Crain's New York Business articles from June 2006

Crain's New York Business archives from June 2006

POWER STRUGGLE CFB's future.(Campaign Finance Board)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Nicole Gordon's announcement last week that she will leave as executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board puts the agency in uncharted waters. Ms. Gordon has held the job since public financing was created in 1988. What...

Determining state GOP's path.(Grand Old Party (US Republican political party))
June 5, 2006... New york republicans will be doing more than anointing a candidate for governor when they choose between former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso in the September primary. They will be making a...

The Insider.(election news in brief)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Erik Engquist and Anne Michaud Grocery mogul ponders run to succeed Mike Grocery store mogul John Catsimatidis (left) may be gearing up for a mayoral run in 2009, Democratic insiders say. Mr. Catsimatidis, 57, recently got...

Fashion chain loses its fit; New York & Co. outmaneuvered by rivals; shares plunge on profit woes.(rebound from a couple of poor seasons)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Elisabeth Butler New york & co.'s recent fashion flubs are catching up with the midpriced-clothing chain. Sales are suffering and the retailer's stock price is plummeting as shoppers turn their noses up at the company's iffy...

Price is wrong for 2006 ipos.(By the Numbers)
June 5, 2006... Shares in the eight New York area companies that have completed initial public offerings so far this year have fared poorly in the volatile market. The firms' stocks have fallen an average of 6.6%; only three have posted gains.

Long-term care's perfect storm; Middle-class Medicaid, special interests make NY costliest in country.(New York)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Judith Messina Several years ago, a New Jersey man who suffered a catastrophic injury while on business on Long Island ended up at a medical facility in Rockland County, N.Y. His wife transferred his assets to herself, refused to...

Quinn fumbles budget dance steps.(budgets)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Alair Townsend Council speaker Christine Quinn wants to give the mayor and her City Council colleagues dancing lessons. She has introduced a brand-new fandango to replace the bad old "budget dance.'' From where I sit, she has...

Carrying on family tradition; Newest Arpaia showplace Dona features Italian, Greek blend; lively setting.(italian cooking reaches)
June 5, 2006... Byline: bob lape When it comes to notable Italian families in New York's restaurant life, the Arpaias of Puglia are right up there with the Maccionis of Tuscany. In the past three decades, Lello Arpaia and children Umberto and Donatella...

At Deadline.(securities market trend)
June 5, 2006... The union representing school bus drivers and matrons in New York City votes Tuesday whether to authorize a strike when its contract with about 25 bus companies expires on June 30. The two sides have been negotiating for six weeks and hit an...

Nursing home improvements; Facilities reduce number of beds; care shifts to rehab, assisted living.(rehabilitation)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Barbara Benson The berger commission isn't just about hospitals. The Pataki-sponsored panel will also report in December on the best ways to rightsize nursing homes and shift long-term care from institutional facilities to...

Takeover-hungry investors prop up flagging thrifts; Hopeful shareholders overlook declining earnings; big deposits could lure acquirers.(thrift institutions)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Tom Fredrickson In april, Astoria Financial Corp. announced that its first-quarter earnings were down 12% from first-quarter 2005 because of slower loan growth and soaring deposit costs. Analysts rushed to lower earnings...

News Corp. eyes B'klyn chain; Post's parent may acquire Courier-Life on heels of News' launches in boroughs.(acquisition)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Matthew Flamm New york's newspaper war is moving to the boroughs. New York Post parent company News Corp. is seeking to acquire Courier-Life Publications, a chain of 11 community newspapers in Brooklyn, according to industry...

The Best of Bob Lape.(Arpaia family restaurants)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Other Arpaia family restaurants reviewed by Bob Lape: Davidburke & Donatella (3) 133 E. 61st St. (between Park and Lexington avenues), Manhattan. (212) 813-2121. It's exciting. It's edible. It's the hyper-creative chef David Burke...

Garment district looks sharp with diversified tenant base; Zoning helps retain apparel, design firms.(renovation of clothing factories)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Stan Luxenberg Over the past 18 months, 1359 Broadway has been transformed, courtesy of a $54 million renovation. The building, which once housed dozens of clothing factories and had a 50% vacancy rate as recently as two years ago,...

