Yale A Cappella Concert Ends, As Usual, With Brawl
Another a cappella concert, another bloody, bone-crunching battle royale. The details are shaky in most reports of this bizarre Ivy news from the West Coast, but it started after the Baker's Dozen, an all-male a cappella group from Yale, performed at a house party in San Francisco: As the singers were leaving, they were attacked by a group of young locals.
The idea of an a cappella showdown seems funny, until you realize these weren't sportsmanlike fisticuffs: at least one student had a concussion, and Sharyar Aziz '10 was rushed to New York for reconstructive surgery on his jaw. According to local ABC news, kids from the area -- including one Richard Aicardi, the son of a prominent doctor -- had started calling the singers "fags" during the party and saying "You're not welcome here." Allegedly, Aicardi then called in his friends, who proved to the world they could beat up a group of a cappella singers. The YDN reports:
Reno Rapagnani, the owner of the house in which the party took place, said the violence seemed to erupt over a dispute between two rival college preparatory schools, St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart. The party was hosted by Rapagnani's daughter Rose and Stephanie Soderborg '09, both St. Ignatius alumni. Graduates from Sacred Heart interrupted the event, harassing members of the Baker's Dozen for their formal dress and for the fact that they are not from San Francisco.
At least now we all know one thing: Dick Aicardi is hard, what with his moneyed pedigree, private school eduation, and ability to break a freshman troubador's jaw. Way to go, dude. The San Franciso police are supposedly investigating, after coming under fire for letting the assailants off. More on this as it comes in; for now, recoil at some bloody pix after the jump.
(P.S. What is it with Yale a cappella groups and ill-fated West Coast tours?)
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January 10th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
With all intention of being a snob, Sacred Heart Cathedral is not exactly known to be a particularly respectable school around San Francisco. Their students tend to be uppity individuals with huge inferiority complexes. I’m not the least bit surprised to learn that this violence was triggered by SH students who crashed a house and became offended by formal dress and got defensive about their San Francisco-ness. One need only look at the “SI does not belong in SF” facebook group and read the wall comments to get a sense of the kind of students that attend SH.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
If you google Richard Aicardi’s mom, Eileen, she is supposedly a famous pediatrician. Her bio says that she is the proud mother of 5 sons. Should be correct to “embarassed mother of 5 wannabe goons”. Guess her ped skills really paid off in raising those kids. Can anyone find a picture of Mr. Aicardi? It’d be great to embarass the heck out of him and his family. Hope they all go to jail for a long time.
January 10th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Baker’s Dozen has a history of getting people upset both on the road and in the Haven. In 2003 they were almost evicted from their group home for both noise and zoning violations (http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/9287). One member of the group that year wrote a piece in the YDN about my undergraduate institution complaining about the fact that he couldn’t get any action or good liquor. The drivel was laced with so many fallacies and personal attacks that it was obvious to anyone who ever set foot at this school that this was a poor attempt to spite the students of his host school for not allowing them access to any of the baller parties. Either at home on tour I give them the greatest chance of any student group in the ivy league of engaging in a brawl.
January 11th, 2007 at 4:42 am
Is it wrong of me to say that the guy in the fourth picture is kind of hot?
January 11th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Mr. “NESCAC Alum, Ivy Grad Student”: (could you just have written “Mr. (Ms.?) Self-Important?)
I’m sort of surprised that I’m dignifying *your* drivel with a response, but I’ll try and keep it brief: several men were assaulted by four or five times their numbers, after leaving a party that was thrown IN THEIR HONOR. 1 was seriously injured. Throw in the fact that the perps were uninvited guests and homophobes. (And gigantic tools. The ringleader was wearing a santa hat, for god’s sake.) And you’re blaming the BDs?
So they had zoning violations (4 YEARS AGO!). So they insulted your alma mater. (boo hoo! get off it.) Does that mean it’s OK to break some kid’s jaw in two places? Give me a break, “NESCAC Alum, Ivy Grad Student” kid.
P.S. I hope you introduce yourself as “NESCAC Alum, Ivy Grad Student.”
