The ‘nightmare neighbor’ accused of terrorizing his black neighbors was seen flashing a smile as he was escorted into a New York City courtroom for a bail hearing Wednesday.
Steven Attanasso, 68, allegedly scrawled ‘n*****’ on his door and has had his disturbing behavior filmed multiple times.
He lives at the Ebbets Field apartment building in Brooklyn and has been caught on surveillance camera threatening to kill and burn his neighbors – and in one instance could be seen brandishing a knife.
DailyMail.com cameras captured as he stood before Judge Danny Chun at Kings County Supreme Court in Downtown Brooklyn.
Attanasso occasionally smiled for the cameras as he was brought in to find out if he would be freed on bail.
Steven Attanasso, the ‘nightmare neighbor’ accused of terrorizing his black neighbors was seen flashing a smile despite being escorted into a New York City courtroom for a bail hearing Wednesday
DailyMail.com cameras captured Attanasso as he stood before Judge Danny Chun at Kings County Supreme Court in Downtown Brooklyn
He was denied bail for the time being as he attempted to pay with a credit card and he was returned to Rikers’ Island.
However, he was told by the judge that if he were able to post the $50,000 bail in cash, he would be set free.
The charges against him include making terroristic threats as a hate crime, which means it’s motivated by racial bias and also faces harassment, weapon possession and disorderly conduct charges.
In September, the 68-year-old appeared to show no remorse for the alleged crimes as he pleaded not guilty.
His attorney argued that it was, in fact,his neighbors who had been harassing him describing the ‘notorious racist’ as ‘frail, not dangerous and should be sent home pending trial.’
‘He’d like to go back to his home, he’ll stay away from his neighbors,’ said attorney Morris Shamuil before the court.
Judge Chun sided with the prosecution who pushed the judge to set bail and order Attanasso to stay away from his own apartment building.
‘He did say he was going to burn and kill all of the neighbors,’ prosecutor Sharmalee Brooks said.
He was denied bail for the time being as he attempted to pay with a credit card and returned to Rikers’ Island
Attanasso was told by the Judge Chun that if he were able to post in cash, he would be set free
Steven Attanasso, 68, who is suspected of arson and accused of terrorizing his black neighbors has been ordered to stay away from his New York City apartment as he faces new hate crime charges
Judge Chun set bail at $50,000 but it remains unclear if Attanasso would be able to pay that amount
Attanasso who scrawled ‘n*****’ on his door and has had his disturbing behavior filmed multiple times was charged in a grand jury indictment unsealed on Monday at the Supreme Court in Downtown Brooklyn
Judge Chun stated there was a ‘full stay away order’ meaning the suspect could only return home to collect his belongings with police supervision.
The 68-year-old’s attorney appealed to the judge to reconsider explaining it would leave Attanasso homeless.
It was a relief to neighbors however, who have resorted to outlandish methods to stay safe.
‘I slept with a fire extinguisher next to my bed,’ neighbor Tony Armstrong said.
‘Who wants to live under threat of violence because of the color of your skin?’
The heinous behavior was first uncovered by the NBC New York I-Team as the NYPD investigated a fatal arson attack in April of which Attanasso is the prime suspect.
For more than a year neighbors have been documenting Attanasso’s unhinged behavior including catching him on camera waving a knife around the halls, slamming their doors with a hammer and shouting racial slurs.
‘He’ll scream ‘Ahhh, f*** you n****s, I’m gonna kill you,’ a neighbor named Raquel revealed to the outlet during their investigation.
The outlet revealed that neighbors had spent close to a year making 911 calls about Attanasso’s alleged threats and violent behavior.
In April, Attanasso was caught on tape saying: ‘Black people, we’re gonna burn you. Right now you’re really brown, when we get done with you you’ll be black’
Three days later, police said a suspicious fire was set in the hallway using a mattress from inside Attanasso’s apartment – he is the only suspect in the investigation but no charges have been laid
Despite multiple arrests and trips to a psychiatric hospital the nightmare neighbor continued to be released each time.
The fire led to the death of 66-year-old black veteran Roderick Coley
In April, Attanasso was caught on tape saying: ‘Black people, we’re gonna burn you. Right now you’re really brown, when we get done with you you’ll be black.’
Three days later, police told the outlet a suspicious fire was set in the hallway using a mattress from inside Attanasso’s apartment.
The fire led to the death of 66-year-old black veteran Roderick Coley. The NYPD have said Attanasso is their only suspect in the matter but no arson charges have been filed because there were no eyewitnesses, multiple law enforcement sources told the I-Team.
Neighbors said they have been ‘living in fear’ as there ‘never seem to be any consequences.’
‘I’m not holding my breath because is this gonna be like it was the last time, he went in for a couple hours and then comes back out,’ Beverly Newsome, a tenants association president, told the outlet.
The matter is still under investigation.