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Jack Martins leads Adam Haber in latest Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll

Sen. Jack Martins holds a 15-point lead over Democratic opponent Adam Haber in the race for New York’s 7th Senate District, even as Haber has shored up support among Democrats over the past month, according to a Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll.

Martins, a two-term Mineola Republican, leads Haber, an East Hills businessman, 52 percent to 37 percent, according to a survey of 423 likely district voters. Eleven percent of voters were still undecided or had no opinion.

The poll, conducted Oct. 16 through Oct. 21, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

The results follow a benchmark poll conducted Sept. 28 and 29 which showed Martins leading Haber by 25 points.

To see raw data, click here.

Who would you vote for today between Adam Haber and Jack Martins?

“We anticipated the gap would close,” said Donald P. Levy, director of the Siena Research Institute. “Even though Haber ran countywide [for Nassau County Executive], he’s still a newcomer. Martins is not a long-time sitting incumbent, but he’s the incumbent, to see a gap of that size close in a three-week period makes sense.”

Haber, a Roslyn School Board member, has increased his name recognition and secured more support among his party compared to the last poll, “but for Haber, 15 points is a pretty steep hill to climb with two weeks to go until the election,” Levy said.

Last month, 55 percent of respondents had no opinion or were unaware of Haber’s candidacy, a number that has decreased to 34 percent. His campaign has aired two TV ads and spent $801,285 on campaigning — compared to $405,370 spent by Martins — through Sept. 29, according to the latest state campaign finance records.

In the current poll, 72 percent of Democrats said they would vote for Haber, up from 53 percent in September. “Democrats are paying more attention now, but [Haber’s] lost ground among independents,” Levy said.

How likely would you say you are to vote for Adam Haber or Jack Martins?

Haber’s support among independents and third-party voters dipped 11 points to 19 percent since last month. Meanwhile, Martins saw an 11-point uptick in independent support with 68 percent saying they would vote for him in the latest poll. Thirteen percent of independents or third-party voters were undecided.

Martins’ campaign spokesman E. O’Brien Murray said that despite Haber outspending Martins, he “is down 15 points with 12 days to go in a district with 20,000 more Democrats than Republicans.” The district covers central Nassau and North Shore communities, including Mineola and Hicksville.

“It’s clear that voters are widely supporting Senator Martins and rejecting Adam Haber’s lies,” Murray said.

Haber campaign spokesman Jacob Tugendrajch said the results indicated that “Haber’s message of lower taxes, women’s equality and holding state government accountable is resonating with voters.”

Regardless of your support, which candidate do you think has waged the more negative campaign?

“Adam Haber is rapidly closing the gap in this race and has all the momentum heading into the remaining days of this campaign,” Tugendrajch said.

While both candidates have traded attacks on their environmental records and their position on abortion, 33 percent of respondents said Haber has been waging a more negative campaign compared to 17 percent for Martins. Forty percent of respondents said they had no opinion or were unaware of any negative campaigning, which indicates “this campaign hasn’t quite seized the interest of the electorate,” Levy said.

Paul Hanson, 30, a Republican and a licensed real estate agent from Floral Park, said he plans to vote for Martins because he believes Haber, who is also running under the Women’s Equality Party line, is too liberal.

“Haber is trying to make the race about abortion and the so-called women’s equality agenda, but it’s fraud, its not something that anyone is serious about,” Hanson said.

Alexandra Berkley, 38, a Great Neck Democrat said she planned on voting for Haber because he has made women’s issues a signature point of his campaign.

“I think he’s a good guy,” said Berkley who works as a fundraiser for a non-profit. “He’s very vocal on women’s issues and it’s always nice to have an extra voice supporting these issues.”

Kathleen Rice leads Bruce Blakeman by 10 points in new Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll

With independent voters falling his way, Republican Bruce Blakeman has closed the gap on Democrat Kathleen Rice in their race for Nassau’s open 4th Congressional District seat — but still remains 10 points behind in a new Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll.

Rice, the Nassau district attorney, held a 52 percent to 42 percent advantage over Blakeman, a former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, among 628 likely voters, with 6 percent undecided or saying they had no opinion.

The poll was conducted Oct. 16-20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

To see raw data, click here.

Who would you vote for today between Kathleen Rice and Bruce Blakeman?

In a Siena poll about five weeks earlier, Rice enjoyed an 18-point lead over Blakeman, largely driven by her higher level of cross-party support. But in the new poll, Rice’s support among Republicans fell from 32 to 24 percent, and her four-point lead among independent or minor party voters had turned into a 14-point deficit: 54 to 40 percent for Blakeman.

“If I were in her campaign, this would get my attention,” said Donald P. Levy, director of the Siena Research Institute. “Eighteen points seems like it’s all over. Ten points doesn’t.”

Still, Levy said, “I’d be hesitant to call this a momentum surge for Blakeman. Rather, I think it’s an expected closing.”

Blakeman campaign spokesman Matt Coleman disagreed.

How likely would you say you are to vote for Kathleen Rice or Bruce Blakeman?

“Bruce Blakeman has the momentum in this race as voters come to understand that a vote for Kathleen Rice is nothing more than a vote for a continuation of the failed leadership of [Democratic President] Barack Obama,” Coleman said. “Voters are embracing Bruce Blakeman’s campaign to change Washington rather than Kathleen Rice’s lock-step support for maintaining the status quo.”

Rice’s campaign said it was “thrilled” with the poll results.

“If you told me when this race started that Kathleen would be up double digits two weeks from election day, I would’ve said you were crazy,” said spokesman Eric Phillips. “Blakeman’s running a dirty campaign focused on Kathleen, and Kathleen’s running a positive campaign focused on her ideas for protecting seniors and the middle class. Voters will ultimately decide whose strategy was smarter.”

Even with the poll numbers narrowing, Blakeman and Rice — who are vying to succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) — have a wide gap between them in campaign cash and name recognition.

Regardless of your support, which candidate do you think has waged the more negative campaign?

Rice had spent $1.9 million though the end of September to Blakeman’s $856,747, Only 13 percent of poll respondents said they didn’t know or had no opinion of Rice, who has been DA since 2006. Forty seven percent said they didn’t know or had no opinion of Blakeman, who last held office in 1999.

Since the first poll, Blakeman has released three television ads, with two attacking Rice. His favorable rating increased from 24 percent to 31 percent, while Rice’s dropped from 59 percent to 52 percent.

All three of Rice’s TV ads have focused on her, and 26 percent of poll respondents said Blakeman had waged a more negative campaign than Rice; 18 percent said the opposite.

“I would like to hear more about what both of them really intend to do and have them stop with the platitudes,” said Mark Nuccio, a poll respondent who lives in Bellmore.

Nuccio, 68, who owns a Bethpage-based design firm, said he is a registered Democrat, but an independent voter, who has gone back-and-forth between supporting Rice and Blakeman.

Other poll respondents said they had made up their minds.

Mary Engargeau, 88, of Floral Park, a retired Nassau County Department of Social Services employee, said she’s a Republican voting for Blakeman.

“People have to have money in their pockets,” she said in noting she agreed with Blakeman’s support of cutting federal taxes and regulations.

But Choon Lee, 69, of Hewlett, said he favors Rice and her support of increased affordable health care access. “I think she’s strong on a lot of things,” said Lee, a Democrat and retired real estate broker.

Holiday gifts for everyone on your list

Whether you’re shopping for Christmas or Hanukkah, looking for a gift for a kid who wants everything or the person who has everything, we’ve got your back. Here are the top holiday gifts of 2017.

This year’s trendy gifts

LAST MINUTE GIFTS:
Last-minute gifts

Last-minute gifts

Last-minute gifts for the remaining people on your list.

Top toy trends of 2017

Top toy trends of 2017

These toys are at the top of kids’ wish lists this holiday season.

Best gifts from 'Shark Tank'

Best gifts from 'Shark Tank'

Our favorite products from the hit TV show.

