Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

Boot on the Ground

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things.

The historic Shanley Hotel is nestled in the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains of New York. Its past is full of stories of the many visits from the rich, famous… and infamous. After all, it was once a bordello, and it seems some of their satisfied customers have simply never left and are still seen lingering in the hallways by visitors there.

But the old Shanley has certainly also seen more than its share of horrific events, as well. From devastating fires to freak accidents and many deaths, the families who made this place their home were no strangers to tragedy. So many of those sorrowful figures from days gone by are thought to be among the spirits that remain.

Digging into the history and mystery, the intrepid RISEUP paranormal investigations group headed by Ken De Costa decided to take on a full survey of this site.

Following is Ken’s report on what they observed. They were not disappointed.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

On June 16th, 2023, the Rhode Island Society members for the Examination of Unusual Phenomena (RISEUP) paid a visit to the Shanley Hotel in Napanoch, NY. Long considered a haven of strange activity and some tragic backstories, no one of the six investigators – save for one – had set foot in the hotel, so expectations were tempered about what we might encounter there.

In this instance, previous claims were found to have substance as we experienced significant interaction during our overnight stay.

In what is termed “The Séance Room,” we were assisted by “The Paranormal Couple” Cody DesBiens and Satori Hawes in conversing with two spirits, using their remarkable “tapping method.” One is the man the hotel bears its name, James Shanley, and the other is the son of the current owner, who passed away in a tragic accident a year ago. In both cases, messages were essentially “tapped out” on the floor using the alphabet in doing so.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

On the third floor, a trip wire proximity sensor was used to gauge the potential movement of any entities in a hallway toward the investigators. These are not set off by our movements, as was tested before their engagement.  Significant results were demonstrated in requests for whoever might be present to make their way toward us.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

Also on the third floor, the spirit of the previous owner, Sal Nicosia, who passed away in 2016, came through with a message for his surviving sons, Joe and Sal, Jr., who, in the comment section of the live YouTube feed, confirmed the information dispensed to them. There was also an entity that made their own presence known who was a documented child killer who spent a period of time at the hotel while committing that murder. He was summarily dismissed as we refused to give him any of our time.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

In the former bordello, we witnessed some incredible communication as a former caretaker shared the tragic story of a 3-year-daughter who drowned in a well back in the 1800s, followed by co-host George Lopez’s (who was in the studio in Florida) late mother Beverley arriving through an open channel to ess information only her son would know. All of it was confirmed by George in a very emotional session.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

The next stop was the basement, where the location of a trap door unknown to the current staff was revealed. At one point, this led to a speakeasy hidden away during Prohibition. Later a camera set down overnight by Bill Forte designed to activate with movement reacted strangely while the group slept upstairs.

This unusual movement continued at various intervals through the night.

Finally, overnight saw, one guest room’s deadbolt was found turned and locked when only the door handle was locked previously. Another investigator was awakened by a strange sound in her room that was recorded on audio. While in another suite, female singing inside the room directly into the ear of one of us was distinct and fairly loud.

Ken DeCosta and Team Get Into the Spirit of Things. KGRA Digital Broadcasting

Ken De Costa co-hosts “Dead Air” alongside George Lopez on KGRA. They don’t just talk about ghosts on the radio. They are some of the most knowledgeable and successful ghost hunters around, leading RISEUP investigations with years of experience properly investigating the unknown.