By: Mario Mancini

A decorated Vietnam veteran from Westchester County is waging a new battle — not overseas this time, but against his own small-town government.

Leonard Amicola, a lifelong resident of Croton-on-Hudson, has lived in the quiet riverside village for 67 years. Now at age 77, the disabled veteran says he refuses to back down after officials told him to remove a large banner reading “Trump is My President” from his property. Speaking to News12 Westchester, Amicola said the fight is about much more than politics — to him, it’s about his First Amendment right to free expression.

According to the New York Post, Amicola has proudly displayed either a Trump banner or flag since 2021. But his displays have often drawn hostility. He said vandals have hurled rocks, stolen his flags, and even torn banners straight off his property. “I did at one time have it on the pole, and one night somebody came and took it and it was gone,” Amicola told the outlet. “So that’s when I decided to put it up where they can’t get to it.”

The latest clash stems from what Croton Mayor Brian Pugh described as a “longstanding prohibition on banners.” Pugh insists the dispute is “a straightforward code enforcement matter, not a free speech issue.” The New York Post reported that at least 17 other homeowners have also been cited for banner violations, suggesting Amicola is not being singled out.

But Amicola disagrees. He believes his pro-Trump message is the real reason the village is coming after him. To bolster his case, the veteran has hired attorney Roseann Schuyler, who told News12 that the enforcement action unfairly targets the political content of her client’s speech. “We believe that the village’s enforcement action is unfair,” Schuyler said, adding that Amicola’s banner is protected under the Constitution.

The New York Post noted that Schuyler has already entered a not-guilty plea on Amicola’s behalf and suggested the case may end up in federal court if necessary. “We feel his actions are protected under the First Amendment,” she said.

In a twist of irony, the same village government that is now citing Amicola once honored him with a banner of its own. In 2023, Croton officials selected Amicola for their Veterans Banner Program, a community initiative designed to recognize residents who served in the armed forces. His banner, hung proudly in the village center, hailed him as a “Hometown Hero” and praised his courage and sacrifice during the Vietnam War. “The banner will serve as a reminder throughout the year of their courage and sacrifice for all residents of our village, state and country,” officials said at the time.

To Amicola, the contrast is glaring. Just two years ago, his town publicly celebrated him as a symbol of honor and service. Now, he finds himself in court defending his right to hang a political banner on his own property.

As the New York Post reported, Amicola is determined not to retreat. “This is about my rights as an American,” he told the outlet. “I fought once before, and I’ll fight again.”