(The Epoch Times)—Police have identified the man who set himself on fire in a park outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump’s business record falsification trial was taking place, with officials reviewing whether to restrict access to Collect Pond Park following the incident.
Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, was identified by officials with the New York Police Department (NYPD) at an April 19 press conference as the man who entered the park, tossed what police said were some “conspiracy theory-type” pamphlets in the air, doused himself in a flammable liquid, and set himself ablaze.
Mr. Azzarello survived the inferno, which raged for about a minute before police arrived on the scene and put it out, NYPD said. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Police said a preliminary review of the pamphlets indicated that they were related to “Ponzi schemes, and the fact that some of our local educational institutions are fronts for the mob,” with NYPD officials adding that they don’t believe he was targeting any particular person or group with his shocking act.
“We just right now label his as sort of a conspiracy theorist, and we’re going from there, but the investigation will continue,” one of NYPD officials said.
Mr. Azzarello was photographed by a Reuters reporter one day earlier holding up a sign that says, “Trump is with Biden and they’re about to fascist coup us.” Photos from the scene shared on social media indicate he brought the sign with him on Friday to the scene of his self-immolation.
“We’re looking through his social media and what he did online prior and it appears that he did post something in regards to this event prior to the incident,” an NYPD official said at the presser.
The Epoch Times has uncovered what appears to be an online manifesto written by Mr. Azzarello entitled, “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial,” which was the last of a series of posts apparently written by the self-identified “investigative researcher.” In the manifesto, he claimed to have stumbled upon an “urgent and important discovery” that he wanted to draw attention to in what he described as “an act of revolution.”
As more information comes to light about Mr. Azzarello and what motivated his actions, a picture emerges of an apparently psychologically distressed individual espousing far-left anarchistic ideas.
“Start a [expletive] revolution, start a [expletive] revolution, start a [expletive] revolution, you’ve got nothing to lose,” Mr. Azzarello sings in a video posted on social media, to the tune of Louis Armstrong’s “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
An apparent scraping of Mr. Azzarello’s Reddit history indicates he identified as an “Anarcho-Communist” and wrote that he’s a “huge proponent of left unity” and believed that “only the left has the power to build a united movement to enact meaningful change.”
Some of his writings reportedly included a rant against President Trump.
The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify whether the posts were written by Mr. Azzarello, who allegedly drove a vehicle emblazoned with a phrase that repeatedly shows up in his writings—“fascist coup”—and featured the name of his Substack blog, “Ponzi Papers.”
‘Ponzi Papers’
Mr. Azzarello’s shocking self-immolation was captured on video, which showed him kneeling on the ground and holding his head with his hands as the flames engulfed him.
“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 wrote in his manifesto.
He called his self-immolation an “extreme act of protest” meant 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,” he wrote.
“These claims sound like fantastical conspiracy theory, but they are not. They are proof of conspiracy. If you investigate this mountain of research, you will prove them too,” he claimed.
In a series of 27 posts that comprise his “Ponzi Papers,” Mr. Azzarello lays out a meandering, digressive, and often incoherent case for why he believes that a shadowy group of “international criminal billionaires” seeking money, power, and control are secretly plotting to carry out a “fascist coup” by way of the “largest criminal enterprise in history,” namely an elaborate Ponzi scheme involving various Big Tech-related platforms, projects, and people.
Stitching together disparate events and names into a labyrinthine and often logic-defying mosaic—from the Dot Com Bubble to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to the death of Jeffrey Epstein—Mr. Azzarello eventually arrives at what he calls “The True History of The World (Haunted Carnival Edition),” a pamphlet that claims cryptocurrency is a multi-trillion dollar Ponzi scheme (“an economic doomsday device”) that will “shatter the world economy” when it collapses.
In the pamphlet—which apparently was the same one he tossed into the air before setting himself on fire—Mr. Azzarello elucidates his overarching aim, which is to abolish the government and replace it with a nebulous-sounding one that “serves all.”
Police confirmed at the press conference that, before he set himself on fire, Mr. Azzarello pulled out some pamphlets that an NYPD official described as propaganda-based, “almost like a conspiracy theory type pamphlet.”
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“Some information in regards to Ponzi schemes, and the fact that some of our local educational institutions are fronts for the mob,” one of the investigators said at the presser.
“So a little bit of a conspiracy theory going on here,” the official added.
Mr. Azzarello’s family has been notified, police said, adding that the incident remains under investigation.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
