Yes he is. I didn’t see that he was a *regular* in the linked article: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/italian-tourist-simply-pay-kelly-article-1.1248327
I’m sure it didn’t help that he was drunk. :)
There have been a few other articles on this guy. The story keeps changing.
For me the lesson is - if I plan to consume the products and services of a company I should probably take steps to ensure I can pay for it.
Sure mistakes happen, so does theft.