Graffiti Vandal Indicted In Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan
BY LINDA J. WILSON

In September 2006 the New York City Police Department Transit Bureau Special Investigations Unit began an investigation of a graffiti vandal with the tag of "ket" who was defacing trains and stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

The unit developed information pursuant to its investigation that led to the execution of a search warrant in October 2006 at the Upper Manhattan home of Alain Mariduena.

Items seized from the search warrant included, but were not limited to, spray paint cans, spray paint nozzles, markers, marijuana and brass knuckles.

Mariduena, a 36-year-old Hispanic man, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Over the past five months the Special Investigations Unit has been working with the District Attorneys' offices of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens and secured indictments of Mariduena in all three boroughs for 11 incidents of felony criminal mischief that occurred from 2004 through 2006.

Mariduena was rearrested on March 6 at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, where he surrendered with his lawyer.

City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., chair of the council Public Safety Committee, who has made graffiti vandalism a prime target during his time in office, promptly linked Mariduena with Mark Ecko, a fashion designer who had promoted "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure", a video game that Vallone felt glorified graffiti vandalism. In July 2005, Ecko had scheduled a block party promoting the game that Vallone tried unsuccessfully

to block.

"Maybe this guy was showing off what

Police found racks of spray paint in

he learned at his boss' fake subway car

the West 218th Street, Manhattan

graffiti fest," Vallone commented of

home of alleged graffiti vandal Alain

Mariduena. "It's clear that neither Mark

Mariduena when they executed a

Ecko nor his associates care about the difference

search warrant

between real art and vandalism. We can see the writing on the wall, or I should say, subway: all Mark Ecko cares about is promoting criminal behavior for commercial profit. Now we know why Ecko's attorney spends so much effort trying to keep graffiti tools on the street: so he can make money defending kids when they are arrested for using them."

"I have no knowledge of the case," Ecko replied in a statement of his own. "However, I do consider myself a good friend of Alain's, and as a matter of policy, I don't comment on friends' personal lives. As always, if the city is denying personal liberties or unfairly targeting its youth, I will consider utilizing my personal resources to fight it." Ecko is founder and chief creative officer of Mark Ecko Enterprises.