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.