Pages 12 &13
Thursday, October 17, 2024 ~ Volume 136 ~ Issue Number 48 ~ $1.00
Charges Unveiled in Public Corruption Case Involving Prostitution Ring By Matt Meduri Credit - Matt Meduri
After a three-year investigation, District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), his department, and the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), have released the findings in a public corruption case that involves a nowformer SCPD officer and an Islip High School teacher. The two, along with other individuals, were allegedly involved in forging a criminal enterprise that perpetuated prostitution in Suffolk County. The investigation was aided by the SCPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. The result is a fifty-eightcount indictment, charging four defendants with a litany of crimes. Tierney described the “criminal enterprise” that operated for approximately five years, from 2019 to 2024, and the alleged perpetrators “unlawfully profited from prostitution.” Frank Saggio is alleged to have been the “head” of the enterprise, who owned the two buildings involved in the investigation. One is located at 6089 Sunrise Highway in Holbrook and the other is located at 30 B Gleam Street in West Babylon. Continued on page 16
‘Welcome Home:’ Korean War Vet Laid to Rest in Kings Park By Matt Meduri
SFC Ramos laid to rest in Calverton (Credit - Town of Smithtown)
“No soldier left behind.” This is the promise of the U.S. military and one to which they hold themselves, even if it takes years or decades to bring a fellow soldier home. This was the setting for a Kings Park resident who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the Korean War who was finally returned home and given a proper burial. Sergeant First Class (SFC) Israel Ramos entered the U.S. Army in New York and served in D Company, First Battalion, Ninth Regiment, Second Infantry Division. His unit was crucial in a series of battles for strategic positions along the Naktong River near Yongsan, South Korea, in August 1950. Ramos’ battalion was the victim of a surprise attack from North Korean forces on August 31, 1950. Ramos was sadly captured and executed, and while his remains were recovered in December 1950, they could not be properly identified or tied to him. He was only eighteen at the time of his sacrifice. His remains were interred as “Unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, through modern technology and DNA studies, SFC Ramos’ remains were finally identified and connected to him. Continued on page 10
FULL FULLSTORIES STORIESON: ON:
Mario Mattera vs. Craig Hershkowitz Page 12 & 13
Girl Scout Honored for Work at 9/11 Park Page 15
Hauppauge Swimmers: A Dynasty in the Works Page 23