Turncoat Smith beefs up staff

To the traitor go the spoils.

State Sen. Malcolm Smith's staff budget has ballooned 66 percent since Jan. 2, after he defected from his fellow Democrats to join the ruling Independent Democratic Conference, payroll records show.

The Queens legislator hired five staffers paid between $1,153.85 and $1,538.47 biweekly on March 13, records show.

This comes on top of raises as high as 27 percent given to eight staff members on Jan. 16, payroll reports show.

Over the course of a year, the raises and additional staff will cost $623,081 annually, up from $373,800.

That's more than he was spending for his staff as president pro tem of the state Senate from July 2009 to December 2010, when his staff fluctuated between nine and 10 staffers. Now he has 13.

arly $15,000 per biweekly pay period, records show.

A Smith spokesman said the Queens lawmaker needed extra staff because he is the co-chair of the Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery, chairman of the Committee on Social Services and vice chair of the Finance Committee.

"Many of these staff members played an instrumental role in delivering a third consecutive on-time state budget," a Smith spokesman said.

But Dems razzed Smith, saying, "He's going to need all the staff he can get to hold on to his district for next election."

Smith in December joined the IDC, along with fellow Dem defectors Jeffrey Klein, Diane Savino, David Carlucci, and David Valesky. They have formed an alliance with Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos to control the Senate.

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Cyprus ups bank tax to 60%

Wealthy account holders in Cyprus could lose more than half of their cash under crippling new bailout terms announced yesterday.

The Bank of Cyprus plans to hold 60 percent of deposits greater than $128,220 — some of which will be converted into shares, and the rest of which will be held in case the finances of the teetering Mediterranean nation's economy turn out to be worse than expected.

The remaining 40 percent will be frozen, but will accrue interest.

The shares are intended for depositors to eventually recover cash — but they're basically worthless right now. Europe wants big depositors in the country's two largest banks to take a hit to pay for its $13 billion bailout.

Cypriot banks have long been regarded as a haven, particularly for Russians — but the new measures could end that.

The news came after banks opened Thursday after being shuttered for 12 days.

Bank customers can also only take out $384 at a time, and are barred from taking more than $1,282 when they leave the country.

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Bust #5 for ‘DWI’ menace

A serial drunken driver was busted for at least the fifth time — after speeding the wrong way down a Long Island road and playing chicken with terrified motorists before crashing into a car, authorities said yesterday.

Natalie Leontiev, 38, fled the chaotic scene along the Sunrise Highway service road in her Honda SUV and was found a short time later in her Holtsville home — "unsteady on her feet," stinking of booze and with bloodshot, bleary eyes, according to cops.

Leontiev, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, should never have been on the road, prosecutors said during her arraignment yesterday in a Central Islip court.

VictorAlcorn.com

LEADFOOT: Natalie Leontiev is led away by police yesterday after allegedly driving the wrong way on the Sunset Highway service road.

Her license was revoked after her last DWI.

The woman has two open drunken-driving cases on Long Island, including a January 2012 arrest in Nassau County for aggravated DWI, reckless driving, speeding and throwing refuse on the highway.

She also has a December 2011 drunken-driving collar in Suffolk County that includes failure to stay in one lane.

And her rap sheet includes a 2010 arrest for drunken driving in Connecticut, a 2009 arrest in Hollidaysburg, Pa., for harassment, and a 2006 drunken-driving conviction in Queens, according to prosecutors and public records.

On Friday, Leontiev was heading west in the eastbound lane of the highway near her office at Brookhaven Family Medicine at around 8 p.m.

Frightened drivers were trying to get around Leontiev and out of her way, Assistant District Attorney Maria Troulakis told the judge during Leontiev's arraignment.

Leontiev drove off after the collision, but her freedom was short-lived.

She was charged with DWI, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated unlicensed operation.

Judge Paul Hensley slapped her with another license suspension because she refused to take a breath test after her latest arrest.

Hensley wasn't having any of it when her lawyer tried to defend his client.

"These are just allegations at this point," Legal Aid lawyer Jeremy Mis told the judge.

Hensley snapped back: "These are very, very serious allegations."

He ordered Leontiev held at the Suffolk County Jail on a $40,000 cash bail or $120,000 bond.

kboniello@nypost.com

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Gay-nup ‘lie’bel lawsuit

The owners of a West Village restaurant who were sued for allegedly refusing to host a gay wedding claim the dispute was sparked by the lies of a bitter ex-employee.

Tommy Ho, a manager at Amber Village, lied when he told engaged couple Barrett Greene and Thomas Eng that his bosses "didn't want any 'gay parties' " at the restaurant, the owners allege in a $5 million defamation lawsuit they filed against Ho last week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

"Think about it: You open a restaurant in that area and you're not going to cater to that clientele? Does that make any sense?" Amber Village lawyer Christopher Cassar told The Post.

Ho was told not to book any parties after a certain date because the eatery was moving, Cassar said. Ho allegedly disregarded the instructions, booking Greene and Eng's party anyway.

The mistake got Ho fired, and he told the couple the owners had canceled the affair because they felt " 'gay partiers' are especially bad for the feng shui," court papers say.

Greene and Eng sued Amber Village last year for discrimination. The restaurant countersued the couple for defamation.

Ho could not be reached for comment.

kboniello@nypost.com

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Cancer fight, loss of arm, chemotherapy — nothing can keep down Fort Hamilton v’ball player

When the Fort Hamilton volleyball team's practice shirts arrived, some letters — two l's and an e — seemed to be missing.

"Changes are what make life interesting," the back of the shirts read. "Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

"Challenges. It's supposed to say 'challenges'," Eddie Nogay said.

Changes. Challenges. For the 17-year-old senior, they are one and the same. And he can handle either.

So much has changed for Eddie in the last year. The 5-foot-11 middle hitter was ranked third in the PSAL with 120 kills last season as the Tigers finished with a 5-7 record.

Anthony J Causi

STILl SPIKING: Despite a bout with cancer that cost him his arm, Fort Hamilton volleyball player Eddie Nogay (above, spiking) plays on.

This season, Fort Hamilton has won its first three matches with Eddie helping lead the way. And he is doing it without his right arm, amputated just below the shoulder last Halloween after cancer was discovered near his right elbow.

And with a lung that collapsed in January, a condition that took two surgeries to correct.

And while continuing to undergo regular treatments designed to stop the spread of the cancer — which robbed him of his dominant arm and is now spotting his lungs, but hasn't come close to dampening his indomitable spirit.

How's that for a change? How's that for a challenge?

"I don't want to say it has all just rolled off him, because he did understand it was serious," said Eddie's coach, Kim Tolve. "But he has been able to rebound. … Even the doctors and the nurses said they'd never seen a 17-year-old deal with this type of heartache and strife without flinching.

"It's a testament to the kind of kid he is. He's a fighter.''

Born in Uzbekistan, Eddie came to the United States with his mother, Natalya Kan, and older brother Victor, in 1999. Eddie and his mom always were aware of the lump near his right elbow, but an MRI exam taken eight years ago showed nothing to worry

about. But doctors said to keep an eye on it. Last season, that area of his arm began to hurt, but Eddie kept quiet and played on.

Once the season ended, he spoke up. Tests revealed a hemangioma and, after an initial misdiagnosis, it needed to be removed. Full recovery would take two weeks.

"But when they opened him up, they saw something abnormal," Natalya said.

A biopsy revealed a sarcoma and, when neither radiation nor chemotherapy had the desired result, the decision was made to amputate a large portion of Eddie's arm.

"But after that surgery, the scans came back and [the cancer] had spread into my main [arm] nerves," Eddie said. "Their first choice was to do a fourquarter amputation, which is basically taking the whole shoulder, including the collar bone."

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If you have big $$ in Cyprus, you’re hurtin’

Big depositors in Cypriot lender Bank of Cyprus will get shares in the bank worth 37.5 percent of their deposits over $130,000, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said yesterday.

The rest of their big deposits may never be paid back. About 22.5 percent of deposits over the $130,000 insured limit will attract no interest. The remaining 40 percent will continue to attract interest, but will not be repaid unless the bank does well.

Conditions of the conversion of deposits into equity, a pre-requisite for Cyprus receiving $13 billion in bailout funds from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, were expected to be announced by authorities today.

Cypriot officials have already said that Cyprus Popular Bank will be wound down, with its assets transferred to the Bank of Cyprus, the island's largest bank.

Those with deposits under $130,000 will continue to be protected under the state's deposit guarantee.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Cyprus' stock exchange may resume limited trading on April 2 after closing for more than two weeks.

"We may resume trading on a number of stocks, but this is not something which we can say with 100 percent certainty," said CEO Nondas Metaxas.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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To give or not to give: beggars with big bucks

The Issue: Scammers, like shoeless beggar Jeffrey Hillman, who take handouts they don't need or deserve.

***

The Post's coverage of the shoeless, supposedly homeless man who was given a pair of shoes and socks by that kindhearted cop months ago, reaffirmed my belief that you can't give these scammers anything ("A Nation Suckered," Michael Walsh, PostOpinion, March 28).

I used to tell my son, before he became a cop, to stop giving to anyone who came up to us while walking the streets, because they were scammers.

They weren't handicapped or missing limbs, so why give? That still didn't stop my kindhearted son.

Reuters

Officer Larry DePrimo offering help to Hillman.

This scammer, Jeffrey Hillman, has an apartment, has his utility bills paid for by a preacher and has 30 pairs of shoes.

