MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

How a savage, cold-blooded mob killer went from bloodthirsty hit man to informant who became guinea pig for federal witness protection program

Joe (the Animal) Barboza, a mob hit man so vicious he “made Caligula look like a saint,” once tallied his violent crimes at 75 stabbings, 500 beatings and around 20 murders. The new book 'Boston Mob: The Rise and Fall of the New England Mob and Its Most Notorious Killer' tells his gruesome story.

Israel decides to extend Gaza truce for 24 hours, as Hamas continues rocket fire

Despite the Hamas rejection, Israel's Cabinet decided to extend a truce for 24 hours, until midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday.

Two women dead, six people injured in tragic Garden State Parkway accident after pickup truck slams into sedan

Two women in a Saturn sedan with two children were killed Saturday afternoon after colliding with a pickup truck carrying four passengers, which also included two children, along the Garden State Parkway.

EXCLUSIVE IRS fails to inform 9/11 responders and families of $10,000 tax break, leaving many without refunds

Victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families are entitled to big tax breaks, but many are missing out because the IRS isn’t telling them about the benefit.

Prominent Sunni politician and his four bodyguards in Iraq captured by gunmen, then released unharmed

Gunmen in Iraq seized and later released a prominent Sunni politician, officials said Saturday, as confusion remained over who abducted the lawmaker.

Transgender woman kicked off 'Botched' after bad boob job

EXCLUSIVE New York families sue over teacher tenure that they say makes it impossible to fire bad teachers

Seven families will file suit Monday to end teacher tenure in the fiercest attack yet on job protections enjoyed by New York State educators.

Lupica: Roger Goodell missing in inaction in Ray Rice domestic violence case, shows his inconsistency

Roger Goodell thought it was cool to pose for a cover of Time magazine, the headline reading The Enforcer. Goodell was going to take care of the bad guys then, but the punishment here doesn't match up.

'I hope they give me an 18-year-old girl': Legendary 'Professor' Irwin Corey, renowned comic, is turning 100

Speaking by phone from his Manhattan home, Corey tried to remember what else he wanted but he lost his train of thought. "At my age,” he said finally, “I forget what I’m talking about in the middle of the word.”

Spanish bar busted after vacationing teen was filmed performing sex act on two dozen men

A Spanish bar where a teen was reportedly filmed performing a sex act on two dozen men in exchange for a "holiday" has been shuttered and slapped with a hefty fine.

Chris Pratt goes from goof to chiseled hero in 'Guardians'

Malaysia Airlines blasted by relatives of two slain brothers

Relatives of two brothers killed in the Malaysia Airlines crash are blasting the airline — saying it has offered no grief counseling and left their grandma stranded overseas.

Raissman: Stephen A. Smith, fresh off rant on domestic violence, heading to Sirius

Last May, Chris (Mad Dog) Russo said he was unable to find a black host “who is worthy of doing a national (sports) talk (radio) show.” It appears his, and the people running SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Radio” channel, search is over.

EXCLUSIVE Multimillionaire NYC landlord who used bully ex-cop to terrorize tenants now being probed for potentially illegal tactics

Tenants of landlord Steven Croman say they have been subjected to harassment and had their possessions ruined while trying to be forced out of apartments that could be rented at a higher rate.

Joe Paterno’s son says his dad feared wrongly accusing Jerry Sandusky

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno reveals why he hadn’t informed the coaching staff about allegations Jerry Sandusky may be a child molester.

New York

Citibike thief nabbed after trying to disguise bike with bad paint job

A dopey Queens thief tried to disguise a stolen CitiBike with a fresh paint job, but ended up in cuffs because he neglected to cover up the most important part - the logo, authorities said.

Man killed after bringing replica sword to gunfight

A 50-year-old Queens man was killed Saturday morning after bringing a replica sword to a gun fight, police and the man’s roommate said.

Brooklyn crash victim, 12-year-old Joie Sellers, mourned at wake as sister, 9, remains paralyzed

Pink and green wreaths shaped like ballet shoes held pride of place at the Friday night wake of Joie Sellers, the 12-year-old killed July 2 by an out-of-control driver.

Mother, stepfather of Staten Island boy, 3, who drowned near day care center unlikely to face charges

The relatives of a 3-year-old boy who drowned Thursday when they left him to play unattended at a Staten Island day care are unlikely to face criminal charges, police said.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

Brawl in front of Queens catering hall leaves one shot, one dead

A wild melee outside a Queens catering hall early Saturday left one man bludgeoned to death while another man survived getting shot in the leg.

Crook robs Carvel in the Bronx after getting his cone — SEE VIDEO

Cops are hunting for a crook who who robbed a Bronx ice cream shop at gun point on Thursday night, but not until after the clerk handed him his cone.

