New York City briefs

Madoff trader kept

$1.2M as part of deal

A government witness who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme admitted during cross-examination Tuesday that his family was allowed to keep nearly $1.2 million as part of his deal to cooperate with prosecutors.

Former Madoff trader David Kugel, 68, of East Norwich, testifying against five Madoff aides in federal court in Manhattan, said he forfeited all of his own assets, including millions invested with Madoff over 30 years and $2.6 million he made on the sale of his house in Manhasset.

But with investors clamoring to recover billions in losses from the Madoff collapse in 2008, he said prosecutors agreed to let his wife, Phyllis, keep $1.19 million, including enough to pay a team of white-collar defense lawyers so that he wouldn't have to use a court-appointed attorney.

"That was a concern," he said. After the lawyer fees and other expenses, he said, the couple was left with $800,000 as part of his 2011 plea deal.

Kugel has testified at trial that he supplied two of the defendants -- former account managers Annette Bongiorno, 65, of Manhasset, and Joann Crupi, 52, of Westfield, N.J. -- with trading scenarios that they used for decades to report fictional trades to clients.

In addition to the $1.2 million, Kugel -- who admitted not reporting all of his Madoff income to the IRS -- testified that he was never prosecuted for tax fraud and for not filing any tax returns from 2007 to 2011.

B'klyn teen critical in train surfing incident

A Brooklyn teen was in critical condition after hitting his head while surfing on an F train yesterday, police said.

Police were told by a motorman that the unidentified 17-year-old was found unconscious and bleeding from the head while lying atop the last car of a southbound F train. He was injured while the train traveled between the Fourth Avenue and Smith-Ninth Street stations around 2:20 a.m.

This was the second subway surfer to get injured since last week. Last Wednesday a 45-year-old homeless man died while surfing on top of a southbound No. 6 train.

Report: NYC cabs second best in world

The Big Apple's iconic yellow cars took the silver when it comes to top cabs across the world.

A survey released Tuesday by Hotels.com found the black taxis in London were the best cabs overall in the world, receiving 22 percent of votes from 2,683 respondents across 30 countries. New York came in second with 10 percent. The researchers said London cabs led among several survey categories including cleanliness and knowledge of the area. New York topped two categories, including value for money and availability.

Twin snow leopard cubs debut at zoo

The Central Park Zoo is showing off two baby snow leopard cubs born there this summer.

Officials say they're the first snow leopards to be born at the zoo.

The twin cubs weigh 30 pounds and were born to mother Zoe and father Askai.

The cubs will eventually weigh between 65 and 120 pounds.

The male and female cubs have not yet been named.

A snow leopard was born at the Bronx Zoo earlier this year.

Compiled with

wire service reports