
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 37-year-old man from Brooklyn marred the Staten Island Railway with graffiti 14 times, authorities allege.
Anthony Gargiso of Winthrop Street, who previous lived in our borough, was arrested on Aug. 16 for allegedly spray painting his tag, “2 STONED,” at stations in Stapleton, Grant City, New Dorp, Oakwood Heights, Bay Terrace and Great Kills, according to the criminal complaint, which was based on an investigation by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police.
“I take credit for the graffiti tag ‘2 STONED,’” the criminal complaint quotes Gargiso as saying to police. “I am the only person who throws up ‘2 STONED.’”
Authorities allege that Gargiso used white, orange, purple, red and black paint to vandalized the stations from April through September 2022.
He targeted the Oakwood station first and defaced it a total of six times as he spray painted his tag on an interior wall of an entrance, a pedestrian walkway, a staircase on a platform, a door for the waiting room, and a sign, the complaint alleges.
Damages for each incident are estimated at about $250 for a total of about $3,500.
The suspect has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of misdemeanor making graffiti.
Gargiso has pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been released on non-monetary conditions and is due to appear in Criminal Court on Friday, according to public records.
An attorney for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ACCUSED OF GRAFFITI CRIMES 10 YEARS AGO
Gargiso painted the town pink, police said in 2014.
Authorities alleged that Gargiso, who then lived in Port Richmond, used pink-and-white paint to tag up three spots in Great Kills and New Dorp in 2013.
He allegedly used white paint to leave his mark on a traffic control box at the corner of Nelson Avenue and Hylan Boulevard and a muni-meter on the 4,000 block of Hylan on Feb. 2, 2013, court papers alleged.
He switched to pink on March 6, when he tagged a muni-meter at the corner of New Dorp Plaza South and New Dorp Lane, court papers alleged.
Court documents quoted Gargiso as saying to police, “I turned myself in for my benefit and I am extremely apologetic.”
Gargiso was arrested Jan. 17 and faced three counts each of making graffiti and fourth-degree criminal mischief. The defendant’s 2014 arrest was resolved after being sentenced to a conditional discharge and a fine.
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