Tag: new york

Mystery as Italian model who was among first to accuse Jeffrey Epstein of sexual misconduct disappears in New York

A former Italian model who was one of the first women to accuse Jeffrey Epstein of sexual misconduct has mysteriously vanished in New York.

Elisabetta Tai Ferretto, 50, originally from Montagnana in northern Italy, has not been heard from since April 22 after returning to the US.

Ferretto, who has lived in New York since 2001, had travelled back to the Veneto region at the beginning of April to visit her parents and brother.

But after returning to Manhattan, her daily contact with her family suddenly stopped.

The former model’s loved ones said phone calls are going unanswered, and her social media profiles appear to have been deactivated or deleted. 

Her family reported her missing to prosecutors in Rovigo, who opened a case as she is an Italian citizen abroad.

The case has also been passed to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has activated diplomatic channels with US authorities.

American officials are now understood to be investigating, but Ferretto has yet to be found safe and well.  

The former model worked in fashion after moving to the United States and later moved into the New York real estate sector.

Her name emerged publicly in 2019 when she spoke about an alleged encounter with Epstein that she said took place in 2004.

Ferretto said she had been introduced to Epstein through her agent in the fashion world after being told he could help her work with major brands.

Her agent proposed that she meet a man ‘who would change her life,’ allowing her to begin modelling for the famous Victoria’s Secret brand. 

That man was none other than Epstein himself, a trusted friend and financial advisor to Leslie Wexner, the owner of Victoria’s Secret.

She said she went to what she believed would be a professional meeting or audition at Epstein’s home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

But Ferretto later told investigators and media outlets that she was greeted in the New York mansion by Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and taken to his office.

There, she claimed the disgraced financier did not look at her portfolio or CV and instead undressed and lay down on a massage table.

She said she rejected him and fled from the property.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Ferretto’s family said she had remained in regular contact with them until the day she disappeared.

They said the silence was completely out of character.

No confirmed sightings or official explanation for her disappearance have yet been made public.

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Pair of Woke Bills in NY Could Free Notorious Killers Including ‘Son of Sam’

In the mid-1970’s, New York was gripped with fear as an unknown murderer roamed the streets.

During his murder spree, David Berkowitz often approached victims sitting in cars and fired through the windshield or window.

He left taunting letters to police and columnist Jimmy Breslin, signing them “Son of Sam” (he claimed a demon-possessed dog named Sam told him to kill).

He was arrested in August of 1977, confessed to murdering six victims and wounding seven others.

Now, thanks to two woke bills being pushed in Albany, cell doors could swing open for Berkowitz and other notorious killers.

The Elder Parole bill would allow people convicted of certain crimes (including some violent felonies and murders) to apply for parole once they reach age 55 and have served at least 15 years of their sentence. It expands early parole eligibility for older inmates.

The Fair and Timely Parole bill would require the parole board to presume release for most inmates who have served their minimum sentence, unless the board can prove they still pose a clear public safety risk, and also reduces the weight given to the “nature of the original crime, especially for older convictions.

Further, it shortens the time between parole hearings.

The bill emphasizes factors like age, rehabilitation efforts, and time served over the severity of the original offense, placing more weight on behaviors during incarceration rather than the actual violent crimes that put someone behind bars in the first place.

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New Buffalo Township tries to rein in cannabis boom it helped create

A booming cannabis market that turned New Buffalo Township into one of Michigan’s busiest marijuana destinations is now prompting local leaders to ask a difficult question:

How much is too much?

Recent reporting by Crain’s Chicago Business and Crain’s Grand Rapids Business highlights a community trying to regain control of an industry it once aggressively welcomed — even as it continues to benefit from the revenue those businesses generate.

From opportunity to overload

In just a few years, New Buffalo Township has gone from cannabis newcomer to one of the most concentrated retail markets in the state.

Today, nearly 30 dispensaries operate within the township — a remarkable number for a community of roughly 2,500 residents. Several more have been proposed or approved, creating a level of density that has drawn attention well beyond Southwest Michigan.

The location tells much of the story. Positioned along the I-94 corridor near the Indiana line, the township has become a convenient stop for out-of-state customers, particularly from Illinois, where prices and taxes are typically higher, and Indiana, where cannabis is still illegal.

That steady stream of traffic helped fuel rapid growth — and a steady flow of revenue.

A shift in tone at the Township Hall

Now, township officials are signaling that the rapid expansion may have gone too far.

According to Crain’s reporting, local leaders have begun taking steps aimed at reducing the number of dispensaries, not by banning cannabis outright, but by tightening oversight and enforcement.

Those efforts include:

  • Reviewing and, in some cases, seeking to revoke special land use permits
  • Holding public hearings tied to compliance concerns
  • Working more closely with the state on enforcement actions involving individual operators

The approach reflects a notable shift — from encouraging development to managing its consequences.

The revenue reality

Complicating the picture is the financial upside.

