MANHATTAN

* The decomposing body of a man was discovered in a Harlem apartment yesterday after other tenants complained about the smell.

The 38-year-old man, whose name was withheld, was found inside his apartment at 63 W. 137th Street just after 11 a.m. yesterday. The body showed no signs of violence. (lcf)

* Cops yesterday released pictures of three note-passing robbers who struck Manhattan banks.

Two of the robberies happened on Tuesday. At 11:08 a.m., a man (above, left) walked into the North Fork branch at Third Avenue near 61st Street, handed a teller a note and walked out with an undetermined amount of cash.

About two and a half hours later, a second bandit (above, center) hit the Independence Bank on Park Avenue near 47th Street. He too, passed a note and the teller complied, handing over an unknown amount of money.

The third robbery happened about 10 a.m. last Friday at a Chase branch on East 58th Street near Second Avenue. The robber (above, right) again passed a note and walked out with cash. None of the bandits displayed a weapon and no-one was hurt. (lcf)

* Police yesterday were continuing their search for an Upper East Side bank robber.

The thief walked into the Chase branch on East 86th Street near Second Avenue at about 10 a.m. last Friday, demanded cash from an employee and fled with an unspecified amount of money. (m, s)

QUEENS

* A Jamaica woman was arrested for scamming more than $7,000 in unemployment benefits while she was working, authorities said yesterday.

Jeanette Zellner, 31, allegedly was employed at a Manhattan law firm when she illegally received $7,146 in benefits between April 26 and Nov. 30.

Investigators tracked her down on Aug. 31, and she was charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records, according to a spokeswoman for DA Richard Brown.

BROOKLYN

* An off-duty city sanitation worker beat and sexually assaulted a prostitute yesterday, police sources said.

Shaun Jones, 34, assigned to Manhattan, was on Grand Avenue in Fort Greene at 10 a.m. yesterday when began arguing about money with the hooker.

He allegedly punched her, breaking her nose and then pulling her into an alley where he sodomized her, the sources said.

Jones was charged with attempted rape, assault, and aggravated sexual abuse. (lcf)

* A Crown Heights man was arrested after striking his building superintendent with a slab of wood, authorities said yesterday.

Phillip Legrand, 23, and his mother were being evicted from the St. Johns Place apartment building near Hampton Place when the attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, the sources said.

The 34-year-old super, who had started the eviction proceedings, suffered a head injury. Legrand was arrested and charged with assault, menacing and weapons possession.

* A Bath Beach man was arrested after he took a swing at a department-store security guard who caught him stealing merchandise, authorities said yesterday.

The guard watched as Michael Pagnato, 39, took a toaster oven and a set of knives from a display case in the Kohl’s on Bay Parkway at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, the sources said.

Pagnato went to a customer-service counter, presented a receipt from the previous day for the same items, and said he wanted to return them.

After an employee gave him a $201 credit, Pagnato was stopped by the guard. Pagnato allegedly swung his fists at the guard. Cops busted him after a brief struggle.

STATEN ISLAND

* A thug was arrested after he raped a female acquaintance and robbed another woman in Fox Hills, authorities said yesterday.

The sources said James Ballard, 30, grabbed an acquaintance by the throat, pinning her to her bed in her Park Hill Avenue apartment near Sobel Court.

She pleaded with him to stop, but Ballard allegedly raped her and fled at about 10:45 p.m. Monday.

About two hours later, he sneaked up behind a 47-year-old woman on Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, using what appeared to be a gun.

After demanding cash, he rifled through woman’s pockets, took $20 and fled, authorities said.

The robbery victim called police and ID’d Ballard, who was arrested.

The next day, the rape victim reported her ordeal to cops. Ballard was charged with rape and robbery, said a spokesman for DA Daniel Donovan.

* A man was busted for choking and slapping his girlfriend in their New Dorp apartment on three separate occasions, authorities said yesterday.

William Espinoza-esperanza, 27, allegedly grabbed the neck of his gal pal in their New Dorp Plaza apartment near Rose Avenue, the sources said.

About nine hours later, he allegedly smacked her across the face and the next day, Espinoza-esperanza allegedly tossed his girlfriend on the bed, choked her and bit her right cheek.

The victim suffered bruises, scratches and swelling.

Espinoza-esperanza was busted Tuesday on charges of assault and harassment, said the DA’s spokesman.

* A man was nabbed by police yesterday after he stole a backhoe and went joyriding in Dongan Hills, authorities said.

Richard Marco, 42, broke into a construction site at Seaver and Laconia avenues at about 12:10 a.m., the sources said. He allegedly climbed into a Bobcat and drove away.

Police spotted Marco at the corner of Hylan Boulevard. He was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal trespass.