ROCHESTER, NEW YORK: Dentist Nicholas Nicosia, who was accused of hosting a racist Juneteenth party, claimed he recently received a threatening note in the mail.
The note arrived on July 3, which happened to be the same day as his mother's funeral. The note was sent to his dental practice in Rochester, New York.
The message included a threat to the lives of his sons and his wife, even suggesting that "suicide would be the right thing to do." By this time, Nicosia had already endured nearly a year of being targeted as a hate figure.
Who is Nicholas Nicosia?
Nicholas Nicosia, 63, is a dentist who has been leading his practice for two decades. He is the second generation of the Nicosia family involved in the business. Dr Nicosia's practice combines advanced technology with a patient-centered approach.
He also serves as the team dentist for professional and collegiate sports teams in Rochester. His specialties include comprehensive restorative dental care, various aspects of cosmetic and restorative treatments, as well as sports dentistry.
Nicosia faced public backlash when he was accused of hosting a racially insensitive Juneteenth event in New York. Labeled as a bigot and racist, he endured harassment and threats, leading to his "cancellation."
However, Nicosia vehemently denies the allegations. In retaliation, he filed a lawsuit against attorney Nathan McMurray and politician Rachel Barnhart for defamation. He claims they orchestrated a damaging "hate crime hoax."
'This is a story that needs to be told'
Nicosia is determined to clear his name, seeking legal remedy to counter the harm inflicted on his personal and professional life. Speaking to Daily Mail, Nicosia said, "Do I expect a lot of apologies? No. Will I get my life back? No. But I think this is a story that needs to be told."
"I remained silent, and it made no difference, I was canceled just the same and brought up again and again. My wife is afraid to put the trash out. My sons had to shut down all their social media. I've been removed from every local organization I volunteered for or was on the board of," he claimed.
"Our house was staked out. My practice bombarded with letters and phone calls, my staff intimidated and threatened. There's something every month and when I got that note, the day of my mother's funeral, it was just the final straw," Nicosia added.
"This has to stop. This relentless smear campaign, this mob mentality, and cancel culture that has nothing to do with the facts," he stated.
According to Nicosia, his wife Mary arranged a small gathering for some friends and their partners at their residence in Rochester on July 7. "It wasn't a themed party but playful fun, there were elements a bit like a Saturday Night Live skit perhaps," Nicosia said.
"There were pictures of local woke politicians, but nothing remotely sexual [as was later alleged] and certainly nothing mocking Juneteenth or in any way racist. The party was held in July!" she added.
Nicosia clarified that his wife holds conservative political views, while he is a registered Democrat who sometimes switches to being an Independent. He also noted that he once made a $1,000 contribution to support La'Ron Singletary, a black congressional candidate running as a Republican.
Nicosia acknowledged that the event was not one that would necessarily suit everyone's preferences. However, he clarified that it was a small, private patio gathering that wasn't meant for wider attention.
As mentioned in his lawsuit, an attendee brought a friend along, Fire Captain Jeff Krywy, whom Nicosia was unfamiliar with. Captain Krywy had his on-duty fire crew, consisting of four firefighters, including Jerrod Jones, who is black.
However, there were no improper or inappropriate incidents that day, Nicosia asserted.
He said, "The fire crew stayed about forty minutes to an hour. We welcomed them, offered them something to eat and drink, thanked them for their service. Fireman Jones seemed relaxed and at ease to me, he was petting our family dog and she doesn't get along with just anybody."
The situation might have ended there, but a lawsuit emerged the subsequent month, filed by attorney McMurray on behalf of Jones against the City and the Fire Department. In this legal action, McMurray alleged that Jones had been compelled to attend the July 7 gathering.
He portrayed it as a racist event with offensive elements, including serving fried chicken under large banners that mocked Juneteenth. The lawsuit also described explicit imagery involving politician Barnhart and depicted the heads of local "woke" politicians on display as if on spikes.
'The allegations were so toxic'
However, Nicosia's lawsuit denies the presence of sexualized images or pictures on "spikes." According to his account, guests were offered a diverse array of food, including two buckets of KFC, pizza, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, and an assortment of desserts and cupcakes.
Nicosia became aware of the accusations on August 3, when McMurray held a press conference to publicize the matter. He recalled, "It happened about one o'clock and my staff were on lunch. They got alerts on their phones and they were like, 'Doctor you're on the news.'"
"That's how I found out. I was caught totally off guard. What they were describing wasn't in any way what happened and my world just turned upside down," he said.
Nicosia added, "Suddenly you're just hit by this absolute public onslaught. The allegations were so toxic and so hard to push back on. They had plenty of time to create the narrative and we had no chance against the organization, the scope and the speed that this all hit. You feel utterly helpless."
