John Fumagalli succeeds Sheldon Anderson at Northern Trust Florida

Northern Trust has named John Fumagalli President of Northern Trust in Florida. Fumagalli succeeds well-known banker Sheldon Anderson, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

A Northern Trust veteran, Fumagalli joined Northern Trust in Chicago in 1989. In the years since he was served as President and CEO of Northern Trust in Missouri, President and CEO for the Southwest Florida region and regional head of West Florida. In his new position, he oversees Northern Trust’s 22 offices across the state.

Anderson, who has served as Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust’s Southeast Region since 2009, will retire on December 31, 2012. He will continue in a new capacity as Chairman of Northern Trust’s Florida Advisory Board.

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Miami-Dade elections report: County to blame for some problems

The waits of up to seven hours at some Miami-Dade polls during last month’s presidential election occurred in part because the county failed to estimate how much time it would take to fill out 10- to 12-page ballots, did not open more early-voting sites and decided not draw new precincts this year as planned, a report issued Wednesday concluded.

A last-minute surge in absentee ballots that overwhelmed the elections department staff, and a 12-hour Election Day breakdown of a machine that sorts the ballots also delayed the final results tally by two days, according to the department’s after-action report.

Wednesday’s report was the first comprehensive document outlining all of the factors that contributed to troubles in Miami-Dade. State officials, local elected leaders and county administrators have been piecing it together since the Nov. 6 election.

Some of the blame lies with Florida lawmakers, who placed 11 lengthy constitutional amendments on the ballot and cut the number of early-voting days to eight from 14.

But the 53-page report, while not providing any explicit mea culpas, also places responsibility on the county’s election department, run by Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s appointed elections supervisor, Penelope Townsley.

“It was a combination of factors,” Gimenez told The Miami Herald Wednesday evening. “But I can’t put the blame on any one person or one entity. The blame can go all the way around.”

The report points to seven key factors that affected the election, which was budgeted to cost $11.3 million:

• The length of the ballot: The ballot ran 10 to 12 pages, largely thanks to 11 state constitutional amendments and, though the report doesn’t mention them, 10 county charter questions.

• How long it took voters to fill out their ballots: While the department focused on educating voters, an estimate of the average voting time “may have yielded a better gauge for managing the wait times.”

• The number of early-voting sites: The state limits the sites to elections offices, city halls and public libraries. Miami-Dade could have opened more sites, but it budgeted for and stuck with its traditional 20 sites.

• Processing absentee ballots: Miami-Dade received a record number of absentee ballots — including more than 55,000 on Election Day and the day before — which take longer to tabulate because they require workers to verify individual signatures. There were glitches with the post office, only 60 of 150 hired seasonal workers assigned to open ballots showed up to work, and the machine that sorts ballots broke down for 12 hours beginning at 2:30 a.m. Election Day, further delaying the vote count.

• Delays at polling places: Miami-Dade checks in voters manually, using paper voter registries, on Election Day, instead of using quicker and more accurate (and more expensive) electronic registries available at early-voting sites.• Not reprecincting: Though the department had planned to draw new precincts, following once-a-decade legislative redistricting, it ultimately decided not to because the mayor and several commissioners feared new polling places would confuse voters. More than a quarter of the county’s voters would have been relocated, according to the report.

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The Gritty Sixties Will 'Not Fade Away'

The Sixties, music and teen rebellion are the subject of Not Fade Away, the first feature film from The Sopranos creator David Chase in theaters Friday, and the young stars of the film – including John Magaro, Jack Huston and Bella Heathcote – are refreshingly plugged in to the era of their baby boomer parents.

Video: Mini 'Sopranos' Reunion in 'Not Fade Away' Trailer

"I grew up listening to [Sixties tunes] and loving that music," says Magaro, listing his favorite bands of the era: "Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Beatles, Dylan – there are so many great ones."

