Puffy Settles Stampede Suite. Payoff Is Last Chapter Of '91 Tragedy. New York Post, May 25, 2000

Judge Nixes Puffy Bid To Halt Negligence Trial. New York Daily News, May 16, 2000

Puffy Keeps a Father Waiting. New York Observer. May 17, 1999

Best Of '99 Puff Daddy, Heavy D Found Liable For Deadly Stampede. VH1.com, January 12, 1999.

CCNY Shares Liability In '91 Stampede Deaths. Newsday; Long Island, N.Y., Jan 12, 1999

Puffy Found Guilty in Stampede Case, Associated Press, January 12, 1999

Judge Says Rappers and State Share Blame in a Fatal Crush, New York Times, January 12, 1999

Puffy' Shares The Rap In Deadly '91 Stampede. New York Post, Jan 12, 1999

Victims' Families Relieved By Ruling, New York Daily News, January 12, 1999

Rap Producer Testifies on Fatal Stampede at City College, New York Times, March 24, 1998

Puffy Recalls Deadly Benefit. Newsday; Long Island, N.Y.,Mar 24, 1998

Puff Daddy Gives Testimony Says Stampede Wasn't His Fault. New York Daily News, March 24, 1998

Stampede Trial Smokes Puffy's Plan for Oscars, New York Daily News, March 21, 1998

Psycho Analyst. The New York Post, January 10, 2003

Psychiatrist Threatens Rampage. WPVI.Com Action News Channel 6. January 10, 2003

Psychiatrist Busted For Alleged Death Plot WNBC.com January 10, 2003

Police Accuse Psychiatrist of Massacre Plot. New York Post; January 10, 2003

Authorities Say L.I. Psychiatrist Told Patient of Plot to Kill 6. The New York Times, January 9, 2003

Doc's Killer Plan. L.I. Shrink Schemed to Murder Lover & Other Patients, Cops Say. New York Daily News; January 10, 2003

Ex-Net Could Face Suits 'Accident' Remark Seals Jayson's Fate

By Austin Fenner

From New York Daily News; Feb 24, 2002

As former Nets star Jayson Williams awaits likely criminal charges from prosecutors in the death of his limo driver, liability attorneys predicted his lawyer's proclamation that the shooting was an accident dooms his chances in a civil case.

"You already have civil liability, because he said it was an accident," said lawyer Benedict Morelli, seen on Fox TV's "Power of Attorney."

"He's about as negligent as the day is long. The estate of the deceased chauffeur would sue Williams for wrongful death. It seems to be a good case," said Morelli, who's handled many prominent - and lucrative - discrimination cases.

New Jersey authorities ruled last week that the death of Costas (Gus) Christofi, 55, was suspicious.

Christofi was killed by a shotgun blast while at the sprawling Alexandria Township, N.J., estate owned by Williams, now an NBC sportscaster.

Williams' attorney, Joe Hayden, has insisted the death "was an accident, pure and simple."

Published reports have said Williams, 34, accidentally shot Christofi as he twirled a shotgun while giving friends a tour of his 40-room mansion early on Feb. 14 Finger on the trigger Lawyer Robert Sullivan said if Williams fired the gun, he's liable.

"If it is an accidental shooting, he's covered under his homeowner's insurance. If it is an intentional shooting, there is no coverage. It would be an O.J. Simpson-type scenario. They could sue him for civil damages, but they would have to get it from his pocket," Sullivan said.

If Williams was found guilty of negligence, damages would largely depend on the earnings of Christofi, who was not married.

But punitive damages could drain Williams' fortune.

Lawyers said courts would likely go along with $1.5 million to $5 million in damages. 'Reckless conduct' Peter De Filippis, who once handled a lawsuit against Sean (Puffy) Combs, concurred.

"Assuming he was the only one handling the gun, even if it was accidentally discharged, fooling around and engaging in horseplay with other people around can be construed by a jury as reckless conduct," De Filippis said.

"It gives the jury a chance to send a message to society that this type of conduct has to be discouraged."

Puffy Settles '91 Crush Case

By Salvatore Arena

From New York Daily News, May 25, 2000

Rap impresario Sean (Puffy) Combs agreed yesterday to pay an undisclosed sum to a woman who was hurt in a deadly stampede during a 1991 charity basketball game he organized at City College.

The settlement with Nicole Levy, 25, ends the last of several lawsuits filed against Combs, rapper Dwight (Heavy D) Myers, and City College in connection with the incident that left nine people dead and 29 injured.

But Combs' attorney Luke Pittoni denied the hip-hop mogul settled because he feared he would lose at trial.

"It remains clear that Nicole Levy's case is without merit," Pittoni said in a statement. "Rather than have protracted litigation, we have come to an acceptable resolution and are very pleased with the outcome."

