How is this a shake-down by NYC? She broke their law, plain and simple. There is no reason why a 39 year old professional woman with a carry permit since 2008 should be excused from knowing where she can or cannot take her firearm. She's very lucky that she didn't end up serving a jail sentence in New York as a result of this.
Sometimes it still really surprises me that people treat their carry weapon like a forgotten pack of gum, stuffed down inside their purse or briefcase. If you carry the thing in the manner that common sense dictates is the most prudent way of doing so -- on your person -- then you generally don't forget that you had it stuffed down into some dark recess out of sight and out of mind.
It's like some people get their carry permit, get a gun, shove it into their daily travel kit an then forget about it entirely. Like just having it is some sort of magical talisman that will ward off evil or "make them prepared".
I'll donate $20 to get her some real defensive handgun training, not another gun that she'll forget she's carrying.