Pubdate: Thu, 28 Dec 2006
Source: Newsday (NY)
Contact:  2006 Newsday Inc.
Website: http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Author: Alfonso A. Castillo, Newsday Staff Writer

LONG ISLAND DA'S PROBE HITS THE TRIFECTA

Suffolk investigation of gambling ring grows to uncover fireworks, 
marijuana rings there and in Nassau, Queens

Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota stood yesterday before a table 
covered with more than $1 million in neat stacks of hundreds and 
several large bags of marijuana, and said that the seized loot may be 
just a hint of "three major criminal enterprises" uncovered by 
Suffolk investigators.

Spota announced the results of a yearlong investigation that began as 
a sports gambling sting, but grew to uncover multimillion-dollar 
marijuana and illegal fireworks trafficking rings operating in 
Nassau, Suffolk and Queens.

Police arrested 17 suspects on assorted gambling and conspiracy 
charges, and continue to search for one more - a Freeport attorney 
charged with helping run "hundreds of pounds" of pot from California 
to Long Island.

All 17 suspects were given desk appearance tickets and ordered to 
return to court in March. Among those arrested were Salvatore 
Gerrato, 45, of 2337 Hampton Ave., Seaford, who authorities said ran 
all three rings; Frank Lonigro, 33, of 745 Terry Rd. in Hauppauge, 
who helped run the marijuana and gambling operations, and accountant 
Stephen Tarnofsky, 59, who Spota said earned $6,000 a week running a 
Costa Rican wire room for the gambling ring.

All suspects face a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison if 
convicted. Calls to all three men were not returned yesterday.

Spota said prosecutors will convene a special grand jury "to conduct 
a much more extensive investigation" and likely bring more serious 
charges. Spota said 30 search warrants uncovered computer and paper 
records indicating that the criminal operations go far deeper than 
investigators knew.

Spota said nine tons of illegal fireworks, transported from Maryland 
to Long Island, were seized in May, and that the gambling ring alone 
took in an average of $165,000 a week in bets. During one trip, the 
marijuana traffickers were found on their way to California with 
$300,000 cash in a Winnebago recreational vehicle - much of it in a 
hidden "trap" compartment.

The owner of the vehicle, Jeffrey Ackerman, 43, of 9 Trapper Lane, 
Levittown, was charged with conspiracy. His attorney, Edward Burke 
Jr. of Sag Harbor, declined to comment.

Spota said during each trip, the suspects returned with marijuana 
worth $1 million to $1.5 million on the street.

Gesturing to the seized money before him, Spota said, "If it's a 
million dollars, than you can rest assured it's many, many, many 
million dollars. "

Investigators used phone and electronic surveillance, including a 
first-of-a-kind in Suffolk computer wire tap to collect data from 
suspects' computers that uncovered "details that we've never seen 
before" on a sports betting operation.

One suspect in the marijuana ring remains at large - attorney Andrew 
Petrone, 34, of 725 Miller Ave., Freeport. Authorities said Petrone 
has already pleaded guilty, but skipped his sentencing on drug 
possession charges after being stopped in June 2005 with 300 Vicodin 
prescription pills and $54,000 in cash.

Petrone could not be reached for comment. "We will get him," Spota said. 
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