Who is Squeeze Benz? Infamous street racer arrested after viral social media stunts

NYPD apprehended viral internet street racer Squeeze Benz following his hit-and-run with Kick streamer N3on, but who is this infamous speed demon?

Squeeze Benz, otherwise known as Antonio Ginestri, is a 19-year-old YouTube and Instagram star who has made a name for himself driving dangerously, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic and attempting to antagonize police.

The speedster boasts 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 720K on Instagram, where he highlights some of his craziest stunts weaving in and out of traffic lanes.

His most popular video has received over 4.4M views and features Benz drifting through Times Square in New York City.

Ginestri was thrust into the public spotlight after collaborating with Kick streamer N3on, and took him on a wild ride through the Big Apple that ended with a hit-and-run.

N3on ended up receiving a one-day ban from the platform, but the stream received plenty of backlash, with MoistCritikal slamming the “illegal” content. Even Adin Ross was taken aback and warned that people would die if Kick didn’t take action against those types of broadcasts.

On May 21, 2024, Squeeze Benz was arrested after an incident that happened back in April where Benz allegedly made an illegal turn and proceeded to elude the police at high speeds.

Officers then found videos of Benz “committing various traffic violations throughout the Tri-State area and attempting to antagonize Police,” including one from April 11.

At 1:58 in the video below, Squeeze does doughnuts around a police vehicle before taking off. A bit later, the driver is encountered by more police cars, but they can’t keep up with the daredevil. The footage was uploaded on April 13, just two days after the alleged incident.

Newark detectives then coordinated with the NYPD Auto Crimes Manhattan Unit, where they located Ginestri and charged him with reckless driving, employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime along with theft and conspiracy.

The NYPD say they found Ginestri after he had allegedly punched a 20-year-old man inside the Steinway Deli.

“We trust that this arrest sends a strong message that Newark is not a playground for daredevil drivers seeking social media likes,” Chief Miranda said following Benz’s capture.

This isn’t the first time Benz has been in trouble with the law. In March 2024, the speedster pleaded guilty to being in possession of a stolen motorcycle and was forced to pay $3,000 in restitution.

Since being arrested, Squeeze Benz appears to have been released. In a post on Instagram, he revealed that he’s unable to go live due to community guideline violations and has since created a Twitch account.

Thus far, he’s yet to comment on the arrest, and it’s not clear if Ginestri plans to continue with his illegal activity now that his name and face are public. He also faces numerous pending charges from other law enforcement agencies across the country.