Levy, personally invited by Combs to attend the charity event in the school's gymnasium, suffers from Graves' disease, a stress- induced thyroid condition she says is linked to the incident. She also claims to have suffered mental trauma from watching her best friend, Sonia Williams, 17, suffocate under the mass of people.

Peter De Filippis, Levy's attorney, said his client was relieved. "We arrived at an amicable settlement, and this way Nicole won't have to wait any longer to be compensated," he said.

Puffy Settles Stampede Suit

Payoff Is Last Chapter Of '91 Tragedy

By Laura Italiano and Eric Lenkowitz

From New York Post, May 25, 2000

Sean "Puffy" Combs agreed to pay a secret settlement yesterday to a Bronx secretary caught in a stampede at a City College charity basketball game the rap mogul sponsored in 1991.

The settlement closed the last of nearly a dozen suits seeking damages against rapper Combs, co-promoter Heavy D and the college in connection with the tragic event in which nine people died and 29 were injured.

Just how much Combs must pay Nicole Levy, 25, was kept secret under the terms of the settlement. But Levy's lawyer had called Combs' initial offer of $50,000, made two years ago, "not realistic."

Levy had sought $2 million from the rapper - claiming the stress of seeing her best friend crushed in the stampede caused her to contract Graves disease.

The state Supreme Court trial on her lawsuit had just concluded a second day of jury selections when the settlement was reached. Opening statements were due to begin in the case Tuesday, after some seven years of pretrial proceedings and delays.

"It remains clear that Nicole Levy's case is without merit," said Combs' lawyer Luke Pittoni.

"Rather than have protracted litigation, we have come to an acceptable resolution and are very pleased with the outcome."

Combs had faced a tough trial - and the public airing of embarrassing details from the oversold, underinsured event. A Court of Claims judge last year condemned the rapper for "squashing out life's breath from young bodies."

Lawyers for Levy, who has never spoken publicly, had promised to call to the stand a Graves disease expert originally employed as an expert by Combs' team - until his research led him to conclude Levy's illness was probably linked to stress from the stampede of people trying to get into the game.

"She exhibited symptoms almost immediately," one of Levy's lawyers, Benedict Morelli, said after a pretrial hearing last week. "Her friend was killed only a few feet away from her - trampled to death."

Another of her lawyers, Peter De Filippis, said last night, "Nicole is glad to put this behind her."

Still, her Graves disease - a life-shortening thyroid condition - has resulted in weight fluctuations, vision problems and other difficulties, De Filippis had said prior to the settlement.

Combs' team contended that Levy was diagnosed with Graves disease four years after the stampede - too distant in time to be linked to the tragedy.

The problem-plagued promoter - currently under indictment for gun and bribery raps - declined to talk about the settlement last night.

Judge Nixes Puffy Bid To Halt Negligence Trial

By Salvatore Arena

From New York Daily News; May 16, 2000

Sean (Puffy) Combs' attorneys failed yesterday to stop a multimillion-dollar negligence case against the embattled rap music mogul from going to trial this week.

The claim for damages was filed by two survivors of a deadly 1991 stairway stampede at City College during a celebrity basketball game Combs organized.

Nine young people died in the tragedy, and 29 were injured.

Combs, 30, sought to adjourn the case, which has been pending for seven years.

His attorney, Luke Pittoni, said publicity from Combs' recent arrest for gun possession will make it hard for him to get a fair trial in the civil case. Combs was arrested Dec. 27 after three patrons were shot inside Club New York near Times Square.

"It's going to be difficult to pick an impartial jury," Pittoni complained.

But his request was denied by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Martin Shulman, who already postponed the case several times.

"Nothing short of death is going to stop us from trying this case," the judge said, and he directed both sides to begin picking a jury tomorrow.

The court order was good news for the two survivors, Nicole Levy and Benjamin Andrews.

Levy, 26, said she suffers from Graves' disease, a stress-induced thyroid condition she claims is linked to the incident.

"Nicole is happy the case will finally be tried," said her attorney, Peter De Filippis. "It's been a long, tough road."

Combs and his partner, rap performer Heavy D, have denied they were at fault, arguing that security for the event was the responsibility of City College.

Billed as an AIDS charity, the basketball game featured boxer Mike Tyson and several rap stars. It drew an estimated 5,000 fans to a facility that was designed to hold 2,730.

The event was staged by Combs, then a struggling hip hop promoter, and Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Myers. Myers is a co- defendant in the case.

They are accused of overselling tickets and allowing their security force to close the only door to the gym, trapping hundreds on a stairwell as ticket holders on the street surged forward.

Beat The Rap

Will Sean 'Puffy' Combs pay $2 million to end his City College nightmare?

