New York City briefs

Acting Transit chief gets permanent post

A 30-year transportation industry veteran has been named as the new head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's subways and buses.

MTA chairman and chief executive Thomas Prendergast announced Wednesday that he had appointed Carmen Bianco as the new president of MTA New York City Transit. Bianco, 61, has been serving as acting president of the agency since April, when his predecessor, Prendergast, was chosen as MTA chief.

Bianco has held various positions in the MTA, as well as Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, during his career, including as senior vice president for the Department of Subways from 2010 until earlier this year.

Prendergast credited Bianco with leading the MTA's efforts to restore the subway system after superstorm Sandy, which flooded stations and tunnels and washed out tracks.

Bianco said he was proud and humbled to lead Transit's 45,000 employees.

3 of Basciano's sons accused in pot case

Three sons of imprisoned onetime Bonanno family boss Vincent "Vinnie Gorgeous" Basciano were charged with conspiracy to distribute large volumes of marijuana in an indictment in federal court in Manhattan Wednesday.

Basciano, convicted of racketeering murder, is imprisoned for life at the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colo. The sons -- Vincent Jr., Joseph and Stephen -- were each charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Prosecutors said they were part of a large-scale conspiracy involving members of both the Bonanno and Genovese families to transport hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to New York and distribute it.

All three pleaded not guilty. Vincent Jr., 32, and Joseph, 27, were released on bail, and Stephen, 29, was detained pending a bail hearing next week. They each face up to 40 years in prison.