Staten Island news stories on Newser

Toll Booth Worker Skims $7,500: Cops

Tim Karan — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:40:05 CDT

Toll booth workers can make a decent living, but maybe not this decent. A temporary bridge and tunnel officer at a Staten Island bridge allegedly skimmed $7,500 from tolls paid by drivers, reports the Staten Island Advance . Between January and March, Richard Betancourt, 22, took the $13 toll from...

Pit Bull Survives Shot in Head After Saving Owner

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:10:55 CDT

A courageous dog saved the day in Staten Island when he helped scare off a home invader and survived a bullet to the head, reports the New York Post . The drama began when a burglar disguised as a FedEx deliveryman tried to break into Justin Becker's apartment. Becker threw the...

New York Bullying Victim Kills Herself

Matt Cantor — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:31:56 CST

A Staten Island 15-year-old whose family said she got bullied at school has died after walking in front of a bus holding a suicide note, reports the Daily News . Classmates had taken the belongings of Amanda Cummings and even made mean comments on her Facebook page after the incident, her...

Mom Tries to Scare Kid Into Behaving, Gets Busted

Mark Russell — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:28:00 CST

A Staten Island couple looking to "scare straight" their unruly 6-year-old at a local police station had the tables turned when the police busted the pair for child endangerment. Annette Gerhardt took her daughter to the station house, telling her that was where bad children go, cops said. But when...

Staten Island Ferry Hits Dock; Dozens Injured

Sat, 08 May 2010 12:24:22 CDT

A Staten Island ferry with a history of accidents lost power as it approached its terminal today and smashed into a pier with a jolt that tossed passengers to the deck and hurt as many as 37 people. The cause appeared to be mechanical failure. Seventeen people were taken by...

NY Senator Diane Savino Wins Over Internet

M. Morris — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:34:31 CST

The New York state senate voted down gay marriage yesterday, but the debate created a big winner on the losing side: viral video darling Diane Savino, who's taking the blogosphere by storm. "Savino for President 2016!" Lindsay Robertson writes for Jezebel . In just over 7 minutes, the Staten Island Democrat...

Gun Collector Fatally Shoots Wife, Cats, Self

Jason Farago — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:00:52 CDT

A New York man called 911 yesterday and admitted to shooting his wife and cat—and then shot himself in the head minutes before police arrived. "I shot my wife," John Pizon told emergency services. "Yeah, it was an accident. And I shot the cats, too." The NYPD rushed his...

NYC GOP Congressman Guilty of DWI

Rob Quinn — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:04:43 CDT

Vito Fossella could be facing 5 days behind bars after being found guilty of drunken driving, the New York Times reports. A hearing in December will determine whether the New York City congressman's blood-alcohol level was high enough to warrant jail time. The May arrest ended Fossella's political career after...

Ferry Workers Rescue Missing Teacher in Water

Laurel Jorgensen — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:57:34 CDT

A 23-year-old woman rescued from the water today by Staten Island ferry workers turns out to be a Harlem teacher reported missing 2 weeks ago, the New York Times reports. She is recuperating in the hospital but has yet to shed light on her disappearance. Hannah Emily Upp disappeared just...