By Robert Kolker

From November 29, 1999 issue of New York Magazine

After eight years of legal maneuvering, only one final lawsuit from the deadly 1991 City College rap-show riot still plagues Sean "Puffy" Combs. But just as Puff Daddy's annus horribilis is finally winding down -- the wimpy album sales, the cash-hemorrhaging record label, the rumored payoff to stop that nasty assault charge -- this last bit of business could prove more damaging than all the others combined.

Nicole Levy was one of the hundreds trapped in the City College gym's stairwell on December 28, 1991, standing helplessly as her friend Sonya Williams was trampled to death in the panic. Nine people died and 29 were injured at the benefit basketball game and concert, which promoter Puffy and headliner Heavy D had oversold to almost double the gym's capacity. Now Levy claims the trauma triggered her own Graves' disease, a thyroid condition often brought on by stressful events. Radioactive-iodine treatments have failed to cure her, she says; her complaint lists blurred vision, fatigue, hair loss, and heart palpitations.

A trial is set for State Supreme Court on December 2 -- the first jury date to come out of the riot. Levy's lawyers have told Puffy they'll drop the suit for $2 million, more than any sum he's paid to other individual plaintiffs. They can ask for that much not only because Puffy has deeper pockets now but because they don't expect his bad-boy rep to play well before his peers: Jurors would learn that Williams and Levy were once friends with Puffy; they might also hear about a cop's deposition claiming Puffy and two women were standing around handling money as the crisis mounted. An amateur video is said to show Puffy giving first aid to victims once the stairway doors opened -- but there's no indication that the show was stopped once the trouble started.

Combs's lawyer, Mark Goidell, won't discuss pretrial negotiations. Levy's lawyer, Peter De Filippis, says that even Puffy's medical expert has said the riot probably triggered Levy's illness -- a claim opposing counsel refused to comment on. "I know I'll always have this condition," says Levy, now 26. "It has to be monitored, or I could go blind or have to have a limb amputated."

In today's Puffy-permeated universe, Levy can't help but notice the target of her litigation. "I think, Oh, isn't he living the life while so many people have suffered," she says. "I'm not really a rap person. Not anymore."

Best Of '99 Puff Daddy, Heavy D Found Liable For Deadly Stampede

Judge's decision paves way for financial claims against hip-hoppers involved in 1991 tragedy.

By Staff Writer Chris Nelson and Contributing Editor Randy Reiss

From VH1.com, January 12, 1999.

"A judge said Sean "Puffy" Combs' testimony strained credibility." --Kevin Mazur

Hip-hop producer Sean "Puffy" Combs and rapper Heavy D are equally responsible, along with the City University of New York, for a stampede that killed nine people and injured 29 at a charity basketball game in 1991, a judge has ruled.

The decision, filed Dec. 31 by Court of Claims Judge Louis C. Benza in Albany, N.Y., but not made public until Monday, stemmed from a lawsuit filed against CUNY by injured survivors of the incident.

In his ruling, the judge wrote, "It does not take an Einstein to know that young people attending a rap concert camouflaged as a 'celebrity basketball game,' who have paid as much as $20 a ticket, would not be very happy and easy to control if they were unable to gain admission to the event because it was oversold."

In his 73-page decision, the judge also called into question Combs' testimony that he was trapped in the stampede and tried to help people caught in a stairwell.

While Benza's ruling specifically allowed four plaintiffs to seek financial damages from CUNY and the state of New York, which operates the university, it also opened a door for survivors to pursue financial claims against Combs and Heavy D (born Dwight Myers) in a separate case, a plaintiff's lawyer said.

"This is the exact outcome we were hoping for," said Peter De Filippis, lawyer for Nicole Levy, who was hurt in the stampede and whose best friend was killed.

In response to the ruling, Combs issued a statement Tuesday (Jan. 12): "There is not a day that passes that I do not regret the fact that I was a promoter of this tragic event. ... I have lived with the horror of that night for the last seven years. But my pain is nothing compared to what the victims' families have had to face."

He added that the ruling "represents another step towards a resolution of the legal proceedings. But I know that when you lose a loved one, the suffering doesn't end. I just keep praying that God will give the families the strength to bear it."

Representatives for Heavy D could not be reached by press time.

CUNY officials had no immediate comment beyond that they were reviewing Benza's decision and that "CUNY now has policies in place to ensure that college events are conducted in a manner consistent with public-safety requirements."

The tragedy unfolded after some ticket-holders to the event ¿ a charity basketball game featuring rap stars, organized by Combs and Heavy D ¿ feared they wouldn't get in because tickets had been oversold to the 2,700-seat Nat Holman Gymnasium. In reaction, they rushed a gym door as it was being locked. Trying to maintain control, a security team provided by Combs braced the door shut with a table, Benza wrote.

"By closing the only open door giving access to the gym, Combs' forces, who were fully aware of the crowd uncontrollably pouring down the stairwell, created something akin to a 'dike,' forcing the people together like 'sardines,' squashing out life's breath from young bodies," the judge wrote.

