Holbrook couple illegally dumped debris in Mastic Beach, taunted witness, prosecutors say

A Holbrook couple illegally dumped broken cinder blocks and chunks of concrete last month in protected wetlands in Mastic Beach before taunting a bystander who witnessed and reported the incident, Suffolk County prosecutors said Wednesday.

Fabio Monasterolo, 51, and his wife, Judith Monasterolo, 55, were arraigned Tuesday on charges of third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, and a host of environmental conservation violations, none of which are bail eligible crimes, officials said. District Court Judge Mary Mullen released the Monasterolos on their own recognizance.

“Their actions not only caused a threat to our natural resources but also exhibited a complete disregard to the laws protecting our environment," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said during a news conference Wednesday at the site of the alleged dumping. "What is even more concerning in this case is the callous behavior by the defendants toward a bystander who had the courage to document their crime … Crimes like this victimize our environment and will not be tolerated. Using our precious wetlands as a personal junkyard is as selfish as it is destructive."

Jorge Macias, the couple's Hauppauge-based defense attorney, declined to comment.

Prosecutors said that on April 23, shortly after 2 p.m., the Monasterolos illegally dumped solid waste from the back of their black Dodge Ram pickup truck into sensitive wetlands near the intersection of Jefferson Drive and Grove Road in Mastic Beach. District Attorney spokeswoman Tania Lopez said the material totaled 960 pounds.

The property, which is owned by the town, abuts a tidal wetland. The Town of Brookhaven recently erected surveillance cameras near the wetlands to deter dumping in the area. Images from those cameras will be used as evidence in the case, officials said.

A witness, who authorities did not identify, observed the dumping and began photographing the incident, Tierney said. 

Judith Monasterolo, who was in the passenger seat of the truck, spotted the witness and responded with two middle fingers as her husband drove away from the scene, prosecutors said. A photo of her delivering the crude gesture was displayed at the news conference.

The bystander's photographs were provided to the town, which contacted Tierney's office, officials said. The couple were arrested on May 1 after an investigation by detectives with the district attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team.

The items dumped in the wetlands, Tierney said, were used by the couple for personal use.

"This was just a convenient place for them to carelessly dump," he said.

The town cleaned up the protected site and Tierney plans to seek reimbursement of those costs from the couple. 

"Hopefully this will serve as an example to those selfish people who believe they can simply toss their garbage on the roadside or in our wetlands," said Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico, adding that Monasterolos will be the first individuals to be subject to a new $5,000 fine imposed by the town for dumping in protected wetlands.

Thomas Gadomski, a police captain with the state Department of Environmental Conservation police on Long Island, said the wetlands in western Suffolk are critical to the fisheries industry, wildlife in the area and to the general public.

"So when you dump in here and start killing the plants and adversely affecting the wildlife it's going to be a trickle-down effect and one species will be lost and then the next and down the road," he said. "And that affects the health and welfare of the people."

Julie Kelly, who lives near the site, said the wetlands have been frequently targeted by dumpers looking to dispose of construction debris, garbage, cement and wood.

"It makes me so angry that they feel entitled to dump here," Kelley said as she walked her dogs past the site.

The Monasterolos are due back in court on June 13.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.