From fraud schemes to unwanted….items….in some take-out soup, it’s been a busy year for New York City.
Our website has reached great heights this year, thanks to your ongoing support and readership. As of Dec. 26, amny.com has reached 15,057,994 page views.
Here’s a run-down of the top 10 most-viewed stories that were published this year on AMNY.com.
- Masks off? In February, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said that New York City businesses should demand that shoppers take off their masks before entering the store in an effort to cut down on robberies at said stores. This likely marked the first that that a New York City official explicitly told New Yorkers to go back on policies that were created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The community voted, and their voice was loud: in April, Manhattan’s Community Board 5 wanted Madison Square Garden to relocate in favor of making way for a new Penn Station. The board gave MSG three years to relocate to a new spot, however later in the summer it was decided that MSG would stay put for now.
- The Bling Bishop Lamor Whitehead got himself in trouble back in April. Whitehead was hit with a lawsuit that alleged that he illegally evicted Glory of God Global Ministry, at 5904 Foster Ave. in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and was then stalling onn handing it back over in violation of a court order. He was charged with “fraud,” “conspiracy,” and “tortious interference” with contract and business operations allegedly committed by Whitehead.
- Is a PS5 even worth the carnage? In August, hundreds of fans of the YouTube sensation Kai Carlo Cenat descended upon Union Square to watch the internet personality in action and take part in a giveaway. The unsanctioned event ultimately spun into chaos, with 65 people as well as Cenat being arrested for rioting. It’s not even clear if any PS5’s were even handed out.
- Later, gator! Back in February, an alligator, affectionately named “Godzilla,” was found floating about its business in the Prospect Park lake. The gator, according to the Parks Department, was “very lethargic and possibly cold-shocked,” and was emaciated. The Parks Department rescued the gator, which is not native to the New York City area, and brought it to the Bronx Zoo for recuperation, but the reptile died in April. In addition to being severely underweight, the gator was suffering from infections, and anemia, and had swallowed a bathtub stopper.
- In August, officials with the Adams administration said a new 60-day limit on shelter stays for adult migrants is working as intended, with 65% of migrants handed notices of 60-day shelter limit saying that they want to leave system. These remarks came during a City Council hearing examining the relatively new policy, which was rolled out as a means of providing more shelter space to families with children as the city has become completely overwhelmed by asylum-seeking migrants.
- In May, eight people and six companies were indicted in what Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called a wide-ranging construction industry fraud scheme. Bragg’s office found these unscrupulous construction executives and subcontractors had conspired to use minority and women-owned businesses to obtain affordable housing development contracts, and during their scheme, they allegedly engaged in payroll and insurance fraud, and other forms of corruption.
- To open or close streets, that is the question. A dozen New Yorkers with disabilities filed a federal lawsuit against the city in April claiming that its Open Streets program violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, with the hope of end the popular pandemic program. The lawsuit noted that the Open Streets program is a ruse down to its name, deeming it “Orwellian Newspeak” and arguing it would more appropriately be called “Closed Streets.”
- Check, please! A Manhattan couple alleged that a dead rodent was buried in a soup/stew dish that the couple ordered from a Korean restaurant called Gammeeok back in March. The couple took to social media after seeking legal counsel, alleging that the manager of the restaurant initially responded by offering them $100 and their money back, upping the offer to $5,000 after consulting with the owner. The couple also alleged that the manager was supposed to call them back but didn’t do so in a timely manner, and were brushed aside when they called again.
- Back in March, a woman was found dead in Midtown after she was reportedly exposed to hazardous materials. The victim was found unresponsive by someone walking their dog in the back of a vehicle on East 56th Street and Sutton Place. A massive emergency response took over the area, cordoning off the street which reeked of sulfur, and officials say that an array of liquid chemicals were found within the car.
