By Jessica Lewis

At the William and Mary basketball game at 7 p.m. in the Mack Sports Complex on Tuesday, the King d’Hofstra made a scene by running onto the court during the half time ceremony.

Public Safety got a hold of the King and took him back in the southwest corner under the Hofstra sign. It was at this time that Sean M. Gates, Chronicle managing editor and photographer, was able to capture a picture on his Blackberry of the King without his mask on.

The picture was shown the next day to fellow Chronicle staff member, Lisa DiCarlucci, who remembered having class with him. She recalled that his name was Frank and that he was in the ROTC program. Gates then asked a member of the ROTC program for his full name. The King d’Hofstra was then identified as Frank Fanelli, a junior at The University.

The Chronicle then contacted Fanelli, who came to The Chronicle office to be interviewed.

“Being that there is evidence of me in a Burger King costume, there is a distinct possibility that I am the king,” Fanelli said. “I am having so much fun with it, I didn’t want it to end.”

Fanelli admitted that his decision at the game was not thought through. “I wasn’t thinking too straight there, I didn’t think I would get in as much trouble as I got in for it, I didn’t disrupt anything, I just walked across the side of the court.”

Public Safety wrote Fanelli an appearance summons, and was told to call and schedule an appointment with the Dean.

Members of the ROTC program knew that Fanelli was the King, as well as a few of his friends. “For those who kept their lips sealed and remained loyal subjects to me, their loyalty is forever appreciated, love the King,” Fanelli said.

The idea behind the King started on Halloween. Fanelli wore the costume around campus, and after he saw the reaction from fellow students, he continued to keep up the charade. “The next thing I knew, I was running through the school creating a reaction out of people, and having a lot of fun,” Fanelli said.

Fanelli kept his appearances sporadic, to avoid becoming an everyday thing. He planned them around interesting times, like Halloween, finals week and Valentine’s day, when he ran around giving Hershey Kisses to girls.

‘The King,’ was notorious for running through classrooms, mid-lecture. “Well if I did run through any classes, I would say to them that I hope they enjoyed it, and if I did anger any of them, I apologize for disrupting the educational process,” Fanelli said.

Fanelli’s main goal of parading around as The King d’Hofstra was to bring joy and laughter to the Hofstra community.

“I think people take life too seriously sometimes, and sometimes you just have to let loose and do something crazy, and have fun and also, you never really know people as good as you think you do,” Fanelli concluded. 

The King d’Hofstra’s identity finally revealed. (Sean M. Gates/The Chronicle)