Gifts for the family

Girls

Girls

From Shopkins and American Girls, tech gadgets, collectibles and more, here's what young girls are clamoring for this year.

Boys

Boys

From classic building toys to video games, superheroes and more, these are the best toys for the little dudes on your list.

Pets and pet lovers

Pets and pet lovers

Gifts for dogs, cats and their people.

Men

Men

Gifts sure to excite your husband, brother or father.

Women

Women

Show your mother, wife, sister, aunt or friend how much you care with these thoughtful gifts.

Grandparents and older parents

Grandparents and older parents

Mobility, convenience, safety and pampering gifts for seniors.

Teens and tweens

Teens and tweens

The latest electronics, video games, crafts, jewelry and more for big kids.

Infants, toddlers and preschoolers

Infants, toddlers and preschoolers

The best toys for babies and tots.

Oprah's Favorite Things

Oprah's Favorite Things

Oprah's iconic 'Favorite Things' compilation, from tech gifts to accessories and apparel.

Home and leisure gifts

Books, movies and music

Books, movies and music

Find the perfect gift for the movie buff, music junkie and bookworm on your holiday shopping list.

Travelers

Travelers

Things any day-trippers, explorers, road trippers, jet-setters and staycationers will love.

Tech gifts

Tech gifts

New digital, Bluetooth and gaming gifts for the techie in your life.

Food and drink lovers

Food and drink lovers

Delicious gifts and kitchen gadgets sure to please the foodies on your list.

Gifts for the home

Gifts for the home

Great gifts for home decorators and homebodies.

Gifts for gardeners

Gifts for gardeners

Horticultural holiday fare and botanically inspired gifts for your favorite green thumb.

Stocking stuffers and gifts for $25 or less

Stocking stuffers and gifts for $25 or less

Stretch your holiday shopping dollars.

Gifts by Joy Mangano

Gifts by Joy Mangano

Miracle Mop, Huggable Hangers, air purifiers and more products from the Long Island inventor.

Unique Long Island experiences

Unique Long Island experiences

Our annual rundown of good-to-gift experiences.

Token gifts

Teachers

Teachers

Festive gifts with a personal touch for the heroes who spend all day with your kids.

Co-workers

Co-workers

Affordable presents for your second family: your boss, colleagues and direct report.

Cookies to make and give as gifts

Cookies to make and give as gifts

Use these recipes to bake up a batch of lovin’ from the oven.

Superstorm Sandy: The recovery

The $250M question

The latest

The $250M question

A FEMA audit has tallied the amount the amount of Sandy benefits that may have been paid in error.

Complete coverage

Find the latest information on LI's recovery from superstorm Sandy

Multimedia

Long Island houses up for auction

Data

Information on the first 25 projects funded by NY Rising

'Not over'

Rebuilding

'Not over'

Thousands of LIers are still struggling to survive superstorm Sandy

Sandy's victims

Rebuilding

Sandy's victims

10 Long Islanders share their stories

LI & NYC after Sandy

Before and After

LI & NYC after Sandy

See dramatic images from the aftermath of the storm six months, one year and two years later

Multimedia

See images of destruction immediately after the storm

Multimedia

Aerial photos of superstorm Sandy damage

Until everyone comes home

Superstorm Sandy victims reflect on what it has taken to rebuild.

Finding a new cause

Rebuilding

Finding a new cause

During Sandy, volunteers emerged as local heroes and their missions continue during the recovery process

50 greatest Long Island entertainment moments

Cinema Arts Centre

1973

Cinema Arts Centre

Former Manhattanites Vic Skolnick and Charlotte Sky, determined to give locals an art-house movie experience, rent an old dance studio in Huntington and begin projecting films onto a bedsheet. What was then called the New Community Cinema eventually became the Cinema Arts Centre, one of the oldest and longest-running repertory cinemas in the country.

Cinema Arts Centre

'The Wolf of Wall Street'

2013

'The Wolf of Wall Street'

“The Wolf of Wall Street” dramatizes the story of Long Island-based financial con man Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Director Martin Scorsese shot several scenes locally, including a beach party in Sands Point and an outdoor wedding in Bayville.

TNS

Long Island Cares

1980

Long Island Cares

In response to the needs of hungry Long Islanders, singer-songwriter Harry Chapin founds the Long Island Cares charity, which continues today, to address both short-term and long-term causes of hunger in the area.

Bill Senft

'Noah'

2014

'Noah'

Darren Aronofsky’s big-budget Biblical epic starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson arrives in theaters. One of the film’s biggest stars, the ark, was built in Oyster Bay.

Paramount Pictures / Niko Tavernise

'Royal Pains'

2009

'Royal Pains'

USA's comedy series about a surgeon catering to the Hamptons elite premieres in June and becomes TV's only primetime series shot entirely on LI. Showtime's The Affair, which premiered in October 2014, is now the only other.

'The Brothers McMullen'

1995

'The Brothers McMullen'

The family drama, filmed on location in Valley Stream by a native, Ed Burns, becomes one of the biggest success stories of its era. Shot on 16mm film with a micro-budget of $28,000, the movie went on to gross more than $10 million and helped launch an ongoing wave of independent filmmaking.

Eric B. & Rakim

1985

Eric B. & Rakim

When Eric B. lands a job as a DJ on WBLS, he decides he needs a rapper, and places an ad that Wyandanch native Rakim answers. The partnership quickly leads to hits including Eric B. Is President and the landmark Paid in Full album.

Island Records

Vanilla Fudge

1967

Vanilla Fudge

While working with producer George Shadow Morton in Hempstead, Vanilla Fudge band members listen to the Supremes’ 45 rpm single, You Keep Me Hanging On, at 33 1/3 rpm, and learn to play the song that way, helping give birth to the prog rock movement.

Patty Stein

Twisted Sister

1984

Twisted Sister

The band receives gold records onstage at Nassau Coliseum to celebrate 500,000 sales of the album. But they didn’t get the usual wall-mountable plaques. Mark Metcalf, star of the band’s We’re Not Gonna Take It video, instead places the records around their necks as if they had won Olympic gold medals.

AP / Corey Struller

Amy Fisher

1993

Amy Fisher

Two TV movies based on Long Island Lolita Amy Fisher air the same night, Jan. 3, 1993: The Amy Fisher Story, starring Drew Barrymore, and Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story, with Alyssa Milano.

L.I. News Daily/Dick Yarwood

'Annie Hall'

1977

'Annie Hall'

Though specifics are hard to pin down, one of this movie’s most memorable scenes -- in which Woody Allen and Diane Keaton go to the Hamptons and attempt to boil some uncooperative lobsters -- was filmed on the South Shore. It’s proof that even before his European phase, Allen was willing to venture at least a little ways outside of Manhattan.

United Artists

'Long Island Medium'

2011

'Long Island Medium'

The reality series starring spirit-channeling Theresa Caputo, of Hicksville, launches in September and quickly becomes the most popular show in TV history with Long Island in the title.

TLC

'Love Story'

1970

'Love Story'

The three-hanky romance, starring Ryan O’Neal as wealthy Harvard student Oliver Barrett IV and Ali McGraw as a working-class Radcliffe girl, is released in December. At the time, it was the sixth highest-grossing film of all time. The Phipps estate plays the role of the Barrett family manse.

Paramount Pictures

'Everybody Loves Raymond'

1996

'Everybody Loves Raymond'

The popular CBS sitcom, about (fictional) Newsday sportswriter Ray Romano and his funny, dysfunctional family, premieres in September and runs nine seasons.

CBS

Ashanti Douglas Day

2002

Ashanti Douglas Day

The Princess of Hip-Hop and R&B was actually the reigning queen with the No. 1 album in the country and a record-setting three simultaneous Top 10 singles when she was awarded the key to her hometown of Glen Cove and her own day to rule Nassau County.

Nelson Ching

'Princesses: Long Island'

2013

'Princesses: Long Island'

The reality show about six young, privileged Long Island women angers many LIers (specifically, some Freeport residents and the family of fallen FDNY firefighter Jonathan Ielpi). The show is canceled after one season.

