On October 11, 2025, a video went viral on X featuring Antonio Ginestri, a New York street race driver who went by “Squeeze Benz” and was a 19-year-old man. Driving a Mercedes in Queens, Ginestri talked openly:
“I’m Mr. Squeeze, not Squeeze Benz anymore Rikers Island and those county locks made me that way.”
Shared on @FearedBuck, the user, the clip was watched in thousands, mixing bravado and introspect. Back after spending 18 months behind bars, his return comes as a tale of caution of how digital stardom has merged with real-world consequences.
A tweet from X.
Ginestri, under the alias @Squeeze.benz, rose to prominence in 2023 through high-speed driving videos on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, amassing over a million followers. His clips, often showing speeds exceeding 130 mph in Manhattan and Newark, featured drifts and doughnuts around police vehicles. A February 2025 WIRED investigation detailed how such stunts fueled a niche of “clout-chasing” drivers. His April 2024 collaboration with streamer N3on real name Rangesh Mutama culminated in a livestreamed hit-and-run crash on the Grand Central Parkway, viewed live by thousands on Kick.
“We were just having fun, pushing limits for the stream,”
N3on told The Express Tribune.
The law quickly caught up. On May 21, 2024, NYPD’s Auto Crimes Manhattan Unit and Newark police, caught Ginestri in Queens, in the first instance, for a February deli beating but quickly connected to irresponsible driving and evading police. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughry tweeted on X:
“One of the most street race-savvy individuals in the Big Apple can no longer handle the Big Apple as if it were the Indy 500.”
Newark’s Department of Public Safety initiated its investigation after a April 11 incident regarding doughnuts in a circle around a cruiser. By July, NBC New York reported further charges for New Jersey ATM and pharmacy robberies, claiming Ginestri drove a hot-wired BMW X7 while robbing.
In January 2025, a New Jersey court sentenced him to five years for the robbery convictions, separate from pending driving charges. Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda emphasized:
“This was a sophisticated operation endangering communities for quick cash,”
citing Instagram-linked car registration as evidence. Ginestri served time in facilities like Rikers Island, with a September 2024 YouTube upload suggesting associates managed his channel during detention.
Ginestri’s case exposes tensions in influencer culture. His videos, viewed millions of times, normalized dangerous driving, prompting copycats and straining police resources. Daughtry noted NYPD task forces now monitor such content, with Road & Track reporting 14 racing-related deaths in New York in 2024. Platforms like YouTube and Kick faced scrutiny, suspending channels post-crash, yet algorithms continue to amplify spectacle. The WIRED piece questions whether influencers or platforms bear greater responsibility for curbing harmful trends.
In his reveal video, Ginestri pledged reform:
“No more runs jail showed me the real speed limit.”
Public reactions on X range from support to condemnation, reflecting society’s fascination with controversy. As he navigates parole and potential trials, Ginestri’s story underscores the fleeting allure of viral fame and the enduring cost of recklessness. His comeback sparks a broader question:
Can digital platforms and their stars balance thrill with accountability?
