A thing about New York’s lawful system does not seem to be suitable to Joseph Riccardi, who is jailed because he won’t devote up to $500,000 to meet up with the calls for of his Staten Island condominium board.

“There are folks committing severe crimes who really do not even have to publish bail and are free of charge,” Riccardi explained to the Daily Information. “Yet, I’m on Rikers? It is absolutely absurd.”

“I’m a 57-yr-previous grandfather, worked 35 many years in the finance field,” an exasperated Riccardi said. “I haven’t acquired a parking ticket in 20 several years. I’ve by no means so a great deal as sat in a police auto.”

Riccardi, a international currency trader, started his most latest Rikers Island stretch Oct. 24, and expects to be unveiled Dec. 28.

His problems is rooted in a many years-prolonged legal feud with the board of Ocean View Tower, a rental on the much northern close of Hylan Blvd. in Rosebank, close to New York Harbor and across the avenue from the historic Alice Austen House.

In 2006, Riccardi bought a 14th-ground penthouse in the developing for practically $1 million.

At some place soon after the setting up went up in 1989, an individual extra to the dimensions of the penthouse, the building’s board claims. A lawsuit suggests the addition “exclusively employed particular parts of the roof” and is in violation of the city’s setting up code.

Riccardi mentioned he discovered that the 1,500-square-foot rooftop addition was concluded by a prior proprietor, while 1 architect later on instructed him the place was in actuality section of the building’s authentic building.

Howard File, a lawyer for Ocean Perspective, does not dispute Riccardi’s declare that he did not develop on the condo’s roof — but suggests it does not subject. Under the building’s bylaws, Ocean Look at suggests, Riccardi is responsible for correcting the circumstance.

“He inherited the issue from a past device owner,” File said of Riccardi. “And he is liable beneath the bylaws for rectifying the setting up violation.”

Riccardi has now invested much more than $425,000 in lawful charges and penalties and owes about $100,000 in court penalties. Eliminating the extension will expense an additional $300,000 to $500,000 — and Riccardi’s spouse, Ann Marie Porto, 60, mentioned they have no cash remaining.

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Riccardi has not labored for about 18 months, and a new work is on hold pending the end result of his legal battle.

“My partner is a broken person,” Porto said. “A broken man.”

The gatherings that put Riccardi on Rikers Island have been established in movement in 2016 when the suit by Ocean See Tower accused him of making the addition to his 3,150 square foot residence.

At about the similar time, the Department of Properties, acting on a get in touch with to 311, inspected the assets and issued a violation for the addition, which is explained in documents as a sports activities home capped with a skylight roof, and a theater room.

A second violation was issued three months afterwards when the conditions ended up not corrected.

Both equally violations ended up afterwards dismissed by a decide for the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings for the reason that the condo was wrongly cited on the violation’s paperwork as having produced the extension, data clearly show.

But Ocean View’s lawsuit went to demo, with Riccardi shedding in December 2020 and Decide Orlando Marrazzo Jr. purchasing him to shell out $126,000 in authorized service fees, popular costs and other expenses relevant to the extension. Riccardi was later on requested to pay back $150 for every single working day he unsuccessful to deal with the property.

The decide also gave Riccardi the opportunity to demolish the extension and return the condominium to its primary point out — or to “legalize” the condominium by modifying it so it adheres to the making code.

File claims Riccardi unsuccessful to legalize the residence, nevertheless Riccardi explained the strategies he introduced would have met that necessity.

Riccardi hopes a even now-pending attractiveness is determined in his favor — and is thinking about filing personal bankruptcy if he loses.

In the meantime, in April 2021, Choose Lizette Colon, who took in excess of the situation after Marrazzo retired, requested Riccardi held in contempt for disobeying courtroom orders to get rid of the rooftop addition.

After a collection of delays, Riccardi was jailed for 10 times in January, court docket papers clearly show. He was released mainly because of overall health difficulties. Over the subsequent months, quite a few extra court hearings ended up held, and Riccardi tried using without luck to uncover a contractor ready to do the work.

“No one particular would like to do it,” said Riccardi’s law firm, Jorge Salva. “No 1 would like to get involved. The home is toxic.”

In late October, Riccardi was sent back again to Rikers beneath an buy Colon issued that cited his “misconduct and disobedience and neglect and refusal to comply” with a orders to remove the illegal addition.

However he’s to be unveiled on Dec. 28, he could be returned to jail if he doesn’t go to deal with the problem, Salva reported.

The condo board “has a vendetta against him,” likely back to when it improperly eliminated him as president of its board, Salva said.

The removing occurred amid a collection of feuds amongst Riccardi and his neighbors.

In 2016, Riccardi sued them, accusing them of falsely alleging he improperly put in equipment in the lobby to “spy” on discussions, misappropriated revenue, and took kickbacks from men and women executing business with the developing — which includes $10,000 from the producers of a Television set exhibit identified as “Mob Wives” that filmed at Ocean Look at.

File reported Riccardi was thoroughly voted off the Ocean Check out board. Riccardi’s neighbors efficiently got the lawsuit discontinued in 2021, court docket papers exhibit.

That scenario is independent from the work by Riccardi’s neighbors’ fit to make him just take down the extension on the Ocean Watch roof.

“It’s pretty much like they’d alternatively see him in jail than the structure taken off,” Salva explained. ‘’This is a civil subject. This is not somebody who intentionally fully commited an offense or refused to obey a subpoena to testify.

“[Riccardi] is fundamentally in debtor’s prison.”

Riccardi, who will be at the rear of bars for both equally Thanksgiving and Christmas, claimed in jailhouse cellphone interview on Friday that individuals he speaks to have a really hard time believing his story.

“They giggle their ass off,” he explained. “They just can’t believe that this happened.

“They’ve by no means found anything like this.”