Bravo

'Reversal of Fortune'

1990

'Reversal of Fortune'

Reversal of Fortune becomes a career milestone for Jeremy Irons, who will win a best actor Oscar for playing Claus von Bulow, a chilly aristocrat accused of trying to kill his wife (Glenn Close). Some interior scenes of the Von Bulow mansion were filmed in Knole House in Old Westbury.

AP

LIer wins 'Survivor'

2004

LIer wins 'Survivor'

Sayville's Tom Westman, a now-retired FDNY fireman, wins Survivor: Palau and becomes one of the most popular winners in the franchise's history. Later, he competes on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010.

CBS / Bill Inoshita

'Pollock'

2000

'Pollock'

Starring Ed Harris as the action painter Jackson Pollock, the biopic becomes a critical hit. Marcia Gay Harden, as Pollock’s wife, later wins a supporting actress Oscar. Much of the movie was filmed at Pollock's real studio, known as the Pollock-Krasner House, in East Hampton.

BPI

LIer on 'Idol'

2006

LIer on 'Idol'

Kevin Covais of Levittown finishes in 11th place on American Idol Season 5, at the height of the show’s popularity. The 16-year-old, nicknamed Chicken Little -- with a good sense of humor to match his good voice -- jokingly referred to himself as the sex symbol of the season.

'Seinfeld' in The Hamptons

1994

'Seinfeld' in The Hamptons

The gang goes to The Hamptons in a season 5 episode in which George (Jason Alexander) suffers from shrinkage -- to the amusement of Jerry's girlfriend, Rachel (Melanie Smith).

NBC

Billy Joel sells out the Coliseum

1998

Billy Joel sells out the Coliseum

Touring to support his Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 collection, Joel breaks his own record of six sold-out shows at the arena by selling out nine shows in 1998, which lands him in the Nassau Coliseum Hall of Fame.

J. Michael Dombroski

Alicia Keys records in Glen Cove

2007

Alicia Keys records in Glen Cove

Her Grammy-winning album, featuring the No. 1 hit No One, was recorded mainly at Keys’ Oven Studios in Glen Cove, which she was able to open after the success of her previous two albums.

Hamptons International Film Festival

1993

Hamptons International Film Festival

HIFF launches its first edition with the opening-night film “A Home of Our Own,” starring Kathy Bates as a single mother. Among the festival’s first honorary board members were Roy Scheider, Alan Alda, George Plimpton and Alec Baldwin. The festival’s special advisor was Steven Spielberg.

SocietyAllure.com / Rob Rich

Nine Days tops charts

2000

Nine Days tops charts

The story of Absolutely (Story of a Girl) hitting No. 1 on the pop charts is one of triumph for the Deer Park band, led by John Hampson, bringing Long Island rock fans their first chart-topper since Billy Joel.

Grateful Dead at the Coliseum

1973

Grateful Dead at the Coliseum

It was the start of The Dead’s hold on the arena, which they've sold out a record-setting 35 times over the years, spawning several special shows, including the recently released box set Wake Up to Find Out, which captures the band’s March 29, 1990, show there with Branford Marsalis.

John Keating

De La Soul forms in Amityville

1987

De La Soul forms in Amityville

Before they were Posdnuos, Maseo and Dave, pioneers of the Native Tongues style of lighthearted hip-hop with the legendary 3 Feet High and Rising album, they were Amityville High School students who played talent shows and impromptu parties in Amityville.

Debbie Gibson writes 'Foolish Beat'

1988

Debbie Gibson writes 'Foolish Beat'

When the ballad hits No. 1, it makes Gibson, 18, the youngest artist ever to write, perform and produce a chart-topping single, a record she still holds today in the Guinness Book of World Records. Gibson wrote the song in her hometown of Merrick.

Joe Dombroski

The Young Rascals at The Barge

1965

The Young Rascals at The Barge

As the house band at the floating nightclub in Westhampton, The Young Rascals spend the summer mixing their brand of R&B-influenced rock with the sounds of the British Invasion. They were discovered there by Beatles’ promoter Sid Bernstein.

John Coltrane composes in Dix Hills

1964

John Coltrane composes in Dix Hills

The legendary saxophonist composed his masterwork, A Love Supreme, in his Dix Hills home, building it around four notes representing the four syllables of a love supreme as a mantra to create one of jazz’s most important albums.

AP

'Sabrina'

1954

'Sabrina'

Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy, starring Audrey Hepburn as a chauffeur’s daughter who comes between the wealthy Larrabee brothers (Humphrey Bogart and William Holden), unfolds against the backdrop of Glen Cove. The Larrabee mansion was actually in Beverly Hills, but the Glen Cove train station makes a notable appearance.

Paramount Pictures

Billy Joel at The Paramount

2013

Billy Joel at The Paramount

Joel, using the Huntington club as a rehearsal space for an upcoming tour, decides to play a show there, his first Long Island concert in 11 years. It sells out within 15 minutes, even with only two hours’ notice.

Erin Geismar

'North by Northwest'

1959

'North by Northwest'

Alfred Hitchcock's landmark thriller stars Cary Grant as Roger O. Thornhill, an advertising executive caught in a web of espionage. The plot thickens when he’s kidnapped and taken to a Glen Cove mansion, where he is interrogated and nearly killed. The mansion was actually the Phipps estate, now known as Old Westbury Gardens.

CBS

Guy Lombardo at Jones Beach

1954

Guy Lombardo at Jones Beach

The bandleader creates a new musical, Arabian Nights, about the tales of Scheherazade to introduce musical performances to the theater at Jones Beach.

AP

Peter Frampton records at LI Arena

1975

Peter Frampton records at LI Arena

Frampton’s breakthrough hit, Show Me the Way, is recorded at his Commack show, and not only makes live albums cool again, but also introduces much of the world to the vocoder.

'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'

1958

'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'

Elizabeth Taylor, as Maggie Pollitt, steams up the screen in one of her most iconic films. Though set in muggy Mississippi, the film was shot partially at the Coleman Estate in Muttontown.

MGM

'The Great Gatsby'

1926

'The Great Gatsby'

F. Scott Fitzgerald's enduring novel set on the North Shore becomes a movie for the first time. A Paramount Pictures production starring Warner Baxter as Jay Gatsby and Lois Wilson as Daisy Buchanan, it has since been lost, though three more adaptations would follow, in 1949, 1974 and 2013.

Public Enemy forms

1982

Public Enemy forms

When Chuck D. lands a show (The Super Spectrum Mix Hour) at WBAU, Adelphi University’s radio station, the core group begins to work together: Chuck raps, Hank Shocklee mixes records live on the air, Flavor Flav is, you know, Flav.

Getty Images

Taking Back Sunday headlines the Coliseum

2006

Taking Back Sunday headlines the Coliseum

The Rockville Centre-based band has plenty to celebrate with its Nassau Coliseum show: its “Louder Now” album going gold and its graduation to arena headliner status. But it's a shared triumph with its Long Island faithful, who jump the barricades before the show starts, to create the biggest mosh pit in the arena’s history.

'SNL' parodies Blue Öyster Cult

2000

'SNL' parodies Blue Öyster Cult

Singer Eric Bloom says he was shocked when he saw the Will Ferrell/Christopher Walken sketch about how the band’s recording session for its 1976 hit (Don’t Fear) The Reaper should have gone. But they have embraced it now, as have fans who still bring cowbells to the band’s shows to play along with the song.

'Masters of Sex'

2013

'Masters of Sex'

The Showtime series, based on Newsday writer Thomas Maier’s non-fiction book about sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, premieres in September and quickly earns Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. Some scenes were shot at a Lloyd Harbor home.

AP / Showtime

The Stray Cats

1979

The Stray Cats

United by a love of rockabilly and a keen ‘50s fashion sense, Brian Setzer decides to team up with Massapequa grade-school friends Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom to make music.

