Ugly Boat Makes a Run for It, But Gets Caught by Deputies

Niagara Falls’ Ugly Boat is gone but not forgotten.

Residents of the Little River shoreline across from and next door to the property at 7714 W. Rivershore Dr. on Cayuga Island no longer have the “ugly boat” eyesore in their view, a sight that had caused considerable unhappiness to all who had to watch it bobbing and weaving against its moorings for the last three years.

We wrote the “ugly boat” tale last month and told of the frustration of neighbors and authorities who despite their best efforts had been unable to get the property owner at 7714 W. Rivershore to remove the eyesore from the dock behind his property that had marred the otherwise picturesque setting for three years.

Businessman Frank D’Agostino, known to many as “Chick,” had become the designated spokesman for the residents tired of having their view on beautiful sunny days ruined by the sight of the ugly boat.

Dennis Virtuoso, the chief code enforcement officer for the City of Niagara Falls, had told the Reporter the city could do nothing about the ugly boat as long as it didn’t move.

“Our jurisdiction ends at the shoreline,” Virtuoso had told the Reporter, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department was similarly without authority as long as the ugly boat didn’t move.

The property owner at 7714 W. Rivershore Dr., Mark Priest, had told authorities the ugly boat behind his house belonged to a friend who despite repeated requests by Priest would not move the boat.  Priest never responded to our requests for comment about the ire of his neighbors.

But after our story appeared, Virtuoso continued to push Priest to do something about the ugly boat or he would be in trouble with the city.

“I kept on him, and wrote him a letter warning of the consequences if he didn’t move the boat,” Virtuoso said even though he pretty much was brandishing an empty threat because the city really lacked jurisdiction.  But it finally worked.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, the ugly boat owner was ticketed for three violations of navigation law by Niagara County Sheriff’s deputies after he set sail for Grand Island.

“We tagged it for not having a visual distress signal, as well as not having a sound producing device and not being registered,” Niagara County Undersheriff Michael Filicetti told the Reporter. 

Ficlicetti said the owner of the ugly boat, Henry Olrogge of Grand Island, has a date in Wheatfield Town Court next Tuesday, Oct. 28, to deal with the three tickets he received from deputies.

For Virtuoso, persistence finally paid off and he was able to prompt the property owner on W. Rivershore Dr.to get the real owner to make a run for it. But he didn’t make it.  Vigilant deputies easily spotted the ugly boat and now the owner must face the music for the boat’s navigation violations.

The good news for the Little River residents across from and next door to the ugly boat is that it is finally out of their sight.

“It is a great relief to all of us,” said D’Agostino, the owner of Cataract Tours. “On behalf of all the residents who had to endure the sight of that ugly scow for three years, I want to thank Dennis Virtuoso and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Dept. for helping us to get rid of that eyesore at last.”