This article is one of several delayed by my 2023 relocation to Ireland. I clearing my archives by publishing older pieces like this one to catch up on work set aside during that transition.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 18, 2025) — Louis Apicella, a former New Rochelle Board of Education painter, pleaded guilty to a violation of disorderly conduct in November 2023, following a 2022 incident where he harassed and attempted to run over journalist Robert Cox after a court appearance in New Rochelle City Court, according to court records and communications from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Apicella pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct with a 1 year conditional discharge and a stay of sealing for the period of one year.
Apicella, 46 at the time of the incident, confronted Cox on Jan. 19, 2022, during an arraignment for shoplifting charges at New Rochelle City Court. Cox, publisher of Talk of the Sound, was covering Apicella’s case involving the theft of steaks from a ShopRite on Nov. 19, 2021. Apicella aggressively questioned Cox in the courtroom, asking, “Why are you using my name?” and “You got a problem with me?” before following him out of the courthouse, down a hallway, staircase, and through the front doors.
The harassment escalated when Apicella, driving a black Cadillac sedan with Connecticut plates, shouted threats at Cox on North Avenue, including, “I’m going to get you,” Cox reported. Moments later, at the intersection of Garden Street and North Avenue, Apicella attempted to strike Cox with his vehicle, missing him by about one foot. Apicella later told police, “If I wanted to hit him, I would have,” while claiming Cox “started it” in the courtroom.
Apicella was arrested on Feb. 7, 2022, and charged with Harassment-1st, a misdemeanor, and Harassment-2nd, a violation. The case, initially handled in New Rochelle City Court, was transferred to Mount Vernon City Court.
Apicella insisted on a jury trial, delaying proceedings, but ultimately accepted a plea deal for disorderly conduct with a one-year conditional discharge.
Apicella’s criminal history spans years, painting a picture of repeated legal troubles. In 2018, New York State Police arrested him for possessing 46.3 grams of marijuana and a 500 ml bottle of concentrated cannabis oil during a traffic stop on I-95 in New Rochelle, charging him with criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. A law enforcement source described him as “a sloppy criminal,” earning him the nickname “Sloppy Louie.”
Apicella’s tenure at the New Rochelle Board of Education was marked by allegations of misconduct. In 2015, Talk of the Sound reported Apicella’s connections to Andrew Zayac, convicted in 2011 for the 2009 kidnapping and murder of Edward Rivera in a drug deal involving 68 pounds of marijuana. Sources told Cox that Apicella partnered with Zayac on drug deals, allegedly selling cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy on school grounds. Apicella was also linked to Vincent “Vinnie Limo” Zarcone, a Gambino crime family associate, and accused of running illegal poker games in Harrison while on district time.
Cox, who founded Talk of the Sound in 2008 to expose local corruption, faced repeated threats from Apicella. In 2011, Apicella threatened Cox and his wife at Quaker Ridge Shopping Center, later apologizing publicly for frightening Cox’s wife. Cox alleged Apicella used the pseudonymous account “RickyRat” on Talk of the Sound to make threats, including following Cox on Webster Avenue in 2012 with his car lights off. Cox also reported seven incidents of vandalism, including nails driven into his car tires and eggs thrown at his house, which he attributed to Apicella, possibly with Little Jimmy Bonanno, another district employee.
Apicella’s actions occurred amid broader scrutiny of the New Rochelle school district. In 2014, a Vigilant Resources International investigation targeted Apicella and others, including James Bonanno Sr., for corruption. Cox’s reporting contributed to a federal investigation that led to the conviction of John Gallagher, head of the district’s facilities department, for a bribery and kickback scheme involving Mauro Zonzini and Aramark.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
RELATED:
Former New Rochelle Board of Education Employee Arrested for Attempting to Run Over Local Journalist
Former New Rochelle Schools Employee, Louis “Sloppy” Apicella, Arrested for Stealing from Costco
New Rochelle School Foreman Arrested by New York State Police for Drug Possession
New Rochelle Board of Education: Criminal Enterprise Masquerading as an Educational Institution – Part XII (Apicella and Drug Dealer Murder Case)
TOTS Report’s Notebook: January 30, 2015 (District Buildings & Grounds Employees Called on the Carpet)
