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A Holtsville man has been indicted for allegedly setting fire and destroying Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria in Wading River, a restaurant that was still reeling from the death of its owner.
Constantine Sackos, 59, faces numerous charges, including third-degree arson, third-degree burglary second-degree criminal mischief and petit larceny, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Thursday.
Sackos, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday and was released under non-monetary conditions, including GPS monitoring, had been recently fired from his job at Pazzo at the time of early morning blaze on Nov. 18.
The restaurant was destroyed, further devastating a staff and customer base still shaken over the death of the eatery’s beloved owner Maria Tranchina in August.
Investigators determined the 1:57 a.m. fire was intentionally set after finding seven points of origin and a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid at the scene, Tierney said. Sackos allegedly sought money from the owner Anthony Tranchina’s residence on multiple occasions both before and after the fire.
Tierney said surveillance footage shows Sackos allegedly preparing for the crime, purchasing a bottle of Kingsford Charcoal Lighter Fluid in Farmingville, loading a bicycle into his Jeep, and traveling to the restaurant hours before the blaze.
“The investigation revealed that the Jeep made its way to the vicinity of the entrance to the North Shore Rail Trail in Mount Sinai,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement. “At approximately 12:38 a.m., an individual consistent in appearance with Sackos rode a bicycle, consistent with the one Sackos loaded into his Jeep, from the exit to the North Shore Rail Trail in the direction of the Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria in Wading River.”
Video captured an individual consistent with Sackos’ appearance entering and exiting Pazzo before and during the fire, authorities said.
Following a search of Sackos’ Holtsville residence on Nov. 20, clothing consistent with the surveillance footage was recovered, and a K9 unit detected accelerants on the garments, Tierney said.
Sackos was arrested on Wednesday, authorities said. He is due back in court on Feb. 26 and faces five to 15 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, arson.
Top: GLI file photo (Brian Harmon)