January 11th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
One last thing. If I read “drivel laced with fallacies” one more time, I will be lacing my water with cyanide. I hope you’re not in literature.
January 11th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
yeah, i’m gonna have to agree…the fourth guy IS kinda hot. battle scars definitely help…
January 11th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
@astounded – you just made my day.
January 11th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Cassie: Why, thank you! I’m not particularly proud to make fun of people, but I’m glad you appreciate it. I think.
Plus, he deserved it. (;
January 11th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I’m not surprised by the actions of the SH students. As long as they continue to behave in such a ill respected manner, it only proves that they are acting as a result of their inferiority complex.
January 11th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Richard Aicardi is a awesome kid and I know that because I do and those dumb idiots from stupid New York must of got him REALLY mad for Rich 2 do that and Rich and family is the best family anyone could have and he should of just left the party instead callin backup.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:48 am
SDB, don’t diss NYC entirely. I’m sure you”d be right at home on Staten Island.
January 13th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
It is unfortunate that all of us can’t receive the same attention as Yale’s Baker’s Dozen. People are shot and killed in this country and you hardly hear about it. I can only hope that the next time someone I know is wronged that they will receive a fraction of the attention.
January 13th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I’m really enjoying the comments, ranging from a bash on Sacred Heart, as if the institution could somehow have had a sway on the actions of these particular individuals (who graduated years ago), to slander directed towards the Aicardi family. I know the Aicardis, and am not friends with any of them, nor do I want to be. But to simply take one side of the story (the side of the wealthy, connected Yale members), and not introduce that of the accused, is embarrassing for this media outlet. You look like you’ve got a point to prove for a particular side, rather than objectively addressing the situation. Of course the guys who lost the fight are going to be outraged, anyone would, and judging by their inability to lash out at the world in a physical form, they have resorted to a verbal attack on any person they can target. By the sounds of it, they didn’t just get mobbed for going to a party. No, these boys came from privilege, and most likely said some smart ass comments to a group of guys who were looking for a fight. It doesn’t take many brain cells to figure out what happens when you also introduce alcohol into that situation.
As for the mom using her powers to keep her sons out from a thorough criminal investigation (supposedly), the SF police department is notorious for being lax when it comes to fist fights and often robberies. I’ve been robbed multiple times, seen too many fights to count, and have yet to hear of a single prosecution, let alone an arrest.
So to everyone talking about the situation as if they know a goddamned single thing, shut the fuck up? Yes, please.
January 15th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Our sons played CYO hoops with the Aicardi sons and graduated from Sacred Heart, and went on to Cal and Columbia. The Aicardi family is strong and devoted to helping North Beach families and children. I don’t know what happened with the guys from Yale but to convict an entire family is a load of BS. SFPD is investigating as is Mayor Newsom and the real deal will come out.
January 15th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Good god. I would have thought my first comment might have taken care of this ridiculousness.
SF Mom: I’m sorry too. It’s a crying shame that so many people are hurt. Does that make it OK that the BDs did? No. Do you have an ulterior motive, Ms. “SF Mom?” Yes.
“C”: I quote: “No, these boys came from privilege, and most likely said some smart ass comments to a group of guys who were looking for a fight.”
So it’s OK to respond to a smartass with violence? Tell that to the police next time someone pisses you off and then you break his jaw in two places. “But officer! He was being a smartass, and I was drunk! You know how it is. Just let me go. He’s privileged, anyway. Had it coming.” You’re ridiculous.
For the record, if you’re hating on ‘privilege,” you might turn to the Aicardis. They don’t seem so badly off themselves.
And I quote again: “I’ve been robbed multiple times, seen too many fights to count, and have yet to hear of a single prosecution, let alone an arrest.”
Uh. I’m sorry? I’m sorry that the cops in SF suck.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Astounded – you have way too much time on your hands. Please find a new activity for the sake of this website and its readers. I doubt the people that visit this site want to taste the stick up your ass. Please, again, do not impart your bitter and one-sided sentiments on these people. There are definitely enough assholes in the real world…you’d be doing the general population a great favor if you’d shut the fuck up.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Don’t get upset because what Astounded said is right. Guess who’s the bitter one.
