Friday, April 12, 2019
Vol. 79, No. 15
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SERVING PLAINVIEW, HICKSVILLE, AND LEVITTOWN
MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS
Division Avenue High School sophomores and Tri-M Music Honor Society members Danielle Tear (left) played the cello and Natalie Chua (right) played the flute in the school lobby during Music In Our Schools MonthMembers of Division Avenue High School’s Tri-M Music Honor Society performed in the school lobby during the month Photo courtesy of the Levittown Public Schools
Town plans harbor, beach cleanup
The Town of Oyster Bay invites residents to participate in the annual Oyster Bay Harbor & Beach Cleanup, scheduled for Saturday, April 13th. The event is co-sponsored by the joined forces of the Town of Oyster Bay, the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association (NOBBA) and Friends of the Bay. This environmental cleanup initiative is scheduled to begin 8:00 am. Town of Oyster Bay Supervi-
sor Joseph Saladino said, “With Earth Day right around the corner, this important environmental initiative is the perfect way to pitch in and help make a difference!” Volunteers are invited to participate in the cleanup, which will run from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. The central meeting place will be Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park launching ramps and waterfront gazebo off of Larrabee Avenue, Oyster
Bay. Additional locations for the clean-up include Theodore Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay, Stehli Beach in Bayville and Centre Island Beach in Bayville. Individuals and groups who are interested can get further information by calling the Town’s Department of Environmental Resources at (516) 677-5943 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com.
Disbarred attorney pleads guilty to theft Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a disbarred attorney from Hicksville pleaded guilty to stealing $40,000 from a Hicksville couple selling their home. Constantine Giannakos, 51, pleaded guilty on April 2nd to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a D felony) before Judge Robert Bogle. If he provides $40,000 restitution at the time of sentence on May 10, he is expected to be sentenced to five years’ probation; however, if the defendant does not pay restitution, he is expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison. “Instead of faithfully representing his clients, this defendant stole $40,000 from them and spent it at the Home Depot and on personal credit card payments,” DA Singas said. “When an attorney abuses their client’s trust and steals from them, my office will hold them accountable for their crimes.” DA Singas said that in early 2017, a Hicksville homeowner and her ex-husband hired the defendant to represent them in the sale of their home. The complainants and their home purchasers entered a sales contract on February 4, 2017. At the time of the contract signing, the buyers’ attorney provided a $40,000 down payment check made out to ‘Constantine Giannakos, as attorney’ that was deposited into Giannakos’ escrow account and held there until the closing. Between February 4 and the scheduled closing date of September 27, Giannakos and one of the complainants met at public locations including a Dunkin’ Donuts on Newbridge Road in Hicksville. The defendant claimed he had an office in Syosset, but in fact, did not. Following the closing on September 27, the defendant was supposed to remit the $40,000 down payment to his clients but never did so. The complainants made several subsequent requests for the money via phone and text messages but never received the money. The NCDA received the case on October 24, 2017, after receiving a complaint from the homeowners. A review of the escrow account showed Giannakos spent the $40,000 at Home Depot, on credit card payments, department stores, mortgage payments, and unrelated business expenses. Giannakos was disbarred for another matter on August 21, 2012. If you believe you may have been a victim of an unscrupulous attorney, please call the NCDA’s Tip Line at 516-571-7755.
Annual Community Recognition Night PAGE 13 Board honors two outstanding athletes PAGE 5