Nazi flag is protest against city zoning regs, Struthers man now says

STRUTHERS

A man flying a Nazi flag outside his Narcissa Street home now claims he did so, in part, to protest the city of Struthers for enforcing numerous zoning regulations.

Richard Dilullo told reporters Wednesday he displayed the flag, which features a swastika, as a Halloween decoration. He said he does not support Nazism or white supremacy.

On Thursday, Dilullo suggested he also displayed the flag to voice his discontent with Struthers city officials. Dilullo has been cited multiple times through Struthers Municipal Court for violating ordinances including those regulating garbage collection, gutters/downspouts and the general maintenance of property.

Bonnie Deutsch Burdman, director of communications for the Youngstown Jewish Federation, described Dilullo’s argument that the flag was a Halloween decoration as “specious,” which means superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

She referred to public Facebook comments posted by Dilullo and added, “He’s kind of contradicted himself as to why he’s flying the flag.”

Dilullo responded to others commenting to an online article posted by The Vindicator’s broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV with his own (edited for spelling and grammar) comments including: “Honestly, when I hung the flag my true point was an avenue to voice my displeasure over Struthers city fining me $400 for not having garbage pickup” and “Because it’s for Halloween ... it’s offensive and it gets attention. And it symbolizes the Nazi America that we’re becoming. Two birds one stone. Hopefully PETA doesn’t get offended by that.”

“It’s hard to say what his true motivations are,” Burdman said, “but, if in fact, he’s trying to use the flag as some sort of protest against the city, any type of analogy to Nazi atrocities – drawing the connection between his issues with his house and the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of other people – is completely unfounded and uncalled for.”

Read more about the matter in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.