A New York court has ordered Michael Esposito, a Staten Island millionaire and owner of three LaRosa Grill franchises, to pay $2.78 million to Kelly Andrade, a Colombian immigrant who worked as a live-in nanny for his family. Andrade discovered a hidden camera in her bedroom’s smoke detector that had secretly recorded her for weeks. While the jury’s financial award addressed Andrade’s emotional distress and imposed punitive damages on Esposito, Andrade expressed disappointment with the sentence, calling it inadequate for the trauma she endured.
In 2021, Andrade moved from Colombia to the U.S. after being placed with the Esposito family through the Cultural Care Au Pair agency. She was hired to care for Esposito and his wife Danielle’s four children while living with Danielle’s parents in Tottenville, Staten Island, as the Espositos’ mansion was undergoing renovation. Despite starting her job with high hopes, Andrade quickly grew suspicious of her employer’s behavior.
She noticed that Esposito, 35, often came into her room and adjusted the smoke detector. “He seemed very nervous and he seemed very worried when he arrived at the house,” Andrade later told Yahoo News, describing the moments leading up to her discovery. According to Andrade’s lawsuit, the smoke detector “was constantly being repositioned” by Esposito.
Less than three weeks into her job, Andrade inspected the device and made a shocking discovery—a small hidden camera inside. The memory card contained “hundreds of recordings,” many of which showed her “nude and/or dressing/undressing,” as the lawsuit detailed. Andrade was horrified and immediately understood that Esposito had been recording her without her consent.
Upon realizing what had happened, Andrade was overcome with fear. Esposito arrived at the house soon after her discovery, and his behavior intensified her alarm. According to The New York Post, he began “banging on the door” of her room while she pretended to be asleep, terrified he might be armed. Faced with this alarming situation, Andrade decided to flee. She jumped out of her first-floor window, injuring her knees in the process.
"I need to get away," Andrade recalled during the trial, explaining her decision to escape. She spent the rest of the night hiding in a bush on the street. The next day, Andrade handed the camera footage to the police, who arrested Esposito on March 24, 2021. The charges against him included unlawful surveillance, a felony that could have led to up to four years in prison.
Despite his arrest, Esposito’s legal fate took a surprising turn. In April 2022, he was allowed to enter a plea deal, which included a year of counseling. Upon successfully completing this program, Esposito’s felony charge was downgraded to attempted unlawful surveillance, a misdemeanor. The final sentence required Esposito to serve only two years of probation, sparking outrage from Andrade and her legal team.
Andrade expressed her frustration with the verdict, stating, “It’s not enough for the whole situation I’ve been through these three years. It’s not enough.” Her attorney, Zachary Holzberg, also criticized the leniency, saying, “Despite him doing this, he got to go home to his wife and children in their mansion, and she’s sleeping on the street.”
During the four-day civil trial at Brooklyn Federal Court, Andrade testified for three days about the distress and trauma she endured. Esposito, however, did not take the stand to defend his actions. The jury ultimately awarded Andrade $780,000 in emotional distress damages and an additional $2 million in punitive damages against Esposito.
The verdict brought some relief to Andrade, but she remained unhappy with the overall outcome. Reflecting on her ordeal, she said, “It wasn’t easy for me to be on trial. It was a very difficult time for me. It brings back memories that I’m trying to forget.”
Now living in New Jersey with her husband of two years, Andrade has chosen to speak out in the hopes of encouraging other victims of abuse, particularly au pairs and immigrants, to report their aggressors. “I want to encourage many au pairs and also immigrants who have been victims of abuse. Don’t keep quiet. Don’t be afraid to report your aggressor,” Andrade told The New York Post.
In addition to her legal victory against Esposito, Andrade also settled a lawsuit with Cultural Care Au Pair, the agency that had placed her with the Espositos. The terms of this settlement remain undisclosed.
Despite winning the lawsuit, Andrade continues to focus on her recovery and moving forward. She still feels the legal punishment handed down to Esposito was insufficient for the harm caused. “I was angry because the damage that he caused me is irreversible,” Andrade told reporters.
In 2021, Andrade moved from Colombia to the U.S. after being placed with the Esposito family through the Cultural Care Au Pair agency. She was hired to care for Esposito and his wife Danielle’s four children while living with Danielle’s parents in Tottenville, Staten Island, as the Espositos’ mansion was undergoing renovation. Despite starting her job with high hopes, Andrade quickly grew suspicious of her employer’s behavior.
She noticed that Esposito, 35, often came into her room and adjusted the smoke detector. “He seemed very nervous and he seemed very worried when he arrived at the house,” Andrade later told Yahoo News, describing the moments leading up to her discovery. According to Andrade’s lawsuit, the smoke detector “was constantly being repositioned” by Esposito.
Less than three weeks into her job, Andrade inspected the device and made a shocking discovery—a small hidden camera inside. The memory card contained “hundreds of recordings,” many of which showed her “nude and/or dressing/undressing,” as the lawsuit detailed. Andrade was horrified and immediately understood that Esposito had been recording her without her consent.
Upon realizing what had happened, Andrade was overcome with fear. Esposito arrived at the house soon after her discovery, and his behavior intensified her alarm. According to The New York Post, he began “banging on the door” of her room while she pretended to be asleep, terrified he might be armed. Faced with this alarming situation, Andrade decided to flee. She jumped out of her first-floor window, injuring her knees in the process.
"I need to get away," Andrade recalled during the trial, explaining her decision to escape. She spent the rest of the night hiding in a bush on the street. The next day, Andrade handed the camera footage to the police, who arrested Esposito on March 24, 2021. The charges against him included unlawful surveillance, a felony that could have led to up to four years in prison.
Despite his arrest, Esposito’s legal fate took a surprising turn. In April 2022, he was allowed to enter a plea deal, which included a year of counseling. Upon successfully completing this program, Esposito’s felony charge was downgraded to attempted unlawful surveillance, a misdemeanor. The final sentence required Esposito to serve only two years of probation, sparking outrage from Andrade and her legal team.
Andrade expressed her frustration with the verdict, stating, “It’s not enough for the whole situation I’ve been through these three years. It’s not enough.” Her attorney, Zachary Holzberg, also criticized the leniency, saying, “Despite him doing this, he got to go home to his wife and children in their mansion, and she’s sleeping on the street.”
During the four-day civil trial at Brooklyn Federal Court, Andrade testified for three days about the distress and trauma she endured. Esposito, however, did not take the stand to defend his actions. The jury ultimately awarded Andrade $780,000 in emotional distress damages and an additional $2 million in punitive damages against Esposito.
The verdict brought some relief to Andrade, but she remained unhappy with the overall outcome. Reflecting on her ordeal, she said, “It wasn’t easy for me to be on trial. It was a very difficult time for me. It brings back memories that I’m trying to forget.”
Now living in New Jersey with her husband of two years, Andrade has chosen to speak out in the hopes of encouraging other victims of abuse, particularly au pairs and immigrants, to report their aggressors. “I want to encourage many au pairs and also immigrants who have been victims of abuse. Don’t keep quiet. Don’t be afraid to report your aggressor,” Andrade told The New York Post.
In addition to her legal victory against Esposito, Andrade also settled a lawsuit with Cultural Care Au Pair, the agency that had placed her with the Espositos. The terms of this settlement remain undisclosed.
Despite winning the lawsuit, Andrade continues to focus on her recovery and moving forward. She still feels the legal punishment handed down to Esposito was insufficient for the harm caused. “I was angry because the damage that he caused me is irreversible,” Andrade told reporters.
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