January 17th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
I think a break-dancing collective would have had more success with this crowd. Do people really leave the confines of their prep schools wearing matching crested blazers, singing barbershop tunes not expecting to have their heads bashed in with tire-irons. It is Nelson versus Martin Prince writ large in the real world.
January 19th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
As a friend of the Aicardis and a proud San Francisco resident, I have to say that this controversy is totally over blown and pretty ridiculous. Fights happen everywhere, not just in SF, and the police are doing what they can while dealing with the rest of their work. I don’t think anyone ever deserves to be hurt or treated violently, but are you Ivy League students so removed from reality that you’re unable to handle a fight? I’m truly sorry that people were hurt, but many of the people who have commented here are right – there are things going on right now that need our attention more than this. (and yes, I can imagine that someone might feel called to respond by asking why I’m wasting my time with this? Well, it’s simply because I feel sorry for both sides, wanted to learn more about the situation, and feel like it’s out of hand)
Privileged or not, the Aicardi family does not deserve the negative attention they have recieved. It is petty and upsetting that someone would actually say they want to “find a picture of Mr. Aicardi? [because] It’d be great to embarass the heck out of him and his family. Hope they all go to jail for a long time.”
Karma’s a bitch and ill will toward anyone – derserving or not – is always wrong.
January 19th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Wow…so a person is a victim of an agg assault and the brain trust in Sf can only whine about “well..they kinda deserved it” and “gee..there is so much other crime going on in the country”. What a bunch rationalizing, self serving, sanctimonious whiners!
As far as little Richie and his bay area gindaloon Soprano wanna be munchers…….dont fight ike some other ethnic groups. Real men can handle others 1 on 1….only a retarded punk needs help. Oh and by the way SFPD…wonderful investigation job. On the east coast the suspects would have been charged at the scene. Your left coast tax dollars at work again.
January 20th, 2007 at 1:54 am
Yay! No one died!
Now stop complaining.
January 21st, 2007 at 3:20 am
I know the Aicardis. I know these boys. They are not gay bashers, they are not thugs, they are not anything more than regular guys in the good sense of the word. This entire story is being manipulated by a disreputable TV journalist named Dan Noyes who is well-known in San Francisco for trying to stir the pot. He wants to get at our Mayor and is doing so by criticizing the police force and appealing to those who hate successful people. The Aicardis are not rich and have no power to hush up anything – this whole thing is a tempest in a teapot.
January 22nd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Get over the Sacred Heart bashing already! Why is it that SH is the only school in all of SF to get named numerous times in the Chronicle? SI, Riordan, Bal, Lincoln, Wash- no problems at these schools- all angels. Why aren’t we focusing on parents allowing underage drinking in their home?
January 26th, 2007 at 10:21 am
I grew up in SF and saw this kind of stuff happen all the time. House parties in SF are not suburban keggers; you often get a real mix of city kids from different schools, and it makes the parties super-fun, but often volatile.
I am sure the Yalies did something more than came out in the stories. A simple comment disrespecting SFfrom some Yale preppie would have been basis for a beatdown when i was in high school.
However, I have to say that the SF kids jumped the wrong guys. That Yale clout has some real power, as evidenced by the fact that while a hundred beatdowns just blow over, this one is going to haunt those SF kids for awhile.
Having been beated down in SF many times for being an “applehead” (white boy/preppie), there’s a part of me that says, hey, caveat emptor, that’s the code of the streets…Particularly b/c I went to a “little Ivy” for college where all the PC kids from suburbs just had no idea what it’s like to grow up in a city culture.
Then, there’s another side of me that says getting rat-packed is a horrific experience, and that’s not fair fighting. My buddy had his teeth kicked out @ 29th & California and only remembers the first punch. (I got beaten with a road barricade…the good old days.)
/tek
January 30th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
The obvious bottom line here is one group of people ganged up on and beat another group of people. They need to be punished, end of story.
