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Mook (graffiti artist)

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Mook is the vandal moniker used by a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania man Michael Monack and a Portland, Oregon man Marcus Edward Gunther.

Michael Monack (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

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Views of Mook's work
Close-up on "Mook" tag on South Tenth Street Bridge
view of bridgework Monack vandalized

Beginning

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Monack's first graffiti was tagging the South Side and Shadyside neighborhoods, but after his tags were abated, he began placing his tags in hard to reach places, including tall bridges and highway overpasses.[1] Monack was known to use the monikers "Mook" as well as "human hater".[2] He was a part of a graffiti crew that called themselves the "Value Krew" or VK.[3] The name means "knucklehead or idiot".[1] He was an active graffiti writer in Pittsburgh from 1997 to early 2000s. He drew the ire of the then-Pittsburgh Mayor Thomas J. Murphy, Jr., who had tried to provide an outlet for individuals interested in graffiti to use the walls along the Eliza Furnace trail.[1] He has etched "Mook" onto a Department of Public Works "Graffiti Busters" truck that was tasked with cleaning up graffiti.[1] At one point, merchants from the South Side, tired of having their businesses targeted confronted Monack. He tagged "So you want to get tough?" on the Birmingham Bridge[1] in response. Monack became known around the community for vandalizing previously unheard of places.[1] According to Pittsburgh officials, "He's going into areas no one's gone before."[1] He became known among law enforcement across Pennsylvania.[4] After the media coverage of Monack's "Mook" tagging in the Pittsburgh area, it is possible that multiple copycats have applied graffiti using the moniker "Mook".[1] As Monack received more coverage for his daredevil mischief, handful of letters have been sent to the newspaper editors from opponents as well as supporters.[5][6][7]

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On October 31, 2001, police arrested 18-year-old South Side resident Michael Monack and arraigned him on three counts of receiving stolen property. Police were led to his grandmother's house by an anonymous letter and other clues. On October 16, the police executed a search warrant at Monack's residence and found paint and other graffiti supplies. He was supposed to turn himself in on October 19, but he had fled the area instead.[8][9] In October 2002, he was sentenced to thousands of dollars in fines and community service in exchange for his guilty plea to criminal mischief and defiant trespass.[10][11] In March 2003, police arrested Monack again for continuing to engage in graffiti.[12] Monack was spotted in the Armstrong Tunnel at 5 am with two juvenile delinquents. He attempted to escape apprehension and fled to the South Tenth Street Bridge where he was arrested. Monack was charged with criminal mischief, conspiracy, possessing an instrument of a crime and corruption of a minor for being the group's "ringleader."[10][12] His hearings were attended by neighborhood activists from areas he tagged. At the hearing, they expressed extreme displeasure at his behavior.[13] During a 2002 hearing Judge Robert E. Colville said: “You’re not a criminal … but there’s some portion of you that may be brain dead.”[14]

After graffiti

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As of 2004, Monack had become a tattoo artist in Pittsburgh.[11] When asked by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about his opinion on the latest crop of the city's graffiti artists, he described them as "garbage."[11] Though, even years after ceasing his tagging, Mook's "infamy precedes him in many circles of the city."[11] By 2008, Monack was described as having been replaced in local urban folklore by a now deceased graffiti tagger Daniel Montano whose moniker is MFONE.[15]

Marcus Edward Gunther (Portland, Oregon)

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Marcus Edward Gunther's graffiti tag on a building at the corner of NW 3rd Ave and NW Everett St in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in Portland

Marcus Edward Gunther tagged over one hundred locations with the word "Mook" in the late 2010s and was sentenced to two years in prison in February 2019 for his repeated acts of spraying graffiti without permission.

The Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland Police Bureau began an investigation on June 29, 2018, after the letters "M-O-O-K" were spray painted onto newly installed electronic signs hanging over an Interstate 84 overpass in Northeast Portland. Police opened a second investigation on September 6, 2018, after the same tag was found on a U-Store[16] self storage facility elsewhere in the city. On September 13, 2018, Portland resident Marcus Edward Gunther was arrested in connection with the two incidents.[17][18][19] Gunther was arrested at the corner of Southwest 13th Ave and Southwest Main Street.[20] He was lodged at the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Criminal mischief in the Second Degree (two counts), Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, and a probation violation.[21][22] Gunther was a prolific graffiti vandal, leaving over 100 documented tags around the city.[23] The Columbian reported that Gunther's graffiti tags have also been found in the nearby city of Vancouver, Washington.[24]

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On February 8, 2019, Gunther pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree criminal mischief and one count of second-degree criminal mischief.[19] He was sentenced to two years in prison and will be required to pay a restitution of about $30,000 and enroll in five years of post-release drug treatment for his heroin and methamphetamine habits.[23][25] As of September 14, 2018, Gunther has had one felony conviction, three misdemeanor convictions and three parole violations, including possession of heroin and DWI. According to Portland Tribune, He was charged with second-degree theft earlier in September 2018, and faced 10 charges for second-degree theft and criminal mischief in August 2018.[20]

