Two People Arrested For Burglaries In Smithtown And Setauket

Jacklyn LynchJohn AnastasiouSuffolk County Police have arrested two people in connection with a burglary pattern that occurred during the past two months in the Fourth and Sixth Precincts.

Following an investigation by Fourth Squad detectives, John Anastasiou was charged with nine counts of Burglary 2^nd Degree for breaking into homes in Saint James, Smithtown, Nesconset and Setauket between May 15 and June 21. During the burglaries, money and jewelry were stolen.

Jacklyn Lynch was also arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5^th Degree for pawning items stolen during the burglaries.

Anastasiou, 33, and Lynch, 32, both of  Rocky Point, were scheduled to be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip. 

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Book Review - 'The Heart of a Champion'

BOOK REVIEW

‘The Heart of a Champion’ - By Gus Alfieri 

265 pages – All-American Sports Press

Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur 

Few figures in the world of Sports have accomplished what the legendary St. John’s basketball star, Gus Alfieri, has … whether as player, coach, or memoirist.

In the interest of full disclosure, it must be stated (and proudly so) that this reviewer is a personal friend of the author, whose compelling new book, ‘The Heart of a Champion,’ is the subject of the following review.

That said, I would also point out that my relationship with Gus Alfieri brings with it several advantages when it comes to critiquing his factual account of mutually-shared instances. Chief among them is the unique opportunity to vouch personally for the accuracy of the author’s recollections. They are spot-on, and capture the flavor of the events depicted perfectly. 

Sports celebrities have been known to embellish their accomplishments, and for the most part these exaggerations constitute innocent embroideries that can be overlooked. In the case of Alfieri … the Smithtown neighbor with whom I graduated from St. John’s University in 1959 … no such accommodation of hyperbole is necessary. 

If anything, my friend consistently understates his considerable athletic achievements. As a national champion basketball player, his inclination, first and foremost, is to acknowledge his teammates … as a State champion coach, he quickly credits his players and assistants … and as an author, Gus Alfieri attributes the success of both his wonderful books (‘Lapchick’ was his first) primarily to friends and family.

Knowing the man as I do, this self-effacing attitude comes as no surprise. Gus has always been supremely confident, while maintaining a quiet air that puts those around him at ease, and that generosity of spirit comes through vividly in ‘The Heart of a Champion.’

This beautifully written and liberally illustrated volume (I counted 28 photographs with explicit captions) is one of the smoothest-reading sports books I have ever come across. Unlike many memoirs of sporting or show business personalities, Alfieri’s recollections are purely his own … and so is the writing. The English Literature professors we shared in college (virtually all of whom are now dead) would be proud of their Dean’s List student.

Gus hasn’t succumbed to the siren song of bestowing preferential treatment on the most famous of his subjects. In other words, he isn’t a name-dropper. The high school boys he coached at St. Anthony’s during Long Island’s Golden Age of Basketball are given every bit as much (and more) coverage in this book than are the hall of fame celebrities he knew so intimately. Dean Smith (North Carolina), Lou Carnesecca (St. John’s), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), and commentator Mike Francesa … they all share the pages of ‘The Heart of a Champion’ with ‘Friar’ teen standouts like the supremely talented Ken Rood, Ken Kolakowski, and Tom Hicks.

I get the distinct impression that this rags-to-riches story of Alfieri’s rise from modest Brooklyn roots to the pinnacle of schoolboy coaching, would resonate well with Hollywood producers and directors. It’s a success story whose many magical facets can be told effectively only by the person who lived them. In the case of the legendary St. Anthony’s coach, that individual happens to be a highly gifted author … and more importantly, a world-class shaper of character.

There are any number of ‘blurbs’ that have been penned concerning Alfieri’s ‘The Heart of a Champion,’ and most of them seem directed to would-be basketball coaches. But this book is infinitely more than a coaching manual. It’s a guide to the pursuit of excellence … no matter what the goal … regardless of the obstacles. As Gus’s own adored mother was fond of saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eleven novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. It maintains that each wrote the other’s most famous work. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com

Police Rescue Ronkonkoma Father And Son Caught In Rip Tide

Marine Bureau Officers Robert Femia and Neil StringerSuffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers rescued a Ronkonkoma father and his 12-year-old son who were pulled out by a rip tide off of Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton Beach this evening.

