Another swastika incident reported on Staten Island: Man, 64, accused of graffiti on Jewish group’s van

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 64-year-old man defaced a van used by a Jewish volunteer public-safety group with anti-Semitic graffiti in his home community of Meiers Corners, authorities allege.

Lloyd Zamichow of Kell Avenue was arrested on Sept. 22 in connection with the incident that allegedly occurred on Sept. 1 around 2:05 p.m. on the 500 block of Buchanan Avenue, according to the criminal complaint.

The arrest was based on an investigation by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.

Zamichow “drew a swastika inside a Star of David on the rear passenger door” of a van used by Shmira Community Services, the complaint alleges.

Staten Island Shmira operates a safety patrol on the borough and maintains a presence on Facebook and other social-media platforms.

Operating in our borough since 2015, Staten Island Safety Patrol (SISP Shmira) provides services that include search and rescue, safety patrols, event security, emergency-disaster assistance and recovery, according to the group’s website.

Zamichow has been charged with aggravated harassment, criminal mischief and making graffiti.

An attorney for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CAMPAIGN SIGN VANDALIZED WITH SWASTIKA

The Meiers Corners incident was at least the second involving a swastika reported in September on Staten Island amid the Jewish holidays.

A Max Rose campaign sign was defaced with the symbol in West Brighton, just feet away from a local temple.

In that incident, the swastika, drawn in black ink beside the word “No,” ran through the name of the former congressman, who is Jewish. It was discovered by a neighborhood resident near the corner of Forest Avenue and Hart Boulevard, located close to Temple Israel Reform Congregation.

Rose, who has been a vocal fighter of domestic anti-Semitism, said the swastika is a symptom of the nation’s divisiveness and vowed to leave the sign in its place.

“I’m sick and tired of this disgusting threat in our society — this division and this hate and this vitriol — people being hidden from it,” Rose told the Advance/SILive.com. “People need to see what we could become if we don’t come together and unite and put the flag first, so no — we’re not taking it down.”

On Sept. 22, Rose joined local interfaith clergy, law-enforcement officials and members of the Jewish community for a rally in West Brighton to denounce the image on the campaign sign.

Rose is running for his former seat in Congress against current Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn).

NAZI-THEME FLYER LANDS IN MAILBOX

In another incident, a Jewish man from Staten Island expressed outrage after an individual put a flyer referencing Nazis in his mailbox during the Jewish New Year holiday, Rosh Hashana.

Charlie Greinsky of Dongan Hills told the Advance/SILive.com that he received the disturbing flyer on Monday.

“This guy shows up to my house, I see him looking through my door and he walks away,” Greinsky recalled. “I open the door and I ask him, ‘can I help you?’ He says ‘no’ and tells me he put something in my mailbox.”

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