She added that Ye, who’s had a fall from grace over the last few years due to his frequent antisemitic remarks and praising of Hitler, now “represents hate.” She went on to call him “dangerous” and a “pig.”

The Osbournes’ sentiments come despite West publicly issuing an apology to the Jewish community in December.

“It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” the rapper said in an Instagram post written in Hebrew, which has since been deleted.

Meanwhile, after Ozzy’s tirade on social media, some users were quick to point out that he himself once cited Hitler as an influence.

During a 1982 interview on the TV series “Night Flight,” Ozzy acknowledged that what the Nazi leader did was bad, but said, “Adolf Hitler had a charisma, in a bad way, and I kind of admired him.”

The comedic actress, known for roles in “White Chicks” and “Freaks and Geeks,” has teamed up with her ex-husband, Marc Silverstein, to host an NYC “garage sale” — the proceeds of which will go to causes close to her heart.

The event takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Cure Thrift Shop (97 3rd Ave.) from noon to 5 p.m. The former couple will even be on hand to sell swag that was stuck in storage since they relocated from Los Angeles to New York City during the pandemic.

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Founded in 2008 by Elizabeth Wolff — a self-described thrift shop-scouring, dumpster-diving New Yorker, who dedicates her life to finding a cure for juvenile diabetes — the purpose-driven emporium has become one of the “CougarTown” star’s favorite haunts.

“I love Cure Thrift and shop there myself,” Philipps told the Daily News on Friday.

“Liz Wolff has an incredible eye and I love that Cure has a charity component,” she added. “Amy Sedaris had done pop up sales with her and after Liz and I met, I knew the only way Marc and I could do this sale was with Cure.”

During a Fashion Week event at The Plaza Hotel on Thursday, Philipps revealed that her best friend, five-time Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams, also donated some items to sell off.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to benefit organizations supporting women’s reproductive rights. Philipps, who opened up in 2019 about having an abortion at the age of 15, has long been a staunch advocate for reproductive freedom.

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The actress initially promoted the weekend event in a Jan. 27 Instagram video, describing it “as the garage sale to end them all” and laid out the ground rules (no early birds! no cash! and no being a jerk to anyone at the sale, etc).

On Friday, Philipps again promoted the sale while shouting out friend Gwyneth Paltrow for “paving the way by talking about a different way to separate” — nodding to Paltrow’s “conscious uncoupling” from ex-husband, Chris Martin.

Philipps and the “I Feel Pretty” filmmaker, who wed in June 2007, quietly separated in 2021. The former couple share two children, Birdie Leigh, 15, and 10-year-old Cricket Pearl.

The Michigan Wolverines are closing a deal to hire the former Giants defensive coordinator to take over the same post with the reigning national champions, according to a source.

Martindale, 60, is a home run hire for new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore.

His Baltimore Ravens defenses ranked second, third and second in scoring, respectively, from 2018 through 2020. The Ravens won the AFC North twice in that span and went to the playoffs all three years.

His 2022 Giants defense paced the team’s 6-1 start and the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2016 with significant improvements on third down (from No. 16 in the NFL to No. 5) and in the red zone (from No. 9 to No. 5).

His 2023 Giants defense tied for the NFL lead in takeaways (31) and scored three touchdowns on pick-sixes. That included 11 takeaways in a three-game span from Weeks 11-14 to pace a three-game winning streak that prevented the bottom from falling out on a 2-8 start.

Martindale is also the only NFC defensive coordinator ever to beat Ravens two-time MVP Lamar Jackson (20-1) in Jackson’s 21 games against teams from that conference. His Giants forced two fourth quarter takeaways to beat Baltimore, 24-20, in Week 6 of the 2022 season.

He was a free agent after resigning from the Giants in early January. He is one of eight Giants coaches in the past month who either got fired or voluntarily left Brian Daboll’s staff.

Former Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who was fired after the season, just landed as Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new special teams coordinator, as well.

Martindale brings an NFL pedigree and a familiar scheme to Moore’s Wolverines.

Recent Michigan defensive coordinators Mike McDonald (Seattle Seahawks head coach) and Jesse Minter (L.A. Chargers defensive coordinator) both worked on Martindale’s Ravens defensive staff under Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh before flexing their play-calling muscles in Ann Arbor, Mich.

