▁coverage ▁as ▁representative ▁of ▁a ▁bro ader ▁phenomen on ▁of ▁smaller , ▁older ▁business es ▁being ▁pr iced ▁out ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁neighborhood s . ▁Sci oli ▁became ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁legal ▁f ights ▁with ▁his ▁land l ord ▁over ▁the ▁ev iction ▁and ▁the ▁conflict ▁f oment ed ▁community ▁action ▁r ally ing ▁around ▁Sci oli . ▁Then ▁mayor ▁Ed ▁Koch ▁opposed ▁commercial ▁rent ▁protection , ▁so ▁in ▁response ▁Sci oli ▁made ▁a ▁show ▁of ▁mark ing ▁up ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁Koch ' s ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁aut obi ographical ▁book , ▁Mayor , ▁to ▁three ▁times ▁its ▁list ▁price . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁company ▁that ▁wanted ▁to ▁open ▁the ▁ice ▁cre am ▁par lor ▁back ed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁deal , ▁the ▁land l ord ▁su ed ▁them , ▁along ▁with ▁Sci oli , ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁$ 4 2 ▁million ▁in ▁dam ages ▁for ▁" h aving ▁arranged ▁protest ▁demonstr ations , ▁letter - writing ▁campaign s , ▁news ▁media ▁expos ure , ▁thre ats ▁of ▁violence , ▁thre ats ▁of ▁economic ▁boy c ott , ▁political ▁and ▁community ▁pressure , ▁and ▁co erc ion ▁and ▁violent ▁protest s ." ▁The ▁land l ord ' s ▁lawyer ▁character ized ▁Sci oli ' s ▁actions ▁as ▁" a ▁campaign ▁of ▁terror ". ▁According ▁to ▁Sci oli , ▁the ▁only ▁" pro test " ▁he ▁participated ▁in ▁was ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁a ▁" mel td own ", ▁where by ▁ 1 0 ▁ice ▁cre am ▁con es ▁were ▁put