East Harlem street renamed 'Young Lords Way' for Puerto Rican social justice group

Original members of the Young Lords attended the street renaming Saturday, which honors the group's legacy in raising political awareness among Puerto Ricans.

Susan Sarandon dishes on affair with Bowie, drugs

Carjackers in Philly crash that killed 3 kids still on the run

Two carjackers who fled after ramming a stolen SUV into a family selling fruit for their church, killing three young siblings, were still on the run Saturday as the reward for their capture topped $100,000.

Colorado man using lawn mower to go bar hopping is arrested for DUI

Kenneth Walton of Garden City, Colo. says he was just driving along, minding his own grassy business when the cops pulled him over and arrested him.

Florida judge overturns same-sex marriage ban in Miami area

A Florida judge on Friday overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage in a ruling that applies to Miami-Dade County, agreeing with a judge in another county who made a similar ruling last week.

Minnesota man shoots teenage girl THREE times after she asks him to get off her family's property: cops

A Minnesota man ambushed his 17-year-old neighbor, shooting her three times hours after she asked him to not ride his lawn mower through her yard, prosecutors say.

Stasi: 'Fifty Shades' movie trailer looks worse than books

Russia to decide whether to ban McDonald’s as retaliation

Russia is going to war again - this time on McDonald's. Moscow is deciding whether to ban the fast food company from the country over health concerns - despite McDonald's being in the country for 24 years.

Legal pot raises number of homeless people in Denver: report

Officials at some Denver homeless shelters say the legalization of marijuana has contributed to an increase in the number of younger people living on the city’s streets.

Would-be burglars put into 'rear naked choke' after breaking into pro-wrestler Daniel Bryan's house

Someone chose the wrong house to burgle. Two robbers stupidly decided to break into pro-wrestler star Daniel Bryan's house and were taken down.

U.S. shuts down embassy in Libya as fighting intensifies between rival militias

The United States shut down its embassy in Libya on Saturday and evacuated its diplomats to neighboring Tunisia under U.S. military escort.

Sports

Madden: Baseball Hall of Fame welcomes huge class of living legends to Cooperstown

From drought to deluge, famine to feast. A year after a sparsely attended ceremony for three long-deceased Veterans Committee electees, the Hall of Fame will celebrate one of its grandest, most prolific inductions ever Sunday.

Baseball Hall of Fame cuts eligibility to ten years

Hall of Fame voters who are willing to wait and re-evaluate suspected players from the so-called “Steroid Era” won’t have as much time after the museum Saturday announced changes to the voting process.

Myers: Rams' Michael Sam not good enough to merit distraction

Tony Dungy comes off as hypocritical by saying he wouldn’t have drafted Michael Sam, the first openly gay active player in the NFL, even though five years ago Dungy was basically the post-prison agent for Michael Vick, the first convicted dog killer to play in the NFL.

Kevin Love decides not to play for Team USA this summer

The Summer of Kevin Love took an unexpected turn on Saturday when the Minnesota All-Star forward, who has been the subject of trade speculation for months, withdrew from national team two days prior to the start of training camp in Las Vegas.

Married life suits her! Katherine Webb shares bikini pic

Irina Shayk suffers embarrassing 'Marilyn' moment

Florida couple busted after witness records them having sex on beach

A Florida couple was arrested for having sex on a public beach in front of several horrified witnesses — including a 4-year-old girl, police said.

‘NCIS’ star hospitalized after severe allergic reaction to hair dye

“NCIS” star Pauley Perrette had a hair-raising experience with the dye that gives her locks their signature raven hue.

Arizona death row inmate takes nearly 2 hours to die during execution

A convicted double murderer snorted and gasped some 600 times as it took him almost two hours to die during a botched Arizona execution Wednesday.

Lana Del Rey: I’ve 'slept with a lot of guys in the industry'

Lana Del Rey may have written a song called "F---ed My Way Up To The Top" for her new album, but the singer says her real life romps within the industry didn't actually get her very far.

What happened to these on-screen superheroes?

Child rape case collapses after judge appears to FALLS ASLEEP during trial

Philip Cattan apparently dropped off on the first day of the trial, while a victim was being cross-examined by video.

UN crews find second black box at Air Algerie flight AH5017 crash site in Mali

A UN peacekeeping mission found the jet’s second black box in its charred wreckage Saturday. The plane crashed Thursday during a flight from Burkina Faso to Algeria, killing all 118 people on board..

Lelands auction house removes football great Jim Brown's 1964 NFL championship ring

The Cleveland Browns ring “has been withdrawn,” Lelands said on its website, also noting it still plans to sell the ring. Brown had claimed the ring was stolen but the auction house says he's wrong.

Six employees charged with kindapping after Mexican police find children living in squalor and filth in massive group home

A Mexican judge has ordered six employees of a group home raided amid charges of abuse and filthy conditions to stand trial, federal prosecutors said Thursday.