Gavin Cochrane

'The Godfather'

1972

'The Godfather'

Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan as members of the Corleone Mafia dynasty, The Godfather creates some of the most indelible images in American cinema. One, involving a decapitated horse head, was filmed in Falaise, a 26-room manor house in Port Washington's Sands Point Preserve; another, in which Caan dies in a fusillade of bullets, was filmed on an unused runway at what was then Mitchel Field in Hempstead.

Lou Reed hits the Top 20

1973

Lou Reed hits the Top 20

Freeport native Reed tells many tales of arriving in the big city in his Top 20 hit Walk on the Wild Side, including Massapequa Park actress Candy Darling’s, and, in some ways, his own.

AP / Mark Goff

One Direction gives Wheatus a shout-out

2013

One Direction gives Wheatus a shout-out

It’s always been weird that the Northport-based Wheatus was way bigger in England than it was at home. It got even stranger when 1D started covering Wheatus’ British smash Teenage Dirtbag in its set. But even Wheatus frontman Brendan Brown thought it was surreal when the lads paid tribute to his band when they come to Jones Beach.

Sony

LL Cool J gets his name

1982

LL Cool J gets his name

James Todd Smith is at his mom’s house in Bay Shore when the 14-year-old budding rapper gets the idea to call himself Cool J, which a friend convinced him to change to LL Cool J, with the LL standing for Ladies Love.

LIer wins first 'Big Brother'

2000

LIer wins first 'Big Brother'

Commack's Eddie McGee becomes the show's very first winner, and is the first of many LIers to compete on (and win) popular reality TV shows.

AP/ Kevork Djansezian

'Shoop'

1993

'Shoop'

Salt had just moved to Melville when she, Pepa and Spinderella start work on their Very Necessary album, with the new surroundings spawning a new sense of creativity and a desire to shoop shoop shoop.

AP / Malcolm Clarke

Vitagraph Studios

1916

Vitagraph Studios

Vitagraph, one of the most prolific studios of the silent era, produces 26 films out of its facilities at 94 Fourth Avenue in Bay Shore.

Library of Congress; Erin Geismar

'It's Raining Men'

1982

'It's Raining Men'

Baldwin native Martha Wash and her fellow Weather Girl, Izora Armstead, thought it was a joke when Paul Shaffer, who co-wrote the song with Paul Jabara, asked them to sing what has become a disco anthem. But they do it anyway. Hallelujah!

TheWeatherGirlsVEVO via YouTube

Phil Jackson’s tenure with the Knicks

Phil Jackson named Knicks president

March 18, 2014

Phil Jackson named Knicks president

Phil Jackson played for the Knicks when they won their last championship in 1973 and returned more than 40 years later as the team's president. Jackson, who coached in 13 NBA Finals and won a record 11 titles with the Bulls and Lakers, brought the Knicks credibility, the triangle offense and a plan to reshape them into a championship team.

Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.

Lamar Odom signs

April 16, 2014

Lamar Odom signs

Hoping that Lamar Odom would be able to assist Knicks players in learning the triangle offense while resurrecting his own career after some legal and personal issues, Jackson signed the former versatile forward, part of two championship teams with the Lakers, to a non-guaranteed deal.

AP

Mike Woodson fired

April 21, 2014

Mike Woodson fired

Five days after the Knicks finished with a disappointing 37-45 record, Jackson fired coach Mike Woodson and his entire staff. “The time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond,” Jackson said. In the 2012-13 season, Woodson guided the Knicks to 54 victories and their first playoff series win since 2000. But in the 2013-14 season, they lacked chemistry, executed poorly late in games and had repeated defensive breakdowns.

Jim McIsaac

Derek Fisher hired as head coach

June 10, 2014

Derek Fisher hired as head coach

After first choice Steve Kerr spurned his old coach and accepted the Golden State Warriors' coaching job, Jackson turned to another of his former players. Derek Fisher was a key contributor and leader on all five of Jackson’s championship teams with the Lakers. The NBA’s all-time leader in playoff games, Fisher knows the ins and outs of the triangle offense. As a recently retired guard, he can relate to the players and help recruit free agents, including former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant in 2016.

Richard T. Slattery

Phil’s first trade

June 25, 2014

Phil’s first trade

The Knicks acquired Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks from the Dallas Mavericks for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. Citing a need “to change some of the chemistry” and “bring in some character guys,” Jackson addressed a major weakness from last season by upgrading the point guard position with Calderon, a good decision-maker and shooter. Chandler struggled through injuries in 2013-14 and regressed after being named 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Dalembert remains a good shot-blocker and help defender at center and Larkin is a quick, young point guard. The move left the Knicks with a surplus of guards, but Jackson promised to address that, which he did with subsequent moves.

AP

Phil’s first draft

June 26, 2014

Phil’s first draft

The Knicks had no picks in the 2014 draft until the Dallas deal the day before the draft gave them two. Jackson used those picks on forward Cleanthony Early at No. 34 and forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo of Greece at No. 51. Early spent four years in college -- the first two at Sullivan County CC and the last two at Wichita State -- and showed he can score. The Knicks call Antetokounmpo “Tenacious” and believe he can help them down the road with his defense and athleticism. The Knicks also acquired the draft rights to Louis Labeyrie of France with the 57th pick. He will stay overseas.

Andrew Theodorakis

Rambis named associate head coach

July 7, 2014

Rambis named associate head coach

Looking for an experienced coach to help Fisher, Jackson turned to Kurt Rambis, his old friend and former Lakers assistant. Rambis worked extensively with Fisher with the Lakers and has served as the head coach of the Lakers and Timberwolves.

AP

Odom waived

July 11, 2014

Odom waived

Jackson said Odom “was unable to uphold the standards to return as an NBA player” and cut him less than three months into the experiment. “It hurt,” Jackson said. “We really wanted him to have an opportunity. Just couldn’t kind of break free from what was going on and get back on the basketball court and work.”

AP

Aldrich re-signed

July 11, 2014

Aldrich re-signed

Cole Aldrich proved last season he is a serviceable big man and solid rebounder, and the Knicks needed additional size. So Jackson quickly filled Odom’s roster spot with Aldrich.

AP

Melo stays

July 13, 2014

Melo stays

After considering signing with the Bulls and Lakers, Carmelo Anthony decided to stay with the Knicks and be a part of Jackson’s vision to make them championship contenders. Jackson locked up the Knicks’ best player since Patrick Ewing with a five-year, $124-million contract. By taking less than a max deal allowed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Anthony gets a smaller increase in Year 2 than he could have received, giving the Knicks more room to sign other players in free agency in next summer.

Jim McIsaac

Jason Smith signs

July 18, 2014

Jason Smith signs

Jackson added 7-footer Jason Smith, who brings toughness, rebounding and shot-blocking at power forward and center and adds depth up front. Smith can stretch the floor with his shooting and should fit well in the triangle offense.

Andrew Theodorakis

Acy, Outlaw added

Aug. 6, 2014

Acy, Outlaw added

Looking to clear up the logjam at shooting guard, balance the roster and add some veteran depth behind Carmelo Anthony at small forward, Jackson shipped Wayne Ellington and Jeremy Tyler to Sacramento for Travis Outlaw and Quincy Acy.

Andrew Theodorakis

Cleamons hired

Sept. 3, 2014

Cleamons hired

Jackson brought in Jim Cleamons, his old Knicks teammate and former assistant with the Bulls and Lakers, to help Derek Fisher in his transition to first-time coach. Cleamons has been a part of nine NBA championship teams as a coach and one as a player.

Allsport

Travis goes, Travis stays

Oct. 27, 2014

Travis goes, Travis stays

Undrafted rookie Travis Wear (UCLA) impressed Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher enough in training camp that instead of putting him on their D-League team, they traded forward Travis Outlaw to clear a roster spot for Wear. The Knicks sent Outlaw to the 76ers for Arnett Moultrie, and a 2019 second-round pick. The Sixers also got the option to swap 2018 second-round selections. The Knicks immediately waived Moultrie. They could have waived Outlaw outright and ate his $3 million. Instead, they saved about $1.9 million plus luxury-tax penalties in the move.