Set in 1964, Not Fade Away kicks off with three best friends from the New Jersey suburbs who are inspired by The Rolling Stones and decide to form a rock band. What follows is a true coming-of-age dramedy as the Italian-American pals (played by Magaro, Huston and Will Brill) discover that chicks dig musicians -- but parents don't approve of long hair and "high-heeled" boots.

"In Jersey in the Sixties, if you were in a garage band -- we had pasty skin and really bad hair, and the car you drove and the things you drink … all the real stuff, the details … were so brilliant," says Huston. "It wasn't this sort of glamorized, Hollywood vision of the Sixties. [Our film is] just really honest, beautiful. It's real gritty."

Video Emmy Flashback '03: Gandolfini Reveals His Crush

"David [Chase] is very detail-oriented and he has a very specific vision," elaborates Magaro. "I think he kind of modeled us all after people from the era. I think mine was Dylan, as you might be able to tell from the poster. … When you're a teenager you see these people and you kind of try and emulate them, and I think that's what he was going for."

Also starring Brad Garrett, Christopher McDonald and James Gandolfini, Not Fade Away was also executive-produced by rocker/Sopranos star Steve Van Zandt.

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Madoff victims angry Ponzi schemer brother gets pricey meal ahead of sentencing

They hope you choke!

Two of Bernie Madoff's victims are outraged that his younger brother got to publicly scarf down a pricey meal ahead of his sentencing tomorrow for helping pull off the world's biggest Ponzi scheme.

In a letter to the judge, Jill and Nancy Miller said they are "very unhappy" that Peter Madoff got his punishment postponed from Nov. 9.

"This man was not using the time for getting his 'tax' situation resolved he was out an(d) about enjoying a leisurely lunch in an expensive Upper East Side restaurant where many of his victims would like to eat but can't afford too (sic)," the hand-written missive says.

"He has his nerve showing his face and flaunting his freedom."

The Millers also said they "hope he savored the food 'cause that's not what he will get in PRISON!"

Another wiped-out victim, Natalie Erger, noted with disdain how Peter Madoff has asked to remain free so he can attended his daughter's Bat Mitzvah next month.

"My grandson will be a Bar Mitzvah in November....How can we pay to fly? How much would it cost to drive? What about food and lodging?" she wrote.

"Thanks Madoff brothers."

On the other hand, Robert Roman -- whose wife, Joan, is Bernie Madoff's sister-in-law -- said that while they lost their life savings to the arch fraudster, jailing Peter Madoff "is an answer only to those who seek revenge."

"Peter was victimized as much as Bernard's 'investors' were. His fear of his brother's domination and back-yard bullying, personally witnessed in real time by me, should not have prevailed," he wrote.

"My family will not cast one stone for that failure nor will we receive satisfaction by the incarceration of Peter Madoff."

bruce.golding@nypost.com

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For South Florida hotels, BCS championship a post-holiday gift

This season is bringing some extra gifts for South Florida’s tourism industry: Tuesday holidays that allow for extra-long weekends away from home and the college football championship that will extend festivities another week.

For locals who want to put relatives up in area hotels or just drive around town without traffic, the crush of visitors might be a bother, but hoteliers are happy to have the crowds.

“This season is going to be more robust than last year,” said Howard Wolfson, vice president of operations for Hospitality America, which operates three Miami Hampton Inn locations.

While business typically drops off after New Year’s Day, Wolfson said, that doesn’t hold true this year.

“There’s not much of a lull this year because of how the holiday falls in the middle of the week,” he said. “More people may be going on cruises or spending time with friends and family — or maybe they’re waiting around for the bowl game.”

More than 70,000 people — mostly Notre Dame and Alabama fans — are expected to attend the sold-out Discover BCS National Championship Game at Sun Life Stadium on Jan. 7, filling hotels from South Beach to Fort Lauderdale. The 79th annual Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, with a match between Florida State and Northern Illinios University, isn’t quite the draw but is expected to bring some visitors as well.

But even before the biggest game, South Florida is proving popular for Christmas and New Year’s travelers.