Cannabis sales have generated significant tax revenue for Michigan communities, and New Buffalo Township has been among the biggest beneficiaries due to its unusually high concentration of stores.

That revenue supports local services and budgets, making it difficult to simply shut the door on the industry.

At the same time, more dispensaries mean the pie is divided into smaller slices. As additional licenses come online, the amount of state-distributed revenue tied to each location can decline — raising questions about whether continued growth actually benefits the township in the long run.

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Report: Pro-China Billionaire Funded NYC’s May Day Events Where Zohran Mamdani Pushed Taxing the Rich

Two leftist groups that have directly or indirectly received funding from a pro-Chinese Communist Party tech-billionaire reportedly helped organize protesters in New York City’s Union Square for communist and socialist May Day events on Friday.

The groups called The People’s Forum (TPF) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) have in some form received money from Neville Roy Singham, according to Fox News.

“A self-identified speaker from PSL announced a People’s Forum spokesperson who was the second to speak into a microphone. The speaker rallied the crowd of demonstrators, asking them to repeat chants and later bashed capitalism. Shortly before remarks, PSL arrived with dozens of pre-made anti-Trump signs and equipment, unloading them from a van parked next to Union Sq. Park,” the outlet said, noting pro-Communism advocates handed out newspapers and encouraged people to attend future events.

“Teamsters and unions gathered downtown at Washington Square Park while TPF and PSL marched from Union Square several blocks up. The union workers’ rally ended shortly after the Singham-connected groups arrived,” the report continued.

Breitbart News Foundation (BNF) reported that Singham’s wife is left-wing Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans. Chinese government records reviewed by the BNF also showed “Singham’s deep, extensive ties with the Chinese regime.”

“Both the People’s Forum and Code Pink have received millions of dollars’ worth of funding for years. These organizations were at the forefront of the anti-Israel and pro-Hamas wave of protests across U.S. university campuses in the months following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel,” the article stated.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, spoke to attendees at the rally in Washington Square Park on Friday and said he was “working to tax the wealthiest and the most profitable corporations in New York City”.

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Mamdani allocates $500K for reparations talks as NYC faces $5.4B deficit

Under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City has set aside $500,000 to fund community discussions on reparations and other forms of assistance for Black New Yorkers as a major budget deficit looms, internal communications show.

An internal message, dated January, detailed how more than two dozen groups would be given tens of thousands of dollars each to participate in “conversations to discuss the development of a Reparations study” and to gather “input on the early development of the citywide Truth, Healing and Reconciliation plan.” 

Funding, according to the document, “allows for each community member to receive an incentive for their time” and covers the costs of providing participants with “refreshments.”

Amid the reparations spending, New York City faces an estimated $5.4 billion budget deficit throughout the next two fiscal years. 

Mamdani thus far has not proposed service cuts to address the shortfall, opting instead to seek out increased taxes and dip into the city’s emergency cash reserves while increasing funding for racial equity initiatives.

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Muslim religious leader arrested for abuse of multiple children at Queens mosque

A Muslim religious leader from a Queens mosque has been arrested for allegedly groping and molesting multiple young girls, according to police.

Tajul Islam, 55, was taken into custody on Monday by the Queens Child Abuse Squad. He has been charged with sexual abuse, forcible touching, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to police. He is a leader at the Masjid Bilal Queens Islamic Center in Jamaica.

Islam was booked at the 113th Precinct in Jamaica for the sexual crimes, which included the victimization of two 10-year-old girls, per a criminal complaint obtained by QNS.

According to the complaint, on the evening of April 21, Islam approached one of the 10-year-old girls and allegedly grabbed her breast as well as well as her inner thigh, per the complaint. He did so with another 10-year-old girl on April 27. Four hours afterward, he was arrested.

During his arraignment on Tuesday, Islam pleaded not guilty before Queens criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar. His bail has been set at $25,000, and he was also issued a temporary protection order by Judge Nasser-Cuellar.

Islam has no prior arrests leading up to being charged with the alleged sexual abuse earlier this week. The NYPD has asked if there are other victims with knowledge of the incidents or others to come forward. Anyone with information has been encouraged to call the NYPD’s Sex Crimes Hotline at 1-212-267-7273 or 1-646-610-7272.

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Fury as NYC on course to join Detroit, Chicago and Puerto Rico with woke mayor Mamdani’s latest reckless plan

Fury is mounting as New York City drifts closer toward the same fiscal traps that have crippled Detroit, Chicago and even Puerto Rico.

It comes after Mayor Zohran Mamdani began exploring a controversial plan to delay billions in pension payments as City Hall scrambles to plug a growing budget hole.

The proposal – now under discussion with state officials – would allow the city to push back retirement contributions into its vast municipal pension system, freeing up at least $1 billion in the next fiscal year.

But critics warn the move amounts to little more than kicking the can down the road. It would swap short-term relief for a far bigger bill later, and risk problems that have pushed big cities to crisis in the past.

The city currently faces a $7.1 billion budget gap. As Mamdani resists significant spending cuts, he is considering delaying required payments to city pension funds as a temporary fix. 