Jim McIsaac

Smith & Shump gone in salary dump

Jan. 5, 2015

Smith & Shump gone in salary dump

J.R. Smith, the enigmatic shooting guard with the checkered past, was traded to Cleveland along with Iman Shumpert in a three-team deal in which the Oklahoma City Thunder obtained Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters and a protected first-round pick. The Knicks received Lance Thomas from Oklahoma City and Lou Amundson and Alex Kirk from Cleveland, plus a 2019 second-round draft pick. Dealing Smith frees up $6.4 million in salary cap space for next season. The Knicks also released Samuel Dalembert, saving the team $2 million.

Andrew Theodorakis

Langston Galloway sticks

Jan. 27, 2015

Langston Galloway sticks

The undrafted guard from St. Joe's started the season playing for the Westchester Knicks in the D-League, and after signing two 10-day deals, the Knicks inked Langston Galloway for the remainder of the season with a partial guarantee for 2015-16. Galloway impressed Jackson, Fisher and the coaching staff with his work ethic and intelligence, and is expected to be a part of the future.

Jim McIsaac

Stoudemire bought out

Feb. 16, 2015

Stoudemire bought out

Amar'e Stoudemire's four-and-a-half-year Knicks career came to an end over the All-Star break after the franchise granted his request for a buyout so he could play for a contender. Stoudemire signed with the Dallas Mavericks after clearing waivers. Stoudemire famously said, 'The Knicks are back,' after signing a five-year, $100-million deal in 2010. The six-time All-Star big man brought excitement and respectability back to the Knicks, putting up MVP numbers during his first season and helping them end a seven-year playoff drought. Injuries limited Stoudemire his final four seasons as a Knick. He played in 255 of a possible 365 games with the Knicks and averaged 17.3 points.

Jim McIsaac

Prigioni dealt for Shved, picks

Feb. 19, 2015

Prigioni dealt for Shved, picks

On a wild day of dealing at the trade deadline, Jackson made a minor move. The Knicks didn’t have the assets to get involved for some bigger names but believe they acquired some when they sent savvy veteran point guard Pablo Prigioni to Houston for 6-foot-6 guard Alexey Shved and the Rockets' 2017 and 2019 second-round picks. Jackson also shaved $290,000 of next year's payroll (Prigioni's partial guarantee). Shved, who will be a free agent in July, holds career averages of 6.7 points and 2.4 assists over 17.2 minutes over three seasons with the Minnesota, Philadelphia and Houston.

Jim McIsaac

Knicks draft Porzingis, acquire Grant

June 25, 2015

Knicks draft Porzingis, acquire Grant

After the worst season in franchise history, the Knicks ended up with the fourth pick in the NBA Draft and Jackson didn't go for any of the players many deemed to be more ready to help now (i.e., Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Frank Kaminsky or Willie Cauley-Stein). Instead, Jackson chose the player many NBA executives and scouts believe has the most upside: 19-year Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis. A good athlete and shooter, Porzingis is 7-foot-3 and his body is still developing. Jackson called Porzingis 'an eye-opening athlete and player.' Porzingis has said often he wants to show he's not another 'soft European.' Jackson seemed to nab the more ready player later in the draft when he traded Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Hawks for the 19th selection that he used on guard Jerian Grant. The Notre Dame senior has good genes: his father Harvey and uncle Horace played in the NBA, and his younger brother Jerami plays for the Sixers. In a separate move, Jackson traded two future second-round picks for the draft rights to the No. 35 pick, Spanish center Guillermo Hernangomez, who will stay in Europe.

Mike Stobe

The big fella

July 9, 2015

The big fella

All season long, the word was Greg Monroe would be the Knicks’ big free-agent signing. But he chose the Bucks, and the Knicks turned their attention to the most active, defensive-minded big man available to them: Robin Lopez. They gave Lopez, twin brother of Nets center Brook Lopez, a four-year, $54-million deal. It was reached July 3 and signed when the NBA moratorium was lifted. Derek Fisher described the 7-foot Lopez as 'one of the best centers in the game in terms of anchoring the middle of the floor.'

Getty Images

Versatile wing

July 9, 2015

Versatile wing

Arron Afflalo was the first player the Knicks reached an agreement with in free agency. The well-traveled guard said he canceled all other interviews after meeting with the Knicks. He wanted to try and help the Knicks turn things around and reunite with his old Denver teammate, Carmelo Anthony. Afflalo inked a two-year, $16-million deal on July 9. The second year is a player option. He’s a versatile wing player whose strength is guarding multiple positions and he also can hit threes.

AP

Deal for Derrick

July 9, 2015

Deal for Derrick

The same day the Knicks secured Lopez, they landed forward Derrick Williams. He has been a disappointment since being taken second in the 2011 draft. But the Knicks hope they can provide a little more stability than Williams had in Minnesota and Sacramento, which had three different head coaches last season. They envision Williams playing both forward positions for them and being effective in the triangle. He signed a two-year, $10-million deal on July 9. The second year is a player option.

AP

Coming home

July 9, 2015

Coming home

Looking for more versatility and defense, the Knicks acquired Queens native Kyle O’Quinn in a Fourth of July sign-and-trade that became official July 9. O’Quinn signed a four-year, $16-million pact, and the Orlando Magic received cash and the right to swap 2019 second-round picks. The burly 6-foot-10 forward-center showed he can be effective in limited action – he’s averaged 13.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes in three NBA seasons. The Knicks hope those numbers prove out in what will be a bigger role for O’Quinn.

Getty Images

Lance & Lou

July 10, 2015

Lance & Lou

Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson were acquired in the J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert three-team trade in January, were waived, brought back on 10-day contracts and ultimately signed for the rest of the season. The two showed the professionalism and selflessness that Jackson and Fisher are always talking about, and were brought back to provide depth, defense and stability for a team that has undergone many changes. Andrea Bargnani, Shane Larkin, Cole Aldrich, Jason Smith, Quincy Acy signed with other NBA teams and Alexey Shved is playing overseas now.

Jim McIsaac

Shooter Sasha signs

Aug. 7, 2015

Shooter Sasha signs

Jackson reached into his past and signed former Laker Sasha Vujacic. The veteran shooting guard was brought in to help the Knicks’ players with the triangle offense. Vujacic played five-plus seasons under Jackson and three-plus with Derek Fisher, and was part of NBA championship teams in 2009 and 2010. Vujacic plays with a lot of energy and is pesky defender who annoys opposing players. He averaged 5.6 points and shot 37.1 percent from three-point range with the Lakers and Nets before playing overseas the past four years.

Jim McIsaac

Fisher out, Rambis in

Feb. 8, 2016

Fisher out, Rambis in

After the Knicks' ninth loss in 10 games, Jackson decided to fire his first coaching hire, and he relieved Fisher of his duties. The Knicks were 23-31 at the time. Jackson promoted associate head coach Kurt Rambis to interim head coach. 'It's time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we started here at the beginning of the year,' Jackson said. The Knicks got off to a better-than-expected start and were 22-22 before the skid that ultimately led to Fisher's dismissal. Fisher was let go after 136 games and a 40-96 record in 1 1/2 season as Knicks coach. He left with the second-lowest winning percentage (.294) in franchise history ahead of only Larry Brown (.280). Jackson credited Fisher for the way he 'moved the team forward.' But Jackson made it seem as if Fisher was trying to distance himself from being 'Phil's protégé.' Jackson said he brought in experienced assistants Rambis and Jim Cleamons to help Fisher, and noted that the first-time coach didn't take advantage of that. After firing Fisher, Jackson turned to his close friend and staunch triangle supporter to take over as interim coach. Rambis won eight NBA championships as an NBA player, assistant coach and executive — all with the Lakers and four while Jackson was head coach. Jackson hired Rambis as associate head coach to help Fisher's transition from player to coach and entrusted him for the final 28 games of the regular season. 'Kurt, he has a lot of games under his belt,' Jackson said. 'He knows the game. He has been around it for 30-something years as a basketball player and coach, he has been on championship teams both as a player and coach, he has a tremendous amount of experience.' Rambis compiled a 56-145 record (.279) as coach of the Timberwolves and Lakers.

