NEW YORK CITY — A Staten Island man is suing the City of New York after being sued for noise pollution for driving his Lamborghini outside the Lincoln Tunnel.
In late 2023, Anthony Aquilino was driving west on West 41st Street when he was caught on camera just before the Lincoln Tunnel, earning him a hefty fine.
Aquilino says the $800 fine is unfair because he never made any modifications to improve the car’s sound, and the only way to avoid future fines is to sell his most prized possession.
“As you can see, the car is now in the condition in which Lamborghini delivered it from Italy to America,” said Aquilino.
Over the past two years, the city has quietly installed “noise cameras” in the five boroughs. These are designed to detect loud cars and trucks and punish violations – just like radar devices do for speeding drivers.
Proponents of the cameras say noise is noise.
“The noise camera program was implemented to detect any vehicle that is disturbing the local community,” said City Councilman Keith Powers in a statement. “New Yorkers have a right to a quiet night’s sleep, and that is exactly what our program is designed to do.”
Aquilino is suing the city and demanding an exemption. If he loses, he says he will probably stop driving in the city.
But in his opinion it should not come to that.
“I can’t change that. I can stop speeding, but I can’t stop the car from making a certain noise – especially when you’re driving at normal speed,” Aquilino said.
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