Long Island police officer George F. Trimigliozzi and schoolteacher Steven Arey charged with managing sex workers, DA says

A Suffolk County police officer and a public school teacher were indicted in connection with what authorities said was a long-running prostitution ring that operated brothels in Holbrook and West Babylon, authorities said Tuesday.

Suffolk Police Officer George F. Trimigliozzi, an 18-year department veteran, pleaded not guilty to 17 counts at his arraignment Tuesday in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, including 13 counts of enterprise corruption, two counts of falsifying business records, filing a false instrument and official misconduct.

Trimigliozzi, 55, of Islip, "collected proceeds" from the sex workers and coordinated their schedules at the Holbrook brothel, which he managed with his co-defendant, Steven Arey, a teacher in the Islip school district, said Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Laura de Oliveira, deputy chief of the Public Corruption Bureau.
 

"It is a sad day in law enforcement when a public servant is arrested. However, I made a commitment to this county that no one is above the law, and that includes those who are supposed to embody the best of public service," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said. "The allegations in this indictment describe a long-term pattern of organized criminal activity and a shocking betrayal of public trust."

Suffolk Deputy Police Commissioner Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, reading from a written statement at a news conference with Tierney, called the allegations against Trimigliozzi "deeply disturbing."

"George Trimigliozzi was suspended without pay during his investigation and it is our intention that he will never work again as a Suffolk County police officer," said Alvarez-Groneman, who did not answer several questions about Trimigliozzi remaining on the force during the district attorney's investigation.

Tierney said Trimigliozzi‘s August suspension was not connected to the conduct alleged in the indictment but was due to "other incidents of alleged misconduct" from "allegations that he failed to perform his duties."

Two other people, alleged ringleader Frank Saggio, 60, of West Islip, and his girlfriend Dana Ciardullo, 32, of North Bellmore, were also charged with enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution.

Saggio oversaw the prostitution brothels from October 2019 to June, according to court papers.

Authorities seized $104,225 in cash from his West Islip home, which was valued at more than $2 million, prosecutors said in court papers.

Saggio has multiple prior felony convictions and is awaiting sentencing in a federal mail fraud case, prosecutors said in a bail letter.

Saggio, as the bail letter noted, published his autobiography in 2004, entitled "Born to the Mob: The True-Life Story of the Only Man to Work for All Five of New York's Mafia Families," in which he claimed to have "worked for each of New York’s big five [Mafia] families, refusing to pledge his allegiance to any single organization."

Saggio’s attorney Anthony La Pinta unsuccessfully attempted to have those details sealed. He called his client’s previous legal troubles "ancient convictions" but didn’t comment further.

Ciardullo's attorney Jan D. Goldman said after court: "I think all these allegations are really not true, but we'll fight it to the end."

The defendants forced the sex workers, some of whom spoke limited English, to sign "leases" to pay for the use of the suites — $6,000 monthly for the Holbrook location and $12,000 for West Babylon, prosecutors said. The sex workers were paid in tips, prosecutors said.

The police officer and the teacher allegedly served as managers on Saggio’s behalf at a Sunrise Highway building in Holbrook known as the American Girls Spa "Suite 3." The Sunrise Highway building also contained two additional brothels allegedly managed by Saggio: Spa "Suite 4” and Reiki for Healing "Suite 5."

Authorities said Ciardullo served as the manager at a location in West Babylon known as the Tunnel of Love.
 

On March 19, 2021, according to de Oliveira, a robbery occurred at the brothel, which is located within the police department's Fifth Precinct coverage area. One of the sex workers called Trimigliozzi at 3:12 a.m. to alert him and he "abandoned post" while on duty in the Third  Precinct and drove to the brothel, de Oliveira said.

Tierney said Trimigliozzi‘s sector car traveled six miles outside of his precinct and was clocked going 88 mph in the direction of the brothel. Trimigliozzi arrived at the brothel, where he remained for 34 minutes, according to his vehicle’s GPS, Tierney said.

Trimigliozzi then "falsified official police paperwork" to cover up his actions, Tierney said.

The police department referred Trimigliozzi‘s conduct to the district attorney's office, Tierney said.

Trimigliozzi, who was hired on Sept. 11, 2006, was paid $151,516 in base pay in 2023, according to Newsday’s payroll database. Trimigliozzi made $124,218 in overtime that year — just $27,298 less than his base pay — bringing his full compensation from Suffolk County in 2023 to $314,706, making him one of the highest paid officers in the department.

Trimigliozzi's attorney, William Keahon, noted in court that his client has no criminal record and was named "cop of the month" on six occasions.

Keahon stressed that an indictment is not evidence of any wrongdoing and added: "I would suggest to the court, they're not gonna be able to prove it."

Supreme Court Justice Tim Mazzei set bail at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond.

Arey, 53, of Islip, a tenured teacher in the Islip school district, also pleaded not guilty to 28 felony counts, including enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution.

His attorney declined to comment.

A school district spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Tierney said the defendants were acquaintances but declined to say how they knew each other.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.