Jim McIsaac

Hornacek hired

June 2, 2016

Hornacek hired

Jeff Hornacek didn't expect to get an interview with the Knicks, let alone get the job to be their coach. But Hornacek was the surprising choice over several candidates, including Jackson’s close friend and confidant Kurt Rambis, who went 9-19 to end the 2015-16 season as interim coach. Hornacek, the former Suns coach, is neither a Jackson disciple nor someone who ran or ever really played in the triangle offense. But Jackson entrusted Hornacek to guide the team in hopes of ending a three-year playoff drought. Hornacek, a former sharpshooting guard, comes from an impressive coaching tree, having played for Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan. Hornacek also spent half a season coaching under Sloan in Utah. Hornacek was 101-112 in 2 1/2 seasons with the Suns, and finished second in Coach of the Year voting after guiding them to a 48-34 mark in 2013-14. Hornacek played fast and small in Phoenix. He used two-point guard sets, relied on drive-and-kicks, pick-and-rolls and a heavy dose of three-point shooting. With the Knicks, Hornacek is expected to mix that style in with the triangle offense. Rambis remained on the bench, reprising the role he had under Derek Fisher: associate head coach.

Andrew Theodorakis

The Rose Garden

June 22, 2016

The Rose Garden

The Knicks' longtime search for a dynamic, explosive point guard led Jackson to his old stomping grounds. The Knicks acquired former Rookie of the Year and MVP Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls in a blockbuster deal the day before the NBA Draft. Phil Jackson said he felt the need to have a decisive attack guard. The point guard position has been a weakness for the Knicks for years, but they hope that changed with the move for Rose. They sent Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant to Chicago for Rose, backup guard Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick. Rose is a three-time All-Star with career averages of 19.7 points and 6.2 assists. Of course, there are concerns. Rose has been injury-plagued since his 2010-11 MVP season. Multiple knee surgeries contributed to Rose missing 228 games over the past five seasons. But he feels strong and he believes he can return to being an elite guard again. Rose, 27, only has one year left on his contract so there's low risk for the Knicks. If Rose plays well and stays healthy, he could be a long-term solution. In the release announcing the Rose trade, the Knicks revealed they waived Tony Wroten, who never played a game for them.

AP/Mary Altaffer

Noah York

July 1, 2016

Noah York

After acquiring a point guard the week before free agency, Jackson set his sights on addressing the hole in the middle. It didn’t take long for Rose’s former Bulls teammate Joakim Noah to agree to play for the Knicks. On the first day of the free-agent negotiation period, Noah, a New York native, and the Knicks came to terms on a four-year, $72-million deal. The contract was signed July 8. Noah said he dreamed of playing for the Knicks since he was 5 years old. A two-time All-Star and the 2013-14 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Noah brings an intensity and passion to the Knicks that they’ve sorely been lacking. Selfless and hard-nosed, Noah has averaged 9.3 points and 9.4 rebounds in his career. He’s also a tremendous passing big man, which is important in the triangle offense. Injuries have slowed Noah the last few years. He had knee surgery in 2014 and shoulder surgery in 2016, and played only 29 games last season. He hopes he can stay healthy because it hurts him more not to play.

James Escher

Starting shooter secured

July 2, 2016

Starting shooter secured

The Knicks needed a shooting guard to round out their starting five and got one in the versatile Courtney Lee. The well-traveled veteran agreed to a four-year, $48-million deal on the second day of free agency. He signed the deal July 8. Lee, a 6-5 guard, has averaged 9.6 points while shooting 45 percent from the field over eight seasons. He's also solid on the other end of the floor, giving the Knicks someone who can help their perimeter defense. The Knicks are Lee's seventh team in nine seasons. He's a career 38.4-percent shoooter from three-point range, and has shot above 40 percent from deep four times.

James Escher

Jennings joins Knicks

July 4, 2016

Jennings joins Knicks

The Knicks created some fireworks on the Fourth of July, keeping one player and landing another that they had interest in for years. Brandon Jennings had been on the Knicks’ radar since the 2009 draft. They passed on him for Jordan Hill, later tried to acquire him in trades, and finally locked up the high-scoring guard on a one-year, $5-million deal. The Knicks also brought back Lance Thomas, a glue guy who has improved his overall game, on a four-year deal. Both will be key players coming off the bench. In Jennings, the Knicks got a 26-year-old guard who averaged at least 15.4 points his first 5½ seasons in the league. A ruptured Achilles tendon has limited Jennings the past season and a half, but he says he’s 100 percent now. Both deals were signed July 8.

AP/Julie Jacobson

International flavor

July 5, 2016

International flavor

On the same day, the Knicks came to terms with Willy Hernangomez, Kristaps Porzingis’ former teammate, and Lithuanian combo forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Hernangomez was the Knicks’ second-round pick in 2015, but the 6-10 center spent the season with ACB power Real Madrid after playing two seasons with Porzingis with Sevilla. The Knicks hope both can help them this season off the bench. Hernangomez is a skilled big man and Kuzminskas is an athletic forward with good ballhandling skills and passing ability. The Knicks need forward depth. Both deals were signed July 8.

Getty Images

Backup big man

July 8, 2016

Backup big man

The Knicks needed a backup center who would play physical inside and do a lot of the dirty work and believe former Duke center Marshall Plumlee will fill that role. The 23-year-old Plumlee, whose brothers Miles and Mason play in the NBA, is a high-energy, tough-nosed player who will hustle, rebound and set screens. Plumlee has been sworn in as an Army officer and plans a military career when his playing days are over.

AP/John Raoux

Sasha returns, Ndour signs

July 14, 2016

Sasha returns, Ndour signs

The Knicks brought back veteran guard Sasha Vujacic, who averaged 4.9 points while shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range last season. With just four guards on the roster, the Knicks needed more depth in the backcourt and only had minimum contacts to offer free agents. Vujacic, 32, can play both guard positions and is well-versed in the triangle offense, which the Knicks will continue to run under Jeff Hornacek with some tweaks to accommodate his desire to play up-tempo and mix in some pick-and-roll sets. In 25 starts last season, Vujacic shot 38 percent from three and scored 7.8 points. The Knicks also inked Maurice Ndour, an athletic wing who impressed them during the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League. He has the body and length to be a good defender, can run the floor and be a slasher, but he needs time to develop. He spent last season with Real Madrid and averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds over 9.1 minutes in 18 games. Jackson has talked about wanting to build stability, but he has overhauled the roster each summer. Also not returning from last season’s team are Arron Afflalo, Langston Galloway and Derrick Williams.

AP/John Locher

Phil jabs Melo

Feb. 7, 2017

Phil jabs Melo

Jackson appeared to take a shot at Carmelo Anthony on Twitter with a cryptic tweet in response to a Bleacher Report article that criticized Anthony. In the story posted a day earlier, Kevin Ding wrote that Anthony had resisted playing team basketball and wasn't able to transform into a winning player. 'Bleacher's Ding almost rings the bell, but I learned you don't change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze,' Jackson tweeted. Jackson coached Graham, who played alongside Patrick Ewing on Georgetown's 1984 title team, with the CBA's Albany Patroons. Though Graham was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, he never played in the NBA. It was the first time Jackson had tweeted since Dec. 27, and he hadn't spoken to reporters since Sept. 23.

Jim McIsaac

Melo 'better off somewhere else'

April 14, 2017

Melo 'better off somewhere else'

In a candid end-of-season news conference, Phil Jackson made it clear that the Knicks would explore trading Carmelo Anthony and told reporters that the Knicks' star would be better off playing somewhere else. The Knicks went 30-51 in 2016-17, marking their third straight season with at least 50 losses.

