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Comedian Who Filmed Staten Island Clown Denies Part in Hoax

By Nicholas Rizzi | March 26, 2014 7:25am
 A mysterious clown holding balloons has been spotted around the streets of Staten Island.
Staten Island Clown
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NEW SPRINGVILLE — The Staten Island clown is no laughing matter.

Comedian Vic Dibitetto, who posted an expletive-laced video after seeing the clown on Richmond Avenue last week, said he has no idea what the clown is up to — and if his creepy appearance in the borough is a publicity ploy, then the funnyman has no part of it.

"If it is [a hoax] it's a damn good one," Dibitetto said. "They're doing a damn good job at hiding it from me."

The New York Post reported that the pictures of the clown wearing a yellow outfit, red shoes and a mask  might be linked to Staten Island film company Fuzz on the Lens Productions.

Up until Monday night, all of the video and photo evidence of the clown — who resembles Stephen King's terrifying character Pennywise from "It," — were posted to social media by people connected to the company.

One of the photos was posted by Michael Levy, a filmmaker with the company.

Dibitetto acknowledged he played a bit part as a gynecologist for one of the Fuzz on the Lens' movies, and was even driving home from filming when he saw the clown on Richmond Avenue.

But he repeatedly denied that he had any part in a promotional campaign.

"I do not know if the clown is part of these guys or not," he said. "I guess I was at the right at the place at the right time."

He said that he was driving when he spotted the clown, made a quick U-turn, got out his cellphone and captured video of the clown waving to him.

"I heard something vaguely about some idiot walking around in a clown suit," he said. "I made a U-turn and came around. I was cursing like a real Staten Islander."

Fuzz on the Lens, Levy and the two others who posted pictures of the clown, Vin Innocente and Robert Privitera, did not respond to requests for comments for this story. Levy wouldn't confirm or deny he's behind the hoax to BuzzFeed.

"All I can say is that if people want to believe it’s me or my production company they can feel free to do so, I won’t complain, confirm or deny," he said.

"Apparently he was seen last night by more islanders. It’s a small island so a lot of people know each other, it’s just how it is. Especially if it’s a well known production company as active in the community as we, a lot of people would have some ties to each other. It’s bound to happen."