Republican Council Member Vickie Paladino has posted a video of herself confronting an alleged squatter in College Point Monday morning (Photo: Twitter)
Aug. 16, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
Republican Councilmember Vickie Paladino has posted a video of herself confronting an alleged squatter in College Point.
The video, which was posted to Paladino’s Twitter page yesterday, captures the lawmaker in a heated exchange Monday with a man outside a house in the vicinity of 20th Avenue and 146th Street. The footage shows the man repeatedly shouting obscenities at her in front of the partially boarded-up house, and at one point he blows smoke from a joint into Paladino’s face.
The man, according to Paladino, has been living in the house even though its occupants have been served with an eviction notice by the city. It is unclear when the notice was issued and how long the man has been living there.
“This will not stand on my watch,” Paladino wrote alongside the video post that has been viewed more than 80,000 times. “Homeowners have rights and our neighborhood deserve[s] better. More action coming.”
There’s a known squatter house in my district at 20th Ave and 146th street in College Point. This morning I viewed the house and confronted the squatters personally.
This will not stand on my watch. Homeowners have rights and our neighborhoods deserve better. More action coming. pic.twitter.com/8Qtr6y5cnr
— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) August 15, 2022
The video begins with Paladino on the sidewalk looking at the house while the man – who is smoking a joint and inside a car — begins to reverse out of the driveway of the house.
The man asks Paladino from inside the car if he could help her with something.
“Yeah, this is a disgrace, it’s a disgrace” Paladino says, pointing her finger at the house and then walking toward the car. The house appears to be in poor condition with two of its front windows covered with wood.
The man replies, “Go fuck yourself,” to which Paladino then responds, “go fuck yourself, how’s that?”
Paladino then stares at the alleged squatter through the car window.
“You got an eviction notice… you’d better make sure you get out because we won’t have these goings-on in this neighborhood,” says Paladino, who represents Council District 19 in northeast Queens. “It won’t happen, it just won’t happen.”
The man then responds by quietly saying: “I’m sorry.”
But Paladino was not done with the conversation and the man’s half-hearted apology was not deemed enough.
“You’re not sorry,” Paladino retorts. “What are you [drug] dealing out of this house?”
The confrontation then heats up.
The man gets out of the car and walks toward Paladino while adjusting his sagging shorts. He has a joint in one hand and a cell phone in the other.
“Why don’t you do me a fucking favor and get the fuck over there,” the man says, indicating he wants the lawmaker to move away from the front of the house.
She then tells him that he is threatening an elected official before she moves a few steps backward.
As the man turns away Paladino then asks him what he has in his mouth.
He then quips back and blows smoke in her face before saying “weed.” He also appears to blow smoke in the direction of the woman recording the incident.
“It’s legal… go fuck yourself,” the man says to Paladino and the woman.
At one point during the confrontation, the alleged squatter (L) blows smoke from a joint into Paladino’s (R) face. (Photos: Twitter @VickieforNYC)
Paladino told the Queens Post that she was prompted to confront the man after speaking to concerned constituents about squatters in the district. She said she is unafraid of tackling issues such as squatting directly.
“Squatters are a problem throughout our city, thanks to years of bad policy, and my district has not been immune,” said Paladino, who is one of five GOP lawmakers in the 51-member city council.
“I have heard from my community and have been actively working with civic leaders and law enforcement to restore the integrity of our neighborhoods. This is a hands-on job and I will not be intimidated.”
Democratic Councilmember Robert Holden took to Twitter late Monday and praised Paladino for confronting the alleged squatter.
Holden, who represents District 30 in central Queens, also called for the alleged squatter to be evicted and arrested.
“That squatter isn’t a victim and needs to be evicted immediately,” Holden tweeted.
“The landlord and neighborhood are the victims. He should also be arrested for harassment and maybe operating a vehicle under the influence. Good for @vickiefornyc for standing up to him.”
The incident took place outside a house in the vicinity of 20th Avenue and 146th Street. Some of the front windows on the house are boarded up. (Photo: Twitter @VickieforNYC)
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94 Comments
Let’s make sure she is voted out next year! It was a squeaker because former IDC Democrat Tony Avella couldn’t get out the vote. If the Democrats nominate a more broadly appealing candidate, Paladino does not stand a chance.
Sorry dude. Whitestone is MAGA and rightly so. Keep your liberal nonsense out. We don’t want it.
Trump is no genius but getting descendants of contractors he stiffed to vote for him is close! The house of cards is crumbling, though, bro.