So Martindale’s blitz-heavy, man-to-man scheme will give Moore’s Michigan players and program some consistency on that side of the ball.

McDonald and Minter both worked for Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, at Michigan. Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a national championship this past season, got hired as the Chargers’ new head coach and took Minter with him.

Martindale, interestingly enough, was born in Dayton, Ohio, and now will coach against the Ohio State Buckeyes in one of college football’s greatest rivalries.

It was surprising that Martindale did not land one of the NFL’s defensive coordinator vacancies with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys among the intriguing openings.

But joining Michigan puts him in a prominent position to win football games in the national spotlight and make a long run in college or an eventual return to the pros.

The Puerto Rican eatery, located in a remote industrial section of Westchester Square, is owned by Richard Caban, the brother of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. The establishment has for the past few years gained a reputation as a hangout for Adams, who celebrated his birthday there last year, other high-profile elected leaders, including State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, as well as top NYPD brass, including Commissioner Caban and Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.

But Con Sofrito has since 2022 faced a bevy of open building and fire safety violations over a sprawling “party room” it erected in its parking lot during the pandemic without proper permits. The restaurant’s landlord, a corporate entity named 1315 Commerce LLC, sued Richard Caban in Bronx Civil Court over the party room in October after it refused to dismantle the illegal structure, a development first reported last month by the news outlet The City.

In a previously unreported development, Jamie Schreck, an attorney for the landlord, filed court papers in that case last week saying Richard Caban had finally agreed to break down the party room by March 1 — and close Con Sofrito for good by Aug. 31.

In addition, Caban agreed as part of a settlement to cough up $14,000 to cover Schreck’s attorney fees and continue to pay rent through the final date of Con Sofrito’s occupancy, the court papers show. The presiding judge, Betty Lugo, approved the settlement in a decision released on the court docket Friday.

Speaking to the Daily News on Friday afternoon, Schreck said his client is pleased with the settlement and looking to find a new tenant who’s not in the hospitality industry.

“What he told me is that he’s done with restaurants after this,” Schreck said, referring to Joseph Dedona III, the manager of the corporate landlord entity. “He’s fed up with the restaurant industry.”

The settlement might not spell the absolute end of Con Sofrito, though.

“They want to find a new location and a new liquor license,” Schreck said of Caban and his Con Sofrito partners.

An attorney for Richard Caban did not immediately return a request for comment, nor did a spokesman for the mayor.

The illegal party room that sparked the court feud has been featured prominently in photos and videos posted to Instagram by Jimmy Rodriguez, an infamous Bronx restaurateur who lists himself online as the “manager” and “creator” of Con Sofrito.

Rodriguez posted videos and photos in September from the mayor’s 63rd birthday party — which was held in the party room.

Rodriguez used to run Jimmy’s Bronx Cafe, a popular club shuttered in 2004 after coming under suspicion of being a hotbed for gang and drug activity. In the 1990s, Major League Baseball officials warned Yankees players to stay away from Jimmy’s after two shootings took place in front of the club.

Rodriguez did not return a request for comment Friday.

The 25-year-old was in NYPD custody in a holding cell at the 100 Centre St. courthouse about 6 a.m. Friday when cops discovered he was having a seizure, police officials said.

While medics were on their way, the man went into cardiac arrest and was given CPR. The medics rushed him to New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, but his condition worsened and he died later Friday, police said.

The NYPD Force Investigation Division was investigating, and cops could not immediately say why the man was first arrested. His name was not released.

The death was also being looked into by the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation, a source familiar with the matter said.

The Times Union spoke to the unidentified woman, who said she became involved in a consensual romance with Michael Greene, 49, shortly after she was hired to help with bookkeeping and travel arrangements at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church over the summer. The alleged victim, who’s in her 40s, said she told the priest she’d become uncomfortable with dating him while they worked together and left her freelance job in August after putting in just 16 hours.

Things went south shortly before Christmas when the pair traveled to New York City and Greene became aggressive while the woman was driving, she said. When she decided to stay alone in the Manhattan hotel room they had booked, the priest became angry and reportedly suggested she consider killing herself.

