A prominent Hamptons property developer has been arrested after allegedly crashing a boat into a jetty following a day of drinking margaritas, an incident that left several passengers with serious injuries, including broken bones.
Peter Mangiameli, 57, is accused of driving a 35-foot vessel at speed into a stone jetty while returning to Sag Harbor Bay late Sunday night with a group of friends on board.
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Mangiameli, who heads the Hamptons Development Group, had allegedly been drinking tequila and frozen cocktails throughout the day during the group’s visit to nearby Shelter Island.
The impact at the breakwater in the affluent Long Island community sent all eight passengers aboard the cruiser flying “violently” around the boat, the filings state.
“In the middle of the sail I just remember a big boom and everyone going flying,” one passenger later told police.
“Everyone fell and got tossed around. We were traveling fast before we crashed. Once I came to, I saw my husband was injured and in a lot of pain on the floor in the front of the boat,” the passenger added.
Mangiameli, who has denied all charges, was eventually able to bring the damaged boat to a local dock, where police helped the injured passengers onto shore shortly after 10 p.m., according to court filings.
Among those hurt, one passenger suffered fractures to a leg and vertebrae, while another sustained broken ribs.
Peter Mangiameli, 57, leaves court after being accused of plowing his speeding 35-foot boat into a stone jetty as he and his pals were pulling into Sag Harbor Bay in the Hamptons late on Sunday night
Mangiameli, who runs the Hamptons Development Group, had allegedly been chugging tequila and frozen cocktails throughout the day, according to court papers. He is pictured during an earlier boat ride
Multiple others on board were knocked unconscious.
Amid the chaos, Mangiameli allegedly managed to slip away as his injured friends were speaking to authorities and being treated at the scene, court documents state.
‘During the ride we tried to render as much aid as possible. I kept yelling call 911 and I believe someone did but l am not sure who because when we arrived at the dock EMS was there almost right away,’ one passenger said in a statement to police.
‘Peter docked the boat. Everyone got off the boat and I don’t know where Peter went. I never saw him again.’
However, one of the seriously injured passengers said Mangianeli only left the scene to get him care. ‘I genuinely don’t know anyone else who could have remained as calm and focused as he did,’ he said.
Mangiameli eventually surrendered to police in the early hours of Monday morning.
Multiple people on board later told police that Mangiameli had been ‘chugging’ drinks behind the wheel in the lead up to the incident, according to the court documents.
‘I observed him holding a drink which he stated to me was tequila,’ one passenger told cops, according to the court filings.
‘He then chugged the same drink seconds after.’
Mangiameli was hit with a slew of felony charges over the boat crash, including second-degree assault and failing to report an accident with personal injury
Multiple people on board later told police that Mangiameli had been ‘chugging’ drinks behind the wheel in the lead up to the incident. He is pictured during an earlier boat trip
‘I observed him drinking tequila the entire night,’ she added.
Mangiameli had apparently only just purchased the 2023 boat.
His lawyer Edward Burke Jr. claimed during his arraignment at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on Tuesday that Mangiameli had been struggling with the boat’s navigational system at the time and was scheduled to have it checked out.
In court, Mangiameli’s lawyer insisted the real estate honcho was a pillar of the community and owned a home in upscale Southampton.
‘I own several homes,’ Mangiameli bragged during his arraignment.
His own social media accounts are filled with images of lavish properties, while his children have posted multiple photos of him behind the wheel of various boats.
Mangiameli was hit with a slew of felony charges over the boat crash, including second-degree assault and failing to report an accident with personal injury.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Mangiameli and his lawyer .
