Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
$1.50
Friday, August 19, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 33
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
COUNTY POLICE KAPLAN, JOSEPH SEEK RELEASE BAIL STATS SENATE NOMINATION
PAGES 21-24, 29-32
PAGE 3
PAGE 6, 8
Mineola cop charged in Mafia scheme
B AT T E R U P
Alleged to have coordinated raids against rival gambling locations BY ST E V E N K E E H N E R Hector Rosario, a Nassau County Police Department detective, allegedly accepted money for agreeing to coordinate police raids on rival gambling establishments in an illegal Mafia operation centered in Lynbrook, according to the Department of Justice. Rosario, 49, of Mineola, has been accused of hindering a grand jury investigation and lying to the FBI, authorities said. He and eight other defendants were charged with racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering conspiracy, obstruction of justice and other crimes in two indictments that were unsealed earlier Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn. The charges were announced by Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office; Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. Peace said the arrests show the Mafia is still leveraging the financial system to further its illicit enterprises. He said they pollute communities with illegal gambling, extortion and violence. “The defendants tried to hide their criminal activity by operating from behind the cover of a coffee bar, a soccer club and a shoe repair shop,” he said.
“But our office and our law enforcement partners exposed their illegal operations.” Even more troubling, he said, was the detective’s alleged dishonorable behavior. He said it compromised both his oath of office and officers by his allegedly siding with criminals. Donnelly said this case is more evidence that organized crime is still alive. “These Mafia figures were assisted by a sworn member of law enforcement, who helped these gambling dens to thrive by offering police raids on competing clubs,” she said. “The Mafia has brought untold violence and extortion into our neighborhoods for decades, even threatening the life of an individual as part of this case.” She said this indictment sends a message of the authorities’ commitment to rooting out corruption and organized crime. Members of the Genovese and Bonanno organized crime organizations allegedly ran several illegal gambling operations. The authorities said the two families controlled the “lucrative” Gran Caffe illegal gambling enterprise in Lynbrook, starting at least as far back as May 2012. The Genovese crime family is also accused of running illegal gambling dens at Sal’s Shoe Repair and the Centro Continued on Page 42
PHOTO COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM @WILLISTONPARKFIREDEPT
The Williston Park Fire Department and Albertson Fire Company recently held a softball game earlier this month. The department requests anyone interested in volunteering to call 516-7428535.
4 Dems vie for Rice’s seat in Tuesday vote BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z
former Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen, Muzibul Huq and Nassau Four Democrats are running in County Legislator Carrie Solages are the state’s 4th Congressional District vying to face Republican candidate and Hempstead Councilman Anthoprimary election on Aug. 23. Malverne Mayor Keith Corbett, ny D’Esposito in the district’s general
election in November. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) announced in February that she would not seek re-election this year. Rice, who was Continued on Page 43
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