The marquee sign at a shuttered Sunnyside movie theater was altered for the third time this year with the perpetrators taking yet another shot at landlord and political candidate John Ciafone.
“Ciafone Lost Again, Long Live Radical Communism,” the sign reads, referring to Ciafone’s unsuccessful run Tuesday in the Democratic primary to represent the 22nd Council District in Astoria.
The latest message comes just months after the perpetrators targeted him by putting up signage that read “Death by Speculation, Starring Limpdick Landlord.”
The harsh messages directed toward Ciafone, however, largely stem from his ownership of the 42-17 Queens Blvd. building containing the movie theater. The site has been vacant for about 6 years, although he plans to develop it in the future.
This time the perpetrators sent an e-mail to the media — explaining their behavior.
“Sunnyside Soyboy Strikes Center Cinemas Again,” the e-mail reads, which comes from the address sunnysidesoyboy@gmail.com.
Ciafone told the Queens Post that the perpetrators put up the latest sign at 3:30 a.m. today. He said that his video footage shows that it is the same people who targeted him in January.
He said he doesn’t have footage of the people who put up the pro-Palestine message, although given what’s involved in putting the marquee signage up he believes it is the same people.
“These people should be ashamed of themselves,” Ciafone said. “Don’t they have anything better to do?”
Ciafone, an attorney, described them as “radicals.”
“These people are anti-American,” he said. “The deface private property and try to stop free speech.”
“They hate the police, hate this country, hate Jewish people, hate everyone and are anti-development and against gentrification,” Ciafone said. “These people are destructive not constructive — and they want to take us back to the ’70s and ’80s when the city was saddled with crime.”
Gentrification is not a good thing Johnny. This is why your marquee is such an easy target.