March 6th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Ok..i dont even know were to get started.. this is all blown out of proportion..Im upset at several things that all come from this incedent..first it was an old school fight two groups of kids that disagrreedd with each other and they started to brawl..it just happens that the yale guys got messed up.. what if it went the other way and the sf boys got messed up. then what.. the yale boys had a decision to make also.. stay in the party or intise the fight and go outside.. you know it takes two to tango baby.. and yale wanted to tango and got some bumbs and bruises…just drop this case, there is more important shit that needs to be handeled in the communities then a bunch of rich white boys fighting..what if they were black from h.p. or camden n.j. would this be an issue know it would have been just added stats to the high body count s.f. has already for 2007..Aicardi is not a thug not a bad ass not anything,he is a lil pussy in my eyes and would not be able to hurt anyone,he does not have a switch that says im going to whoop ass. he plays video games and whatches movies and does hw…you see him and your lie whats up Rich….your not at all afraid of him at all…in a fight some one has to come out better then the other guy and in this case the sf kids came out better, not because they are thugs.. and to the D.A. of san francisco if i can meet you i would love to slap you. you are wasting mney on some white rich boy scuffle..when we have shootings threw the city drugs on the corneners and prostitutes chillin.. get your priorities straight..slap all of them with some community service and call it a day.. to the yale parents realize your sons have to grow a pair and let them be ..its boys being boys,,u cant wipe there ass there whole life…
Any one that would like to comment please do im open to disscussion.
till next time.
Big Bill The Dirty Italian
March 6th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Looks like Dr. Aicardi has some ’splaining to do on the values that she instilled in her son.
March 6th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
don’t attack SH because of the brutal, foolish act of a handful of its students. the Aicardi’s are a good family–I know the oldest son, Robert–and the idea of embarassing “the heck” out the entire family for the acts of ONE of them is offensive. “upset” needs to shut up. nobody is defending what happened to the yale kids, but think about who really needs to be punished and who should be left alone
March 7th, 2007 at 12:21 am
in response to Upset’s comment about Aicardi’s mom, Eileen, I don’t think you should pass judgement at the parents or his 4 brothers without knowing them personally. One person’s mistake does not mean their family members are all bad people either. I knew one of the brothers from school and I know the family to be good, kind people. I don’t know why this situation happen, but his family is as much a victim as the Yale students.
March 7th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Oh really? Did has family have to have reconstructive dental surgery as well?
March 7th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
No, but his family has to suffer through this ordeal due to his stupid actions. Blame the guy who did it, not the family members, especially if you only assume they somehow “taught” him to be the way he is.
March 9th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Okay as a very close friend of the aicardis , a san fransisco resident and a graduate of SHCP i have to say this was definetely blown way out of proportion. People are shot a lot at other high schools theres porn videos drug overdoses and countless kids are caught for bashing other kids’ heads in but why is SHCP and the aicardis the only ones facing this dilema. I mean if Yale kids came to visit a George Washington High School party im sure they would be on the news but if people come and beat the living crap out of SHCP students which happens alot nothing is said this is bullshit and unless you were there or know someone who was there you guys should just keep your unappreciated and invaluble comments to yourselves and don’t criticize parents for instance the aicardis for not controlling underage drinking i mean the police cant even do it how can parents! THINK ABOUT IT
March 9th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Okay as a very close friend of the aicardis , a san fransisco resident and a graduate of SHCP i have to say this was definetely blown way out of proportion. People are shot a lot at other high schools theres porn videos drug overdoses and countless kids are caught for bashing other kids’ heads in but why is SHCP and the aicardis the only ones facing this dilema. I mean if Yale kids came to visit a George Washington High School party im sure they would be on the news but if people come and beat the living crap out of SHCP students which happens alot nothing is said this is bullshit and unless you were there or know someone who was there you guys should just keep your unappreciated and invaluble comments to yourselves and don’t criticize parents for instance the aicardis for not controlling underage drinking i mean the police cant even do it how can parents! THINK ABOUT IT