STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The owner of a popular cocktail bar on Staten Island is reeling after a vandal destroyed an outdoor display in broad daylight.
Katia Kolesnikova, the owner of The Alchemist Cocktail Lounge in New Dorp, arrived at her bar on Friday, Nov. 14, to find that two mannequins — part of an artistic exhibition in the front of her establishment — had been pulled from their bolted-in positions, destroyed, and then dumped in the entryway to the bar.
The bar’s iconic red drapery got pushed in front of the cameras, preventing the devices from recording the suspect.
According to Kolesnikova, the lapse in footage occurred between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. She believes this is when the vandal struck the business, located at 1363 N Railroad Ave.
“It [the display] was bringing me business… People saw it and they loved it and they came — so seeing that destroyed was kind of heartbreaking,” Kolesnikova said. “Because I faced the railroad, there’s no cameras facing us, so I was hoping maybe a dash camera, somebody who was driving by was able to pick up on it.”
Two mannequins were vandalized at The Alchemist Cocktail Lounge on Friday, November 14, 2025, in New Dorp. (Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com) Owen Reiter
But as of Sunday morning, no one in the neighborhood contacted Kolesnikova with information regarding the incident.
An NYPD spokesperson told the Advance/SILive.com that a report was filed about the vandalism. The spokesperson said that an individual shouted at a 27-year-old woman at 10 a.m. that Friday before removing the decor from the bar.
Kolesnikova and her boyfriend believe it was a crime of jealousy.
“It didn’t bother anybody. Our neighbors loved it,” Kolesnikova said. “People don’t want to see other people succeed. I think that’s what it is.”
Despite receiving no clues as to who committed the vandalization, the New Dorp community rallied behind Kolesnikova.
“…to be honest, I’m so overwhelmed with the community coming forward… A lot of people, the community, really came together, and everybody’s upset just as we are. Honestly, [it’s] heartwarming, and I’m trying to make it the best that it is out of it.”
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