Overall this season, the number of Americans traveling 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and Jan. 1 is expected to increase 1.6 percent to 93.3 million, according to AAA. In Florida, the number of holiday travelers is expected to hit 4.8 million, a 1.3 percent increase over last year.

While Miami International Airport is expecting a nearly 2 percent drop in passenger traffic between Friday and Jan. 6 over last year — part of a national softening trend — the number of travelers still is expected to hit just more than two million. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport expects more than a million passengers between Thursday and Jan. 2, an increase of 3-4 percent.

The Orbitz Holiday Travel Insider Index named Fort Lauderdale the third most popular destination for Christmas and fifth for New Year’s, a ranking based on hotel bookings.

And Kayak.com, which lets users compare hundreds of travel sites, shows Fort Lauderdale at No. 5 and Miami at No. 7 based on searches for flights around Christmas; for New Year’s, Miami is No. 4 and Fort Lauderdale is No. 6.

Bob Diener, president of lodging deals website getaroom.com, said Tuesday that for the last 21 days, Miami has been the fifth most popular spot for future bookings — and ranks fourth in terms of arrivals in the upcoming 21 days.

“You definitely have a very extended holiday period in Miami,” Diener said. “Which none of my hotel friends are complaining about.”

The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa certainly has no gripes.

The 998-room hotel in Hollywood is hosting Florida State for the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame for the championship — as well as hundreds more people for each time period.

“We are at 100 percent occupancy for both bowl games,” said marketing manager Judy Erickson.

Erickson said the hotel is expecting different shifts of guests: those who are arriving early and staying Christmas, New Year’s guests leaving a day or two after the official holiday and bowl game visitors arriving the Friday or Saturday before the game and staying until Tuesday.

“It’s a good pattern,” she said.

At the Clevelander and Essex House hotels in South Beach, rooms are nearly sold out during New Year’s and the championship despite a three-night minimum. Marketing manager Anna Whitlow said the national championship is driving significant traffic — especially among Notre Dame fans.

“What we’re seeing from Notre Dame is not only are they excited about the game, they’re exited to experience Miami,” she said. “And we’re loving that. We’re excited to host them.”

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Return to sender: Christmas card didn’t come from Governor’s Mansion

TALLAHASSEE --
It is definitely not the Governor’s Mansion. There are no stately white columns on the modest house 3 miles east of the state Capitol.

But that’s the return address on envelopes containing a Christmas card and a $25 historical Christmas ornament sent to several thousand of Gov. Rick Scott’s supporters.

The mail is from Let’s Get to Work, the political committee raising money for Scott’s 2014 campaign, but the name of the committee appears on the envelopes as “Let’s Go to Work.’’

Scott’s committee has raised about $5 million toward 2014. Scott spent more than $70 million to win the job in 2010 but has indicated he will not spend as much of his own money to win re-election.

Steve Andrews, a Tallahassee lawyer embroiled in a bitter lawsuit against the governor, says his wife received one of the packages.

“It’s a typical intimidation tactic,’’ Andrews told the Tampa Bay Times. He says his wife has not donated to the governor’s campaign or his political committee and should not be on his list to receive anything.

Andrews went to the return address listed and discovered young tenants who were steadily tossing out all of the packages postal authorities were returning as undeliverable. Andrews collected a dozen of them and left them with a Tampa Bay Times reporter.

John French, the lawyer who manages Scott’s political committee, says it was all a mistake made by the printer. The return address should have been his home just down the street, the official address of the committee.

Andrews filed suit against the governor earlier this year in an attempt to keep the state from taking over his office building near the Governor’s Mansion. Andrews had a contract to buy the building from the estate of former Gov. LeRoy Collins when Scott pushed to acquire it so he could expand access to the mansion.

French said no one was attempting to intimidate Andrews or his wife.

“I’m sorry if Mr. Andrews felt intimidated,” French said. “No one was attempting to do anything but recognize that his wife had been a contributor to Republicans in the past. Her name will be removed from the list.”

French added: “If the governor sent me a pretty ornament, I’d put it on my Christmas tree.”