Medical care without leaving work; Firms offer more on-site health care; a money-saver.(health screenings)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Gale Scott Time is money on Wall Street, but at Merrill Lynch & Co. even the most harried employees tend to make room on their calendars for health screenings. The company says that's because it has on-site medical care, an...

Commission at the crossroads; Group charged with state overhaul roils industry, runs afoul of critics; spurs voluntary change.(Berger commission)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Gale Scott In less than six months, a final report is due from the panel that Gov. George Pataki has charged with coming up with recommendations for overhauling the state's health care industry. But the group, the Commission on...

SAVING LIVES.(company loyalty)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... On-site medical care can take company loyalty to a new dimension, says Lily Packer, national director of health services for Comprehensive Health Services. "It makes people feel safe and they feel their company values them,'' she says. ...

Verizon strikes back at its rivals; Targets Cablevision with aggressive ad campaign to reclaim customers.(News)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Amanda Fung After years of struggling to defend its once-vast market share, Verizon Communications has a new a strategy: attack. Armed with its state-of-the-art fiber-optic network, FiOS, which gives the phone giant its first...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction notice)
June 5, 2006... Safeguard Realty Management Inc. represented Klauber Brothers Inc. in its recent showroom lease. The brokerage's name was incorrect in the May 29 "Real Estate Deals'' column. ScreamingMedia Inc. brought in $2 million in monthly revenues and...

The Weeks Ahead.(week events)(Calendar)
June 5, 2006... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events june 6 U.S. Small Business Administration holds e-commerce seminar. 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., 1601 Broadway, eighth floor. Fee: $40 in advance, $50 at door. (212) 264-4507. june 6...

Executive Moves.(appointments from different industries)
June 5, 2006... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli accounting & consulting Berdon: Richard S. Zimmerman, 63, joined as partner. He had been a partner at Cornick Garber & Sandler. Buchanan Associates: Russ Ackerman, 42, joined as director of compliance...

MANY COOKS HONOR STANDARD-BEARERS.(Fresco Tortilla Grills, still)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Among the pioneers of Chinese-owned taco joints in New York City were immigrants De Shi Zheng and his wife, Rose, who opened their first Fresco Tortilla Grill in the early 1990s on Lexington Avenue and East 23rd Street. The couple...

Keeping up with the kids; Boomers, elderly get tech-savvy slowly, selectively.(text messaging)
June 5, 2006... Byline: ELISABETH BUTLER "Where are u te amo xoxo'' Messages like that show up on Martin Gatins' cell phone several times a day, and he thumbs out quick text-message replies, whether he's in a meeting or waiting for a plane's...

POST-PATAKI LIMBO.(Berger commission)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... No one knows what will happen to the Berger commission's recommendations after Gov. George Pataki leaves office. The front-runner to succeed him, Eliot Spitzer (right), supports the restructuring concept, but he recently said he won't be...

New York, New York.(news in brief)
June 5, 2006... Byline: edited by Valerie Block AOL teams up with WNBA Aol and the women's national Basketball Association are playing ball. Time Warner's Web portal plans to launch a free, online video-on-demand channel giving fans access to much of...

STORIES CAN BE REPRINTED, POSTED ONLINE; crain's articles.(reprint services)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Crain's offers reprints of published articles, which can include black-and-white or color photos that accompany the story. To obtain an estimate, contact Lori Noffz at Reprint Management Services, (717) 399-1900, ext. 104, or...

Answer man.(Howard Goldstein)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Byline: tom fredrickson Howard Goldstein, 61, is one of the 300 operators at New York City's 311 call center in lower Manhattan. He fields questions from at least 100 callers a day. His job, which carries a posted starting salary of...

'40 UNDER 40' COMPILATION ONLINE; free info on Crain's honorees.(web site compilation)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Crain's is providing free access to an expanded compilation of its "40 Under 40'' roster of rising stars at NewYorkBusiness.com. The compilation now features all individuals honored from 1991 through 2006. The list can be searched by name...

