Max Azzarello, a 37-year-old man from St. Augustine, Florida, who set himself alight in front of the New York courtroom where the trial about ex-President Donald Trump’s so-called hush money was taking place, is a self-proclaimed “investigative researcher.” He seemed to exhibit increasing erratic behavior and propagated “elite” conspiracy theories in an extensive manifesto over the past year.
Just before setting himself on fire in Collect Pond Park, Azzarello threw a pile of flyers into the air. These flyers contained links to a Substack newsletter known as “The Ponzi Papers,” which Azzarello appears to have written. The site’s leading article, titled “I have set myself on fire outside of the Trump Trial,” contains a sprawling manifesto filled with conspiracy theories ranging from cryptocurrency and famous actors to COVID-19 and former President Bill Clinton.
In his nearly 2,700-word post, Azzarello claims that his self-immolation is an extreme form of protest meant to shed light on a significant discovery: that we are the victims of a totalitarian scam, and our government, along with numerous allies, is about to unleash an apocalyptic fascist world coup. He also refers to The Simpsons, the 2023 bank failures, and prominent business tycoons like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
Azzarello alleges that both major political parties have flooded the public with various existential threats to create a doomsday scenario. He believes that the “elites” have used fear to accumulate as much wealth as possible before pulling the rug out from under us to pivot to a dreadful fascist dystopia.
Azzarello arrived in New York earlier in the week, unbeknownst to his family. He was photographed outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse holding a sign stating, “Trump is with Biden and they’re about to fascist coup us.” He told reporters that he had come from Washington Square Park because he thought the courthouse would be more crowded due to the cold weather.
Azzarello’s 2017 blog post, which has since been removed, reveals that he was the new growth manager for the nonprofit organization Strong Towns. He hinted at his Long Island, New York, “childhood town” being a “charming, friendly, eclectic community.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Azzarello seemed to co-host a podcast dedicated to actress Laura Dern called the “Dern After Reading Podcast.” His LinkedIn profile picture shows him with Bill Clinton, whom he sued last year, along with 100 other notable defendants, in a conspiracy theory-laden case that was dismissed last October when he failed to submit the necessary court documents.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny described the incident as “propaganda”-based at an NYPD press conference held soon after Azzarello was taken away in an ambulance. This wasn’t targeting any particular person, right now we’re labeling it as a conspiracy theorist, the investigation will continue,” added NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry.
Max Azzarello Arrested for Throwing Wine at Bill Clinton Autograph Arrested After Self-Immolation at Trump Trial
Max Azzarello, a man who recently set himself on fire outside the trial over former President Donald Trump’s hush money, was previously arrested three times in Florida in 2023. His crimes included throwing wine at a framed autograph of Bill Clinton, as per police documents.
Azzarello, 37, was charged with criminal mischief and disturbing the peace in Florida. His series of legal issues started on August 19, 2023, when he reportedly flung a glass of wine at a framed autograph of Bill Clinton in the lobby of the Casa Monica Hotel. The wine stained the autograph and the surrounding wall.
A couple of days later, Azzarello was arrested at the same hotel for stripping down to his underwear and shouting at customers. He was also seen entering a nearby fountain and verbally abusing hotel patrons. His arrest on August 21 followed these incidents.
Azzarello’s third arrest occurred on August 24, when he was caught on CCTV allegedly vandalizing a small sign outside the Little Free Library and a pest control sign in the vicinity. Azzarello was accused of misinterpreting the pest control sign, claiming that it was meant to exterminate children and dogs, according to the police report.
Following his last arrest, police documents noted that Azzarello was suicidal and unemployed. He was detained in the St. Johns County jail until October 3, when he was given a sentence of 180 days probation and released.
Prior to his string of arrests, Azzarello claimed in a Facebook post dated August 9, 2023, that he had spent three days in a psychiatric ward. He also mentioned in an Instagram post four months prior that he had been protesting in St. Augustine, breaching unwritten rules, and encouraging others to join him in his ‘liberation’. He identifies himself as an ‘investigative researcher’ online, though his many posts suggest a tendency towards conspiracy theories.
Unbeknownst to his family, Azzarello travelled to New York last week. Before setting himself on fire, he scattered papers, which comprised printouts of a Substack newsletter he named “The Ponzi Papers.” His last entry was an article titled, “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump trial,” followed by a manifesto containing various conspiracy theories and mentions of prominent figures.
Azzarello had attempted to sue former President Bill Clinton and over a hundred other individuals in a case laden with conspiracy theories. However, the case was swiftly dismissed.
His 2,700-word post began, “My name is Max Azzarello, and I am an investigative researcher who has set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan…”. He asserted that his self-immolation was a form of protest to highlight a supposed imminent ‘apocalyptic fascist world coup’ by the government and its allies.
“This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup.”
Max Azzarello
The arrest records list Azzarello as a resident of St. Augustine, Florida.