Joe Sanchez

Manhattan

What idiot openly counts money on a subway train? If he gets robbed, he'll sob and be a more pathetic "victim" than he was when the cop gave him shoes.

It must be meaningless to him, because he can easily get more.

I'd like to live rent-free like him and have money to burn.

If he receives government handouts in addition to his scamming largesse, he'd be doing quite all right.

People like him are the reason I never give to panhandlers on the train or anywhere else.

Ray Hackinson

Ozone Park

Bogus beggar Hillman provides a New York grifter's twist on the adage: "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day."

Give a man a pair of boots, and he'll walk all over you.

Ray Arroyo

Westwood, NJ

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Obama’s Middle East mission

The Issue: President Obama's recent Mideast trip and whether he improved prospects for peace.

***

John Bolton's column deriding the results of President Obama's Mideast trip is a model of obfuscation ("Obama's Mideast Trip Changes Nothing," PostOpinion, March 25).

It is up to the two sides to decide whether they want to resume negotiations or not. Obama can do little more than pressure them to do so, which is his proper role, along with the United Nations, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, all of whom have an interest in peace and justice in the area.

Most confusing is Bolton's charge that the president's call for a contiguous independent Palestinian state on the West Bank is "objectively pro-Palestinian," as if that's a bad thing.

It has been the policy of the United States during the last four administrations to champion the Palestinian right of self-determination; according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government is in favor of that objective, as well. We are advocating the rights of the two peoples to live side by side in peace and security.

Irwin Wall

Manhattan

As a good old New York Jew, I am hopeful that the president's interest in helping the Palestinians and Israelis sit down and hammer out a two-state solution, roughly based on 1967 borders, will bring some movement toward a just resolution of this tragic conflict.

True friends of Israelis and Palestinians should be helping both sides work out a viable compromise, not egging them on to more conflict.

Jenny A. Hurwitz

Manhattan

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Dell: Windows hurt growth

Michael Dell is of two minds when it comes to Microsoft.

On one hand, the Dell Inc. founder is glad to accept $2 billion from the software giant to help fund his $24.4 billion buyout of the company.

But the 48-year-old executive of the struggling PC maker thinks Microsoft is the cause of some of the headwinds Dell is now facing.

In a 274-page public filing released yesterday — which lifted the curtain on the behind-the-scenes negotiations among Dell and shareholders, deal financiers and PE firms — the company cited flagging PC sales as well as the decline of tech juggernaut Microsoft.

DELL

The "uncertain adoption of the Windows 8 operating system and unexpected slowdowns in the enterprise Windows 7 upgrades" were among many reasons Dell cited in yesterday's filing as significant drivers behind Dell's attempts to go private.

The executive is hoping that — via his proposed $13.65 per share offer — a retreat from the scrutiny of the public markets will allow him to breathe fresh life into the company he founded in 1984 out of his college dorm room.

Microsoft would contribute $2 billion to the buyout in exchange for notes that would yield 7.25 percent interest, according to the filing.

A consortium including founder Dell and Silver Lake Partners will finance the offer.

However, those offers may be eclipsed by rival bids from Blackstone Group and Carl Icahn, which are both attempting to pitch better bids.

The filing revealed that Dell first got the idea to take the company private from one of the company's most vocal shareholders — Southeastern Asset Management — back in August.

At the time, Dell's buyout partner, Silver Lake, made a $13.75 offer that would have resulted in the company ending its dividend before settling on its "best and final" bid of 13.65, the filing said.

In early February, Dell's board also had rejected a number of prior Silver Lake bids as unsatisfactory.

Dell's preliminary proxy says that the current offer represents a 25 percent premium to the closing price of the common stock as of Jan. 11 — before media reports of the deal hit — and a premium of 37 percent over the average closing price over the 90 days leading up to Jan. 11.

The board estimates that the company needs $28 billion to complete the merger, including paying down or renewing old debt.

Dell shares closed Thursday at $14.33, down 1 cent. They have been trading above $13.65 since early February.

mark.decambre@nypost.com

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Toys IPO, earnings no fun(d)

Fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 30 percent at Toys "R" Us on higher interest and tax expenses as well as lower sales.

The company also withdrew its long-pending filing for an initial public offering, first registered in May 2010. No reason was given for the withdrawal.

Toys "R" Us was acquired in 2005 by Vornado Realty Trust and private-equity firms Bain Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. for $6.6 billion. Vornado Chief Executive Michael Fascitelli has previously said that the firm would consider selling its one-third stake in the toy retailer through means other than an IPO, as Toys "R" Us has continued to report lackluster results.

The toy retailer's chief executive, Jerry Storch, said yesterday that recent growth in operating income from the US has been offset by challenges in Europe and Japan. The company has made a number of investments to position itself for future growth, including expanding online sales efforts.

For the quarter ended Feb. 2, Toys "R" Us reported a profit of $239 million, down from $343 million a year earlier. Sales fell 2.6 percent to $5.77 billion.

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The wages of cigs

Michael Bloomberg just gave New York's politicians a timely lesson on the minimum wage — even though he was talking about cigarettes.

This week the mayor introduced yet another measure to curb smoking. He's asking the City Council to pass a law that would mean no one could charge less than $10.50 for a pack of cigarettes, which is designed to raise the price for some discount brands. The economic assumption is straightforward: Make something more expensive and people will buy less of it.

Given the undeniable health risks from smoking and the widespread public disapproval of the habit, this Bloomberg bid is likely to find more favor than his soda ban. For argument's sake, we'll leave aside the complication of the thriving black market in cigarettes — created by high city and state taxes that already make the cost of smokes higher here than in other states.

AP

Michael Bloomberg

So our question is this: If a higher price for cigarettes means fewer cigarette sales, won't higher prices for labor mean fewer jobs?

Specifically, any politician who signs on to Bloomberg's bid to reduce smoking by raising the price of a pack of cigarettes to $10.50 should be asked whether he or she also supports Albany's hike in the state minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25.

We'd sure like to hear them explain how the same laws of pricing that will reduce cigarette sales won't, when it comes to a higher minimum wage, take the form of employers hiring fewer workers, reducing the hours of the workers they have or hiring workers off the books.

We'd bet the 9.1 percent of New York City workers who are unemployed would be even more interested in that answer.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Where’s the shame?

When this newspaper exposed EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos for his vile tweets, we thought it couldn't get worse. After all, here was a guy tweeting under the moniker "Bad Lieutenant" and using a photo of Adolf Hitler for his profile. But it turns out that Dluhos has friends in some pretty low places.

These friends of Dluhos have now turned their online fury on Candice M. Giove, the Post reporter who exposed him. Some fantasize about her being raped. Another talks about her being killed with a hatchet. One perverse soul wishes she would die in a car fire — "hopefully" when she's pregnant.

J.C. Rice

Timothy Dluhos

Let's put this in perspective: Dluhos is an officer in the service of New York City who was tweeting his rants for all the world to read. Though he wept when he was found out and asked reporters to leave him in peace for the sake of his children, he's not exactly keeping quiet himself. On Wednesday, the suspended lieutenant called in to an online radio program to thank a host who then told him he was "a brave motherf-----."

Rest assured, Candice Giove will be fine. She a tough reporter. And neither she nor The Post is about to be intimidated by lowlifes whose idea of defending Dluhos is to speculate about the grisly death of a female journalist or refer to her with vulgarities.

We can't help wondering: How many of the people posting these things would show so much bravado if they had to sign their own names to their posts?

We all say things we regret. But we're seeing something very different from regret from Dluhos' defenders — something far more troubling than tasteless language.

What we are seeing is the fruit of an online universe whose offer of anonymity is helping to feed a culture of shamelessness.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Get over Penn Station

Bob McManus

The old Pennsylvania Station, architectural achievement for the ages that it was, has been gone for 50 long years now. And it ain't coming back.

Isn't it time to move on?

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and others don't think so. They cling bittersweetly to the notion that someday soon there will be found a pile of cash big enough, if not to rebuild the old station, at least to fashion a replica using the Farley Post Office building on Eighth Avenue as an anchor.

Dream on, Scott.

Stipulated, tearing the old girl down in 1963 was a mistake — though certainly not the calamity asserted by the city's cast-everything-in-amber crowd.

AP

A loss we need to face: The main concourse of Pennsylvania Station in 1962. The treasure's now been gone for longer than it existed.

Penn Station — like its East Side analogue, Grand Central Terminal — couldn't stand on its own economically after the passing of America's railroading era. Even now, Grand Central requires massive direct and indirect public subsidies to keep its architecturally inspiring nose above water.

Whether that was sufficient reason to tear either of them down is open to debate. But it should be kept in mind that Penn Station fell, and Grand Central almost followed, not out of spite or on a whim, but because great cities remain great cities only through renewal and reconstruction. At the time, neither could pay its own way — and reasonable alternative uses for the land they stood on beckoned.

In contrast, the present Penn Station is now the busiest railroad station in America. Yes, it squats with Madison Square Garden plopped down on it like some grotesque cupcake, and so the structure is never going to inspire poets. But it does deliver the fiscal freight.

This should count for a lot — but not to Stringer, along with the Municipal Art Society, the Regional Plan Association and others, who think they have a better idea: the Farley Post Office option.

Somehow, Penn Station is to be folded into that remarkable piece of urban architecture — and then everybody will live happily ever after.