Films are just the ticket for Marvel stockholders; Comic book king guns for bigger box-office share; invisibility's end.(company earnings)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Tommy Fernandez Thanks to the dazzling superpowers of Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops, X-Men: The Last Stand pulled in a whopping $103 million at movie box offices over the Memorial Day weekend. If only razor-sharp claws and...

FREE TRIALS OF HEALTH PULSE NEWSLETTER.(business of health care)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Crain's offers readers a free, two-week trial subscription to Crain's Health Pulse online newsletter. Pulse deals with the business of health care. It supplies information on mergers and affiliations, contracts, executive appointments,...

Uno from column A ... Chinese ditch native fare for Mexican cuisine.(Mai Lai Fong)
June 5, 2006... Byline: lISA FICKENSCHER For most of her career, Mai Lai Fong had run very successful Chinese restaurants in the city. One of her three businesses even won a rave review in The New York Times for its chicken chow mein, dubbed the best in...

Taking a bigger case; Trial lawyer breaks ground, advances to managing partner at Pillsbury Winthrop.(Pillsbury Winthrop L.L.P.)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Tommy Fernandez Watching the legal battles of the civil rights movement on television in the 1970s had a deep impact on David Crichlow as he grew up in Jamaica, Queens, propelling him toward a legal career. In his teens, he...

Affordable housing zoning gets first tryout in Queens; Proposal will give developers incentives that may promote middle-class growth.(building permits)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Tommy Fernandez Inclusionary zoning, which gives developers financial incentives to build affordable housing, is coming to Queens. The new policy is part of a set of sweeping land-use changes for 130 blocks in Maspeth and Woodside,...

what's the latest in floral bouquets?(peonies)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The hottest thing now is peonies. Green flowers, like parrot tulips and button mums, are also in, but they appeal to more sophisticated tastes. Don't mix up colors; people are going for more monochromatic arrangements with maybe two or three...

METS SWING FOR FENCES; Resurgent team beefs up books with TV network; planned ballpark risky but could double revenues.(New York Mets)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Aaron Elstein Last wednesday, on a perfect evening for baseball, 38,000 people filled Shea Stadium to watch the New York Mets win a 13-inning thriller when a backup outfielder singled home the game's only run. The victory...

HOT PRIMARY CONTESTS.(primary campaigns heat up)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... With the party conventions now history, here's what to watch as primary campaigns heat up in both parties. Republican party designee John Faso will try to capitalize on the momentum he gained by winning more than 60% of the GOP convention...

Past & Future.(In the Markets)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Signs of a weakening labor market are putting the kibosh on shares of Monster Worldwide. The company, which makes its living by posting help-wanted ads, was among the biggest losers on the Bloomberg/Crain's New York Index last week, shedding...

Off-Broadway theaters take their last bow; Higher real estate prices spell end for many; other setbacks.(News)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar Six months ago, David Elliott got the bad news. His landlord was selling the building where his playhouse, the Perry Street Theatre, had existed for 31 years. Now, when the theater's upcoming show,...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
June 5, 2006... Byline: amanda fung WANTED: chief financial and administrative officer ORGANIZATION Groundwork Inc. JOB DESCRIPTION Oversee operations at Brooklyn nonprofit MOST IMPORTANT TASK Implement a grants management and financial...

THE FIX.(Small Business)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... While 83% of small businesses are concerned about some of the most basic security threats that they face, less than a third of them say they plan to purchase information technology security consulting services in the next year, according to...

TOP BENEFITS CONSULTANTS KICK INTO GROWTH MODE.(Health Care Report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... New york's largest benefits consulting firms are getting bigger. Of the top 25 firms, 15 increased their New York professional ranks in 2005. At two, gains exceeded 50%. HUB International Northeast boosted its area staff to 42 from 24, and...

Jersey City's allure; Firms crossing river again as NY prices soar; space for back-office operations.(News)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Julie Satow Late last year, Societe Generale was bursting with new hires and in dire need of more office space. The French financial institution searched all five boroughs, Westchester and Connecticut. It settled on Jersey City....