Richard Harbus

Trade Porzingis?

June 20, 2017

Trade Porzingis?

Just two days before the NBA Draft, rumors swirled that Phil Jackson hadn't ruled out trading Kristaps Porzingis, the No. 4 overall pick in 2015. The Knicks ended up not making a deal before the draft.

Jim McIsaac

Knicks draft French guard

June 22, 2017

Knicks draft French guard

With the No. 8 pick in the draft, the Knicks selected French point guard Frank Ntilikina. Phil Jackson said it was a tough decision, but he liked Ntilikina's size (6-5, 190 pounds) and aggressiveness on defense. Ntilikina, 18, has played professionally in France for the past three seasons, and notably is a good fit for the triangle because of his ability to play both backcourt positions.

EPA / Jason Szenes

The end is here

June 28, 2017

The end is here

The Knicks parted ways with team president Phil Jackson after three-plus seasons.

AP/Julie Jacobson

Andrew Cuomo leads Rob Astorino 54-33 on Long Island: Newsday/News12/Siena College poll

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo holds a 21-point lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino on Long Island, even though just 1 in 5 residents say they are better off now compared to four years ago, according to a new Newsday/News12/Siena College poll.

Cuomo, a Democrat, garnered 54 percent compared to Astorino’s 33 percent in a survey of likely voters in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins received 5 percent.

Siena surveyed 686 likely Nassau and Suffolk voters from Oct. 5-9. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

To see more results, click here.

If the election for governor were held today and the candidates were Andrew Cuomo, Rob Astorino and Howie Hawkins, whom would you vote for?

Regardless of unhappiness about the state’s and Island’s direction, more respondents have more faith in Cuomo than Astorino in being able address taxes, jobs, schools and other key issues, said Don Levy, director of the Siena College poll.

“They are not taking it out on Cuomo,” Levy said.

Islanders also gave high marks to state government’s recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy, Levy added.

In other races, the poll showed the attorney general contest closer, with incumbent Democrat Eric Schneiderman of Manhattan leading Republican John Cahill of Yonkers, 46 percent to 39 percent, among Island voters. Incumbent state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Great Neck Democrat, leads Syracuse Republican Bob Antonacci, the Onondaga County comptroller, 50 percent to 31 percent.

If the election for state attorney general were held today and the candidates were Eric Schneiderman and John Cahill, whom would you vote for?

The poll found just 21 percent of Long Islanders believe they are better off now compared to four years ago; 35 percent said worse and 44 percent said about the same. About 34 percent said the Island is on the right track, while 57 percent said otherwise.

Historically, Republican candidates need to carry Long Island to win a statewide election. George Pataki, the last GOP to win statewide election, carried the Island in 1994, 1998 and 2002. The new poll, while closely marking previous statewide surveys (the most recent Siena statewide poll gave Cuomo a 29-point lead), makes it clear that Astorino has to make up huge ground on the Island in the final month of the contest.

More voters picked Cuomo over Astorino when asked who would do a better job holding down taxes, increasing jobs, addressing corruption and resolving the controversial Common Core academic standards — issues that respondents identified as among the most important.

Astorino has sought to draw voters upset with the Common Core, promising to repeal it while blaming Cuomo for supporting it. Yet in the poll, 45 percent of voters said Cuomo would do a better job “resolving” the issue while 32 percent chose the Republican.

“It’s hard to find a lot of good numbers in this poll for Rob Astorino,” Levy said.

Astorino has been critical of Cuomo’s handling of Sandy recovery, questioning spending in some areas and saying aid is too slow. But 60 percent of Islanders said they are satisfied with the state’s recovery efforts while 38 percent said dissatisfied.

If the election for state comptroller were held today and the candidates were Tom DiNapoli and Bob Antonacci, whom would you vote for?

Most respondents — 69 percent — weren’t aware of the controversy about Cuomo’s shuttering of the so-called Moreland Commission, which he created to investigate corruption. The governor has been criticized for interference and a federal attorney has taken over the commission’s cases. Of those aware of the issue, just 29 percent believed the governor’s claim that the panel was an “overwhelming success.”

Asked if Moreland would impact their vote, 53 percent said it would have no effect, 32 percent said it would make them less likely to support Cuomo and 9 percent said more likely.

The Cuomo campaign declined comment. Astorino spokeswoman Jessica Proud said, “Almost no one thinks they are better off under Governor Cuomo’s failed leadership. They know the state is going in the wrong direction and we will continue educating New Yorkers about our plans that will cut taxes to spur the economy, clean up Albany’s corruption and get rid of Common Core that is hurting our kid’s education.”

Hawkins said his 5 percent share is many times better than the 0.5 percent he attracted from Nassau and Suffolk counties in the election four years ago. He said he believes his opposition to Common Core is resonating with Island parents and teachers.

Schneiderman has a smaller lead than his Democratic ticketmates because he’s not drawing as much Republican support, Levy pointed out. Schneiderman received support from 20 percent of Republicans, whereas Cuomo drew 36 percent and DiNapoli 32 percent.

“It’s not so much that people are gravitating to Mr. Cahill,” Levy said of the former top advisor to ex-Gov. George Pataki.

Levy added that Cahill probably has to reverse his deficit and win the Island if he’s to win statewide. “He has to do better than trailing by 7 on Long Island to have a chance of winning,” Levy said.

Astorino and all the down-ballot candidates are having name-trouble recognition, the survey shows. About 46 percent said they don’t know/had no opinion of Astorino; 53 percent said that of DiNapoli; 59 percent of Schneiderman; 77 percent of Cahill; and 81 percent of Antonacci.

Name recognition helps Cuomo with some voters.

Democrat Mary Ann Keller, 75, of Floral Park, a retired director of a non-profit in Manhattan, said that in some ways, Cuomo is running on the name of his dad, Mario Cuomo, who was governor from 1983 to 1994.

“That’s one reason that I like him,” Keller said. “I still believe in what the Cuomos stand for — helping the people. I think we should give the Common Core education a chance. It could improve the educational system.”

Others want a break with the past. Republican Mitchell Bernstein, 60, of Setauket, a director of information technology, said he doesn’t know that much about Astorino, “but he’ll create economic benefits.”

“The GOP traditionally is more friendly on the tax side,” he said. “I would never vote for a Democrat. I’m not interested in redistributing wealth. Cuomo is just another politician working for the city” of New York.

In the attorney general’s race, Schneiderman campaign aide Peter Ajemian said the campaign will soon air millions of dollars in TV campaign ads.

“Voters will hear about Eric’s record winning historic settlements from the big banks that wrecked our economy, cracking down on public corruption and providing bulletproof vests to cops . . . ,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cahill spokesman David Catalfamo said, “John Cahill’s message of bringing integrity, independence and excellence to the Attorney General’s Office is clearly resonating with Long Islanders . . .”

In the comptroller’s race, Dinapoli’s campaign manager, Jeremy John, said, “Our grassroots campaign is working hard; speaking to voters and finding our message of fighting corruption and safeguarding taxpayer dollars, resonating with many across Long Island.”

Antonacci spokesman Brian Renna said, “I just wish we had enough money to get our message out across the state. I think these are people who care deeply about the state and they would have done a wonderful job talking about the finances of this state.”

With Michael Gormley and Sid Cassese

Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll – New York State governor’s race

Scroll down for detailed results from the Newsday/News 12/Siena College poll of the New York State governor’s race. The poll, conducted Oct. 5-9, surveyed 804 registered voters and 686 likely voters via landline and cellphone and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points and 3.7 percentage points, respectively.

To see raw data, click here.

1. Would you say that your family is better off now than it was four years ago, worse off now, or about the same?

2. If the election for governor were held today and the candidates were Andrew Cuomo, Rob Astorino and Howie Hawkins, whom would you vote for?

3. If the election for state attorney general were held today and the candidates were Eric Schneiderman and John Cahill, whom would you vote for?