Combs, who recorded the song "Come With Me"  with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, testified last year that he was trapped in the stampede. But according to Benza's decision, witnesses could not corroborate that Combs was in the stairwell with them, and police officer Sean Harris testified that when he broke through the blocked door he saw Combs in the gym with money in hand.

"This revelation," the judge wrote, "places a strain on the credibility of Combs' testimony that he was caught up in the melee and attempted to help the people who were trapped in the stairwell."

Combs' lawyer, Kenneth Meiselas, said in a statement Tuesday (Jan. 12): "It could not be expected that Mr. Combs would be exonerated in a forum in which he had no opportunity to defend himself, to present witnesses, or even to cross-examine witnesses who testified against him. These of course are fundamental rights that anybody would expect from our justice system, but which Mr. Combs did not receive in the Court of Claims, simply because he was not a party to that lawsuit."

De Filippis said the plaintiffs went to the Court of Claims, which handles cases in which the state is a defendant, because Combs, Heavy D and CUNY all pointed accusatory fingers at each other. Combs, for example, testified in March that he hired 20 security guards for the event ¿ in addition to the school's normal security complement ¿ and that he was not responsible for the deaths and injuries. He blamed a shortage of crowd-control efforts by CUNY.

Benza, however, ruled that Combs and Heavy D were equally responsible for the tragedy, as was CUNY.

De Filippis said his client now can seek punitive damages against Combs and Heavy D. "This was the legal hurdle we needed to overcome," he said.

According to the New York Post, several suits against Heavy D and Combs are pending in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Several wrongful-death suits filed against CUNY have been settled, according to court documents.

CCNY Shares Liability In '91 Stampede Deaths

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

From Newsday; Long Island, N.Y.; Jan 12, 1999

City College of New York was found to be 50 percent liable for the deaths of nine students crushed in a stampede during a celebrity basketball game sponsored by rapper Sean (Puffy) Combs.

State Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza of Albany apportioned the other 50 percent of blame to Combs and rapper Dwight (Heavy D) Myers, cosponsor of the Dec. 28, 1991 event.

Combs' lawyer, Mark Goidell, said the court has jurisdiction over public agencies and therefore the ruling does not affect Combs and Myers.

The lawsuit was filed by Nicole Levy, 25, one of dozens injured at the bottom of a staircase where some were suffocated by the crowd trying to get into a gym.

Levy's lawyer, Peter De Filippis, said his client watched her best friend, Sonia Williams, 17, die of suffocation. De Filippis said Levy developed Grave's disease, a thyroid condition brought on by severe stress.

Benza wrote in his decision, dated Dec. 31, that CCNY officials knew the celebrity basketball game had been oversold and that more than the originally expected 500 would attend. Police said about 2,500 showed up.

The judge said the school's crowd-control plan was inadequate and school officials abandoned their security responsibilities to Combs' people.

When the crowd tried to rush into the gym, Combs' security closed the only door and propped a table behind it to make sure only those who had paid could enter, but people kept pouring down the stairs.

De Filippis said he and lawyers for the college will meet Jan. 29 to confer on a possible settlement. CCNY said it was reviewing the ruling.

Puffy found guilty in stampede case

From Associated Press Story reported in New Jersey Star Ledger

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sean "Puffy" Combs and rapper Heavy D are 50 percent responsible for a stampede at a party that left nine people dead in 1991, a state judge has ruled.

The City College of New York, where the party was held in a gymnasium, bears the rest of the responsibility, Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza ruled Dec. 31.

The people were killed when fans rushed a celebrity basketball game and party sponsored by Combs. One of those injured, Nicole Levy, 25, filed the lawsuit.

Benza said school officials knew the event was oversold and failed to provide adequate supervision of the crowd in part by abandoning security responsibility to Combs.

The judge said Combs' security people closed the only door to the gym and propped a table behind it to make sure only those who had paid could enter -- despite the tragedy that unfolded.

"Their pounding and their cries for help did not dissuade Combs' people from closing the door, precipitating the eventual deaths and injuries that occurred," Benza wrote.

A lawyer for Combs, a producer and rapper, said the judge only has jurisdiction over public agencies and institutions, so the ruling has no practical effect on Combs and Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Myers.

Levy's lawyer, Peter De Filippis, said he is trying to settle the case. Combs' attorney said his client had no comment on settlement talks.

Judge Says Rappers and State Share Blame in a Fatal Crush

By Anthony Ramirez

From January 12, 1999  New York Times

In a blistering decision, a state judge has found New York State and two well-known rap performers equally responsible for a 1991 stampede at a City College gymnasium that killed nine young people and injured 29 others.