Hackers unleash personal attacks; Falsify e-mails, try to steal identities; security services costly, nothing foolproof.(Small Business)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Jeremy Quittner At first, beth silver, president of Doubet Consulting, could not believe her eyes. Early last year, she began to notice outrageous misspellings popping up in the online biographies of several executives at a company...

Union works with panel to ease likely job losses; 1199 SEIU takes pragmatic approach; will government funds come through?(Health Care Report)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Barbara Benson Protests by unionized workers failed to keep St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn from closing last year. In the end, many employees found jobs at other unionized hospitals, but the damage was done. As members of 1199...

NY to fill nurse shortage with recruits from Korea; St. John's Riverside immigrant program faces cultural, logistical hurdles.(Health Care Report)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Barbara Benson With the aim of alleviating New York's perennial nursing shortage, St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers recently signed a deal with the South Korean government to bring as many as 10,000 nurses to the state over...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Broadway sets attendance record.(new manager at hip-hop station\)(SEC fines brokers in auction case)(The Village Voice taps new editor in chief)
June 5, 2006... Byline: from staff reports and bloomberg news reports A record 12 million people attended Broadway shows during the 2005-06 season ended May 28, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers. Box-office grosses also set a...

WHICH REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR DO YOU PREFER? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(In the Markets)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... More than 40% of respondents to a NewYorkBusiness.com poll say they have no preference when it comes to who runs on the Republican ticket. Thirty-one percent favor John Faso, who became the GOP's designated nominee last week. William Weld, who...

HOLDING ON Key Senate races.(Briefs)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Four downstate districts are emerging as the keys to whether Republicans can maintain their slim majority in the state Senate. The most vulnerable incumbent is Nicholas Spano of Westchester, who faces the same Democratic opponent who came...

Tips for surviving vacation season; Savvy scheduling, reassignments help.(Small Business Report)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Tina Traster Summer is the zaniest time of the year at Element 9, a New York City Web consulting and design firm, where many staffers take vacations of up to three weeks. "Many of our employees are European or South American,...

DO YOU FAVOR A LEGAL BAN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE? CRAIN'S ONLINE POLL.(In the Markets)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... NEARLY 70% of the 991 respondents to a NewYorkBusiness.com poll oppose a legal ban on same-sex marriage. Fifteen percent say that there should be a prohibition but that same-sex couples should be given some legal rights; 18% say marriage should...

Sports Illustrated building puts up some solid scores; Veteran expanding at sidelined property; more frozen treats for Manhattan.(Publishing firm lines up expansion)(Chain is berry ready for Manhattan)(real estate)
June 12, 2006... The 23-story tower at 135 W. 50th St., known as the Sports Illustrated building, is finally seeing action. The property has been plagued by vacancies ever since the American Management Association's lease for 275,000 square feet expired in...

What's the fastest way to cross midtown Manhattan?(Business Lives)
June 12, 2006... the streets that appear to move the fastest are 45th and 46th streets. If you can't get on one of those, you will fare relatively well on the other designated cross streets that prohibit turns Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those...

CRUNCH TIME.(Small Business Report)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... The fast-paced expansion of China's economy is already posing problems for some longtime importers of goods from that country. Jan Lee, owner of Sinotique Inc.--a Manhattan-based seller of Chinese antiques, crafts and home furnishings--says...

Docs' residential campaign; Newbies view medicine through NY's unique prism.(Business Lives)
June 12, 2006... Byline: TOMMY FERNANDEZ As he schleps between floors at the Hospital for Special Surgery on the Upper East Side in the middle of the night, Dr. Christopher Dodson often rejuvenates himself with a private magical experience: catching a...

Cost cuts, long slide set Pfizer up for bounce; Onetime growth stock now a bargain; $14 billion question.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Tom Fredrickson For any other company, an announcement like the one Pfizer Inc. made last week--that one of its divisions had drawn a number of bids for more than $14 billion--would be a big deal. Sadly for the world's largest...

GOP donors defecting to Spitzer; Many want to back a winner; Weld donors unlikely to help nominee Faso.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Anne Michaud Republicans may have settled on former Assemblyman John Faso as their candidate for governor, but scores of their loyal contributors have already defected to Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. The attorney general...