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Google Music adds free iTunes-like song-matching feature

Title Post: Google Music adds free iTunes-like song-matching feature
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STREAMING: Alicia Keys Live on Letterman

The Live on Letterman concert series is closing out 2012 with an unforgettable performance by Alicia Keys, live streaming now!

PICS: ET's New Music Tuesday!

This caps off a star-studded year for Live on Letterman, which has surpassed 130 million views with the help of Carrie Underwood, Maroon 5, Coldplay, Adele, Mumford & Sons and more.

Alicia will be singing fan favorites like 2007's No One as well as new releases like Girl on Fire -- the title track from her fifth studio album.

Following her live performance, fans can also catch the Grammy winner on tonight's Late Show with David Letterman, airing at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

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MTA Chairman Lhota to resign, announce plans to run for mayor

MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota will resign from his post on Friday to announce plans to run for mayor, a surprise development that comes a day before the agency greenlights fare hikes for next year, sources said.

Lhota will make current MTA board member and former Bronx Boro President Fernando Ferrer the vice chairman of the board tomorrow at the panel’s monthly meeting, enabling Ferrer to become the agency president when Lhota steps down, sources said.

Lhota, a Republican who worked as a deputy mayor under ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani, has been widely praised for his handling of the MTA during super storm Sandy.

The MTA refused to comment on his departure a little over a year after he took the job helming the nation’s largest mass transit system.

His resignation on Friday will enable him to begin campaigning for mayor.

The law currently forbids him from planning a run for public office while heading a state authority.

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Sale of Lincoln Road properties sets record

In a sign of continued rising prices for property on Lincoln Road, Terranova Corporation and Acadia Realty Trust paid $139 million in cash Tuesday for a three-building portfolio of retail storefronts.

The deal is being billed as the largest retail acquisition in Florida during 2012 in terms of dollar value. The next closest was Vornado Realty Trust’s $132 million purchase in July of the 1100 Lincoln Road property that is home to Regal Cinemas and Banana Republic.

The Terranova acquisition includes the properties at 801, 826 and 719 Lincoln Road, currently home to tenants including Score, Tiramesu, Spris, Fossil, Kiehl’s, Steve Madden and the new Dylan’s Candy Bar opening next month. At $2,300 per square foot, the purchase represents one of the highest prices paid for space on Lincoln Road.

“We have a lot of confidence in this street,” said Stephen Bittel, chairman of Terranova, the Miami Beach real estate firm. Partner Acadia is a publicly traded real estate investment trust from White Plains, New York.

“The value is a function of the rents. We look at where the rents are today and where we think they can be down the road. These numbers may seem high, but there is enormous upside potential.”

The properties previously were owned by David Edelstein’s Tristar Capital. The New York-based real estate mogul was an early investor in Lincoln Road’s revival and developed the W Hotel on South Beach.

The catalyst for increased property values has been the interest from high-profile retailers like H&M, Forever 21, Armani Jeans and Lacoste. Many retailers on Lincoln Road ring up sales of $1,000 to $2,000 per square foot or more — numbers that rank among the top five shopping streets in the country.

Those sales figures have sent retailers are clamoring for space, despite rents that broke the $200 mark in the last year and continue to climb as high as $300 in select cases.

For Terranova, the recent acquisition continues the firm’s move away from investing in suburban real estate and focusing on urban street front retail. Terranova and Acadia now own almost 120,000-square-feet of retail space on Lincoln Road and nearby Lincoln Lane, making them the largest single owner of retail property in the area. Since purchasing the first properties in February 2010, Terranova has brought in tenants including Armani Jeans, Khong River House and Muse Cafe opening next spring. Bittel also owns two office buildings on Meridian Avenue and a parking garage on 17th Street.

“We have a real concentration of real estate in a tight geographic area,” Bittel said. “The challenge of owning and operating on Lincoln Road, is that it’s the easiest thing to say yes to every national tenant that wants to go there. If you do that it becomes a mall. We want to bring in a mix of unique retailers and restaurants.”

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