In a decision dated Dec. 31 but made public yesterday, Judge Louis C. Benza of the Court of Claims found that the organizers of the rap event, Sean Combs, a rap impresario and performer known as Puff Daddy, and Dwight Myers, a performer known as Heavy D, had ''proximately caused'' the injuries and deaths and bore 50 percent of the responsibility.

Judge Benza assigned the balance of the blame to New York State, which runs the City University of New York, the operator of City College's Nat Holman gymnasium, where the rap event was held.

The judge was ruling in a civil lawsuit for damages, filed by two men and two women injured in the melee. He has not yet determined the damage award, and has scheduled a meeting of the plaintiffs' lawyers and representatives of the defendants for Jan. 29.

Most of the lawsuits filed by relatives of those killed in the stampede were settled in March for $3.8 million, in a case argued before a different judge.

Mark Goidell, a lawyer for Mr. Combs, said the ruling by Judge Benza did not apply to his client, but he declined further comment. Lawyers for the plaintiffs and the State Attorney General, however, disagreed, saying Mr. Combs was a party to the suit and was therefore liable. Alexander P. Hartnett, a lawyer for Mr. Myers, declined comment.

On Dec. 28, 1991, a large crowd gathered for a combination rap concert and celebrity basketball game at the 2,730-seat gymnasium on the campus, which is at 138th Street and Convent Avenue. Some ticket holders became unruly when they saw the doors being locked, fearing that they might not get in. The crowd surged forward against the gym's barred doors, leading to the deaths and injuries.

Judge Benza based his 73-page decision on testimony heard at a five-day trial in March, at which Mr. Combs testified. Judge Benza spent much of his decision excoriating Mr. Combs, Mr. Myers and the university for the stampede and absolving the dead and injured of any ''culpable conduct'' that might have contributed to the incident.

''It does not take an Einstein,'' Judge Benza wrote at one point, ''to know that young people attending a rap concert camouflaged as a 'celebrity basketball game,' who have paid as much as $20 a ticket, would not be very happy and easy to control if they were unable to gain admission to the event because it was oversold.''

Judge Benza said that after the stampede started, Mr. Combs's employees blocked the gym doors with a table. Another of Mr. Combs's employees, acting as security chief, Judge Benza wrote, ''in a desperate attempt to keep the people out of the gym, pulled out a gun and assailed the people with racial epithets.''

The suit was filed in the Court of Claims because it is the only court with jurisdiction when the State itself is a defendant. It is one of two major suits remaining against the state and the event organizers. A wrongful death suit is still pending in State Supreme Court.

Scott Brown, a spokesman for the State Attorney General's office, which represented City College, said a total of about $3.8 million was paid last year to settle claims by relatives of those killed, of which 45 percent was paid by the state and 20 percent, or about $750,000, by Mr. Combs. In those settlements, Mr. Myers was held 17.5 percent responsible; the Pinkerton agency, a security Firm hired by Mr. Combs and Mr. Myers, 12.5 percent responsible, and New York City 5 percent responsible.

Peter A. De Filippis, a lawyer for Nicole Levy, one of the four injured, who was a 17-year-old college freshman at the time, said the latest ruling was significant because it put more responsibility on Mr. Combs. Since the City College concert, he has gone on to make millions in the rap music business.

''In previous settlements, Combs got off cheap,'' said Mr. De Filippis.

'Puffy' Shares The Rap In Deadly '91 Stampede

By Dareh Gregorian

From New York Post Jan 12, 1999

Rap artists Sean "Puffy" Combs and Heavy D are equally responsible with City College for the 1991 stampede at a charity basketball game that killed nine and injured dozens more, a judge ruled yesterday.

Combs and Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Myers, organized the star-studded, Dec. 28, 1991, event at CCNY, which turned into a wild crush when an overcapacity crowd tried to push into the 138th Street gym.

"It does not take an Einstein to know that young people attending a rap concert camouflaged as a 'celebrity basketball game,' who have paid as much as $20 a ticket, would not be very happy and easy to control if they were unable to gain admission to the event because it was oversold," Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza ruled in a 73-page decision against the umbrella City University of New York.

Benza found the CUNY college 50 percent responsible and Combs and Myers 50 percent responsible.

The Court of Claims deals only with cases against the state, so the ruling has no legal effect on Combs and Myers.

The judge blasted them anyway. He said Combs' security people were responsible for the fatal mistake of closing the stairwell door to the gym.

"Combs' forces, who were fully aware of the crowd uncontrollably pouring down the stairwell, created something akin to a 'dike,' forcing the people together like 'sardines'" and "squashing out life's breath from young bodies," the judge wrote.

He also found Puffy's claims that he was fighting to save lives during the madness unconvincing.

Benza noted that a cop said he saw the rap phenom just "standing there [during the crush] with two women, and all three had money in their hands."

Combs' and Myers' lawyers refused comment.

Combs has denied responsibility for the tragedy, but apologized to the victims last March, saying, "I deal with this every day of my life."

