Daily News from New York, New York • 245

3" '0000' By JOMs UUWT nd ALICE McQUILLAN Daily News Staff Writers A Russian boxer's disappearance became more mysterious yesterday when police found his empty car outside a Brooklyn diner. Sergei Kobozev, 31, a world- leads in the disappearance or ranked boxer who had three Kobozev, who had an upcom Kobozev, a leading cruiser-weight from Sheepshead Bay, had been upset over losing a fight in Paris last month that ended his unbeaten record at 22-0. But his live-in girlfriend, his manager and his trainer all said he was coping well with his first professional loss and was eager to get back into the ring. "It's like losing a football game. Don't forget it's his first loss, but he's a man," said his manager, Thomas Gallagher.

"He dealt with this." His trainer, Peter Kahn, said Kobozev started jogging last week for a Dec. 13 match and a possible $100,000 rematch with Marcelo Domin-guez, who beat him in a split decision in Paris on Oct 24. "He. had nothing but positive developments to look forward' to;" Kahn said. He called Kobozev a gentle, straight-arrow who had "never been 15 minutes late to practice." His live-in girlfriend, Lina, said Kobozev withdrew $300 from an ATM last Wednesday.

He was going to take her 7-year-old son to a karate class that evening. But he never returned from a repair shop where he had taken his car. "I have no idea what happened, because everybody loved him, everybody," said Lina, who declined to give her last name. "He never argued with anybody. Never." Police ask that anyone with information call (800) 577-TIPS or 61st Precinct detectives at (718) 627-6621.

big matches coming up, vanished Wednesday after leaving an auto repair shop. Cops found his locked black-and-white 1988 Chevy Blazer in the parking lot of a 24-hour diner in Bensonhurst where he occasionally ate. But staffers at the Petrina Diner didn't remember seeing the musclebound (Mooter recently, police said. They noticed his car Friday morning, but had no reason to report it Detectives are scouring for ing shot at a $100,000 title fight "There's no indication of foul play," said Capt Joseph Mottle. "It's just that he doesn't fit the profile of a missing person, unless there is something suspicious and the car found unattended adds to the suspicion." Mottle ruled out rumors that Kobozev had contacts with the Russian mob.

"We looked into it and he doesn't seem to have ties to Russian organized crime," he MlAi'K i. By WILLIAM K. RA1HBAUM Daily News Staff Writer Newark Police Director William Celester was removed from his department's day-to-day operations yesterday, four days after federal agents searched his office and home in a probe of corruption in city government Mayor Sharpe James, who is also under scrutiny in the 18-month investigation, placed Celester on paid administrative leave, stressing that Ce-lester had not been charged with any crimi-. nal wrongdoing. r- "I have concluded that this situation has become a major distraction to the orderly day-to-day operations of the Newark Police Department," said James, who appointed Celester in 1991.

He said Celester would have no interaction with the department's operations until further notice. No action was taken against top James aide Jackie Mattison, whose office also was searched Thursday by federal agents. Agents also searched the home of Mattison's girlfriend, where they recovered about $100,000 in cash. Since 1994, U.S. Attorney Faith Hochberg's of-fice has subpoenaed thousands of documents from Newark City Hall, said sources familiar with city government.

City and police officials 1 CI Hew tel's dteoiioedl ffir By OREO B. SMITH Daly News Staff Writer The -convicted killer of Queens barmaid Kitty Genovese, whose slaying more than 30 years ago became a symbol of urban crime, lost his bid for a new trial yesterday. Brooklyn Federal Judge Fredric Block rejected Winston Moseley's argument that he was poorly represented by his defense lawyer. Moseley admitted that he repeatedly stabbed Genovese on March 13, 1964, in Kew Gardens. The case became one of the most notorious in city history because 38 neighbors heard her screams but did not call police.

Moseley, 60, argued that his lawyer, Sidney Sparrow, had a conflict of interest because he represented Genovese in a gambling case years earlier. In refusing Moseley's bid for a new trial, Block ruled that Sparrow had done a good job representing his client Block said in his decision that Sparrow in 1964 disclosed he earlier served as Genovese's lawyer. He found that case did not affect his ability to serve as Mdseley's lawyer. Block said he found that Sparrow's contact with Genovese was only marginal and that he provided Moseley with "effective, competent and capable counsel." Block also found "truly overwhelming proof of Moseley's guilt" and did not believe much of Moseley's testimony during a hearing in July. Under questioning by Queens Assistant District Attorney John Castellano, Moseley claimed he had not known Sparrow represented Genovese, though Sparrow admitted it in open court- -f Block found Moseley's claim "incredible." "Other facts also cast in doubt Moseley's credibility," Block said.

"For example, on cross-examination of Moseley, it became apparent that he had lied during Parole Board Moseley next appears before the Parole Board in January. "We're elated, justice has been done and the nightmare of another trial is done with," said Vincent Genovese, Kitty's older brother. Moseley's attorney, Barry Rhodes, said he will ask Block for permission to appeal. BODY OF WORK: Cindy Crawford exercise video is target of copyright suit have been questioned by a federal erand iurv in ar t1, probe of bribes, kick-' backs, tax feasance and other al 3 leged crimes. Celester has been a target for more than a year, the sources said.

The allegations include taking protection money from drug dealers, improperly raising funds for personal use and selling promotions and transfers within the Newark Police Department Chief Thomas O'Reilly, a 39-year police veteran, will run the de-" partment, James said. LOS ANGELES Supermodel Cindy Crawford has been hit with a copyright infringement suit by a record company alleging she ripped off a tune for use in -her popular exercise video. In court papers filed yesterday, Virgin Records Ltd. says Crawford and her producers used the recording "Big Wheels in Shanty Town" in the "Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body Workout" but failed to -pay royalties. "By copying, manufacturing and sell- ing the infringing video, defendants have made profits and have not paid plaintiffs any royalties and have not accounted for the exploitation of plain-, tiffs copyrighted work," the suit states.

The suit seeks an immediate injunction to stop further reproduction or sale of the workout tape and to impound all existing copies. Virgin and 10 Music which own rights to the song and the album it came from, want -unspeci-' fled damages from Crawford, Good Times Home Video Corp. and other producers of her tape. Michelle Caruso.