By James DeWeese
Daniel Romano, who sports a blue coif, darkly painted fingernails and an inverted crucifix that marked him as a Satan worshiper, was attacked by two teenagers Sunday afternooon as he walked down 72nd Street in Maspeth, Brown said. Romano's alleged attackers beat him with a metal club and an ice scraper after shouting, “Hey, Satan,” at Romano from a passing car, the criminal complaint said. According to Romano, the attack was the culmination of more than a month of verbal harassment.Brown on Monday charged teenagers Paul Rotondi, 18, of Howard Beach, and Frank Scarpinito, 18, of Middle Village, with second-degree assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated harassment in connection with the 2 p.m. attack.”The defendants are alleged to have harassed and attacked the victim because he was different from them,” Brown said. “Crimes motivated by bias – particularly those involving violence – can never be tolerated.”Hate crimes charges carry stiffer penalties and are most often leveled in cases where the victim was attacked because of his ethnic background, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. They could get up to 15 years in jail if convicted, Brown said.”I think this is a misuse of the hate crime statutes,” said Richard Leff, Scarpinito's lawyer. “These are just two nice kids who have never been in trouble in their life. They got into a fight and it's been blown way out of proportion.”Romano told authorities his alleged attackers had approached him numerous times over the past month, calling him “a Satan worshipper,” “a baby sacrificer,” and “hooker killer.” On Sunday, the apparent harassment allegedly turned violent.Romano, who received 12 stitches at Elmhurst Hospital Center after the attack, told police that Rotondi and Scarpinito jumped out of a blue car and attack him. Prosecutors said Rotondi used a metal pipe to hit Romano on the head and body. They said Scarpinito hit Romano with an ice scraper.”You guys are going to find my prints on there,” Scarpinito told police after his arrest, according to prosecutors. But, he said, “I did not hit anyone with it.”Rotondi's lawyer, Sean McNicholas, could not be reached for comment.Leff, Scarpinito's counsel, said the hate crimes legislation under which his client was being charged was relatively new and was still being defined.”I think they're extending the boundaries, but I don't think that was the legislature's intention,” Leff said.Rotondi and Scarpinito were arraigned Monday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Lenora Gerald, who set bail at $5,000, Brown said. They were released on bail and were slated to appear again in court on Jan. 31.Reach reporter by James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