It's a concept cribbed from the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan — arguably one of America's last great public intellectuals, but also a man rarely troubled by detail. And, in this case, the fine print is enough to turn strong minds into Play-Doh.

For example, the scheme would force Amtrak passengers walk roughly an extra mile to get to their trains. Plus:

* The project would cost billions, of which scarcely a penny is in sight. And never mind New York's ability to generate eye-popping cost over-runs.

* Any number of responsible developers have looked seriously at the undertaking, as well as at some associated notions, smiled politely and walked briskly away.

* Whereupon the proposal was delivered to the custody of the Port Authority, which can be counted on to hold it hostage for eventual agreement to an equally grandiose New Jersey project. (Anyone ignorant of how that works need only investigate the appallingly profligate PATH station boondoggle at Ground Zero.)

So bye-bye to the so-called Moynihan Station project.

There is an alternative, however, and that is to build on the status quo. The Madison Square Garden Co. is in the final stages of investing at least $1 billion into what is essentially a gut-rehab of the Garden, one of the most successful, and famous, entertainment venues in the world.

In return, the company is seeking an open-ended extension of its now-50-year-old operating permit — essentially, into perpetuity.

Stringer opposes this, and on Wednesday he essentially called on the City Council to limit the permit to 10 years — long enough, in his mind, for a miracle to occur.

Easy for him. He's running for city comptroller this year — and, frankly, MSG isn't one of the most sympathetic companies operating in New York these days.

But is that how adults do business?

On one hand, there is a pipe dream. On the other, there is a company that already employs 8,500 New Yorkers and is investing hundreds of millions in expansion, renewal and growth.

And standing squarely in the middle is a pinched-vision politician and some pals — none of them with any skin in the game and each dedicated to the notion that New York City's future lies buried 50 years in its past.

It would be cool if Penn Station had never been torn down.

It was.

Get over it, folks.

rmcmanus8@gmail.com

Have a comment on this PostOpinion column? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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The Scapegoat Act of 2013

Its official name is the Securing Accountability in Foreign Embassies (SAFE) Act. It might better be called the Scapegoat Act.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) is the principal co-sponsor of a bill that would make it easier to discipline lower-level State Department personnel for breach of duty. Now, we're all for more accountability and more levers to enforce it. But as an answer to the Benghazi attack last Sept. 11 that took the lives of four Americans, it's at best a distraction.

This newspaper can hardly be accused of being a cheerleader for State Department careerists. Indeed, when State announced — to great fanfare — that four officials were being disciplined for negligence over their handling of the Benghazi attacks, The Post disclosed that no one had been actually punished. But whatever the failings of our lower-level diplomats, the real failure of Benghazi occured at a much higher level in the government.

AP

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Rep. Meng says she was inspired to introduce her bill by Hillary Clinton's call for such legislation during her appearance before a House Foreign Affairs Committee. We're not surprised.

At that hearing Meng thanked Clinton for being a "role model" and followed up with a softball about multilateralism in Africa and the Middle East. In other words, no hard questions about Clinton's own responsibilities as secretary of state.

In short, Meng's bill would not, as she claims, "prevent another Benghazi." It would ensure only that, if the United States ever suffers another such attack, it will be that much easier for the top brass to send out sacrificial lambs to shield themselves from blame.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Experts weigh in on Kim's maternity wear catastrophes

Just when you thought Kim Kardashian couldn't dress her six-month pregnant self any worse, she goes ahead and trumps her own bump.

Style experts are scratching their heads wondering how Kanye West's baby mama can get it so wrong — so often. Or why she thinks the third trimester is the perfect time to experiment with edgy (read scary) clothes, like the $2,995 Lanvin baby-doll number she wore in New York on Monday.

"There's a simple formula to dressing in a flattering way when you're pregnant, and Kim is flouting the rules," says fashion commentator Amy Tara Koch, author of "Bump It Up," a fashion guide for expectant mothers.

FilmMagic

Note to Kim Kardashian: Fashion experts say you can look stylish while pregnant — just take a tip from these stars.

Photos: Maternity wear advice for Kim Kardashian

"She is trying to project her usual sexy, curvy image, but it's now looking super bizarre.

"It's like she's trying to stuff 5 pounds of baloney into a 1-pound bag."

The 5-foot-2 star has defended her choice of outfits, telling "Good Morning America": "My theory is 'happy mommy, happy baby,' so whatever makes me feel good, I wanna wear."

She argues that sky-high heels are comfier than flats, and admits to getting at least one of her sartorial faux pas — a skintight black leather pencil skirt — custommade, even though she herself joked that people said "you're suffocating the baby."

Clinical psychologist Belisa Vranich, who specializes in women's body issues, is not surprised by the 32-year-old's narcissistic approach to pregnancy. "Kim defines herself by her curves," says Vranich, who is based in Manhattan and LA. "It's sad, but there is nothing else. If she doesn't have the curves, she's terrified she'll be just a short, chunky girl."

Click through the gallery to find out our panel of maternity fashion experts' advice on how she can turn it around . . .

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Cabin Fever!

Chatting with her mommy friends at the local playground in DUMBO, Carrie Dutcher can't help but feel a little anxious about the topic.

The group is discussing summer camp — and all of the kids except her 5-year-old daughter, Fredricka, appear to have their plans squared away.

Some kids are going to Carmelo the Science Fellow, an outrageously popular "weird science" class in Gowanus, which is almost entirely booked for the eight weeks of the school vacation. Others are headed to one of the already oversubscribed "Week of Wildlife" courses at Prospect Park Zoo.

Anne Wermiel

Panicked Brooklyn parents Stephanie and Geordie Thompson have had a stressful time enrolling their sons Eli (left) and Oscar in summer camp.

"It's kind of stressful," admits Dutcher, a designer and stay-at-home mom, who also has a 1-year-old son, Archer. "I'm sure I will find the one that everybody else has decided is going to be great — and there will be no more space."

Despite her best efforts, the 38-year-old is checking into Camp Panic — the frazzled state-of-mind occupied by many a middle-class New Yorker who fears their child will be locked out of a program this summer. Wait lists are not uncommon, and some parents are even consulting specialist advisers to help them find places.

This year, programs, such as Curious Jane and the Washington Heights-based Storefront Science, are reporting a 30 percent increase in early-bird sales as parents compete for places.

As far back as January, in scenes reminiscent of a Black Friday sale frenzy, shivering moms and dads lined up at 4 a.m. to register their offspring for science-camp Carmelo, which has a first-come, first-served policy.

"It's fairly frustrating, like everything in New York," observes Park Slope writer Stephanie Thompson, 42, who blogs at goldstar4trying.com and pens the "Fearless Parenting" column in the Brooklyn Paper.

"I always make fun of people who sign up for things early, but then everyone stresses me out so much that I end up becoming one of them. It's the cultural norm [as] a parent in New York."

Lauren, 33, another Park Sloper, who asked The Post not to publish her last name for professional reasons, is embarrassed to admit she was distraught when she learned she'd missed the boat for one of the coveted 192 spots for the girls-only Curious Jane Jr. (aimed at younger girls) held at Berkeley Carroll School. She applied in late January and had to be content with her 5-year-old being put on the wait list.

"How silly of me to think that I could sign up in the early spring when you need to commit to a camp in November?" she says.

The crop of consultants that has sprung up, such as campexperts.com and kidklass.com, advises parents how to navigate the waters.

Dutcher recently enlisted the help of KidKlass founder Havona Madama, a Brooklyn mom who keeps prospective campers abreast of registration dates, deadlines and wait lists.

"I try to remind people there are a lot of great programs and sometimes the most popular or crowded might not be the best for your child," says Madama.

That's not enough to assuage the jitters of Beatrice Entrena, 40, a hotel manager from Washington Heights, who leapt on a place for her daughter, Zelda, 4, at Book Nook on the Upper West Side.

The $1,550 three-day per week, half-day program, which takes kids on a virtual tour around the globe and teaches them words in six different languages, sold out all classes, except for 2- and 3-year-olds, earlier this month.

"It looks like a really fantastic camp, but there's really only one reason for booking so soon," sighs Entrena. "Others may take your spot!"

Even parents who've secured slots for their children find themselves stressing out.

Thompson reserves places for her sons, Eli, 12, and Oscar, 9, at their favorite sleepaway camp, Hi-Rock, near Great Barrington, Mass., a whole year in advance — but she still battles occasional doubts.

"Every now and again I go: 'Wait, I hear this other camp is better because it has such and such going on,' " says Thompson.

"And the boys say: 'Mom, we love our camp!'

"It makes me realize that it doesn't have to be the be-all and end-all to brag to everyone you know that your kids have these wild adventures all summer."

jridley@nypost.com

Five of the most popular DAY camps in NYC and beyond

➧ Camp YomI

Kids get bused from Manhattan to this Rockland County camp with an adventure bent; 92y.org.

➧ Gate Hill Day Camp

This rural retreat, also in Rockland County, is a mecca for outdoorsy types; gatehilldaycamp.com.

➧ Curious Jane

This design and technology day camp for girls already has a wait list for some of its locations, run out of five Manhattan and Brooklyn private schools; curiousjanecamp.com.

➧ Pierce Country Day CAMP

An upscale camp based in Roslyn, LI, it covers the gamut from music and theater to swimming and athletics; piercecamps.com.

➧ The Brooklyn Robot Foundry

Kids spend their time building (yep, you guessed it) robots from circuits; the program filled nearly half of its slots within a week of launching online registration; brooklyn-robotfoundry.com.

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Business briefs

Existing homes

Contracts to buy previously owned homes fell in February, held back by a shortage of properties, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Morgan deal

Eight former Morgan Keegan mutual-fund directors agreed to settle Securities and Exchange Commission claims that they allowed assets backed by subprime mortgages to be overvalued as the housing market collapsed in 2007.

Brit hit

Independent ratings firm Egan-Jones downgraded its rating on the UK to A+ from AA-, citing Europe's fiscal woes.

Comcast clear

Comcast, the nation's largest cable-TV company, doesn't have to defend against an $875 million antitrust lawsuit on behalf of as many as 2 million Philadelphia-area customers, the Supreme Court ruled.

AMR Airways

A judge approved AMR's plan to merge with US Airways, a step toward creating the world's largest airline. US Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane declined to approve, for now, a planned $19.9 million severance package for outgoing AMR CEO Tom Horton.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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Go for brooke

Jennifer Gould Keil

Real estate lover Brooke Shields — whose name has been tossed about this month as a strong candidate to replace Joy Behar on "The View" — and hubby Chris Henchy are in contract to buy a beautifully renovated 1920s classic shingled East End home. The six-bedroom beach "cottage" with six full bathrooms and two half-baths is on Lewis Street in Southampton. It was asking $4.3 million. The owner is former NFL tight end Vyto Kab, who played for the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.

The master suite includes a tray ceiling and a fireplace. There's a gourmet chef's kitchen that opens to a dining area/great room with a fireplace and French doors that open onto a terrace, as well as a library and a media room — all on a half-acre with private hedges, a freshwater pool and pool house with a full bath, kitchenette and "cathedral height" living area. Shields was recently featured in Architectural Digest posing in her Greek revival New York townhouse.

Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix

Brooke Shields

REUTERS

Sofia Vergara

'Modern' living

Sofia Vergara has been house hunting for her own "modern family" in New York. One place the sexy television star checked out was a "loft-like" penthouse duplex at 301 E. 52nd St. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom co-op was asking $4.495 million but is now in contract with another buyer. It comes with a 1,400-square-foot set-back terrace. Along with 10-foot ceilings and 50 feet of custom solarium windows, there's a sunken living room with a woodburning fireplace. The listing broker, Core's Jeffrey Smith, declined to comment.

Headed South

What do Lance Armstrong, Liza Minnelli and the late Broadway legend Michael Bennetthave in common? Clearly, the same taste in real estate. They were all, at different times, living in the same $22,000-a-month penthouse duplex rental at 40 Central Park South.

Now the 1,985-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom is back on the market starting April 8. It boasts great views of Central Park from every room, four terraces, two woodburning fireplaces and a "Hollywood" staircase that opens to a master suite that features a deep soaking and whirlpool tub and a walk-in closet. There's also a formal dining room, sunken living room and chef's kitchen.

The listing broker is Joseph Barbaccia, of Essential New York Real Estate.

The Village news

ABC's George Stephanopoulos and his wife, Ali Wentworth, are in contract to buy a 4,800-square-foot home on Cameron Way in Southampton that was first asking $4.75 million last October.

The home, north of the highway in Southampton Village, is a classic shingled affair built in 2003. It features a covered front deck, a tennis court and pool on 1.47 acres. The home has a double-height entry foyer, chef's kitchen, formal dining room and a double-height living room with fireplace.

Stephanopoulos' spokesperson did not return calls.

Meadow millions

It took a year, but the stunning Southampton beach mansion that once belonged to the late billionaire bachelor Teddy Forstmann is finally in contract. Sources tell Gimme Shelter that the buyer is a New York-based couple in "private investment."

Forstmann held big bashes for charity at his Hamptons estate, located at 1900 Meadow Lane; the property was last asking $28.5 million — down from its original $34 million asking price. The 8,600-square-foot home comes with an oceanfront pool and tennis court — all on nearly 5 acres with more than 200 feet of oceanfront and views of Shinnecock Bay. It is also adjacent to 6 acres of land trust. Listing broker Tim Davis of the Corcoran Group declined to comment.

Forstmann, who loved to charm pretty younger women, last dated Padma Lakshmi. Forstmann's trophy penthouse duplex on East 70th Street also sold last June for $40 million — 11 percent over its asking price.

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On the fast track

Barbara K

Have you got a free half-hour? That's enough time to tackle one of these easy DIY projects — they can make a big improvement in your home for very little money (often less than $50). Oh, and ask a friend to help out; it'll make doing these tasks much easier — and way more fun.

* Replace a doorknob

Replacing doorknobs is not as difficult as you might think, and it's a great way to change out the "jewelry" of your doors and give them some sparkle. Remember to keep the parts of the old doorknob to make reassembling much easier. Replacement doorknobs can be purchased at any hardware store and come with detailed instructions.

Tools needed:

doorknob kit

screwdriver

hex wrench (for certain knobs)

1. Remove the trim from the doorknob by gently prying off the plate, or by unscrewing the two screws that hold it together. Some knobs might require a hex wrench to remove.

2. Remove the two screws under the trim; they are long screws that connect the two knobs. Pull the knobs apart.

3. Now remove the two screws holding the bolt (the locking mechanism), then extract the bolt.

4. Insert the new bolt into the door and screw into place. The slanted side should face toward the direction of the door's opening.

5. Place the trim piece between the new knobs and the door by inserting the knob into the large hole in the door. Be sure to use a knob that fits into the bolt's locking mechanism.

6. Finally, insert the other knob with the trim piece on the opposite side of the door. Make sure that the two are aligned, reinsert the screws and tighten.

* Quiet a shaky

ceiling fan

Ceiling fans are a great low-energy way to cool your home, but after much use, they can become shaky and noisy. You can easily fix this problem with a few simple steps.

Tools needed:

screwdriver

tape measure

pliers

1. Check the fan blades to see if they are loose. Check the connection between the rod and the actual body. Examine the ceiling mounting. If the problem with your fan is a loose screw near the electrical box, make sure to turn off the electricity at the breaker box before beginning. Always take precautions when working with electricity. Tighten all loose screws.

2. Next, determine whether blades are aligned. Measure the distance of the blades from the ceiling. It is important that all the blades are on the same plane. Hold one end of the measuring tape at the ceiling while rotating the blades manually to check the distance.

3. If a blade is not level or equally distanced to the other blades, gently bend the blade that is out of place. It is easier to do this step with an extra pair of hands. One person should hold the fan while the other person bends the blade.

* Hang a heavy mirror

A large mirror adds elegance and depth, giving the illusion that a room is larger than it really is. But mirrors can also be heavy and therefore difficult to hang. You will need two other people to assist with this task.

Tools needed:

tape measure

screwdriver

power drill or hammer

and a nail

level

molly anchors (for plaster/drywall)

1. Locate the space on the wall where you wish to hang your mirror, and then have two people hold it up to the wall while the third measures and marks the spot.

2. Confirm that the molly anchor can support weight of the mirror; for extra-large mirrors, you will need two or three anchors.

3. Use a power drill to make a small hole into the wall where you will screw the molly anchor into the wall. If you don't have a power drill, you can use a hammer and a nail to tap a hole in the wall. The latter, though, can be difficult if the wall is plaster.

4. Insert the bolt into the hole and using the screwdriver, tighten the screws. The butterfly bolt will expand within the wall to form a tight connection.

5. Using two people, hold the mirror up in place while the third person hangs the mirror onto the wall. Use your level to make sure that the mirror is straight.

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Knells for Dell founder

Blackstone Group and billionaire Carl Icahn are offering to buy Dell Inc. without retaining Michael Dell as chief executive officer, spurring debate over whether the personal-computer maker would be better off without the entrepreneur who founded it three decades ago.

Dell said that it has received proposals from Blackstone and Icahn that may be superior to a $24.4 billion buyout plan from Silver Lake Management LLC and Michael Dell.

As CEO, Dell oversaw the company's rise to the top of the PC industry, yet failed to prepare it for new challenges in mobile technology and high-margin business services.

MICHAEL DELL
Yesterday's tech titan.

While Dell's 15.6 percent ownership stake gives him leverage to negotiate a key role, the company could benefit from new leadership that can accelerate efforts to add growth, said Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

"Michael is no longer essential to Dell," Gordon said. "His attractiveness as a partner to a buyer is the size of his ownership stake. If you are willing to take less than total control, you don't need him as much."

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Justin’s time

After a seven-year hiatus, Justin Timberlake is not only bringing sexy back — he's rewriting the promotional playbook for the music business.

Thanks to a months-long, multi-pronged marketing strategy, his new album, "The 20/20 Experience," pulled off an impressive feat: selling nearly 1 million copies in its first week.

The album debuted at No. 1 on the charts with 968,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It also ranks as the fastest-selling album in the history of iTunes.

Timberlake and his record label, Sony, left little to chance in plotting his comeback by following an exhaustive, step-by-step plan.

AP

Slick trick, JT: Justin Timberlake's "20/20" album, with first week sales of 968K, is the fifth best-selling album debut in the past five years.

That included a retail partnership with Target for an exclusive album with two bonus tracks as well as a marketing blitz for Bud Light Platinum in which he served as creative director.

In addition, he did a week-long stint on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," appeared as both the host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" and held a secret show at the arts festival South by Southwest.

All this was on top of his much-hyped return to the Grammys with rapper Jay-Z in February. The two will also go on tour together this summer.

Industry experts said the timetable and techniques of Timberlake are setting the standard for launching a top-selling album.

"You have to go big or go home," said Bill Werde, editorial director at Billboard. "You have to try three times as hard to make the same money."

At the same time, a music label veteran said the exhaustive promotional efforts shows how challenging it is to cut through the noise, even with a superstar.

"The music business is so fractured," the exec said. "We're in an environment where there are no more record stores."

Even if Timberlake cracks the 1 million mark, he is unlikely to top albums by two newer artists: Taylor Swift's "Red," which notched first-week sales of 1.2 million last year, and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" in 2011.

Another issue is staying power: Will Timberlake have a huge first week and quickly trail off?

"Justin is a rare talent, but the real question is what about the 'hip-hop drop'?" said the music veteran.

Last year, Madonna's "MDNA" hit No. 1, selling 359,000 copies in its debut, before dropping to just 48,000 in its second week.

So far, Timberlake is beating even his own records.

His last album, "FutureSex/LoveSounds," sold 684,000 in its first week in September 2006, and went on to sell 4.4 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan's David Bakula, senior vice president of client insights.

Bakula noted that Timberlake was also part of boy band 'N Sync, which notched the two biggest first-week album sales in the past 20 years. "No Strings Attached" sold 2.4 million in 2000, while "Celebrity" sold 1.88 million in 2001.

Timberlake's album is part of a long-term contract with Sony, which had spent years coaxing him back to the studio.

catkinson@nypost.com

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Argentina bid nixed

A Us appeals court yesterday denied Argentina's request to reconsider a ruling that favored creditors led by Elliott Management affiliate NML Capital Ltd. who opted out of two of the country's debt restructurings.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York declined to grant a so-called en banc rehearing, in which the full court would have reviewed a decision by a three-judge panel of the court that went against Argentina in October.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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T-Mobile in

T-Mobile USA said yesterday it will start selling Apple's iPhone on April 12, making it the last of the big operators to sell the smartphone. T-Mobile is launching the iPhone after it this week stopped device subsidies and two-year contracts.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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ABCs and Ivy on Wall Street

Lois Weiss

BETWEEN THE BRICKS

Does Blue Ivy have some Green Ivy in her future?

The Green Ivy School is putting down roots at The Trump Building at 40 Wall St. and may open just in time to serve pre-schoolers like Beyoncé and Jay-Z's little TriBeCa cutie when she turns two next year.

"We're very excited about the space," said Donald J. Trump, Jr., of the 80,000-square-foot deal to create a "building within a building."

"The use will be great for the area and will revitalize the Pine Street entrance," the developer said.

The school, expected to serve pre-schoolers through eighth graders, will have its own entrance on Pine Street and two new dedicated elevators for its space that will encompass the 2nd, 3rd and part of the 4th floors.

Jeffrey Lichtenberg and Jared Horowitz of Cushman & Wakefield represented the Trump Organization in the 25-year deal while C&W colleagues Glenn Markman and Joseph Cirone worked on behalf of the school, which is also opening a pre-school in Battery Park City.

Lichtenberg said the idea germinated during a C&W market meeting when he and Horowitz learned about the many schools in the marketplace, and it quickly sprouted from there.

"Don Jr. embraced the concept right away, and with the help of the Trump construction people, we were able to create a dedicated entranceway on Pine Street and install new elevators," said Lichtenberg.

While the asking rents for the space were in the mid-$30s per square foot, these are the lowest office floors in the 70-story building, and the space was unable to be incorporated into higher-paying retail use that now includes the Duane Reade.

Upstairs, asking rents are in the mid-$40s per foot.

During the last four years, the leasing team and Trump have leased more than 600,000 square feet.

The 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th floors are now leased to CNA Insurance on a deal that expires in one year.

A week ago, the 10th floor of 36,490 square feet was leased to First Investors, which was represented by Marc Shapses of Studley and will be able to occupy the space within 120 days.

Green Ivy was founded by Jennifer Jones, Ph.D., whose website says she has founded as many as 15 other schools. She did not return e-mails for comment, but the school website states: "Thanks to our investors, our Battery Park City pre-school site will open Fall 2013, and our preK-8th Grade site in FiDi will open Fall 2014!"

The pre-school, Battery Park Montessori, will be located in the Regatta at 21 South End Ave., where three-hour daily sessions for two- to 4-year-old students will cost their folks $17,000, and a full day for four- and 5-year-olds sets them back $27,000.

The C&W brokers representing the school declined to comment.

***

The Times Square South office building at 1412 Broadway is heading to market and could sell for around $250 million.

Now owned by Harbor Group, a Norfolk, Va.-based company led by Jordan Slone, the 420,000-square-foot building was purchased in 2010 for $150 million.

The company then invested $10 million in a new base façade, lobby, elevator cabs and other upgrades to bring it to 96 percent leased.

The property also includes a small retail annex at 1420 Broadway that was purchased in 2011 from Emmes for $10,273,445 and also received the façade-lift.

Tenants range from traditional fashion companies like Jones New York and Escada to Oberon Securities and media and tech tenants.

Slone has hired investment gurus Douglas Harmon and Adam Spies of Eastdil Secured to market the building on the northeast corner of West 39th St.

No one from Eastdil or Harbor returned requests for comment.

Lois@Betweenthebricks.com

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Falcone’s big loans

Hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone, beset by declining assets, securities regulators and the bankruptcy of his wireless venture, LightSquared, is borrowing money against personal real estate.

Falcone and his wife, Lisa, pledged their $39 million Caribbean villa to Fortress Credit Corp. In the past year, they also agreed to post both of their Manhattan townhouses as collateral for about $25 million of personal loans, records show.

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3 Lions on the ‘Rocks’

Former Condé Nast executive Richard "Mad Dog" Beckman is teaming with supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and entertainment lawyer Joel Katz to form a new branded-entertainment company called Three Lions Entertainment.

The plan is to revive Fashion Rocks and its West Coast counterpart, Movies Rock, the big, branded variety shows that were a highlight of Beckman's 24-year career at Condé.

The multisponsor shows fell out of favor during the crushing ad recession of 2008 and were ultimately canceled.

"I think the clients' appetite for these types of shows is very much in vogue again with the advertising community — it's multiplatform," said Beckman, who hopes to have the shows produced in 2014.

Beckman, after a stint as president of Condé's Fairchild Fashion Group, left to be CEO of Prometheus Global Media in 2010, where he relaunched the Billboard Music Awards. He left after falling out of favor with his venture partners and some of his more dramatic makeover plans faltered.

The company name seems inspired by the emblem of the English national soccer team and a popular song.

"It's also the emblem on the English coat of arms," said Beckman."Don't forget, I am an Englishman."

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No kiddin’, this tech titan is all of 17

In some ways, Nick D'Aloisio is your typical high school kid — he has a girlfriend, his mom is on his case to clean his room, and he has a curfew.

But he did just sell his tech startup for about $30 million.

The 17-year-old Brit is the founder of Summly, a mobile app he developed that searches for snippets of news and makes them better suited for mobile devices — which D'Aloisio sold to Yahoo!

He will now work for Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer and become the company's youngest employee.

D'Aloisio built Summly from his bedroom when he was just 15 and attracted big investors like Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and Ashton Kutcher.

NICK D'ALOISIO
The $30 million teen.

His mobile app was a hot pickup for Yahoo!, and D'Aloisio said it took months to come to terms.

"There were other big Internet companies interested, but Yahoo! was the most appropriate," the teenager told The Post yesterday. "Yahoo! is just one of these classic companies."

The price was not disclosed, but AllThingsD reported it was $30 million — 90 percent in cash and 10 percent in stock.

Yahoo! in turn gets a new mobile product as part of its broader strategy to entrench its brand on smartphones and tablets.

"Yahoo! has an inspirational goal to make people's daily routines entertaining and meaningful, and mobile will be a central part of that vision," D'Aloisio said in his blog post announcing the acquisition. "For us, it's the perfect fit."

The high-schooler said he plans to invest his new-found fortune; no big-ticket purchases yet. He still lives at home and will commute to Yahoo!'s London office via "the tube."

"It's my first job," he said, and he starts in two weeks.

The mop-topped, sleepy-eyed teen said his girlfriend of 10 months is "very excited."

D'Aloisio joins the ranks of an ever-younger list of high-paid tech founders, though there are precedents. In New York, Alex Godin co-founded Dispatch, a startup valued in the millions, at the age of 17,

"The tech industry is unlike almost any other industry," Godin said yesterday. "Being young is actually helpful."

Dispatch has raised almost $1 million in its short existence. Godin is now 19 and has been through similar experiences to D'Aloisio's, having to contend with high school and his teenage years while also committing to a fledgling company.

gsloane@nypost.com

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Bootie call!

Midway through Harvey Fierstein's new Broadway sensation, "Kinky Boots," the entire cast breaks out into a splashy musical number that causes the audience to gasp and erupt into applause.

The brilliant star of the performance, now in previews, that has them so rapt? That would be an over-the-knee, lace-up, 6-inch-heeled boot made from three types of red leather, which arrives onstage via conveyor belt.

"Kinky Boots," with music by Cyndi Lauper, tells the story of a young Englishman who, in a bid to save his late father's shoe factory, converts the stodgy manufacturer into a purveyor of the finest boots for drag queens.

Matthew Murphy

The cheeky Union Jack boot is the first to make it down the runway in the show's finale. Costume designer Gregg Barnes calls it an "irreverent" nod to the flag. The fabulously flirty Highland fling boot is a nod to the late designer Alexander McQueen (left) and his famous tartan collection from 2006. Based on a classic men's brogue, the turquoise boot with an orange leopard trim is dubbed "the Gentleman caller" by Barnes.

Photos: Meet the boots of Broadway's "Kinky Boots"

And the show's fancy footwear is causing major buzz on the Great White Way.

Audience member Matt Vanderberg, who flew in from San Francisco to celebrate his 40th birthday at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Saturday, went so far as to suggest that they be recognized at the Tony awards.

"The boots should have their own category!" crows Vanderberg. "And the Tony for the best accessory in a Broadway show goes to . . . 'Kinky Boots!'

"Show me where to buy them!"

Another attendee, Lisa Negrete of Chicago, wonders the same thing: "I want to try them on!" exclaims the 45-year-old.

Unfortunately for smitten showgoers, the pairs of boots on display — including one emblazoned with the Union Jack and another inspired by the British Beefeaters — cost up to a whopping $2,500 each, and aren't available for public consumption.

"People go up to the lobby and want to buy a pair because they don't realize that we make them [for the show]," says costume designer Gregg Barnes, who defines a "kinky boot" as "a shoe that lets you live out your fantasy. It has a sexy, cheeky quality."

For aesthetic inspiration, Barnes pored over Jimmy Choos, Pradas and Louboutins.

But he was presented with a unique set of challenges when it came to their construction — after all, these boots weren't destined to be worn by dainty female hoofers, but rather muscular male dancers performing overly physical and sometimes acrobatic choreography.

"I'm not a shoe designer," says Barnes. "I don't wear high heels."

That's where local cobblers T.O. Dey and Phil LaDuca (a former Broadway dancer) came in. LaDuca — who has a reputation for making shoes beautiful enough for their close-ups and sturdy enough to support a dancer's rigorous regime — made Barnes' sketches come to life.

The boots were in gestation since last March, and took a month to manufacture both here and in Puglia, Italy.

"What we did exactly parallels the story," says Barnes. "We had to make them strong enough so [men] could dance in them. We did so much research and development."

The costume designer suffered a setback when two of the heels broke early in the show's Chicago run in October. "We said, 'Oh, back to the drawing board.' "

Barnes worked through the kinks by reinforcing certain parts of the shoes according to each dancer's physical needs.

"We haven't had any breaks since," says Barnes.

But this doesn't mean the sky-high heels are any easier to wear, as the designer, who's tried on his towering boots, can attest.

"To be honest, I couldn't get them off quick enough," says Barnes. "It was uncomfortable but empowering. I have to give a shout-out to the cast. A lot of them are putting on high heels for the first time, and you use different muscles. We never had a single person say, 'I can't.' "

The whole production, which opens on April 4, culminates in a jaw-dropping fashion show that will be sure to delight even the casual fan of shoe porn.

"My heart stopped when they did this whole number building up to the entrance of my boots," says LaDuca. "They're my proudest moment as a shoe designer."

And while the boots onstage aren't available for purchase, Barnes says this hasn't stopped audience members from showing up in their own kinky soles.

"There was a guy the other night who had on skinny jeans, a sports coat and leopard high heels," says Barnes, adding with a giggle, "It's like when you're a kid and you go to 'Princesses on Ice' with a princess costume!"

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Size matters

Promgirl.com foun-der and racehorse owner David Wilkenfeld had a hot streak when his gelded colt Vyjack won four races in a row. He's likely to make the Kentucky Derby if he runs well in the Wood Memorial on April 6, and was listed yesterday as a 10-1 Derby choice by Post handicapper Ed Fountaine.

Wilkenfeld has the magic touch as well with Promgirl.com, which calls itself the largest online seller of special-occasion dresses and boasted $80 million in sales last year, according to Forbes.com.

But allegedly, Wilkenfeld's luck ran out when he took a broker's word on a luxury penthouse he's buying at 200 Chambers St. for $13 million.

Getty Images

Promgirl.com founder David Wilkenfeld, pictured with "Prom" actress Aimee Lynn Chadwick, is suing the broker who sold him an ultra-posh $13 million Chambers Street penthouse.

In a suit to be filed in Manhattan Supreme Court this week, Wilkenfeld now claims the seller's broker, Platinum Properties President Daniel Hedaya, lied to him about the sky-high pad's square footage, common charges and real estate taxes.

He wants to be reimbursed a whopping $2.08 million — or four times the broker's commission — plus the difference between $13 million and the penthouse's actual value based on, among other things, the claim that it's either 96 or 152 square feet smaller than the 4,700 square feet he alleges Hedaya said it was.

Lawsuits are hardly rare in the world of high-priced Manhattan condos. But this case involves two different issues which bedevil a growing number of deals — a unit's actual size, and the question of whose side a broker is really on.

Wilkenfeld, represented by lawyer Adam Leitman Bailey, has no dispute with the unidentified seller of the penthouse, which he's still buying and intends to close on next month.

The 30-story 200 Chambers St. overlooking the Hudson River opened in 2008. The lavish, 30th-floor Penthouse C with 4.5 bedrooms is described as having "the finest attention to detail" including custom- milled dark oak floors and "acoustic attenuation features" to block noise. In an online video, Hedaya displays floor-to-ceiling windows with eye-popping views.

Wilkenfeld and Hedaya began talks about the unit in 2011 and a sale contract was signed on Nov. 1, 2012, as my colleague Jennifer Gould Keil reported in December.

The rags-and-racing mogul planned to move up from a smaller unit where he lives on the seventh floor of 200 Chambers St., which was listed by Douglas Elliman's Julie Weintraub and Laura Matiz for $6 million and is still on the market for slightly less, an Elliman rep said yesterday.

The penthouse was listed for $16.5 million, down from a $17.9 million "ask" in 2011.

Wilkenfeld and the seller, repped by Platinum, agreed on a price of $13 million and he put down a $5.2 million deposit, according to the proposed suit.

But then Wilkenfeld noticed the condo offering plan said the penthouse had only 4,548 square feet. He says Hedaya laid the difference on a technical adjustment based on inclusion of hallway space — but his suit claims the unit is still 96 square feet smaller than Hedaya said.

Although Wilkenfeld acknowledges that the sale contract included the correct common charges and taxes, he says it was presented to him "for hurried execution by e-mail during the traumatic period of Hurricane Sandy," which "pressured" him to sign it quickly.

Prior to then, Wilkenfeld says, Hedaya had given him "desirable" but false data in several conversations as well as on Platinum's website and on Streeteasy.com. (The common charges and tax numbers which Wilkenfeld says are wrong were still posted on Streeteasy.com and Platinum's site yesterday.)

In a related claim that might be the first based on a recent change in state law, Wilkenfeld says Hedaya failed to disclose that Platinum acted solely as the seller's agent — not as an "honest broker" for both sides — and thus had an obligation only to fetch the highest possible price.

Such disclosure required by law previously applied only to the sale of houses, but was expanded to cover condo sales in January 2011.

"Because he didn't have his own broker to advise him, when he negotiated the final price, it's most likely the price he agreed to pay" was more than he would have otherwise, said Bailey's law colleague John Desiderio.

Platinum said it did present the disclosure form to Wilkenfeld in October 2011 but he refused to sign it — which his suit denies.

Platinum's lawyer, Neil A. Capobianco, a partner with SNR Denton which also is the escrow holder for Wilkenfeld's deposit, did not respond yesterday to detailed requests for comment. Platinum officials didn't respond to a request for comment submitted through their publicist.

***

It's a relatively small lease but a big milestone: Omnicom has signed for 26,414 square feet at 195 Broadway. The expansion brings the ad agency's total presence in the landmark to 295,294 square feet, and the property to 100 percent occupancy.

The one-million-square-foot tower is owned by L&L Holding Co. and Beacon Capital Partners. Terms of Omnicom's expansion weren't released but the asking rent was $47 a square foot.

scuozzo@nypost.com

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We hear . . .

That "Smash's" Katharine McPhee was overheard talking knowledgeably about wine with a sommelier at Bocca Di Bacco in Chelsea . . . THAT the Michael J. Fox Foundation has partnered with Magnolia Bakery to create a special cupcake with a portion of the proceeds going towards Parkinson's research . . .THAT Jonny Lennon and Adam Alpert will celebrate the third anniversary of 4AM DJ Management with a bash at Miami's SL . . . THAT Chelsea Clinton hosted 300 teens and adults at TEDxTeen 2013.

Getty Images

Katharine Mcphee

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Belstaff staff off

Luxury fashion brand Belstaff dismissed a handful of employees last week amid restructuring. The company, headed by CEO Harry Slatkin, let go of eight employees as what a rep described as "a singular incident" and "part of a normal restructuring of a company of over 200 employees." Some miffed fashionistas scoffed to us that Slatkin ran off to Palm Beach after the cuts had been made, and then made a feeble attempt to boost morale by sending an e-mail to the staff encouraging them to "keep their heads up." But, a rep for the company explains, Slatkin regularly spends weekends in Palm Beach and went last weekend while his daughter was on spring break. The CEO was back in the office on Monday. "Harry's e-mail addressed the staff restructuring and the consequential emotional outburst from some of those let go," a rep told us. In 2011, Slatkin and Labelux group acquired Belstaff — known for making weatherproof motorcycle jackets worn by Steve McQueen and Amelia Earhardt. They've since relaunched the brand, opening stores and expanding their product line with the help of new creative director Martin Cooper, who joined from Burberry. Fans of the brand include Gemma Kidd, Poppy Delevigne and Plum Sykes.

