A Restraining Order? So What?

Kevin Sorbo, the actor who may be better known as Hercules in the TV series in which he used to star, was not at the raving July Fourth party at his estate on Saturday afternoon when the Bridgehampton Fire Department and its ambulance arrived to put out a brushfire and take a partygoer to the hospital.

The 12,500-square-foot Sorbo house, in the woods between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor at 772 Middle Line Highway, is notorious in Southampton for alleged code violations. Last summer, Tiffany Scarlato, the Southampton Town attorney, issued a temporary restraining order for its use for anything other than a single-family house. The order remains in effect, but about three weeks ago, the town became aware of parties in violation of the restriction.

Joe Ialacci rents the house. In the last two years, citations have been issued numerous times for accommodating large wedding and other parties there. In fact, the house has become known as Stadiumred, for the marketing organization of that name that has promoted events there. On Saturday, the party’s guests seemed unconcerned and unaware that anything was amiss. Alex Paige, 24, had arrived at the sprawling property with 18 other people at 1 p.m., just after the party began. Alcohol flowed freely, and bottles of rosé were at hand. The rapper Ja Rule performed from a balcony in a white tank top, biceps bulging, and guests played with golden retriever puppies from Last Chance Animal Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue organization based in Southampton. People flipped into the pool and danced in a mosh pit.

“It was like I was at a Vegas day party,” Ms. Paige said. She kept seeing friends post on Facebook who she didn’t know were there. “It grew very quickly.”

A few hours after she got there, Ms. Paige spotted smoke. “That’s weird,” she  thought, but she said no one else seemed to notice.

An Instagram video taken from the balcony shows a thin but prominent orange flame dancing in the undergrowth behind the jumping crowd. One man walks over to it, but otherwise the pack keeps partying. The caption reads, “When you give #jarule the aux cord,” followed by an emoticon laughing so hard it cries.

Other Instagram posts reveal apathy toward the fire. A couple of hashtags say #brushfire and #burningdownthehouse underneath pictures and panoramic videos showcasing the partying scene.

The Fire Department received word of the fire and an apparent overdose at 3:59 p.m. Jeff White and Mark Balserus, the first and second assistant chiefs, responded, but  could barely get their vehicle past the cars lined up on both sides of the street. Guests were spilling into the road. The party had cleared out after town police arrived.

“It was clearing like rats from a sinking ship when we got there,” Mr. White said. “It was completely crowded and congested. Literally hundreds of people.”

When the men couldn’t gain access to the property off Middle Line Highway, they veered onto Old Sag Harbor Road for access another way. The fire was extinguished quickly, and Mr. White and Mr. Balserus left after about 90 minutes. A woman, whose identity could not be verified at press time, was taken to Southampton Hospital.

“I don’t think a lot of people realized it was an overdose,” Ms. Paige said. “I personally didn’t see anyone doing any drugs, but I’m not surprised because the party was a little out of control.”

Earlier that morning, Southampton Town police had searched the property for code violations. According to Ms. Scarlato, police compiled a lengthy list, but the list had not yet been written up. “They decided to party on in the afternoon, disrespectful of the town’s actions,” she said. The town now plans to charge Mr. Sorbo with contempt of court for ignorning the restraining order.

Correction: Joe Ialacci, the man renting the house, is not the son of the former Sag Harbor Village Police chief by the same name.



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