A Notorious Landowner Erects Fencing to Block Access to Bay Area Beach and Threatens Trespassers with Violence.
In a bizarre and brazen move, notorious Bay Area fraudster "Lucky" Luke Brugnara has fenced off a popular pathway to Thornton State Beach in San Mateo County, effectively shutting down access to the 58-acre public beachfront. The fence, which stands at an imposing 8 feet tall, is accompanied by a menacing cardboard sign bearing a crudely drawn image of a gun and the warning "trespasser(s) will be shot!!".
Brugnara's move has left locals stunned and authorities perplexed, with San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa describing the situation as "amazing how he's just put these fences up and said, 'Sorry, no access for you'". The 62-year-old Brugnara, a former real estate developer with a long rap sheet of crimes including mail and wire fraud, tax evasion, and making death threats, has been released from federal prison just last year after serving nearly nine years behind bars.
The land on which the fence stands was purchased by a trust tied to Brugnara in December, raising questions about the legitimacy of his claim to the property. It is unclear whether his arrest on January 22 for erecting the fence is related to the incident or simply a coincidence.
Brugnara's history of deceit and dishonesty stretches back years, with regulators denying him a gambling license in Las Vegas after he made death threats and failed to keep records. In 2015, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for ordering $11 million worth of fine art from an art dealer, claiming the items were gifts.
As one local noted, "It's like San Quentin is right there on our doorstep." The Daly City Council plans to consider referring the fence issue to the California Coastal Commission, which has more expertise in handling beach access.
In a bizarre and brazen move, notorious Bay Area fraudster "Lucky" Luke Brugnara has fenced off a popular pathway to Thornton State Beach in San Mateo County, effectively shutting down access to the 58-acre public beachfront. The fence, which stands at an imposing 8 feet tall, is accompanied by a menacing cardboard sign bearing a crudely drawn image of a gun and the warning "trespasser(s) will be shot!!".
Brugnara's move has left locals stunned and authorities perplexed, with San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa describing the situation as "amazing how he's just put these fences up and said, 'Sorry, no access for you'". The 62-year-old Brugnara, a former real estate developer with a long rap sheet of crimes including mail and wire fraud, tax evasion, and making death threats, has been released from federal prison just last year after serving nearly nine years behind bars.
The land on which the fence stands was purchased by a trust tied to Brugnara in December, raising questions about the legitimacy of his claim to the property. It is unclear whether his arrest on January 22 for erecting the fence is related to the incident or simply a coincidence.
Brugnara's history of deceit and dishonesty stretches back years, with regulators denying him a gambling license in Las Vegas after he made death threats and failed to keep records. In 2015, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for ordering $11 million worth of fine art from an art dealer, claiming the items were gifts.
As one local noted, "It's like San Quentin is right there on our doorstep." The Daly City Council plans to consider referring the fence issue to the California Coastal Commission, which has more expertise in handling beach access.
I mean, I get it, someone wants to keep their property private and all, but this is just ridiculous! 
They're basically saying "get outta my yard" and then threaten people with violence if they don't listen. What's next, putting up a speed bump on the highway?! 
It's just not right.
. I mean, fencing off a public beach and threatening people with violence? That's just insane 
. The fence itself is already a big deal, but adding the threat of violence takes it to a whole new level 
.
. It's not right that one guy can just dictate how people use public land without facing any consequences 
.
and the local reaction is just priceless - "it's like San Quentin is right there on our doorstep" lol yeah no kidding, dude! 
I'm so sick of it. The idea that someone could just come along and block off a public beach like that is just wild. And what really gets me is that he thinks he can get away with it because he's got some fancy lawyer or something. Newsflash, dude: you may have gotten away with stuff in the past, but this time you've gone too far. The fact that he's got a long history of deceit and dishonesty just makes him look even more sketchy. 
Who needs government regulations and public access when you can have private security? The guy's clearly a visionary. I mean, who needs to pay taxes or follow the law if it means protecting your property from pesky beachgoers? And let's be real, a cardboard sign with a crude drawing of a gun is totally legit, right? 
But honestly, can't we just cut the middleman and let private citizens take matters into their own hands? I mean, who needs government oversight when you've got a clever entrepreneur like Brugnara leading the way? 
news! So Lucky Luke Brugnara thinks he can just fence off a public beach and threaten people with violence? like what even is that?! 
He's got a history of mail and wire fraud, tax evasion, and making death threats - you'd think the authorities would be all over this by now. And now he's released from prison last year and just goes ahead and builds a fence?! 
. And now he's just waltzing back into his life and doing whatever he wants? It's just not right.
. Meanwhile, we're over here like "dude, you've got a long rap sheet, maybe check if you actually own the property first?" 
. It's like, we get it, Brugnara's got a bad rep, but do we really need to see this guy in action again? 
I'm kinda rooting for this guy, who needs community when you've got your own fenced-off kingdom?
hopefully the city gets it right and sends him back to where he belongs, behind bars 
. It's a public beach, for crying out loud! Everyone should have access to it, not some private landowner who thinks they can get away with this kinda nonsense