Benza also subjected City College to a blistering attack.

"Had adequate security been provided and had proper crowd-control procedures been followed, the breaking of doors and the stampede could have been prevented," the judge ruled.

In a written statement, CUNY said, "Benza's ruling on the unfortunate tragedy at CCNY is under review ... CUNY now has policies in place to ensure that college events are conducted in a manner consistent with public-safety requirements."

The Court of Claims suit was brought by four victims, including Nicole Levy, whose best friend Sheila Williams was killed in the crush and who nearly died herself. Levy's lawyer, Peter De Filippis, said his client, now 25, is still haunted by that night.

Benza will set a date to decide damages against CUNY. There are several suits pending against Combs and Myers in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Victims' Families Relieved By Ruling

By Bill Hutchinson

From New York Daily News, January  12, 1999

Loved ones of those who died in the 1991 City College stampede said yesterday's finding that Sean (Puffy) Combs, Heavy D and City University were negligent was long overdue.

"I think it's wonderful to hear," said Dorothy McCaine, 60, whose daughter Dawn was one of nine young people who died as a result of the stampede that December night.

"I think it's time," she said. "We just wanted somebody to accept the blame. That was our problem the whole time, nobody wanted to take the blame."

On Dec. 28, 1991, McCaine kissed her daughter goodbye as the 20- year-old headed off to City University in Harlem, where Combs and Heavy D whose real name is Dwight Myers were throwing a celebrity charity basketball game.

She got in and that sealed her fate. The gym could hold only 2,730 people; 5,000 tickets were sold.

More than 1,000 locked-out ticket buyers rushed the doors. A panic swept the packed gym. Those inside wanted out.

Dawn McCaine was shoved beneath a pile of bodies squeezed into a 7-by-12-foot area at a closed exit.

For seven years, Dorothy McCaine has envisioned her daughter's death. Every time she sees Puffy Combs, now a mega rap star, she thinks of how her daughter died.

"It's been a long time," the mother said. "It's been a terrible time."

Debbie Williams' daughter, Sonya, was a third-year nursing student who went to the gym because it was a charity event for AIDS. Combs, a friend, gave her the ticket. "She was a sweetheart," said Williams, 47.

The Williamses were among the families who settled out of court before yesterday's ruling. "We settled because we felt we had no choice with New York State law," said Williams. "I felt that they were responsible. But to what percentage, nobody seemed to agree with me until now."

Combs, Myers and City College were found equally at fault.

"I can't believe it," Williams said. "But I'm glad to hear it."

Nicole Levy, now 25, survived the gym stampede but didn't escape the consequences. She suffers from Graves' disease, a stress-induced thyroid condition she says is linked to her experience.

"I feel vindicated," she said through her attorney, Peter DeFilippis, referring to those who blamed the victims.

Rap Producer Testifies on Fatal Stampede at City College

By John Sullivan

From  March 24, 1998 New York Times

In 1991, Puffy Combs was a largely unknown rap promoter whose celebrity basketball game became forever linked to a horrible event: the stampede that killed nine people at City College.

Today, Mr. Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, is at the top of rap, a multimillionaire impresario and Grammy Award-winning performer who runs one of urban music's most popular labels, Bad Boy Entertainment. But yesterday, Mr. Combs was confronting his past, testifying about the deadly night at City College.

''City College is something I deal with every day of my life,'' Mr. Combs said outside court yesterday. ''But the things that I deal with can in no way measure up to the pain that the families deal with. I just pray for the families and pray for the children who lost their lives every day.''

Mr. Combs appeared yesterday in the State Court of Claims in Manhattan. He is a witness in a lawsuit against City College that was filed on behalf of some of the victims of the stampede. This is the first state court case related to the stampede to go to trial.

Mr. Combs described the chaotic atmosphere of that deadly night in testimony that was reported by The Associated Press. He said that he ''observed an overwhelming amount of people outside'' the gymnasium where the game was held, and that they were pressing to get in.

''The doors popped,'' he said, adding, ''they tore the doors right off the hinges.'' As the crowd poured into the lobby, ''the rush was too much and the stampede started down the stairs.''

Mr. Combs said he ''started seeing different young ladies getting squished.'' He added, ''You could see panic on everybody's face.''

Nine other civil suits are outstanding in the disaster, including one wrongful death and eight personal injury cases, lawyers said. Mr. Combs is named as a defendant in some cases.

Seven years ago, Mr. Combs, then 22, was the promoter of the Heavy D and Puff Daddy Celebrity Charity Basketball Game at City College's Nat Holman Gymnasium. The game, promoted through fliers and radio spots, was intended to raise money for AIDS charities, and it featured several rap stars playing on teams.

On Dec. 28, 1991, a large crowd gathered outside the 2,730-seat gymnasium, forming a long line that stretched along 138th Street.