Justyn Espineira, 12, was swimming at Cupsogue beach, located on Dune Road, at approximately 6 p.m. but was unable to swim back to shore because of a strong rip tide. Justyn’s father, Rick Espineira, 52, paddled out to his son on a body board. Rick grabbed his son and held on to him but the rip tide pulled both of them out towards Moriches Inlet. The victims were approximately ¼ to ½ a mile away from the shore and were drifting in a southwest direction.

Officers from the Suffolk County Police Aviation Section located Justyn and Rick and kept them in sight while Marine Bureau Officers Robert Femia and Neil Stringer responded in Marine Bureau Mike. Officers Femia and Stringer pulled the father and son out of the water at approximately 6:17 p.m. and transported them to the East Moriches Coast Guard Station, located at 100 Moriches-Island Road. As a precaution, EMTs from East Moriches Ambulance examined the victims who did not suffer any injuries.

It's Summer Think Family-Friendly Suffolk County Campgrounds

Suffolk County Park Campgrounds Offer An Affordable Family-Friendly Vacation

Shinnecock EastSuffolk County, New York – (June 22, 2016) – “Stay Suffolk” – Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s new campaign aimed at encouraging Suffolk County residents to explore parks and enjoy activities close to home will not only help to keep tax dollars here in Suffolk County, but will help residents to realize what makes Long Island’s parks, beaches, golf courses and historic sites a great vacation destination. 

“The Suffolk County Park campgrounds are a great resource for residents looking to provide an affordable vacation opportunity for their families,” said Bellone.  “Not only do the campgrounds provide a place to sleep under the starry skies, but they provide numerous recreational opportunities for visitors to enjoy during the day.”

Here are some great reasons to check out these local campgrounds:

Blydenburgh County Park – Smithtown (631) 854-3714 

Amenities:  tent & trailer camping, rowboat rentals, freshwater fishing, hiking, picnicking, playground, fenced-in dog run, and Historic Trust area

Cathedral Pines County Park – Middle Island (631) 852-5502\

Amenities:  tent & trailer camping, hiking, playground, mountain bike trail, fully-equipped activity building

Cedar Point County Park – East Hampton (631) 852-7620

Amenities:  tent & trailer camping, rowboat rentals, scuba diving, hiking, picnicking, playground, fishing, and the Cedar Island Lighthouse

Cupsogue Beach County Park – Westhampton (631) 852-8111

Amenities:  self-contained trailer camping, lifeguard protected bathing beach, scuba diving, surfcasting and the Beach Hut concession

Indian Island County Park – Riverhead (631) 852-3232

Amenities:  tent and trailer camping, fishing, picnicking, hiking, playground, pavilion, canoe/kayak launching site, and Golf Course

Montauk County Park  - Montauk (631) 852-7879 

Amenities:  self-contained trailer camping, picnicking, pavilion, hiking, surfcasting, fresh-water fishing, canoe/kayak launching site, horseback riding at Deep Hollow Ranch.

Sears Bellows County Park – Hampton Bays (631) 852-8290

Amenities:  tent and trailer camping,  fishing, rowboat rentals, hiking, picnicking, pavilion, playground, horseback riding trails.  Also nearby to The Big Duck, a national historic landmark

Shinnecock East County Park – Southampton (631) 852-8899

Amenities:  self-contained trailer camping, surfcasting

Smith Point County Park – Shirley (631) 852-1315

Amenities:  tent and trailer camping, lifeguard protected bathing beach, scuba diving, picnicking, playground, saltwater fishing and surfing, camp store on premises, and the Beach Hut Concession.  Also home to TWA Flight 800 Memorial

Southaven County Park – Brookhaven (631) 852-1391

Amenities:  tent and trailer camping, rowboat rentals, canoe/kayak launching area, hiking, picnicking, fishing, playground, pavilion, horseback riding trails, trap and skeet range and the Long Island Live Steamers model trains

Reservations for Suffolk County campgrounds can be made with a Suffolk County Parks green key card through the online reservation system.  Additional information about Suffolk County Parks including an events calendar and information about the green key card can be found on the web at  www.suffolkcountyny.gov/parks.  through facebook at facebook.com/suffolkcountyparks and twitter at twitter.com/scparks

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - Orlando And LI's History With "Different" People

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

Last week, the morning after the Orlando massacre, I was at a meeting of the board (I’m a member) of the Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding, which its chairperson, Rabbi Steven Moss, opened by discussing the murder of 49 people in Florida and attacks on LGBT people in Suffolk.