On February 11, 2019, Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced:

30-year-old Marcus Gunther changed his plea and was sentenced for causing nearly $30,000 in damages by illegally spray-painting on private property. "This is a sentence that holds Marcus Gunther accountable for his repeated acts of spraying graffiti without permission,” Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, who prosecuted this case, said after sentencing. “It also provides Mr. Gunther an opportunity at treatment, which will benefit him and our entire community.” Gunther was arrested September 13, 2018 by members of the Portland Police Bureau. The change of plea and sentencing hearing occurred on February 8, 2019. Gunther was responsible for numerous acts of vandalism throughout Portland, Oregon. Primarily, he was spray-painting his "tag" on private property, which included Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) property.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h McNulty, Timothy (October 5, 2001). "Police anger reaches new heights over Mook's daredevil graffiti". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A-1. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Alt URL
  2. ^ McClellan, Howard (November 27, 2001). "8 vandal suspects to face trial". Trib Total Media. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019. The affidavit said that Monack "tagged" the trolley cars "human hater" on Oct. 27 and has used that "tag," as well as "Mook," on other occasions of vandalism.
  3. ^ "'Mook,' Others Plead Guilty In Vandalism Case". Pittsburgh's Action News. Pittsburgh's Action News. October 23, 2002. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2019. Michael "Mook" Monack, 19, Jason "Seos" Kress, 22, Eric Majetich, 25, and Thomas Clayton, 21, are a part of a group that calls themselves the "Value Krew."
  4. ^ White, Bill (August 7, 2004). "Graffiti punks in high places spur curiosity". The Morning Call. ProQuest 393118774.
  5. ^ "The Mook case is being mishandled by local officials". Letter to the editor. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 12, 2001. p. A-22.
  6. ^ "It's ridiculous that the city has wasted so much time on 'Mook'". Letters to the editor. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 7, 2001. p. A-24.
  7. ^ "Those who glorify 'Mook' should help to clean up his messes". Letters to the editor. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 10, 2001. p. A-14.
  8. ^ McNulty, Timothy (November 2, 2001). "'Mook' arrested at last, police say". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 28, 2019. Police arrested Michael J. Monack, 18, on Halloween night outside the house where he lives with his grandmother" "On Oct. 16, after getting a search warrant, police searched Monack's room in the South Side home owned by his grandmother, Betty Schemonitz.
  9. ^ "Man Arrested in 'Mook' Graffiti Spree". Beaver County Times. Associated Press. November 2, 2001. p. A3.
  10. ^ a b Norman, Tony (March 13, 2003). "Painted as a menace, graffiti artist 'Mook' is held for trial". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d Reilly, Richard Byrne (November 14, 2004). "Local Graffiti Legend Doesn't Miss Tagging". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  12. ^ a b "City police arrest noted graffiti writer 'Mook'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 3, 2003.
  13. ^ Norman, Tony (March 14, 2003). "Will jailing of graffiti artist open a big can of paint?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  14. ^ Gigler, Dan (May 16, 2016). "Once a wanted man, 'MOOK' goes legit and trades spray paint for tattoo ink". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  15. ^ Norman, Tony (January 29, 2008). "Daniel Montano, artist on the run". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  16. ^ Loose, Travis (September 14, 2018). "Suspected Graffiti Artist Arrested: Portland Police". Portland, OR Patch. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  17. ^ "Vandals tag new I-84 freeway signs, likely to cost taxpayers thousands in repairs". KATU. July 2, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  18. ^ "Police arrest man suspected of tagging I-84 freeway signs". KATU. September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  19. ^ a b "DA: Man who 'tagged' ODOT property sentenced to 2 years in prison, must pay $30K restitution". KPTV. February 11, 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Police: Graffiti tagger inflicted $24000 in property damage". Portland Tribune. September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018. The 30-year-old has one felony conviction, three misdemeanor convictions and three parole violations, according to court records. He was charged with second-degree theft earlier this month, and last month faced 10 charges for second-degree theft and criminal mischief.
  21. ^ "Officers Arrest Tagger Thursday Afternoon (Photo)". Portland Police Bureau. September 14, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  22. ^ Iboshi, Kyle (September 14, 2018). "Suspected serial tagger caught on camera, police say". KGW. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  23. ^ a b Green, Aimee (February 11, 2019). "Portland man who spray-painted I-84 signs gets 2 years in prison". OregonLive. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  24. ^ "Portland police arrest man allegedly responsible for 'MOOK' graffiti tags". The Columbian. September 14, 2018.
  25. ^ Miner, Colin (February 11, 2019). "Portland Graffiti Tagger Gets Prison, Ordered to Pay Restitution". Portland, OR Patch. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  26. ^ "Marcus Gunther receives prison & treatment sentence for causing $30,000 in damages by illegally spray-painting". FlashAlert.net. Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
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