Staten Island driver Anthony Aquilino is suing over an $800 noise ticket he received while driving his $315,000 Lamborghini Huracan Performante. Aquilino claims the fine should be dropped because the car is not modified to increase its engine noise and is legal to drive in New York City. The insurance broker and self-proclaimed “car addict” argues that the city’s law only allows tickets for cars purposefully modified to make them louder. However, his 2018 Lamborghini Huracan has a loud engine by its factory design, making it legally compliant to drive in the Big Apple.
The ticket Aquilino received states that he must pay $800 for the first offense, with fines increasing to $1,700 for the second offense and $2,700 for the third offense. The insurance broker contends that this fine amount is unreasonable, especially if the city plans to install these cameras across all five boroughs.
In his lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court, Aquilino states that since he did not modify his car to produce more noise, he cannot legally be held accountable for any noise it produces. His suit also points out that his Lamborghini passes inspection every year and is legal to drive on city streets.
The only remedy would be to sell the vehicle,” Aquilino told The Post. How else do you fight the fine.
Since he did not intentionally modify his car to make it louder, he feels that the city should not fine him for any noise generated by his unmodified supercar. In an effort to further prove that his car is unmodified, Aquilino even took it to a Lamborghini dealership in Manhattan six weeks after receiving the ticket.
Aquilino did not ’cause or permit’ the total sound from the vehicle to exceed the sound level restrictions,” the suit reads, “as he did not modify the vehicle in any way and operated the vehicle in an ordinary and reasonable manner.
Council Member Keith Powers, who pushed for the expansion of noise cameras citywide with a bill dubbed the “Stop Spreading the Noise Act”, has made statements in the past that seem to support Aquilino’s position. However, on Monday, Powers told The Post that the cameras will target all noisy operators, regardless of whether the decibels are due to any modifications.
The noise camera program was instituted to address any vehicle that is disrupting the local community by violating city and state laws related to noise,” Powers said in a statement. New Yorkers have a right to a peaceful night of sleep, and that’s what our program aims to achieve.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection, which controls the noise-detecting cameras, did not respond to a request for comment. The city’s law department told The Post it would be reviewing Aquilino’s suit.
Aquilino purchased his used Lamborghini in 2021 with cash, trading in a purple Porsche 911 valued at $185,000. He also owns a Cadillac and a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Despite receiving two tickets for running a red light and speeding in a school zone on the same day as the noise ticket, Aquilino maintains that he was not driving recklessly or being excessively noisy when he received the fine.