Rabbi Moss, long-time chair, too, of the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission, also led a prayer for the victims of the Orlando attack and for ending hate. Among the center’s programs is one titled “Embracing Our Differences.” And it’s now embarked on a “Liberty Express Mobile Museum” project. A van with exhibits on slavery, including in Suffolk, and the Holocaust would travel to schools and communities here.

During the prayer, my eyes shifted to a glass case in one of the center’s exhibit rooms at Suffolk County Community College holding one of those broadly-striped uniforms worn by people in Nazi concentration camps. In addition to millions of Jews and other minorities, I thought of the many thousands of homosexuals sent to the camps who wore that uniform.  Hatred of homosexuals has also been a great bias. 

Nowhere, of course, on the levels of the Nazis or the killings by the ISIS supporter in Orlando, in Suffolk for many years there was a formal ritual of going after homosexuals. When I became a journalist here in the 1960s, the Suffolk County Police Department was still conducting its annual raid on the gay communities of Fire Island. 

Fire IslandBoatloads of Suffolk police would make a night-time assault on Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines, dragging off men in manacles. They wouldn’t challenge their arrests, most being from the city and frightened about casting their lot with Suffolk locals. My first beat on the daily Long Island Press was covering police and courts and in notifying the press about the arrestees, the cops made a point of stressing where they worked and what they did. They wanted to get these guys in trouble.

Then, in 1968, the Mattachine Society of New York arranged for Benedict P. Vuturo, the president of the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association, to represent those arrested. He demanded jury trials for all 27 men caught in the exercise in homophobia that year. Benny believed that Suffolk citizens wouldn’t convict them—and he was right. I covered those trials in which Mr. Vuturo would tell juries about how with real crimes happening in Suffolk, the police were storming Fire Island rounding up gays. Those trials marked the end of the Fire Island raids.

Hatred of those “different” is so outrageous. Cailin Riley wrote a terrific story in The East Hampton Press and The Southampton Press after the death of Muhammad Ali about a long friendship that began between film and television producer Peter Israelson of East Hampton and the famed boxer in 1979. They were working together for two weeks on a series of commercials for Ford Motor Parts filmed in Alaska. “At night, we’d watch the Northern Lights dance through our hotel window. Neither of us had ever seen anything like that before,” recalled Mr. Israelson. And, he noted, “When we left Alaska after the production, he delayed our flight for hours in kissing every single baby on the plane. No one minded—he was that charismatic and loving. That shoot was one of the great privileges of my life.”

How did a Jewish filmmaker and a Muslim who just happened to be one of the greatest athletes of all time get thrown together in an Alaskan hotel room? Muhammad Ali couldn’t get a hotel room on his own—because he was black! Mr. Israelson insisted “he is with me” so the hotel let him stay—with Peter.  And a life-long link was born.

That was 1979. Not 1879 or 1929 or 1949.

Hatred towards those “different” is far from over.  Just last month and also in April, Scott Greene, who had been a Suffolk police sergeant, was given jail sentences for stopping 20 Latino drivers for supposed traffic violations and stealing cash from them while doing so. The 25-year police veteran got caught in a sting in which he stopped an undercover Latino officer and—with video rolling—stole cash from him.

More than money has been taken from Latinos in Suffolk. In 2008, 37-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero lost his life in Patchogue, murdered by a gang of seven teens lead by one bedecked with a Nazi tattoo. The gang specialized in what it called “beaner hopping”—attacking Latinos. 

As to racism directed toward African-Americans, in February in U.S. District Court, the owners of the 107-unit Mayfair Garden Apartments in Commack agreed to a $230,000 settlement for discriminating against blacks. The lawsuit was brought by the, thankfully, highly-active Syosset-based organization ERASE Racism and the Fair Housing Justice Center of New York.

Bias must be vigorously fought and we must, indeed, embrace our differences.

Further, regarding the use of assault weapons in the Orlando, Sandy Hook, Aurora, San Bernardino, etc. massacres—enough is enough! These widely available weapons of choice for mass shooters must be banned now.

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Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.