Billy Joel's Centre Island home burglarized, sources say
Billy Joel in his Oyster Bay motorcycle shop 20th Century Cycles Credit: Bruce Gilbert
Nassau Police are looking for a vandal who broke into what sources said is Billy Joel's Centre Island home last weekend, damaging a dozen motorcycles and an office.
Detectives from the Second Squad said the break-in occurred between 3:30 p.m. Saturdayand 8:15 a.m. Monday at a home on Centre Island Road in Oyster Bay’s exclusive Centre Island. The burglar, police said, damaged a garage door to enter the premises.
Joel, a longtime motorcycle enthusiast, has a sprawling 14.6-acre estate on Centre Island Road that he purchased in 2002.
"It's an ongoing investigation and we have no comment," said Joel's publicist, Claire Mercuri.
Authorities said no property was reported stolen and no one was home at the time of the break-in.
In 2010, the five-time Grammy-award winning musician opened a motorcycle shop — 20th Century Cycles — in downtown Oyster Bay that sells custom-made bikes and accessories and serves as a hangout for other cycling enthusiasts.
"Motorcycles I liked since I was a kid," Joel said in a recent episode of "Jay Leno's Garage," a CNBC show hosted by the former "Tonight Show" host. "Motorcycles and rock and roll were the same thing — loud, noisy."
In 2009, Joel put part of his collection of motorcycles on display in Sag Harbor as part of an exhibition, "Billy Joel's Motorcycle as Art and Icon." Among those motorcycles were some designed by Joel.
"The motorcycles that I've designed are essentially new bikes that I've made look like old bikes," he told Newsday at the time. "They're kind of retro-styled … I've become used to all the conveniences of modern technology, but I still like how the old things look."
Nassau detectives are asking anyone with information about the burglary to call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
With Michael O'Keeffe, David J. Criblez and John Valenti
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
