A Staten Island mother won a court case against a plastic surgeon who left her with a "double bubble" deformity that made her appear to have four breasts. Maria Alaimo convinced jurors that Dr. Keith Berman ruined her chest—and her marriage—when she went under the knife. "I hope this does give other women the courage to step forward to say something happened," said Alaimo. "They shouldn't have to hide behind the big scarves and the big turtlenecks." more ›

Well here's some good news amidst a week of sex scandals and protests: city high school graduation rates have gone up in the past year. In a statement released yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the rate for the city climbed to 63% in 2009, up three percentage points from the year before. The drop-out rate has also been halved since 2005. Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein said "it’s encouraging that increasing numbers of our students are reaching this significant milestone." more ›

Although former Rep. Eric Massa has been abandoned by conservative pundits, new reports indicate he's still a teabagger. Men who served in the Navy with the former Congressman claim Massa repeatedly made unwanted advances toward subordinates, including one instance involving "snorkeling"—a maneuver "performed by placing your testicles over the eyes of your partner, forming a mask," according to Urban Dictionary. more ›

A sham Yonkers humane society group was shut down by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo after it was revealed that its 16 members were really just trying to procure guns and badges, and had no real interest in protecting animals. The group, called the Yonkers Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty, was established in 2007 (a real Yonkers SPCA existed in the '50s) in order to "masquerade as a law enforcement entity," according to Cuomo. "State law gives guns, badges and peace officer status to humane society cruelty investigators," the Daily News reports. more ›

Does the Landmarks Preservation Commission have a brownstone bias? Earlier this year the group revealed that they would be focusing their efforts on Park Slope while delaying landmark status designations in Ditmas Park and Beverly Square West. One Ditmas resident says, "The [LPC] has limited resources, but it shouldn't be to the exclusion of the Victorian neighborhoods. If it's worthy, they should fund it and do it." more ›

After firing famed architect Frank Gehry in an effort to cut costs, the developer of the controversial Atlantic Yards project is in talks with the man who designed the Freedom Tower. Architect David Childs told the Brooklyn Paper that Atlantic Yards builder Bruce Ratner asked him to give plans for the proposed basketball arena a "once over," and also discussed hiring him to construct one of the 16 skyscrapers that Ratner wants to build on the site. more ›

Spring is really almost here—you can tell by the reports of tickle fights, short sleeves, and the return of MLB spring training. And it wouldn't really be spring training in Yankeesland without A-Rod controversies and contract disputes! more ›

A thief ransacked a school for autistic children in Staten Island and stole laptops, video games, electronics—as well as a pet hamster, a sock monkey, and a set of rubber ducks. Students at the Eden II School for Children with Autism are shaken, according to executive director Joanne Gerenser, who said kids had made missing posters for the sock monkey and the ducks. "It just felt personal," she said. "That hamster was of no monetary value to anybody but the kids ... I felt that it was really malicious." more ›

There is no indication of any investigation underway regarding Paterson's use of the aircraft. But it's the timeline that's telling -- during an investigation about abuse of his privileges and just days before making statements that would later turn out to be fabrications, the Governor skirted ethics guidelines to travel upstate and stand before crowds of New Yorkers and ask for their trust and vote.

That Antony Gormley public art installation, that will most definitely up the 911 call count, is now being installed on rooftops around the city. All in all 31 statues of bodies will be placed on top of buildings near Madison Square Park, including the Flatiron and the Empire State Building. There will also be a few placed on the ground, but the ones that look like jumpers have authorities a little concerned. more ›

Seems you can't have a perfectly innocent "fire massage" party in your Tribeca condo loft without the neighbors getting all bent out of shape about it. What's fire massage, you say? Well, judging by this surreal video taken at one of sex toy salesman Dimitri Dimoulakis's ragers, it's when a woman waves a wand of fire over the bare back and legs of a man, who is lying down on what looks like a kitchen counter. According to a lawsuit filed by the condo board, "The man's pants are also pulled down to his ankles." Well, yeah—does it seem like a good idea to leave your clothes on when you're getting massaged by a torch? Then again, torch massage doesn't sound like such a good idea either, but that's what these people are into, among other things. more ›

Just months after signing a revolutionary medical marijuana bill into law, NJ authorities have seized more than $10 million worth of illegal marijuana and plants, the most in the state’s history. After sniffing a skunky odor coming from a suburban chimney, cops collected more than 115 pounds of harvested marijuana in addition to 3,370 live plants. So far, three have been arrested in connection with the massive operation. “We have not seen anything to match the volume of production of this criminal enterprise,” said Attorney General Paula T. Dow. more ›

The Mother's Milk cheese story has aged another day! Lori Mason, chef Daniel Angerer's wife and the woman whose milk has created the controversial cheese, takes center stage with a NY Post cover today. She tells the paper her product is 100% organic and free range, as opposed to what one may pick up at their local grocer; she declares she's "healthier than your average cow and I'm not pumped full of steroids!" However, the Department of Health is still strongly advising against the couple serving up her cheese to strangers. more ›