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. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake