Man throws smoke bomb into West Village restaurant

A man emerged from a sidewalk grate and menaced patrons at a West Village restaurant after throwing a smoke bomb before disappearing Friday night, sources told The Post.

Patrons were seated inside Da Silvano restaurant between Bleeker Street and Houston Street around 6 p.m. when a man described as wearing a baseball hat and in his 30's mysteriously emerged from a sidewalk grate in front of nearby Bar Pitti, authorities said.

Sources say the man threw what appeared to be a red safety flare directly into the restaurant, while shocked diners watched from inside.

No injuries were reported, according to authorities. Police sources say the man then escaped back into the sidewalk grate from where he originally emerged from, and fled before cops arrived.

A bomb squad team was sent to the scene. Cops say no arrests have been made in connection to the smoke bombing.

The smoke bomber was last seen wearing a shirt with an American flag on it, sources said.

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7 charged in high school football hazing case

The other shoe dropped Friday night in the Sayreville War Memorial High School football hazing scandal.

Seven players were charged — and six taken into custody — in connection with a series of alleged locker room sexual assaults on four victims, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office announced in a press release. The seven players are minors under the age of 18, ranging from 15 to 17, and their names are not expected to be released, according to the release.

The charges and arrests were first reported by NJ.com.

The news — on the night Sayreville was supposed to host Monroe Township High School — came less than a week after the varsity, junior varsity and freshman football teams' seasons were cancelled by District Superintendent Richard Labbe amid allegations of what was initially described as "serious bullying and harassment" of younger members of the program.

The prosecutor's office said the six taken into custody are being held by law enforcement until a Family Court decision on whether to return them to their parents or guardians or hold them at a detention center is determined. The seventh accused member of the team is "being sought at the time," according to the prosecutor's office.

The charges, NJ.com reported citing sources, varied among the accused between sexual assault, criminal sexual conduct and criminal restraint. Three of the alleged victims of the hazings reportedly were interviewed on Thursday.

On Wednesday, NJ.com reported the nature of the alleged attacks, according to a parent. The parent said it would begin with a howling wolf call from a senior and the lights would be shut off. A freshman would then be pinned against the locker-room floor, his arms and feet held by upperclassmen, lifted in the air while a finger was forced into his rectum and later, on some occasions, his mouth. The events happened every day, the parent said, and the ringleaders were seniors. Another parent told NJ.com the freshmen players would "stampede" into the locker room after practices to get dressed in order to avoid the seniors.

The powerhouse public school program is coached by George Najjar, who coached Lincoln High in Coney Island from 1983-95. He has yet to comment on the ugly allegations.

The investigation began on Oct. 1 with an anonymous allegation made to Sayreville police about inappropriate conduct by members of the football team. On Oct. 2, the Middlesex County prosecutor began looking into the issue and Labbe canceled Sayreville's football games at all three levels against rival South Brunswick. On Friday, assistant coach Charles Garcia resigned after his arrest for steroids possession surfaced.

On Monday, Labbe cancelled the remainder of the season for all three Sayreville teams and the school board on Tuesday unanimously voted to back Labbe's decision.

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New-look Islanders win season opener

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Islanders didn't look much like the team that finished last year in last place.
So many of the contributors Friday night weren't with them when last season ended.

Johnny Boychuk — picked up from Boston last week for draft picks — had a goal and two assists in his Islanders debut, leading them past the Hurricanes 5-3.

Brock Nelson began his second season with two goals and two assists, but three other Islanders who played key roles in this one weren't around for the end of last year.

Free-agent signee Mikhail Grabovski had a goal, trade acquisition Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves, and John Tavares had three assists in his return after injuring a knee during the Olympics.

"This is a big starting point for us, the new faces contributed, and that's why they're here," Nelson said. "If we get more than a couple guys on the score sheet, we're going to be a pretty good hockey club."

Travis Hamonic also scored a goal for the Islanders, who scored twice on the power play.

Boychuk and Nelson scored 1:48 apart in the first period.

Nelson later added a deflected goal off a Boychuk shot in the second to put the Islanders up 3-0 and in control of this matchup of the Metropolitan Division's two worst teams last year.

"Johnny came in and just kind of fit in right away," Tavares said of Boychuk.

Eric Staal, Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry scored third-period goals while Cam Ward made 21 saves for the Hurricanes.

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Olbermann apologizes to Clinton for NBC’s Lewinsky coverage

WASHINGTON — Television sports and news personality Keith Olbermann publicly accused his news organization and others of going overboard in covering President Bill Clinton's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky in 1998.

A newly released White House memo says Olbermann also apologized in writing to Clinton for "whatever part I may have played in perpetuating this ceaseless coverage." Olbermann's letter said he soon would switch from news back to sports reporting.

The October 1998 memo, whose author is unclear, cited news accounts of Olbermann's complaints to his then-employer, NBC News, about its Lewinsky coverage.

The memo discussed whether Clinton's reply to Olbermann should be a standard "generic text for support letters" or something "a bit warmer."

It's unclear what response was sent.

The National Archives released the memo was released on Friday.

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Daily Blotter

Brooklyn

■ Authorities identified a man who allegedly shot a livery driver through the window of the victim's car in Canarsie.

Suspect Terrance Jones approached the front driver-side window of the cab just after the driver dropped off a passenger on East 102nd Street near Seaview Avenue at
4 a.m. on Oct. 3, police said.

Jones, 43, allegedly pulled a gun and fired a single shot through the window, according to cops.

Investigators said no property was stolen and a motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

It was also unclear whether Jones knew the 55-year-old hack, who was in stable condition at Brook­dale Hospital.

Jones stands 6 feet tall and weighs 165 pounds.

---

 Manhattan

■ A robber has held up a Subway sandwich shop and three delis around the borough, cops said.

The thug kicked off his spree at 9 p.m. on Sept. 4, entering the Subway on West 25th Street near Broadway, pulling a gun on a worker and making off with an unspecified sum of cash, police said.

At 10:50 p.m. on Sept. 24, he robbed the Infinity News deli on Lexington Avenue near East 64th Street, getting $4,000.

On Sept. 28 at 11:40 p.m., the crook got $400 from the Food Corp. bodega on Amsterdam Avenue near West 80th Street.

Just 45 minutes later, he robbed the Central Deli on Second Avenue near East 29th Street of $1,000, ­according to cops.

The suspect stands about 5-foot-6 and weighs about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a multicolored baseball cap and a gray hoodie.

■ A home invader robbed a Washington Heights resident at gunpoint, cops said.

The 42-year-old victim was in his apartment on St. Nicholas Avenue at 12:45 a.m. last Sunday when the suspect stormed through the front door with gun drawn, cops said.

He fled with the man's iPhone and $1,000 in cash, authorities said.

The victim was not injured, officials added.

■ Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man found with a severe head injury in Carnegie Hill who has since lapsed into unconsciousness.

First responders found the man lying at East 96th Street and Madison Avenue at 8:30 a.m. last Saturday, authorities said.

He was conscious when taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, but has taken a turn for the worse and is now unconscious and in critical condition, according to cops.

Officials believe the man is homeless and may be a native of Guatemala.

He is believed to be in his mid-to-late 30s and weighs about 150 pounds. He was found wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans, authorities said.

■ A knife-wielding man cut up a foe amid an Inwood bar brawl, according to ­police.

Authorities said Jeffrey Caamano, 26, and the 34-year-old victim were hanging out at the VinTich Lounge on Tenth Avenue near West 211th Street at 11:50 p.m. on Sept. 14 when they started exchanging angry words.

The two quickly came to blows and as the fight spilled into the street, Caam­ano allegedly pulled a knife and slashed the foe in the face, left shoulder and torso, cops said.

The victim was treated at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Caamano stands about 6-foot-1 and weighs approximately 200 pounds.

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 Queens

■ A crook stole $8,000 from a parked truck while the driver was making a delivery in Astoria, authorities said.

The 25-year-old deliveryman parked his 2014 Hino delivery vehicle near Broadway and 35th Street at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 27 and brought his goods to a store, police said.

As the vehicle sat unattended, the thief broke in and swiped cash from the center console, authorities said.

The suspect was last seen wearing a knit hat, eyeglasses and a blue sweatshirt.

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Calls for calm as market lurches back down

The Dow Jones industrial average zigged again Thursday, plunging 334 points — the third straight day of 200- point-plus gyrations.

The increased volatility has investors whipsawed, from Tuesday's 272-point loss to Wednesday's 274-point bounce-back. More than half of this year's 200-point moves have happened in the last two weeks.

"Investors are not conditioned for this type of market after three good years," said Dean Junkans, CIO for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

"We've been long overdue for a correction," he told AP.

The pros are telling clients to remain calm in the face of such volatility, citing that the S&P 500 index is still up 4.3 percent this year — following a 30-percent surge last year.

The selling was deep and broad Thursday, as all 30 blue chips in the Dow fell and 482 of the 500 companies in the S&P 500 index ended the day lower.

Worries about a slowing global economy, particularly in Europe and Asia, fueled recessionary fears there.

Equities extended losses Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said there are signs the Euro-area's economic growth is slowing and policy makers must lift inflation from an "excessively low" level.

"The news out of Europe is nothing new, but it's come to front and center now with Draghi's new comments," said Timothy Ghriskey of Solaris Asset Management.

Separately, a German report said exports sank 5.8 percent in August, the biggest monthly drop in five years. The figure raises concerns that Europe's largest economy may fall into recession in the third quarter.

"Europe is struggling. Asia is struggling. Japan is struggling. The United States is the best house on the block at the moment," Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity, said.

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Preet Bharara mum on aspirations

Among the most popular non-media figures at the Summit was Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Bharara, said to be on Pres. Obama's short list of candidates to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder, showed he is fast on his feet when facing dicey questions.

When asked if he was interested in moving up to the cabinet level position in Washington, the seasoned and successful prosecutor replied, "I told my mom to stop planting questions in the audience."

The response drew hearty laughs from the audience.

"She is very proud of me," Bharara said of his mother. "That is all I am going to say on that."

Not surprisingly, two of the questions most often asked Bharara were also brought up: Is La Costa Nostra still a problem, and, why haven't any Wall Street top executives been thrown in prison for their actions that caused the Great Recession.

"The mob is still a very serious force," Bharara said. "The five families are still around, they are still extorting businesses [and] they are still using baseball bats."

Two years ago, his office arrested 130 mafia members in a massive sting, he said.

As for why no CEOs were prosecuted for their actions leading up to the fiscal crisis, Bharara said sometimes it's because the top person did not leave behind a smoking gun.

"Often, the top person never wrote an e-mail," the lawman noted.

He said CEOs have to say: " 'If you lie, if you cheat, if you steal, that will not be tolerated' … I was amazed how many times that did not happen."

"If [companies] have a culture of getting as close to the line as possible, if you aspire to the do the minimum of what the law requires, that is a problem," Bharara told the audience.

The prosecutor said there was another strong reason no CEOs are in jail: They made idiotic decisions, which weren't illegal.

"We don't prosecute people for being stupid," he said.

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Andreessen and Icahn trade barbs

Here's some friendly advice for tech investor Marc Andreessen: Don't poke bears.

Andreessen, who sits on the boards of Facebook and eBay, opened Pandora's box this week when he called billionaire investor Carl Icahn an "evil Captain Kirk."

"He starts off bomb-throwing … he lies, he just makes stuff up, he slanders," Andreessen said on CNBC, discussing activist investors.

The next day, on Thursday, Icahn shot back, saying the Andreessen Horowitz partner has "screwed more people than Cassanova." Icahn also poked fun of the 43-year-old's "squeaky voice."

It's so high-pitched that "only a dog" can hear it, Icahn said, also on CNBC.

But Icahn, who fought with Andreessen earlier this year over eBay, let loose more than just zingers. The Far Rockaway, Queens, native also accused Andreessen of violating a non-disparagement agreement he signed earlier this year to end his feud with Icahn.

"We had a non-disparagement agreement, which he blatantly violated. The board shouldn't keep him on," Icahn told The Post.

When asked whether he might go after Andreessen's board seat personally, Icahn left his intentions vague. "We will consider anything that will enhance value for all shareholders," he said.

The East Coast-West Coast beef between hedgie and techie started over Icahn's push earlier this year to have eBay spin off PayPal. PayPal would be worth more as a stand-alone company, he said.

eBay directors, including Andreessen, rejected the idea, leading Icahn to push for two board seats before giving up the fight in April.

Last month, eBay did an about-face and announced plans to spin off PayPal next year. Andreessen dismissed Icahn's role, saying it doesn't take "a super high IQ" to call for a breakup.

Now, Icahn is also threatening to reopen his legal probe into Andreessen's alleged conflicts at eBay.

When agitating at eBay earlier this year, Icahn blasted the tech investor for profiting from Internet voice company Skype after eBay sold it to a group of investors that included Andreessen for $1.9 billion.

Eighteen months after buying Skype, the investors turned around and sold it to Microsoft for $8.5 billion.

Icahn, who put aside his probe of Andreessen in April, said in the CNBC interview that he thinks the tech investor is holding a grudge because he prevented Andreessen from pulling a similar stunt with PayPal.

"I believe he was planning to steal PayPal just like he stole Skype," Icahn said.

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ISIS has threatened Twitter employees

SAN FRANCISCO–Twitter CEO Dick Costolo revealed that he and his staff have received death threats from ISIS. The terrorist organization had been using Twitter to communicate news, and Costolo said that when Twitter found out about it, the company would regularly shut down the ISIS accounts.

"After we started suspending their accounts, some folks affiliated with the organization used Twitter to declare that employees of Twitter and their management should be assassinated. Obviously that's a jarring thing for anyone to deal with," he told Aspen Institute president Walter Isaacson during the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit.

