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Busted! Cops ticket illegally parked van outside Trump diplo crony’s Gramercy townhouse

BY MARY REINHOLZ | Demonstrating that no one is above the law, 13th Precinct traffic cops slapped a summons on a white van illegally parked in a metered two-hour zone outside the self-described “diplomatic residence” in Gramercy of Paolo Zampolli, a Trump crony and United Nations ambassador to Dominica. The van sported New York State Excelsior license plates.

Zampolli’s black Mercedes with diplomat plates was not parked at the time of the ticketing outside his townhouse at 119 E. 17th St., between Union Square East and Irving Place.

Zampolli, 51, has long flouted New York City traffic laws by cordoning off space on a public street with police-style metal crowd-control barriers as reported by The Village Sun earlier this month.

“Hopefully, this will help rectify the ongoing problem,” said William Farley, a 13th Precinct Neighborhood Coordination Officer, who heads traffic enforcement for the unit at the precinct, at 230 E. 21st St.

Farley noted earlier that he has already reached out to the precinct’s internal unit that deals exclusively with diplomats.

“Last I spoke to them,” he said, “they stated they would be handling the situation.”

The Village Sun reported that Zampolli’s neighbors had complained about his parking behavior. Soon after the article appeared, a white van showed up and parked directly behind his black SUV. It appeared to be a doubling down by the diplomat and realtor, a former modeling agent, in defiance of a city traffic regulation against “reserving” a parking space on a public street via “any box, can, crate, handcart dolly or any other device.”

9 Comments

  1. mary reinholz mary reinholz October 27, 2021

    A. Antonio, It’s well known that Dominica’s Prime Mininister Roosevelt Skerritt appointed Zampolli ambasaddor to the commonwealth’s permanent mission to the UN in 2013 and as an ambassador of its Oceans and Seas. So I don’t understand why you seem to think this event was fraudulently presented. The UN can be faulted for too quickly approving such appointments. If you wish to discuss this matter further, feel free to email me at maryr19@hotmail.com

  2. A Antonio A Antonio October 23, 2021

    Dear Mary Reinholz,
    Paolo Zampolli is NOT United Nations ambassador to Dominica BUT an ambassador of Dominica to the United Nations.
    For further details you can contact the UN Blue Book or The Permanent Mission of Dominica to the UN at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H , ph- 212-949-0853 or dominicaun@gmail.com
    Or the UN legal department gld@un.org

    • mary reinholz mary reinholz October 24, 2021

      Thank you for this information. I’ve seen the diplomatic title of Paolo Zampolli described both ways. I’ve tried to get information from the Permanent Mission of Dominica to the UN at 800 Second Ave., but had no luck in determining how Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent and current realtor born in Italy, was qualified to become an ambassador of Dominica to the United Nations. I was referred to Dominica itself and appreciate these additional contacts. Perhaps they can shed light on why Ambassador Zampolli feels he has the right to reserve parking space illegally on a public street with the use of city barricades.

      • A Antonio A Antonio October 25, 2021

        Mary Ah dear Mary, always not so quite contrary….do you have an email or cell no. ……and you make me think a priori
        I think you should contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Dominica, 4th Floor, Financial Centre, Kennedy Avenue, Roseau, Dominica
        Tel: (767) 266 3276
        Fax: (767) 448 5200
        E-mail: foreignaffairs@dominica.gov.dm
        Could it be the case that the gentleman was never appointed formally by Dominica and instead of the Foreign Ministry of Dominica, the ex-Permanent Representative of Dominica to the UN arranged for a UN Pass with the title of Ambassador by simply filling the form and submitting to the UN. Diplomats are also about quid pro quo especially in a fast paced city like NY.
        So the Foreign Ministry has no records or ideas whatsoever of the ploy, and the gentleman gets accredited as an ambassador to gallivant across the UN and NY. The matter needs a diligent investigation.
        Dominica has a new Permanent Rep to the UN now Ms. Loreen Ruth Bannis-Robert. Perhaps you should try to meet her to get more details.
        You can also contact Ms. Hagl at the UN Legal Department hagl@un.org or the official spokesperson of the UN SG Mr. Stéphane Dujarric 917 622 7652 about the matter which can turn out to be a Diplomatic Pandora’s box.

        • mary reinholz mary reinholz October 26, 2021

          Yes, A. Antonio, I’m familiar with the credentials of Ms. Loreen Ruth Bananis-Robert. However, the U.S. State Department and the Mayor’s Office for International affairs inform me that the controversial ambassador you describe is in fact an accredited diplomat. I do appreciate these additional contacts. I would also like to know more about you and your credentials, including a full spelling of your first name.

          • A. Antonio A. Antonio October 26, 2021

            Si, Mary Reinholz, but I try to avoid adjectives and adverbs in my descriptions, and am very careful about my Ps and Qs.
            I did not describe the ambassador as ‘controversial’ but yes he seems to have quite a boisterous character.  
            What the U.S. State Department and the Mayor’s Office for International affairs describe is correct de-facto and based on the information available to them but is it correct de-jure ???
            Anyone who gets mentioned in the UN Blue Book will be construed as an accredited diplomat whether by the U.S. State Department or the Mayor’s Office for International affairs.
            But was the appointment made by the Government of Dominica through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs through due process or did someone just fill the required forms for accredited diplomats and submit them at the UN’s protocol office? And lo and behold, one gets a UN diplomatic pass and a mention in the UN Blue Book.
            The confirmation done by the U.S. State Department and the Mayor’s Office for International affairs is based on the accreditation at the UN and the mention of the name in the UN Blue Book.
            The issue here is whether the accreditation is genuine or not, and that cannot be confirmed either by the U.S. State Department or the Mayor’s Office for International affairs.
            And that’s what you have to explore.
            Of course you will know more about me when we meet over a cup of coffee during one of the weekends or on some sunny day ‘Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.
            Meanwhile, keep smiling through, just like you always do 🙂

  3. Alan Flacks Alan Flacks October 19, 2021

    Diplomats ought not flout the law, but be scrupulous in setting an example in obeying the law. Perhaps such scofflaw vehicles should be ticketed and then immediately towed to and placed aboard a barge anchored in the East River off the United Nations.

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