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Let Sunshine in

Communications guru Ken Sunshine will be honored along with Christine Quinn at the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute's Bella Fella Awards at the Columbus Club on April 4. The Institute was founded by the daughters of the late New York congresswoman, credited with paving the way for other women to reach higher political office. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Harold Holzer told us he worked with Sunshine, who represents stars including Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Jon Bon Jovi, on Abzug's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in 1976. Of Sunshine's prowess as a publicist, Holzer told us, "I was Bella's press secretary, and Ken was a community vote organizer. Had Kenny been the press secretary, history would have probably been very different."

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Harry recalls hotel racism

Harry Belafonte recalled the racism he suffered in the 1950s as a performer at Waldorf-Astoria during a speech there at the Amy Winehouse Foundation Gala Thursday, saying it "used to be one of the most racist pieces of real estate in America." Belafonte recounted being hired by Claude Philippe, who was trying to desegregate the hotel. "I went into the hotel and [executives] realized that Belafonte wasn't, as they suspected, some Frenchman on the loose. They went ape[bleep]." The hotel fired Philippe and tried to cancel Belafonte's contract, he said, but it was iron-clad. "I did all I could to encourage my friends from Harlem, from Bed-Stuy to come . . . it was just a sea of black folk," Belafonte continued, explaining they placed him in the Starlight Roof to avoid "racial contamination" in the Empire Room. He ended with how far the Waldorf has come. "I now have the lifetime right to stay in any Hilton hotel anywhere in the world for free if I would just keep my mouth shut and not tell this story."

WireImage

Harry Belafonte

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Veep hits B’way

Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, were spotted in the audience of the Tony-winning Broadway musical "Once" on Saturday night, spies said. "They have been wanting to see the show since the election," but hadn't had time to catch it, the source added. Afterwards the Bidens went backstage at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to meet the cast. At the show Saturday night, the cast performed a special encore number, which had been cut from the production before it got to Broadway, to celebrate its first anniversary there. The Bidens caught the show just before it says farewell to its original stars: Yesterday was the last performance for Cristin Milloti, and Steve Kazee will also be replaced this week.

REUTERS

Joe Biden

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Children of 'Revolution'

Every year, hits get a little harder to come by for the broadcast networks. Competition from cable, the Internet and even PBS is intensifying, with some of TV's most popular shows — AMC's "The Walking Dead" and PBS' "Downton Abbey" — airing somewhere other than ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the CW.

In spring, Hollywood stays busy making pilots — the first episodes of a series that will either turn into a long-running series such as "NCIS," or, more likely, premiere to low ratings and quickly be forgotten. And the bar is lower than ever for what qualifies as a hit.

Brownie Harris/NBC

Billy Burke faces another bad day in the post-apocalypse in NBC's "Revolution."

Last fall, NBC's "Revolution," about a future with no electricity and lots of civil unrest, was the only show that can arguably called a breakout hit, averaging 12.32 million viewers an episode when live broadcasts plus a week of digital video recordings (DVR) were tallied.

Viewers can expect many more high-concept visions of today and tomorrow this fall.

"I do think there are more big-concept shows this year," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president and director of research for Horizon Media. "I think the networks have come to terms with the fact that they had a pretty bad development season last year."

J.J. Abrams, one of "Revolution"'s executive producers, as well as the creator and executive producer of ABC's "Lost" and "Alias," and Fox's "Fringe," has two shows in development for next season. Fox is developing "Human," a futuristic drama starring Karl Urban in which LAPD police officers are partnered with androids, while NBC's working on "Believe," a futuristic relationship drama starring Kyle MacLachlan ("Desperate Housewives").

Joss Whedon, king of such cult faves as The WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," and Fox's "Firefly," is working on a small-screen adaptation of Marvel Comics' "S.H.I.E.L.D" for ABC. Most recently, Whedon wrote and directed the wildly successful "Avengers" movie, which hints at "S.H.I.E.L.D." and prominently features its hero, Nick Fury, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the movie.

"If I had to pick a show that will definitely get picked up, it's 'S.H.I.E.L.D,' " says Adgate. "With 64 percent of its audience being female, ABC really needs the male viewers. And coming off of "Avengers," that show has a pretty good chance of becoming a series."

The popularity of films and movies about vampires — "Twilight," "Vampire Diaries," "True Blood" — continues to conjure supernatural series. ABC's "Gothica" is a present-day soap with a mythology that includes Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. Similarly, shows based on fairy tales, such as ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and NBC's "Grimm," also seem to work, which is why NBC has a TV version of "Dracula" in development as well as "Wonderland," set several years after "Alice in Wonderland" leaves off.

Fox's "Delirium," starring Emma Roberts, is a supernatural drama set in a future where love is not allowed.

The CW is going heavily supernatural and sci-fi this fall, with a "Vampire Diaries" spin-off called "The Originals" in the works, as well a "Oxygen," in which a human girl (Aimee Teegarden) falls in love with an alien boy, "The Selection," in which a young woman is chosen by lottery to compete for a prince's hand 300 years in the future, and "The 100," is set nearly a century from now, after a nuclear Armageddon has erased most of civilization except for one group of one 100 lucky — or not-so-lucky — survivors.

With all these far-fetched and far-flung shows in the works, it may come as a relief to some viewers that books still provide plots for television dramas. A few of next season's more grounded shows also are based on books, including Fox's "I Suck at Girls," based on the novel by the same title, and CBS' "Anatomy of Violence," based on Adrian Raine's non-fiction book. CBS' "Backstrom" comes from a series of Scandanavian novels by Leif G.W. Persson and stars Dennis Haysbert as a brilliant (yet crotchety) criminologist.

Brilliant yet crotchety is a running theme in pilots such as "Rake," starring Greg Kinnear as a gifted defense attorney, and "Doubt," about an ex-cop turned low-rent attorney. Finally, NBC has "I Am Victor," based on an upcoming book and starring John Stamos, about a — you got it — brilliant but crotchety high-powered defense attorney.

Reboots and spin-offs remain popular, with CBS spinning off "NCIS: LA," which was a spin-off of "NCIS," which was a spin-off of "JAG." The new show, starring John Corbett, isn't spinning off too far, with its title: "NCIS: Red."

NBC and Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood") are working on a TV version of the 2002 Hugh Grant movie "About a Boy," and NBC also is considering a reboot of "Ironside," starring Blair Underwood. CBS is working on turning two other movies — "Bad Teacher," starring Ari Graynor and Kristin Davis, and "Beverly Hills Cop," executive produced by Eddie Murphy — into series as well.

Even with all of those potential series, there remain the standard cop and lawyer dramas as well as sitcoms. We won't know which series get the green light until May, when the networks announce their fall schedules.

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Screaming success

On CBS's top-rated comedy "The Big Bang Theory," Melissa Rauch plays biologist Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, wife of Simon Helberg's Howard Wolowitz, and beleaguered daughter-in-law of Howard's grating, never-seen mother.

As such, Rauch is often challenged with doing two voices quite different from her own. There's Bernadette's soothing, high-pitched purr, and, when drawn into battle with her mother-in-law, an eerie, haranguing imitation of the woman that could blow the doors off the set.

Both of these voices, it turns out, were inspired by people near and dear to her: her parents.

WARNER BROS.

Melissa Rauch plays a "Big Bang" wife.

"Mrs. Wolowitz sounds very similar to my father, and my mom has a very high-pitched voice that's not exactly Bernadette's voice, but it's similar," says the New Jersey native.

"I come from a house of screamers, very similar to the Wolowitz family," says Rauch, 32. "When my husband came to my parents' house for the first time, he asked, 'Why is everyone screaming? Why are they so angry?' I said, 'No one's angry. This is just how we communicate.' "

If there's any screaming on the set of "The Big Bang Theory" these days, it's certainly yelps of joy. Now in its sixth season, the show is both TV's most-watched comedy and a television anomaly, in that its ratings and rankings increase as the series ages, partially fueled by a continuous flow of reruns on TBS.

As of March 10, the series was averaging almost 19 million viewers per episode, the third-highest ranking series behind "NCIS" and NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

That success is fueled by a cast that Rauch says is every bit as fun-loving as the friends they play, as demonstrated by the on-set flash mob organized by castmate Kaley Cuoco last November that surprised the show's producers and writers, and sent a video of the surprising dance viral.

"Kaley organized this experience where her sister, who is a choreographer, came in," says Rauch. "We did two rehearsals, the cast and crew surprised the writers in the middle of a taping, and the audience flipped out."

While the cast may be a blast, one thing they aren't, to the possible surprise of its fans, is nerds.

"Everyone's really different from their characters," says Rauch. "Simon Helberg is a wonderful husband and father, and so completely the opposite of the sleazy Wolowitz. Mayim (Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler) is a [real life] Ph.D., and knows an incredible amount about science. So on paper, she's the closest. But she's nothing like Amy, just similar in the sense that she knows massive amounts about the brain."

Given how the show's male characters, especially, have come to represent all that is nerdy — their main hangout is the local comic-book store — there are times when viewers expect the actors to be more geeky than they really are.

"When I go into the Mac Store, they expect me to know a lot more thado," says Rauch. "One person there actually told me that he has never seen so few apps on a phone. I have no idea what I'm doing with anything electronic, and I think they were shocked because of the show I come from."