Earlier in the session, Isaacson pointed out that ISIS had been using the social media network to get its message out. It had used Twitter to point out its video of a beheading of American journalist James Foley on YouTube. Costolo discussed the challenge of balancing the ability to be a free and open platform against wider concerns and government intervention.

"Whenever you have a global public information-sharing channel, you are going to have people that use it for good. It's obviously been a tool for social change, beneficial social change in a number of countries around the world," Costolo said.

And then there are people who are going to use it for nefarious purposes. "It's against our terms of service. It's against the law in many of the countries in which we operate for them to use it to promote their organization. And when we do find those accounts we shut them down. We shut them down quite actively," he said.

Prior to the initial public stock offering, he said, "I was always asked how are you going to balance the needs of your business against the rights of your users and the desire to promote open speech. The reality is almost never about a debate between the needs of the business and the needs of one group of users. It is almost always a debate [with] two different perspectives about a piece of speech," the Twitter chief said.

Highlighting the delicate balancing act, on Tuesday, Twitter also filed a freedom of speech lawsuit against the Justice Department, the FBI and the NSA, claiming that the government's restrictions on what the company can reveal publicly about the government's national security requests for user data violate the microblogger's First Amendment rights.

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Rick Nash’s two goals propel Rangers past Blues in opener

ST. LOUIS — Last year's run to the Stanley Cup final doesn't get the Rangers a single point in the 2014-15 standings, but it does get the team something else — a target on its collective back.

"It's something we've talked about in the room," Marty St. Louis told The Post before Thursday's season-opening 3-2 victory over the Blues on Rick Nash's second goal of the game, this one at 18:10 of the third period. "When you're a successful team and you go into another building, your opponent is going to use that game as a gauge.

"When you play teams that have been there before, you try to measure yourself. That's something that's very important for us to be aware of as we go through the season. With success comes responsibility."

The Rangers were responsible, but not especially sharp. Indeed, they were dominated for most of the final 40 minutes, unable to either generate a semblance of an attack or clear their own end cleanly. In a game of pace that became wide-open in the third, the Rangers were forced to scramble all over the ice.

The victory came with a price, as defenseman Dan Boyle will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand, suffered when blocking a shot by Jori Lehtora early in the third period.

It was 1-0 going into the final period before Jaden Schwartz tied it on a rebound at 1:32 when Henrik Lundqvist was unable to hold on to David Backes' right wing drive. Chris Kreider's breakaway at 6:30 made it 2-1 but Vladimir Tarasenko finished an odd-man rush to tie it again at 10:42.

But the Rangers got the winner when Nash — outstanding — converted a nifty backhand feed from St. Louis to beat Brian Elliott from the slot with 1:50 remaining in regulation.

St. Louis (the player, not the city), of course, shifted to center from the right wing position he has played predominantly throughout an NHL career that commenced in 1998-99. Maybe things will change Saturday when Kevin Hayes is likely going to be available after sitting out the opener with a shoulder issue, but in Game 1, at least, St. Louis was coach Alain Vigneault's choice to step in for Derek Stepan, who will miss at least the first 10 matches of the season recovering from his broken leg.

"I understand how to play the position," said St. Louis, who skated between bookend wingers Kreider and Nash. "Generally I like to just go and go hard, but I'm going to have to be more patient; maybe a little more cautious. I have to make sure that I'm there to support my wingers."

Actually, Kreider and Nash were the support system, both using their size and speed to dominate through the neutral zone and in the offensive end on a succession of shifts. It was Kreider's work on a forecheck in stripping Kevin Shattenkirk that set up Nash in the slot for the season's first goal at 4:01, No. 61 beating Brian Elliott with a quick one-timer just off the ice.

The Rangers had the better of the play through the first half of the period, but found themselves unable to break out through a series of shifts thereafter. The Blueshirts turned over the puck in dangerous areas around the blue line and they turned it over deep, with Dan Boyle a repeat offender.

But Lundqvist — who entered the match with a career 0-4 record against the Blues — stood up well, allowing the Rangers to regroup in front of him without damage being done.

The second period was a different story, with the Blues dominating in possession time, pressuring the Rangers throughout. The Rangers were unable to break out cleanly or move through the neutral zone to get coherent entries, but Lundqvist was extremely sharp in allowing his team to maintain its 1-0 lead through 40 minutes.

The Rangers, hemmed in most of the way by a Blues team that exploited its size-and-strength advantage, were actually at their best while a man short for a stretch of 3:32 midway through the period during which St. Louis (the team, not the player) had a two-man advantage for 28 seconds.

The Blues were able to get only one shot on Lundqvist, and that early on the first power play. The Rangers were unable to gain traction from the kill, however, and needed their goaltender — whose glove save on a Tarasenko left wing wrist shot with 5:03 to go was his most dandy — to get through the period unscathed.

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