Weeks later, on Jan. 11, police believe Greene slashed the woman’s tires “with an unknown cutting instrument” while it was in a parking garage. He’s since been accused of criminal mischief and has a Feb. 20 court date. Greene hasn’t entered a plea.

He told the Times Union this week that the incident was a misunderstanding he expects to have resolved “soon.”

The Episcopal Diocese of Albany told the Times Union it was considering repercussions for Greene, but was unaware of the situation before being contacted by the upstate news outlet. They added that Greene, as a priest, is employed by his own church, not the diocese.

Greene did not attend St. Paul’s midweek Eucharist service on Wednesday, according to the Times Union.

The church didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s unclear if they’re aware of the situation.

Guardian Angel Kimberly Torres filed a harassment complaint against the 22-year-old man, who was surrounded and strong-armed to the ground during a live Fox News interview focusing on the city’s migrant crisis that Sean Hannity conducted with Sliwa this week.

In a video released Friday on X, Torres, who identifies herself as a Mexican, a mother and a Muslim, said she was trying to “deescalate the situation” when the Bronxite shoved her.

“He was aggressive, very angry,” Torres explained, getting emotional at times during the video, which she recorded in both English and Spanish. “He took his hands with all his might and all his force pushed me. I went back. At that point, the Guardian Angels saw me hurt. They came to my defense.”

Torres, who wears a Muslim headscarf under her red Guardian Angels beret, is behind Sliwa during the segment and can be seen confronting the pedestrian before the takedown.

https://x.com/CurtisSliwa/status/1755787779538051296

As the altercation was filmed, Sliwa identified the man as a “migrant” and a “shoplifter,” although neither were true.

“Our guys have just taken down one of the migrant guys right here on the corner — 42nd [St.] and Seventh [Ave.],” The 2021 GOP mayoral candidate said. “Let’s just say we gave him a little pain compliance. His mother back in Venezuela felt the vibrations. He’s sucking concrete.”

The 22-year-old eventually received a summons for disorderly conduct.

Surveillance video contradicted what Sliwa said. The man the Angels roughed up “may have been a little bit drunk, but he was just trying to make his way down Seventh Ave. when Sliwa’s goons stopped him,” a police source with knowledge of the case said. “He tried to push past them and they strong-arm him to the ground,”

A high-ranking NYPD police official said Torres was recorded on body worn camera saying she didn’t want to file a complaint right after the incident, although she has every right to change her mind and file a complaint at a later date.

It was not immediately clear if the man was facing harassment charges Friday.

Police were continuing to painstakingly investigate every aspect of the incident, from the man and the Guardian Angels’ actions to steps taken by responding officers, the police official said.

“It’s a very thorough investigation,” the source said.

Facing a torrent of controversy over his flippant flub, Sliwa gave a half-hearted apology over calling the man a migrant.

“I apologize for miss characterizing the man’s citizenship status, misunderstanding what had caused Guardian Angels to step in,” Sliwa said on X Friday. “The organization and its members would not stand by when someone has hurt a woman, while creating an unsafe situation for all.”

Feb. 9, 2024: Prime time vigilantes

Sliwa, a conservative talk radio staple, has courted controversy throughout his time in the limelight.

In 1992, he admitted to having faked several crimes years earlier, including his own kidnapping, to gain publicity and spotlight dangers in the subway system.

This week’s incident added fuel to already high tensions in New York City as officials struggle to handle an ongoing rise in migrant arrivals for more than a year.

A group of migrants attacked two NYPD officers outside a shelter in Times Square on Jan. 27, sparking outrage.

There’s also been heated debate over the city’s shelter and benefits policies for the new arrivals. A growing number of progressives have voiced concern over the prospect of anti-migrant bigotry sweeping the city.

The Guardian Angels, which Sliwa launched in the 1970s to fight rampant subway crime, have long had a tense relationship with police.

City progressives have called for the tables to be turned on the Angels, with some saying they committed a hate crime, but Sliwa rejected the suggestion Friday.

“No Guardian Angel, a majority minority organization, would ever have provoked an attack based on who someone is or where they came from,” he said. “They responded to a man intentionally being disruptive, aggressive towards film crew members, the crowd and unfortunately put his hands on a female.”