Rauch studied acting in New York at Marymount Manhattan College, and got her start as a stand-up comedian on stages throughout the city, including the same open mike in the back room of Hamburger Harry's in Times Square, where Zach Galifianakis first graced a stage.

After a few years of stand-up comedy, plus pop culture talking-head work on VH1's "Best Week Ever," Rauch and her longtime writing partner — her then-boyfriend, now-husband Winston Beigel, whom she met and began collaborating with in college — created a one-woman show for her called "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush," inspired by seeing the president's daughter, on stage at the 2004 Republican Convention, brag to her sister that the crowd loved her, unaware that her mike was on.

The show generated stellar reviews, had a sold-out run as well as being named outstanding solo show and audience favorite at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival; she also landed an agent. Rauch and Beigel moved to LA soon after, and she scored small parts on television and in film before landing the role of Bernadette.

In addition to her work on "The Big Bang Theory," Rauch still writes with her husband. They have a few film scripts currently in development as well as short videos for the Funny or Die Web site. She also recently played a prostitute hired by Owen Wilson in "You Are Here," the upcoming feature debut from "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner.

"She radiates sunshine, has great timing and attitude," Weiner says. "You cannot believe what comes out of her mouth."

All else aside, Rauch is most thrilled for her role on the most popular comedy on television.

"TV was my life, growing up," she says. "I ran home from school to watch television, and even did my homework with the TV on — my mom had a rule that as long as my grades didn't fall, I was allowed to. So it was my dream to work in television."

THE BIG BANG THEORY

Thursday, 8 p.m., CBS

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LSU’s Mathieu an intriguing draft choice

Wild cards don't get much wilder than Tyrann Mathieu in this year's NFL Draft.

Had the famed "Honey Badger" kept his nose clean and managed to stay in school and on the field at LSU after contending for the Heisman Trophy two seasons ago, there's a good chance Mathieu would have been the most coveted cornerback in this year's class.

But thanks to an admitted drug problem that got him kicked off the team, followed by a stint in rehab and an arrest, scouts are more curious than enamored with Mathieu heading into the April 25-27 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall.

AP

Tyrann Mathieu

One very difficult year away from the game predictably caused Mathieu's stock to plummet. His return skills are still coveted, but you won't find him mentioned among the top corners available by draft observers.

It's a slight Mathieu says he doesn't take personally.

"I'm not totally asking teams to trust me right now," Mathieu said at the scouting combine last month "What I have asked is for them to give me an opportunity to play the game.

"I've had a lot of time to reflect on it, especially without football. It's really given me a different outlook on life, and it's just about being the right kind of person."

NFL clubs might be tempted to just write that off as mere words, except Mathieu — with the help of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and Cardinals corner (and former LSU teammate) Patrick Peterson — seems to have put his life back together recently.

The 5-foot-8, 186-pound Mathieu has abandoned the "Honey Badger" nickname, apparently conquered his drug woes and impressed teams with both his candor and remorse off the field and by flashing some of the skills on it that made him so celebrated in 2010 and 2011.

The Jets are among the teams openly interested in Mathieu, especially after he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and recorded a 34-inch vertical leap at the combine in Indianapolis last month — both impressive figures for someone out of football for more than a year.

Of course, that performance won't allow Mathieu to jump the likes of Alabama's Dee Milliner, Desmond Trufant of Washington or Florida State's Xavier Rhodes as the first corners to go when the draft arrives.

But the mere fact scouts are talking about Mathieu as a possible third- or fourth-round pick as a nickel corner/return specialist after he practically had to beg for another look a few short months ago is remarkable by itself.

Mathieu credits Revis, Giants corner Corey Webster, Cowboys corner Mo Claiborne and especially Peterson for engineering his revival.

"I'm surrounded by people who do what I want to do and that's be a professional football player," Mathieu said. "I think the last few months have been going pretty good for me."

The draft, meanwhile, should be even better for teams looking for corners and safeties this year. The glut of promising draft-eligible corners is considered one reason so many prominent veteran corners have been cut this offseason and are still looking for work.

While Milliner, Trufant and Rhodes head the list of corners, scouts are even higher on the safeties available. Safety is considered one of the deepest positions in this year's class, with big-hitting Kenny Vaccaro of Texas and Florida's Matt Elam — brother of former Jet Abram Elam — attracting the most attention.

bhubbach@nypost.com

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Top-seed Gonzaga sent home by Wichita State Shockers

SALT LAKE CITY – The Wichita State Shockers pulled one of the biggest shocks of the NCAA tourney, knocking off top-ranked, top-seeded Gonzaga 76-70. Their team, coaches and fans danced with their band, Lets Go Shockers. After all, it is the Big Dance, and they had earned this dance.

Despite a partisan crowd of 16,060 at EnergySolutions Arena, they stunned the country's No. 1 team in a third-round West Region game. They booked their ticket to the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles Thursday against the winner of Sunday's All-Cinderella matchup between 13th-seeded LaSalle and 12th-seeded Ole Miss.

Getty Images

Carl Hall Wichita State dunks the ball in the first half.

Ninth-seeded Wichita State (28-8) got 16 points each from Ron Baker and Cleanthony Early, but held Gonzaga to 35.6 percent shooting to get the upset.

Top-seeded Gonzaga (32-3) featured 7-foot junior Kelly Olynyk, a long-haired Canadian that nbadraft.net tabs as a lottery pick should he choose to leave school early. And he excelled at times, with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds; but other than Kevin Pangos (19 points) got little support.

Their Cinderella status has long since given way to expectations, and their string of 15 straight NCAA trips beg the question of whether they actually should've won more. Have the Zags disappointed?

The team coach Mark Few had called his best will clearly head home disappointed after Saturday night, chants of overrated still ringing and yet another NCAA tourney disappointment stinging.

Since those three consecutive Sweet 16 berths from 1999-2001, they've only danced into the second week twice, and lost to worse-seeded teams four times since 2002. No, make that five after Saturday night.

The Zags had been stamped as beatable and vulnerable, after 16th-seeded Southern took them to the brink on Thursday. Twitter had labeled them as frauds and unworthy of their lofty No. 1 seed.

Wichita State led 26-13 on Baker's 3-pointer with 7:01 left in the half; but Gonzaga rallied. They were within 41-37 early in the second half, and reeled off a dozen unanswered points to seize the momentum.

Mike Hart's left-corner 3-pointer gave the Zags a 43-41 lead and sent the Shockers scurrying for a timeout with 13:30 to play, but it didn't help. Olynyk hit an 18-foot jumper, and followed with a pair of foul shots to go up 47-41. And when Wichita State's Carl Hall committed an ill-advised goaltend on Pangos, it was 49-41 with 11:53 remaining.

With Gonzaga still leading 61-54, Early drilled a dead-on 3, and then Baker hit a deep 3 with not one but two Zags in his face to get the Shockers within 61-60. Hall's jumper put the Shockers back up with 3 ½ left.

Elias Harris' free throws gave Gonzaga the lead again with 3:17 on the clock.

But Baker hit a pair on the other end to give the Shockers the lead, and after David Stockton committed a turnover – his father John looking on from the stands in the city he forged a Hall of Fame career in with the Jazz – Baker caught a pass from Fred Vanvleet and drilled a huge right-corner 3-pointer for a 67-63 lead.

After Kelly Olynyk's jumper, Vanvleet hit a 3-pointer to push the Shockers' cushion up to 70-65 with 1 ½ minutes left. Olynyk's missed layup on the other end made the clock Gonzaga's enemy.

Vanvleet calmly sank a pair of free throws to make it 72-65 with just 38.6 remaining, and they held on from there.

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Three must-see games on Day 5 of the NCAA tournament

The Post highlights three games that are must-see as the NCAA tournament continues with eight games on Saturday.

(4) Michigan vs. (5) VCU – South Region, 12:15 p.m., CBS

The day starts off with this game? Seriously? Don't even bother to have your morning coffee. VCU's "Havoc" defense and Michigan's high-flying attack led by Glenn Robinson III will get your blood pumping.

This game will be fast-paced and well-coached. VCU's Shaka Smart and Michigan's John Beilein are two of the best in the nation. The onus for Michigan will be on point guard Trey Burke, who will have to deal with the most in-your-face defense he has all season long. The winners will be those watching.

(3) Marquette vs. (6) Butler – East Region, 7:45 p.m., CBS

Sign me up for one of these every year. Oh, that's right. It's a guarantee with Butler joining the new Big East. We'll get a little preview of that Saturday with a pair of excellent teams going at it with a chance at the Sweet 16.

It'll be an intruiging clash of styles. Marquette is very athletic, while Butler relies on its patience and the shooting ability of guys like Rotnei Clarke. The one thing the two have in common – physicality. Butler blankets teams on defense, but will Marquette be too quick? It'll be very interesting to find out.

UPSET SPECIAL

(1) Gonzaga vs. (9) Wichita State – West Region, 8:40 p.m., TNT

Few teams looked as good as Wichita State on the first full day of games. The Shockers beat No. 8 Pittsburgh at its own style – physicality. And guess what? Gonzaga doesn't respond well to that. Wichita State is kind of like the Southern team that gave the Zags fits in the second round – only better.

The Shockers are athletic, feisty and play good defense. Gonzaga is going to have a hard time scoring on a consisten basis. The Zags will be the first No. 1 seed to go down.

mraimondi@nypost.com

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