The crowd grew unruly, and someone decided to close the doors to the street. The fans surged forward, slamming into the outer doors, which broke under the pressure.

The crowd raced into the small lobby and down a short flight of stairs to the gym doors. But the doors to the gym, most of which were closed, only opened outward. Nine young fans were trampled or crushed to death and 29 were injured.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the stampede and the police response did not reach definitive conclusions, and no criminal charges were filed.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the people involved with running the event pointed fingers at one another. Questions were raised about how City College could have approved the event, whether the promoters were adequately prepared, and whether the Police Department moved quickly enough to stop the disturbance.

The Police Department had 66 officers stationed outside the gym that night. City College provided 30 private security officers, and the promoters hired 20 security workers.

Mr. Combs's lawyers have argued he was not responsible for security, which they say was left to the college. Mark Goidell, one of Mr. Combs's lawyers, argued that the plans were adequate.

''I don't think an army could have stopped the sudden onslaught by a surge of people,'' Mr. Goidell said. ''There was an enormous police presence outside, and there was a pretty large security contingent inside. They were simply overwhelmed by the surge of people crashing the doors.''

Kenneth Meiselas, Mr. Combs's longtime business lawyer, said that Mr. Combs hired extra security for the event even though security was not his responsibility. ''He was always told by the university that they were in charge of security and they would have to follow the direction and control of their security,'' Mr. Meiselas said.

But lawyers for people injured in the stampede have argued that Mr. Combs bears part of the responsibility for the disaster. ''There was a failure of responsibility across the board,'' said Peter De Filippis, a lawyer for a young woman who was injured at the game and is a plaintiff in the lawsuit that is now being tried. ''Everyone involved left security up to someone else. They never decided who would be in charge of security.''

Mr. De Filippis said problems began when someone decided to shut the doors without preparing for the crowd's reaction. He said that people who already had tickets believed they were being shut out and surged forward. ''I think the promoter is initially responsible for all aspects of the event,'' Mr. De Filippis said. ''It was his responsibility to make sure there was adequate security.''

Puffy Recalls Deadly Benefit

Suit over tragedy at City College

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

From  Newsday; Long Island, N.Y.; Mar 24, 1998

Long before Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs became one of the music industry's biggest stars - before the Grammys, the videos on MTV and the magazine covers - he promoted a 1991 celebrity charity basketball game in which nine people died.

Yesterday, Combs testified in court for the first time about the stampede at the City College campus, recalling how hundreds stormed the doors, crushing people into a stairway that led to the gym.

"We were pleading with people to move back," Combs said. "It's almost hard to explain in words, the hysteria . . . You could see panic on everybody's face."

The rapper, producer and CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, testified as part of a lawsuit filed against the college and the state by the family of one of those killed and seven others who were injured.

But the plaintiffs also allege that Combs and other organizers "oversold the event, failed to provide adequate security and failed to make provisions to control the overcrowded situation that developed," said attorney Peter De Filippis.

He said it will be up to Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza to determine the liability of the college, Combs or others. Then damages will be determined.

The families of the eight others killed have reached out-of-court settlements.

Combs and others involved in the tragedy at the Harlem campus on Dec. 28, 1991, also are named in a lawsuit filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. That case is still about a year away.

Combs testified Monday that he had dealt exclusively with CCNY's Evening Student Government president in booking the gymnasium, and he understood that the college would be in charge of security.

Besides guards provided by the college, Combs hired 20 guards from a company that had worked at movie shoots for Spike Lee and Eddie Murphy. They were hired for crowd control, as well as to protect the celebrity rappers in the game, Combs said.

About 1,400 tickets were sold in advance and 500 were sold the night of the event, Combs testified. Former Deputy Mayor Milton Mollen said in a 1992 report that the gym capacity was 2,730, but twice as many people may have tried to get in.

Combs said fans were separated into two orderly lines, one for those with tickets, the other for those buying tickets. But as more people arrived, things began to spin out of control.

Those without tickets jumped in front of those with tickets and as the situation grew more chaotic, guards closed the glass doors to the lobby.

"I just observed an overwhelming amount of people outside," Combs said. He said as the crowd continued to surge, he saw people pressed against the glass, unable to move. Combs said he spoke to city Police Department brass at the scene and asked them to use their bullhorns to get people outside to move back.

Suddenly, "the doors popped . . . they tore the doors right off the hinges," and the crowd rushed into the lobby, Combs said, adding, "the rush was too much and a stampede started down the stairs."

At the bottom, however, only one door was open. Other doors could not be opened because of the crush. He made it through the doorway to the gym and when he looked back, he "started seeing different young ladies getting squished . . . you could see panic on everybody's face."

When it was over, nine people were dead and 29 injured.

