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6 Members of MS-13 Charged In ‘Brutal’ Slaying Of 21-Year-Old At Long Island Park 6 Members of MS-13 Charged In ‘Brutal’ Slaying Of 21-Year-Old At Long Island Park
6 Members of MS-13 Charged In ‘Brutal’ Slaying Of 21-Year-Old At Long Island Park A half dozen members of the notorious MS-13 gang were slapped with federal charges in the murder of a 21-year-old man who was found dead at a Long Island park. The group is named in a 17-count superseding indictment that was unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Oct. 3. It includes multiple racketeering offenses, including two murders, one attempted murder, and drug trafficking. Prosecutors laid out their case more than two years after Walter Ochoa, age 21, was shot in the chest and then stabbed to death by several MS-13 members at Uniondale Park on July 19, 2022. Ochoa was …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
14-Year-Old Severely Injured In Sunrise Highway Crash 14-Year-Old Severely Injured In Sunrise Highway Crash
14-Year-Old Severely Injured In Sunrise Highway Crash A teenage suffered critical injuries in an overnight Long Island crash. It happened on Friday, Oct. 4, at 9:40 p.m. in Merrick, according to Nassau County Police. A 41-year-old man operating a 2023 Ford pickup truck traveling westbound on Sunrise Highway (Route 27) was involved in a collision with a 14-year-old boy riding a bicycle northbound on Merrick Avenue.   The boy suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local area hospital for treatment. He is listed in critical condition.  The driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene.  No further injur…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
New Long Island Restaurant Cited For ‘Fresh, Delicious’ Fare New Long Island Restaurant Cited For ‘Fresh, Delicious’ Fare
New Long Island Restaurant Cited For ‘Fresh, Delicious’ Fare A new restaurant on Long Island serving seafood and cocktails is earning high praise from diners. Sexy Crab – located in Hicksville at 828 South Oyster Bay Road – held its grand opening in late September 2024. It marks the second Long Island spot for the restaurant chain, which touts itself as having “the freshest and most flavorful Cajun seafood” around. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sexy Crab Levittown, NY (@sexycrabnewyork) The menu features a mouthwatering array of shrimp, crab, lobster tails, clams, and crawfish, to name …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
$9.6M Scheme: Quogue Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy $9.6M Scheme: Quogue Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy
$9.6M Scheme: Quogue Businessman Admits To Bank Fraud Conspiracy The owner of a New York business admitted to running a multimillion-dollar check-kiting scheme to keep his company operating. Long Island resident John B. Mensch, age 54, pleaded guilty in connection with a nearly year-long fraud conspiracy involving banks in Suffolk County and the Hudson Valley, federal authorities announced Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 2. Mensch, of Quogue, faces up to five years’ imprisonment as well as financial penalties, including restitution to the two banks of approximately $9.6 million. According to court filings, Mensch was the owner and operator of East End, a…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Business Owner From East Hampton Who Scammed Customers Steals Wallet At Gym: Police Business Owner From East Hampton Who Scammed Customers Steals Wallet At Gym: Police
Business Owner From East Hampton Who Scammed Customers Steals Wallet At Gym: Police A 36-year-old former business owner from Long Island who admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from customers was apprehended after stealing a wallet from a Northern Westchester gym and using a credit card inside in the Hudson Valley, police said. The theft happened in Yorktown on Tuesday, Oct. 1, when a wallet was stolen from Club Fit at 600 Bank Rd., Yorktown Police said on Friday, Oct. 4.  Investigators quickly realized that the victim's credit card had recently been used in Putnam County, and when they obtained surveillance video from this location, they were able t…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Disgruntled Gambler Who Shot 2 At Port Jefferson Business Gets 18 Years In Prison Disgruntled Gambler Who Shot 2 At Port Jefferson Business Gets 18 Years In Prison
Disgruntled Gambler Who Shot 2 At Port Jefferson Business Gets 18 Years In Prison A 27-year-old man will spend nearly two decades behind bars for shooting two men at a Long Island business. Alexander Castillo, of the Bronx, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Oct. 3, stemming from a shooting at a Port Jefferson pool hall. Prosecutors said Castillo spent several hours playing pool at the establishment on Dec. 28, 2022. Over the course of the evening, he placed bets on each game and lost an undisclosed amount of money. Earlier Report: Disgruntled Gambler Shot 2 At Port Jefferson Business, Jury Finds Shortly after 7 p.m., Castil…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