Behind the Met's curtain; New exec handles union talks, budgets as subscriptions lag; learning to like opera.(Business Lives)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar Just a few weeks into his job at The Metropolitan Opera, Bill Thomas is involved in tough negotiations with its 16 unions. The new assistant manager for business affairs expects the talks to be completed...

Sunset the star at park venue; River Room offers Southern food with Hudson views; sweet tooth may be required.(Business Lives)(Restaurant review)
June 12, 2006... Byline: bob lape Now, a first--a hearty recommendation for memorable upscale dining in a state park. The newly renamed River Room at Riverbank State Park in Harlem is a delight, and an amazing story. The casually elegant new 125-seat...

Hot Jobs.(Business Lives)
June 12, 2006... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar WANTED: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER organization U.S. Fund for Unicef JOB DESCRIPTION This new position will help the chief executive run the $45 million nonprofit MOST IMPORTANT TASKS Increase fund...

Stock seer.(Russell Investment Group, a firm that manages about $170 billion of assets)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: aaron elstein Steve Wood, 39, is a portfolio strategist at Russell Investment Group, a firm that manages about $170 billion of assets. His job is to sift through reams of data and discern where the stock market is headed--a job...

Tourists get taken in fake-hotel scam; Room shortage sparks apartment use for short stays.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Julie Satow When eduardo kurman went online from his home in Argentina to book room reservations for a nine-day trip to a Manhattan hotel, he was satisfied with the three-star establishment he found. It wasn't until he got to town...

At Deadline.(Late News)
June 12, 2006... Last week's announcement of the mayor's new plan to boost the city's marketing and tourism efforts left many questions unanswered, including whether NYC & Company will become a city agency. Currently, it is a private nonprofit agency. The mayor...

Best of Bob Lape.(Business Lives)(Restaurant review)
June 12, 2006... Following are upper Manhattan restaurants reviewed by Bob Lape. Terrace in the Sky (3 stars) 400 W. 119th St. (between Morningside Drive and Amsterdam Avenue), Manhattan. (212) 666-9490. The penthouse restaurant on Butler Hall is as...

Growth Tales; Key strategies used by young firms.(bowling alley startup)(gym management)(emergency escape system)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Lisa Goff Harlem bowling alley branches out Sharon joseph and gail richards saw a market for a bowling alley in gentrifying Harlem. But by the time they cut the ribbon on Harlem Lanes on April 1, the bowling alley had been...

Double-dipping into reform.(A proposal to end double-dipping by injured government workers )
June 12, 2006... Here's why albany is a mess. A proposal to end double-dipping by injured government workers has widespread support from New York City, the state's other 61 municipalities, and 54 of the 57 counties outside the city. That's not to mention 682...

Internships drive students to NYC; City colleges offer job experience, leg up at graduation; high costs a drag.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Samantha Marshall The lure of the big city was too much for Colorado native Zach Lane to resist. The New York University undergraduate, who has been interested in social causes since high school, knew that going to school in...

Remaking city as tech hub; Software group asks for funding of broad push; NY follows others' examples.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Amanda Fung Bruce bernstein, president of the New York Software Industry Association, has been on a tear for the past three years. He has raised about $4 million in federal grants to support the group's work and has helped scores...

The Insider.(Governor will get busy on bench)(Project naysayers win Suozzi support)(Yankees' big lobbying guns)
June 12, 2006... Byline: erik engquist and anne michaud Governor will get busy on bench If eliot spitzer is elected governor in November, he will almost immediately be able to reshape New York's highest court. Court watchers say he will have at least...

Immigrant merchants ace imports; Use connections, more open economy to sell quality goods.(Small Business Report)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Jean Ende Rizal chan, owner of Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based building supply store Decorama Supplies, was formerly skeptical about offering Chinese imports. He worried about quality, the dependability of supply and customer reaction...

Retailers target mainland market; 2 NY fashion firms open stores to exploit U.S. brand fever.(Small Business Report)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Elisabeth Butler In more than three decades of hawking his women's clothing designs to buyers for U.S. department stores, Warren Donner had never experienced anything like the response he got at a recent licensing fair in Beijing....