4. If the election for state comptroller were held today and the candidates were Tom DiNapoli and Bob Antonacci, whom would you vote for?

5. Are property taxes a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

6. Is the quality of public schools a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

7. Is traffic congestion a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

8. Is crime a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

9. Is the availability of good jobs a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

10. Is the local environment a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

11. Are health costs a very important issue for you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important?

12. Which issue do you think is the single most important one facing the people of Long Island?

13. Who do you think will do a better job on the issues most important to Long Island as governor: Andrew Cuomo or Rob Astorino?

14. Who do you think will do a better job in helping to reduce or control the growth in property taxes: Andrew Cuomo or Rob Astorino?

15. Who do you think will do a better job of resolving the debate over the Common Core Learning Standards in New York Schools: Andrew Cuomo or Rob Astorino?

16. Last summer, Andrew Cuomo appointed the Moreland Commission to investigate corruption in state government, political campaigns and elections in New York. He then disbanded the commission in April after the Legislature passed a series of laws aimed at fighting corruption in state government. Lately, the Moreland Commission has been in the news again. How closely have you been following it?

17. Andrew Cuomo labeled the Moreland Commission an overwhelming success. Do you think the commission was an overwhelming success or not, or do you not have enough information to say?

18. How satisfied are you with the way New York has handled the recovery efforts after superstorm Sandy?

Insiders pocket $350G

Nassau Democratic Party attorney Steven Schlesinger and Gary Melius, the political power broker who owns Oheka Castle, pocketed more than $350,000 in fees for overseeing a Medford commercial property in foreclosure — more than twice the amount Schlesinger originally told Newsday the pair had collected for the court-appointed work.

The payouts are detailed in a previously unavailable accounting of expenses that Schlesinger prepared for Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Thomas Whelan. The judge had appointed Melius to be the property manager and Schlesinger to be the receiver — which is essentially a temporary landlord — of the commercial complex.

Last week, Newsday reported that Whelan and another judge violated court rules designed to limit cronyism in the court system’s fiduciary appointment process by tapping Melius and a network of associates to oversee four commercial properties in foreclosure. The judges then effectively hid the group’s activity by failing to publicly report appointments and fee awards to the group as required.

Newsday reported that the Medford accounting was not in the case file, even though the foreclosure proceedings ended in April. Reporters had asked state court officials for the record more than a month ago and were told it was not available.

Medford


Brookhaven Executive Center

Location: 3233 – 3253 Route 112, Medford Receivership: March 2012 – April 2014 Judge: Thomas Whelan Receiver/Fees: Steven Schlesinger, $189,998 Property manager/Fees: Gary Melius, $161,073

Heather Walsh

Schlesinger initially told Newsday that he and Melius had been paid between $70,000 and $80,000 each. Court officials produced the fee accounting Thursday, which shows $189,998 in fees paid to Schlesinger and $161,073 to Melius.

The fee amounts were the largest distributed for any of the four properties reviewed by Newsday.

Schlesinger said Friday that he gave Newsday the lower fee amounts because a reporter asked him something other than how much he’d been paid. However, an audio recording of the interview shows the reporter asked Schlesinger, “How much were you paid?”

The new fee figures in the Medford case push the total money collected by Melius and his associates for court-appointed work to at least $900,000 since 2009. That total includes payments made from receivership accounts to Melius, his associates and his companies.

Court official: Probe opened

Also Thursday, Whelan issued an order in which he declined to approve Schlesinger’s accounting for the Medford receivership, citing a failure to explain expenditures. Whelan’s order specifically notes dozens of checks that lacked documentation.

Whelan’s order gives Schlesinger 30 days to submit a new accounting and directs the parties involved to meet “to resolve the issues raised in this order.” No date has been set for that meeting.

Whelan declined to comment through a court spokesman.

Schlesinger said he could not comment about Whelan’s order because he had not seen it. Asked whether he had concerns about the accuracy of the accounting, he said, “None whatsoever.”

In a telephone interview, Melius refused to answer questions about the Medford accounting and instead criticized Newsday’s coverage of his court appointments.

“I don’t know where you guys have the nerve to do what you do,” Melius said. “Don’t you have any conscience, character? You have no character. You lie. You misrepresent.”

Asked for an example, Melius provided none.

A state court official said Thursday that the Office of the Managing Inspector General for Fiduciary Appointments had opened an investigation in response to Newsday’s story. The office, which examines allegations of poor performance and misconduct involving court appointees, can refer findings to state prosecutors and a court system committee that disciplines attorneys.

On Friday, New York Chief Administrative Justice A. Gail Prudenti sent a letter to all state judges reminding them of their obligation to follow court guidelines on fiduciary appointments, known as Part 36 rules.

Stressing the need to “protect our judiciary from claims of misfeasance,” Prudenti referenced reports “alleging serious lapses in compliance.”

“These reports serve as a stark reminder to all of us of our shared obligation as judges to meet the rule’s requirements,” Prudenti wrote. “One fact must be crystal clear: the court system requires scrupulous adherence to Part 36 rules as a cardinal principle of both judicial ethics and judicial discipline.”

‘Not a penny is improper’

In another receivership, involving the Whitman Atrium in Huntington Station, Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Emily Pines reopened the case after reporters questioned improper payments. Pines has scheduled a hearing on it for Wednesday.

Newsday reported that Richard Bellando, Melius’ former son-in-law and an Oheka Castle employee, was named property manager in the Huntington Station case and collected $90,000 in fees. Bellando is Nassau County’s Independence Party leader, and state rules prohibit party leaders from holding fiduciary appointments.

The expense register in that case, and the two others Newsday previously examined, lacked details showing what work had been done by vendors.

In addition to the fees that Schlesinger and Melius collected, the newly available Medford expenses show payments to Melius’ companies, including $17,397 to ArchCon Design Ltd. and more than $1,150 to Oheka Catering and Oheka Management. Those expenses, like all of the $3.4 million in total disbursements, are not accompanied by a description of the work performed.

Schlesinger wrote in an email Friday that the payments to Oheka companies were for building supplies that were purchased using an Oheka master account. The payments to ArchCon, he said, were mostly for infrastructure repair, including a broken underground pipe. Schlesinger offered to show a reporter all the invoices for work done on the property during the receivership.

“I know that not a penny is improper,” Schlesinger wrote of the payments.

Melius named property manager

The lender foreclosing on the Medford property, which is known as the Brookhaven Executive Center, had asked Whelan in March 2012 to appoint a receiver who runs a national property management company. Whelan instead picked Schlesinger, but did not report the appointment to state court administrators, as court rules require.

Soon after, Whelan granted Schlesinger’s request to name Melius property manager.

Records show that Schlesinger and Melius then signed an agreement that allowed Melius to lease out spaces at the complex, rather than seeking a court order to appoint a lease broker, as required. Melius would have been able to collect payments on each lease agreement he obtained.

State law requires that itemized receivership accountings be “open to public inspection.” It’s unclear why court officials were unable to produce the accounting in the Medford case for so long.

Records show that Schlesinger first filed a final expense accounting with Whelan on July 30, though it was not put in the court file. Newsday first asked for the record Aug. 29. After repeated attempts to locate the record, a Suffolk court official said it had been sent to Schlesinger for his signature on Sept. 10.

In an interview Sept. 30, Schlesinger said he did not remember receiving the accounting. However, records show he resubmitted it to the court Sept. 22. A spokesperson for the Office of State Court Administration in Manhattan provided Newsday with the record on Thursday.

Correction added on 1/9/16 In a series on court appointments published in 2014, Newsday reported that Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Whelan twice appointed Oheka Castle owner Gary Melius to manage properties when Melius was not on the court system’s approved list of property managers. Whelan made one such appointment, in 2009. In Whelan’s 2012 appointment of a foreclosed property in Brookhaven, Melius was on the approved list and the judge was not required to file a written justification for his decision. This has been corrected in the story above.

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