For now, the city remains on track to meet its long-term pension funding obligations by its 2032 deadline. 

Mamdani’s team said in a statement to the New York Times that it has not started ironing out the details of the proposal and that any changes would likely push the deadline beyond 2032.

Any delay to the pension plan would require the approval of New York Governor Kathy Hochul. 

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NYC Neighborhood Where 70% of People Voted for Zohran Mamdani Now Suing His Administration for Locating a Homeless Shelter There

The people of the East Village neighborhood in New York City are getting exactly what they voted for and they are not happy about it.

In fact, the people of this neighborhood, who voted for Mamdani by a margin of 70 percent, are now suing his administration because they don’t like his plan to locate a new homeless shelter there.

Have they not heard about the warmth of collectivism? Isn’t this precisely what they voted for?

From the New York Post:

East Villagers sue Mamdani to stop relocation of notorious Bellevue men’s homeless shelter into their neighborhood

Enraged East Villagers sued Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a last-gasp effort to stop the relocation of hundreds of homeless men to a new shelter in their neighborhood.

The lawsuit filed Monday seeks an emergency restraining order that would prevent the “rushed” May 1 opening of the intake shelter along Third Street.

The site was selected by City Hall as one of two intake shelters in Manhattan that would effectively replace the notorious Bellevue homeless shelter — a haven for often-dangerous vagrants that Mamdani plans to close by the end of the month.

But Mamdani and city officials not only underhandedly declared an “emergency” to close the Midtown shelter, their decision to plunk its clientele into the East Village was dangerously slapdash, the lawsuit contends.

“This case is not about the City’s decision to close the Bellevue Intake Shelter,” the Manhattan Supreme Court filing states.

“It challenges only the City’s hastily made and legally invalid decision to [locate] a new citywide homeless adult male intake center at 8 East 3rd Street without following any of the legal requirements that must precede such a significant and consequential decision.”

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NYC councilman and Mamdani ally Chi Ossé arrested during eviction protest, video shows

A video captured New York City Council Member Chi Ossé being thrown to the ground and arrested in Brooklyn while protesting a woman’s eviction. 

Ossé, a Democratic socialist and ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, reportedly was defending a constituent facing eviction after six decades in her home. The office of the 28-year-old said in a statement that “Black displacement is happening right now in Bed-Stuy” and his constituent “is one of many Black homeowners battling deed theft in Brooklyn.” 

“Motherf—–, that’s a councilman, what the f— are you doing?” a man was heard yelling in chaotic footage showing Ossé being taken into custody Wednesday. 

A New York City Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Ossé was one of four people arrested and charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct.

“I will absolutely be filing a misconduct report against the officers who slammed me on the ground. I urge the other folks who were taken into captivity to do the same. I know there are two individuals who were doing the same thing that I was doing, who have reported that they are dealing with a concussion right now,” Ossé said following his arrest. 

“I would hope to see that they are held accountable. I hope the police commissioner is taking a deep look on their past, on their histories, and I hope they take our complaints seriously,” he added. 

The New York City Department of Finance describes deed theft as occurring “when criminals record fraudulent deeds, mortgages or other liens against a property without the owner’s knowledge or consent.

“Anyone can be a victim of deed fraud, but seniors, immigrants, and people of color are most at risk,” it added. 

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Video with Overweight Female NYPD Officer Trying to Help Restrain Punk Shows Exactly Why Mamdani’s NYC Is Doomed

New York City continues its tragic decline under the failed stewardship of buffoonish Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as spotlighted by a disturbing video showing three out-of-shape NYPD officers failing to restrain a subway thug.

The incident, which occurred on a subway platform in the Bronx, underscores how Mamdani‘s embrace of anti-meritocratic DEI hiring practices has eroded public safety and emboldened criminals.

The video, which was originally posted on Instagram, was reposted on X on Monday.

“Three NYPD officers are unable to take down one thug at the Tremont Avenue subway stop in NYC,” an X user observed.

“The thug falls or jumps down to the tracks, gets up on the other side, and walks away.”

Before walking off, the suspect berates and curses at the officers, repeatedly screaming, “Get the f*** off me!”

While casually walking away, the suspect derisively taunted an obese female officer as a “fat b****.”

The viral clip spotlights several disturbing themes underscoring the disastrous impact of left-wing social re-engineering agendas.

First, criminals no longer fear or respect law enforcement, which means there’s no deterrent to crime.

Second, many New York City officers are physically unfit to do their jobs.

Those of us who live in New York are used to seeing obese, lethargic officers who look as if they’re one doughnut away from a heart attack.

It’s inconceivable to imagine them chasing a suspect on foot or being able to physically restrain a criminal.

This is especially true of female cops, who’ve been hired en masse due to the Democrats’ DEI fetish, which has slashed standards amid leftist complaints that the fitness tests prevented women from being hired.

This dangerous trend has metastasized nationwide and around the world, making a laughingstock of the police.

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