Take your fascist leanings elsewhere. They have no place in Whitestone, Queens, or New York City. And take Vickie with you when she loses!
No he’s a symptom of the unaffordable Housing in NY….and she’s a privileged clueless official
Affordable housing means free.
So now if you’re born lower middle class from an Italian immigrant family who didn’t speak English, you have privilege? Some ethnicities actually work hard for their “privilege” later on in life. That’s called America.
Well they kicked the homeless off the subways and they ended up trying to find shelter in residential areas where few bother them and some even feed them and give them money. She could of given him a couple of numbers to get services.
Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. Lock him up toss the key. Useless
Lower taxes and home related costs such as gas electric water sewage home insurance and help landlords with repairs and maybe homeowners can keep their homes instead of banks taking over. Someone plse give that man a place to live. She could of easily toned down her voice and asked if he needed help. Btw new outlets reported that only the upstairs of the home is not livable and that renters live downstairs.
I don’t know how the laws work but I doubt either state can compel someone to give blood so the amount of THC in their system can be determined.
I would not be to happy either if someone was standing there video taping me outside of my residence or anyplace else. Asking me questions. Even cops don’t do that anymore. She does not own the property and has no right questioning anyone. See something criminal then call 911. She should be removed from office.
No way. We need more of this. People are not above the law including squatters. If anything, she has shown tremendous bravery calling out these squatters. They can’t keep getting slaps on the wrist for wrongly invading someone else’s property.
Indicates ownership.
This dude owns pot. That’s it.
I would have punched her in the face.
Looks southern european perhaps mediterranean. If evicted he can drive to a shelter.
Where are all the “Amish” comments on this article? Hmm
the council woman is clueless. homeowners/landlords have no rights, tenants and squatters have all the rights. the housing courts are infested with weak, woke leftist judges.
Vickie drew attention to the problem in every middle class neighborhood. One thing that cockroaches don’t like is light shone on them—they tend to scatter then.
He’s on video driving while smoking marijuana. Arrest him.
I love USA! High school kids that smoke marijuana before the class, during the class and after the class, while Chinese kids study 14 hours a day and Indian kids
start calculus at 8th grade. I can’t wait to see the future of this nation.
AOC – There is nothing new in your post. I heard the same exact rhetoric in the early 80’s. As matter of The Murphy Brown show did a comedy sketch on it.
If you don’t see the downhill of this nation compare the 80s, you have an issue.
AOC. – If you think anything you’re seeing regarding our society is new then you’re the one who has an issue and it’s called being naive. In the 80’s we had an AIDS pandemic, crack crisis, a violent crime wave related to the crack crisis, the highest homicide rates in history, run away inflation, a new wave of homeless sleeping in the streets, Iran hostage crisis, Iran contra, famine in Africa, and on and on.
Nothing to wait for. Just actually look at China and India. Do you like what you see? Are there people risking life and limb to live the Chinese and Indian dream? ROFL. Nah, I don’t think so. America will be a craphole eventually.
Oh…right.
He seems like your typical progressive. Do as i say not as i do. He feels entitled and is privileged to do as he pleases and knows not to even try blowing smoke to a man if his age or stature. Wld never blow smoke in someone’s face at public housing. Im sure his parents are so proud of him.
For some reason I don’t think he wears skinny jeans. Nice try though!
Your ASSumption is that Trump voters defend all white people? What world do you live in? White liberals, like this piece of garbage, are hated. They need to go. White liberals are the true problem of this country.
I’m about to go over there just to smoke in front of her house and see what she has to say. She’s acting like she owns the sidewalks and street.
He must think he is so cool blowing smoke in an older ladies face. No calls to get cancel him? Guess it depends who you are confronting. He would of been canceled if he did it to a progressive leader or POC.
Why does the victim’s race matter so much? Try to focus on the issues instead of your identity politics and cancelling everyone.
its “would have”
It’s “it’s.”
hahahahaahahahahaahahaha
why would he be cancelled? this is the norm. democrat progressives controlling this city encourage drug use and wouldnt be surprised if they get kickbacks. i mean, they even opened up drug addiction places where you can go shoot up whatever drugs you want. i’m not sure what Paladino expected to accomplish, since criminal statutes no longer apply in nyc. maybe to incite public vigilantism?
How does Vickie know that this young man is a squatter? Is it because he is smoking weed and has tattoos? For all we know he is stoned and merely acting out like many pot heads in the area. Its a big problem whether its your first high or you smoke it daily. Everyone has a different reaction to the substance. In a city of over 8 million people you are bound to have plenty of people who react negatively. Hate crimes have increased dramatically in this city. Wait until all those smoke shops start selling it legally if they havent already.
because there was multiple reports on him there, the windows were also boarded up too
Boarded up building, although they left an air conditioning unit.
