Montauk Man Jailed for Swastika Graffiti 

A 76-year-old man was sentenced on Nov. 14 to five days in jail for spray-painting antisemitic graffiti across several locations in his hometown of Montauk two years ago.

Michael Nicholoulias had pleaded guilty at Suffolk County court in August to charges of harassment as a hate crime and criminal mischief. Suffolk County Judge Steven Pilewski also sentenced Nicholoulias to three years of probation. Nicholoulias had faced up to four years in prison.

East Hampton Town Police officers patrolling the downtown area had discovered the hateful words and symbols scrawled on Bounce Beach Montauk, an oceanfront restaurant on South Emerson Avenue on Nov. 11, 2023 police have said. That incident came nearly two weeks after similar graffiti was found at food trailers, a sign and utility equipment near Ditch Plains Beach as well as outside Naturally Good Foods, a health food store downtown, and Sausages Pizza, at the rear of the buildings on Main Street in Montauk, triggering a peace rally condemning the antisemitism spree.

Police and prosecutors have said Nicholoulias was identified as the owner of a distinct PT Cruiser that connected to the incidents, and he was caught in the act of spray painting a swastika on a bench moments before he was apprehended.

The incidents come amid a spike in reports of antisemitic crimes weeks after Hamas terrorists massacred and kidnapped Israeli civilians in a surprise attack that prompted the Israeli military to respond with a counter offensive aimed at Gaza.