LI Actress Starring In New Netflix Series That's Earning Rave Reviews LI Actress Starring In New Netflix Series That's Earning Rave Reviews
LI Actress Starring In New Netflix Series That's Earning Rave Reviews Their new show may be titled, “Nobody Wants This,” but critics beg to differ. A pair of New York actresses are appearing in a new Netflix series that’s quickly gaining favor with audiences. “Nobody Wants This” – a romantic comedy starring Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, and Justine Lupe – premiered on the popular streaming service Thursday, Sept. 26. It centers on the unexpected relationship between a rogue rabbi and an irascible, loud, agnostic woman, according to its IMDB synopsis. Among those appearing on screen is Long Island native Jackie Tohn, an actress and musician who was born and rai…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Long Island Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings Long Island Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings
Long Island Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings New York is well-represented in brand-new rankings of the best high schools in New York. The first four in Niche's 2025 selections are all from New York City: Stuyvesant in Manhattan, the Bronx High School of Science, Staten Island Technical High School, and Townsend Harris High School in Queens. Checking in at No. 5 and the first Westchester County selection is Scarsdale High School. The first Long Island school picked is No. 7 Half Hollow Hills West in Dix Hills. Long Island schools also make up spots 10 through 13: They are Jericho, Syosset, and Great Neck South high schools. Four mor…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
John Gotti Jr's Wife, Daughter Dodge Assault Charges After HS Basketball Brawl On Long Island John Gotti Jr's Wife, Daughter Dodge Assault Charges After HS Basketball Brawl On Long Island
John Gotti Jr's Wife, Daughter Dodge Assault Charges After HS Basketball Brawl On Long Island John Gotti Jr.’s wife and daughter will avoid criminal charges in connection with a fight at a youth basketball game on Long Island. A Nassau County judge cited “procedural grounds” for dismissing the misdemeanor assault charges against Kimberly Gotti, age 55, and Gianna Gotti, age 23, on Tuesday, Oct. 1. “We await the judge’s written decision and will review our options,” a spokesperson for the DA’s office told Daily Voice. The fight broke out in the Oyster Bay village of Lattingtown, during a basketball game at Locust Valley High School against visiting Oyster Bay High School, on Thursd…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Bay Shore Man Who Kidnapped Ex-GF At Knifepoint Gets Decades In Prison Bay Shore Man Who Kidnapped Ex-GF At Knifepoint Gets Decades In Prison
Bay Shore Man Who Kidnapped Ex-GF At Knifepoint Gets Decades In Prison A Long Island man whose abuse and stalking of his former girlfriend culminated in a knifepoint kidnapping will spend decades behind bars. Holmark Garces, age 35, of Bay Shore, was sentenced to 27 to 30 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Monday, Sept. 30. According to prosecutors, the victim moved out of Garces’ Bay Shore residence in December 2019 after he became increasingly controlling and abusive. She claimed he isolated her from her family and repeatedly took her cell phone to monitor her activity and communications. Earlier Report: Bay Shore Man Convicted Of Kidnapping …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Ronkonkoma Man Accused Of Burglarizing 11 Suffolk County Businesses Ronkonkoma Man Accused Of Burglarizing 11 Suffolk County Businesses
Ronkonkoma Man Accused Of Burglarizing 11 Suffolk County Businesses A local man has been accused of burglarizing nearly a dozen Long Island businesses this month. The suspect broke into Deli Pupuseria Salvadoreña, located at 16 Dawn Drive in Centereach, stole at around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, stole a cash register and fled, according to Suffolk County Police. Officers apprehended him a short time later. Following an investigation by Sixth Squad detectives, it was determined Michael Mancuso, age 44, of Ronkonkoma, burglarized 10 other businesses during which he stole a cash register or cash from the following businesses: Aladdin I…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Police Chase, Fatal Shooting On Sunrise Highway Prompts State Investigation Police Chase, Fatal Shooting On Sunrise Highway Prompts State Investigation
Police Chase, Fatal Shooting On Sunrise Highway Prompts State Investigation A police pursuit and fatal officer-involved shooting on a Long Island highway is the subject of a New York State Attorney General’s Office investigation. The incident happened on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa on Friday, Sept. 20. According to the AG’s office, officers with the NYPD, along with Freeport and Nassau County Police, were involved in a vehicle pursuit through Queens and Nassau counties. The chase ended when the suspect, Jeremy Bennett, stopped his car on the highway. During the ensuing encounter, officers opened fire, striking the man. Bennett, whose age and hometown were not…

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by Michael Mashburn