(Duh)
Obviously, the electricity is on.
From the street lights.
If the homeless can watch TV in their cardboard boxes then anyone can get free electricity.
probably because the house is in foreclosure and is owned by wells fargo? and the fact that the city has 70,000 cases for eviction backlogged? a 2 second google search would have given you the answer.
Even the Mayor agrees that you can smell weed everywhere in this city. https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2022/07/15/mayor-adams-says-nyc-reeks-of-pot-not-dirty-streets/amp/
No one voted whether or not masks and other COVID prevention and detection measures were necessary or not. Dumblazio just made it happen.
Karen and Ken arguing. Happens all the time.
thanks karen!
Lol. Hey, it’s safer than a Keisha and Kofi arguing. Just look at what happened to that poor guy in the wheel chair that got run over by the Keisha when she got mad.
They’re not that different! Thanks for posting that embarrassing disaster of a politician. Please post Holden accosting a film crew next! He drives around instead of working!
Under the newly minted New York marijuana law, only adults over 21 years can use marijuana in public. However, ‘in public’ does not include your car. It is still illegal to drive your car when you are under the influence of marijuana.
If found driving while under the influence of cannabis in New York, you can be charged under Vehicle And Traffic Law Section 1192(4). The section criminalizes operating any vehicle when impaired by the use of a drug. Marijuana is one of the drugs cited in Section 1192 (4-a).
Cops are not doing anything about people smoking weed while in a parked car or driving. Ever wonder why we have so manny hit and runs lately.
That’s because drivers are not held to account by NYPD. I see drivers do dangerous, illegal stuff every day. Yeah, yeah, bikes, skateboards etc. do it too, but cars & trucks are what kill people. And the cops do nothing about it.
no its not. who says it’s illegal? nothing is illegal in this city. even killers go free.
Good for Vicki
And why is mayor hopeless Adams using our tax dollars to house illegal aliens in luxury hotels ? We have homeless veterans but priority is given to law breakers who may have various contagious diseases
why not? nyc voted for this. enjoy all of south america coming to nyc. you’re taxes might triple though, and your rent will skyrocket, so you’ll have to move to jamaica queens so new luxury apartments can be built in sunny side for the migrants.
Legal Adult Use and Possession in NYC
It is now legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis for personal use in New York. Adults may smoke or vape cannabis wherever smoking tobacco is allowed under the smoke-free air laws, with a few exceptions.
true, but not while driving a car
Cannabis use is not allowed in motor vehicles (even if they are parked) or in outdoor dining areas at restaurants.
Unlike in Colorado, where we saw a standard that includes the amount of THC that constitutes impairment, in New York, there is no minimum amount of THC that a driver should maintain to avoid being charged. Any amount of THC in your system is enough grounds to have you charged with driving under the influence of marijuana.
That means it does not matter when you took the marijuana; it could be two or three days, but as long as it is detectable in your blood, you are deemed still stoned dead.
I don’t know how the laws work but I doubt either state can compel someone to give blood so the amount of THC in their system can be determined.
Good to see the Councilwoman working for her Constituents !
Was she elected Sheriff or policy maker? This video is a glorious example of her NOT working for her Constituents.
Her extremist views make it next to impossible for to fill her role as a legislator either way, so I guess pathetic stunts like this are all she’s got! Take care of who you vote for next time!
Geni- What job for the people was performed in this video? A public scene? One that could have easily escalated into something more. Good job councilwoman.
Well work on tenant rights, affordable housing and increasing city rent vouchers and your district will not have this problem! Weed is legal in case you did not know. Us stay at home moms need it!!
Katerina- Squatters are trespassers and have nothing to do with low income housing. Be careful who you let stay in your place. That act of kindness can turn into a squatting situation very quickly costing you thousands in the process.
Means free.
I like this woman. If she were mayor, the quality of life in the city would improve dramatically. For EVERYBODY black, white, Hispanic etc.
Oh wait, he’s white? How do I make this about my racist agenda?!
Racism has nothing to do with this.
Guess what, the only ones stuck on racism is the Amish.
Stop- The guy you’re getting yourself so crazy about isn’t funny, clever or even witty he’s just obsessive. Don’t let him get to you.
You doing the Amish thing when there are no Amish either being asshats it victims is completely insane.
He’s not white. He’s Irish.
