Notorious NYC airport scammer 'Rocco' exposed after years of fleecing tourists

This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation.

A recent "On The Way" column by our crackerjack reporter Ramsey Khalifeh highlighted a taxi hustler named Jan "Rocco" Uzzo who described how he made a living for decades by ripping off tourists at New York City's airports. He'd shake down visitors by luring them into an unlicensed cab, where he'd charge them illegally high fares. Hundreds of criminals still employ this scam today.

Uzzo described his marks as "lollies," like lollipops, because they're suckers. He said he'd drive to the airports "to do one thing and one thing only: Capture my lolly and get the f--- out."

He certainly has a way with words - but New Jersey officials echoed the spirit of his remarks last week when they justified charging $150 for a train ride to this summer's World Cup games at MetLife Stadium. The high price tag, according to NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri, is meant to offset the costs to run service and security to the stadium.