Outside court, Combs said the tragedy is "something that I deal with every day of my life. But the things I deal with can no way measure up to the pain that the families deal with and I just pray for the families and I pray for the children that lost their lives."

Puff Daddy Gives Testimony Says Stampede Wasn't His Fault

By Salvatore Arena

From New York Daily News, March 24, 1998

Rap music king Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs says he's not to blame for the 1991 stampede at City College in which nine people were killed and dozens injured at a celebrity basketball game he organized.

Combs took the witness stand yesterday at a multi-million-dollar negligence trial in the state Court of Claims to publicly answer questions about his role in the incident for the first time.

Combs testified that CCNY was responsible for security and safety at the celebrity game. He denied overselling tickets to the event and said police ignored his request for help when the crowd became unruly. The stampede occurred after hundreds of people tried to push their way into the jam-packed gym.

Outside court, the rapper offered an apology for the incident and condolences to the victims and their families.

"I am sorry for being the promoter of the event," he said. "I just pray for the families and pray for the children who lost their lives every day. It's a tragic event, and my heart goes out to the families."

But his statements did little to mollify the bitterness of survivors and their kin who are suing him and the City University for millions of dollars in damages. Several asked yesterday why Combs has remained publicly silent for seven years.

"He's passing the buck, passing the blame instead of accepting responsibility," said Nicole Levy, 23, who escaped the crush but watched as her best friend died.

"I feel he was coached to lie," said Benjamin Andrews, 30, another survivor whose 17-year-old cousin, Leonard Nelson, was killed. "He's trying to cover himself."

The ill-fated basketball game was held at CCNY's gymnasium, 137th St. and Convent Ave., Harlem, on Dec. 28, 1991. Combs had heavily promoted the event on local radio and television.

Billed as an AIDS charity event, the contest featured celebrities, including boxer Mike Tyson and major rap stars. It drew an estimated 5,000 fans to a facility that held 2,730.

Those who were unable to get in rushed the doors of the basement gym in a surge that trapped dozens of people. Nine young people were trampled or crushed to death and 29 others were injured.

A mayoral report issued three weeks later blamed police, college officials, student organizers and Combs.

Combs testified that he was caught in the crush himself for a time. "I can't explain in words the hysteria that was going on," he said. "Everybody was trying to get out of the way of the stampede."

Peter De Filippis, a plaintiff's attorney, said the event was poorly planned by the college and Combs, who in the years since has become a big-name performer as well as one of the record industry's hottest producers. "There was ample time to suspend the event, to shut it down to prevent a tragedy," De Filippis said. "That decision was not made."

Combs is not a defendant in this trial, but lawyers said the case could affect other lawsuits pending against him.

Yesterday's testimony forced the hip hop honcho to delay plans to attend last night's Academy Awards ceremonies after a judge threatened to jail him for contempt if he didn't show up in court.

Stampede Trial Smokes Puffy's Plan For Oscars

By Salvatore Arena

From New York Daily News  March 21, 1998

Rap music king Sean (Puffy) Combs' plans to attend the Academy Awards on Monday were scuttled by a judge who threatened to jail him if he doesn't show up in court.

State Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza issued the ultimatum yesterday after Combs balked at a subpoena ordering him to testify about his role in a 1991 stampede at City College in which eight people were killed.

Survivors of the tragedy are suing the City University of New York for millions of dollars in damages. The case went to trial this week after nearly seven years of litigation.

"Puffy is going to testify," said Kenny Meiselas, Combs' long-time business attorney. "It's unfair and inaccurate to say that Puffy is trying to avoid testifying. He has a long history of cooperation in this case."

Combs, a major rap performer and CEO of Bad Boy Records, was the promoter of the ill-fated charity basketball game held at the CCNY gymnasium on Dec. 28, 1991.

The game, which featured a number of major rap stars, attracted thousands more than could be accommodated in the 2,730-seat gym on Convent Ave. and 137th St.

Rap fans, unable to get in, rushed the doors of the basement gym in a stampede that trapped dozens of people. Eight young people were trampled or crushed to death, and 29 others were injured.

The state already has paid more than $1 million in settlements to families whose relatives died.

Lawyers for the survivors say Combs was ready to blow off the subpoena to attend the Oscars, telling his lawyers to request a postponement.

"The Academy Awards, apparently for him, supersedes the importance of this court case," said Peter De Filippis, an attorney for Nicole Levy, a young woman injured in the incident. "The plaintiffs are very upset about the way this case has been handled."

Combs is not a defendant in the Court of Claims, where all civil cases against the state are heard. But lawyers said Benza's ruling on liability could affect other lawsuits pending against the star in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Joel Savitt, another plaintiff's lawyer, said Benza made it clear that Combs had better pass up Oscar night or face a contempt charge.

PSYCHO ANALYST

By Kieran Crowley and William j. Gorta

From The New York Post; January 10, 2003