What does the right do when forced to face their own? Run, hide, ignore.
Go to Tops up in Buffalo and let them know how you really feel.
Get your own name.
Squatters have been a problem since the 60’s under Republican and Democratic administrations. What’s this show all about? What was accomplished here? Some type of publicity thing, obviously. Paladino could better serve her community by introducing legislation and changing the law regarding these low life parasites squatting in buildings. I handled a case involving squatters back in the early 90’s costing my family thousands of dollars. It took months to get this bum out of my late uncles building in Manhattan. We finally got the guy out only for him to return and break in again. There should be no such thing as squatters rights, they’re trespassers. Fix the law already instead of playing to the cameras and grandstanding.
your in the wrong city if you think legislation means anything here or is enforced.
C’ mom man -I never trust the wisdom of those who don’t know the difference between “you’re” the contraction and your the possessive.
If it was a Black man she claimed was being evicted she would of been cancelled and perhaps fired for being racists and harassing a POC. Look how clear his picture is above. We hardly see pics like that for wanted or captured criminals.
We need mire elected officials like her not these progressive idiots that litter our city. If it would have been Astoria or Sunnyside the progressives would have been ripping into Paladino for something. Or maybe not since the squatter is white.
Jim – Are you normally that easily distracted? What did this woman actually accomplish in your view? The squatter is still there. The blighted property is still blighted. Squatters are still a problem. A cursing match on a residential street is some type of accomplishment in your world ? She’s a legislator that’s where she can accomplish something just by doing her job., the one she is paid to do. Any drunkard fool could put on a show in the street.
Jim -Pasted is the job description of a NYC Councilwoman: Introduce and vote on legislation (proposed laws) having to do with all aspects of City life. Negotiate the City’s budget with the Mayor and approve its adoption. Monitor City agencies such as the Department of Education and the NYPD to make sure they’re effectively serving New Yorkers.Which of her official duties were you most impressed with? With people voting with standards like yours, no wonder nothing get accomplished.
This was embarrassing to watch.
From both sides.
She’s a smelly dog turd.
He’s smoking one.
She accomplished getting her name in the news and showing the city what we as tax paying citizens have been going through ever since weed was legalized and the eviction moratorium expired. People still refuse to leave or feel entitled to stay wherever they please. https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2022/08/16/nyc-pol-confronts-squatter-house-resident-who-blew-weed-at-her/amp/
Wrong Rita , if the guy was smoking a cigarette or drinking a coffee would those observations have made your post? Squatters have been a problem in NYC since at least the 60’s that I’m aware of. You sound new. She hasn’t shown anyone anything we didn’t already know. You obviously enjoy the theatre. Is that why you moved here ?
The real issue here is illegal squatting & the failure of our leaders to deal with this. The part about his smoking is only included to add color to the story. Weed should be legal and people who smoke it should be respectful to others, there’s no way around that. This guy is a jerk who happens to smoke; most people who smoke are not jerks. (correlation is not causation.)
Was in Astoria over the weekend doing the family tour guide thing, and pretty much smelled the stuff on every single block. It’s basically impossible not to get a whiff on the streets right now. Make a comment about it and they blow it in your face if you are white.
Well if no Marshal showed up to kick him out he has every right to be there. Kick that privileged man out and give the place to an asylum seeker family instead of housing them in luxury hotels. Put them all in her district!! https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/row-nyc-hotel-being-turned-into-migrant-shelter/
Really. With all the awful smells one can come across in the city–stale urine, the body odor of people who apparently chew raw garlic, car exhaust, garbage bags–an occasional whiff of POT is what upsets someone?
Marijuana Smoke is a Growing Plague on NYC Streets!!
Dumblazio for that.
New York City appears to have a growing number of far-right, alt-right, and white supremacist members. This is dangerous, and also unrepresentative of New York City. Many of these people including political leaders are waiting to demonize people going through hard times. This has been a problem long before Trumps election!!
Yes. They must be stopped. I mean just look at all the crimes these white people you speak of are committing daily all over the city. Every night you see these white people on the news, as well. Not Black and Hispanic males…but white males. All white males!!!!
Disgusting display of two White supremacists.
Maritza- lol! don’t you mean three white supremacist. Those two lady white supremacist are picking on that stone white supremacist. Lol! what are you talking about? I recommend you stop watching TV and put the phone down more often the indoctrination has taken over your mind.
Appears to me like the typical progressive young white residents of WQs. I deal with them weekly because I live by Open Streets and outside dining.
She never misses a chance to be a clown.