Jester Headed To Court On Felony Assault Charge

AUGUST 15--Get ready for court, jester.

Upset at the noise a landscaper’s lawn mower was making, a Florida Man retrieved a dagger from his car and threatened the worker with the weapon, according to cops who say the accused “was wearing a full ‘jester’ costume during the incident and arrest.”

According to a court affidavit, landscaper Brian Hanson was mowing two separate lawns on a St. Petersburg street yesterday afternoon when he was confronted by Anthony Marzola, 51, who lives in a nearby home.

Marzola, investigators say, “became upset with the sound of the mower” and “retrieved a 12-inch dagger style blade from a vehicle and began walking toward the victim.” Marzola was allegedly pointing the dagger at Hanson and “yelling that he cannot be mowing.”

Marzola advanced until the victim positioned his stand-on mower “to be between him and the defendant.” The 2:45 PM incident, cops noted, was witnessed by a neighbor.

“The defendant was wearing a full ‘jester’ costume during the incident and arrest,” reported jester arrester Jonathan Goodman, a St. Petersburg Police Department officer.

While the report does not indicate why Marzola was at home wearing a jester outfit in the middle of the day, it seems likely that the get-up was related to his operation of the Psychedelic Jester smoke shop (which recently moved from Seminole to St. Petersburg).

Marzola is seen above in an image from his firm’s Facebook page. The photo at left was taken Thursday by jail personnel.

Charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, Marzola was booked into the county lockup. At a court hearing today, a judge set Marzola's bond at $15,000 and ordered him to have no contact with Hanson. (1 page)