Energy dereg shorts little guys; Volume users get big benefits; change slow.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Tom Fredrickson The overhaul of New York's electricity market 10 years ago was supposed to allow customers to choose their suppliers and to drive down costs. Though the pioneering effort--which also let customers select their...

New kind of summer blockbuster.(Viewpoint)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Valerie Block Al gore's expose on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, is heating up the box office. It's about to get some company from Who Killed the Electric Car? In this documentary, Director Chris Paine tells the tangled...

Health bill being revamped; Upstate Dems balk at proposal; numbers in flux.(News)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Erik Engquist Faced with unexpected opposition from upstate Democrats, Assembly leaders are watering down a bill that would compel large employers to pay for their workers' health insurance. But, fearing that the concessions...

If all else fails Hang a "Gone fishing'' sign.(Small Business Report)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... A surprising number of small businesses could close during the dog days of summer without doing any harm. Most owners, however, are afraid to even experiment with the concept. Not Katrina Parris. Two years ago, the tired and pregnant owner...

5 Men In 2 places; Entrepreneurs find success in new and old homes.(Small Business Report)
June 12, 2006... (Numbers show locations of primary Chinese investments.) JAMES PI PRINCIPAL TITLE President, Pi Associates ARRIVED IN NYC 1972 CAREER PATH Started off wholesaling cosmetics and sundry items such as film to convenience stores...

New York, New York.(Instant replay takes the court)(Quick e-casts on hot spots)(Documenting drug danger)
June 12, 2006... Byline: edited by Valerie Block Turner gets personal Ted turner's autobiography should prove to be as weird, wacky and unpredictable as the man himself. The world peace advocate and onetime media mogul offered plenty of anecdotes and...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
June 12, 2006... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli this week's events june 13 Crain's New York Business holds networking breakfast and program with Anthony Coscia, chairman of the Port Authority. 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Sheraton New York, 811 Seventh...

Executive Moves.(Business Lives)
June 12, 2006... Byline: adrianne pasquarelli accounting & consulting Alvarez & Marsal: William P. Donohue Jr., 43, joined as managing director for the real estate advisory services division. He had been a principal at Gemini Realty Advisors and Gemini...

Breathing easier; HHC's asthma program gets results, but loses money.(Health and Hospitals Corp)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Gale Scott Chantall butler used to spend at least one night a month in Woodhull Medical Center's emergency department watching frantically as her year-old asthmatic son, Tayshaun, gasped for air. "It was horrible,'' says Ms....

The unmaking of Spitzer the SOB.(Viewpoint)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Greg David The field in the governor's race has now narrowed to John Faso and Eliot Spitzer (sorry, Tom Suozzi). There's one big unspoken reason that Mr. Spitzer is the overwhelming favorite: He's the bigger SOB, and New Yorkers...

Getting help from rocket scientists; Program connects small manufacturers, NASA contractors.(Small Business Report)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Erika Rasmusson Janes Executives at rosco Mirror Inc. had developed a truck mirror that they were sure represented a major advance. But one vital element was missing. The Jamaica, Queens, manufacturer couldn't test the mirror's...

UP-TO-DATE AID FOR SMALL FIRMS; www.NewYorkBusiness.com.(NewYorkBusiness.com)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... NewYorkBusiness.com, the Web site for Crain's New York Business, offers an array of resources to help entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses. Sign up for free Small Business Alerts and be the first to know about the latest round of...

Getting into B'klyn housing game; Group led by `Magic' Johnson converts Williamsburgh tower, offers Park Place units.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Erik Engquist Basketball star-turned-developer Earvin "Magic'' Johnson's first forays into the city's sizzling housing market are ready to bear fruit--and the hoops idol is coming to Brooklyn to celebrate. He will attend a...

Polo Jeans gives Ralph Lauren the blues; Clothing maker kills worn-out brand in U.S.; introduces premium denim.(News)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Stephanie Thompson How much can you squander on a licensed luxury brand gone awry? If you're Polo Ralph Lauren, about $355 million. The preppy-clothing purveyor paid the vast nine-figure sum in February to buy back its Polo...