NEW YORK -- The publicity stunt that put a scare in Boston also had repercussions in New York City, where police took to the streets in search of the blinking devices and the marketing firm thought to be behind the hoax is based.

The NYPD had not received any complaints about the devices prior to the Boston scare, said police spokesman Paul Browne. But when the police department became aware of the situation in Boston, it contacted the New York marketing firm Interference Inc., which cooperated and provided a list of locations so the devices could be removed.

Police said Interference gave them a list of 41 locations where they had planned to place the signs -- on an awning in the trendy Meatpacking District, on a metal door frame in Greenwich Village, on a fence-top on the Lower East Side -- but it was unclear how many were actually dispersed.

Officers went to the various locations amid the hysteria in Boston, and found only two of the devices -- both attached to an overpass at 33rd Street and the West Side Highway.

Based on their conversations with Interference, police said it did not appear that the company targeted any landmarks such as the subway, Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge.

Several reporters were gathered Thursday outside the building that houses Interference. A guard at the door would not allow reporters into the building.

Sheryl Kasak, an architect who works in the building, said there appeared to be no one in the Interference office Thursday; the lights were off and the door was locked. No one picked up the phone when a reporter called Interference.

The building is on a bustling, traffic-heavy block in the Soho area that is filled with numerous stores, including a Crate & Barrel, an Urban Outfitters and a Best Buy.

In Boston, a judge ordered two men held on bond for allegedly placing the electronic advertising devices around the city as part of a publicity campaign, stirring fears of terrorism and shutting down parts of Boston.

Officials found 38 blinking electronic signs promoting the Cartoon Network TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on bridges and other high-profile spots across the city Wednesday.

The 1-foot-tall signs, which were lit up at night, resembled a circuit board, with protruding wires and batteries. Most depicted a boxy cartoon character giving passersby the finger -- a more obvious sight when darkness fell.

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