By NANCY HILER
Cassidy, 31, fled the scene, but was apprehended and arrested shortly thereafter.
Cassidy accused Celentano of stealing his recently deceased mother's ring, Celentano's father, Michael Celentano Sr., said. A heated argument ensued between the two men in front of the Celentano home, Nassau County First Squad Detective Sergeant Gregg Lesmeister said in a telephone interview. Family members and neighbors came outside and "tried to intervene," he said. Cassidy got back in his sport-utility wagon, leaving the driver's side door open, slammed it into reverse, and the door allegedly struck five people, knocking most of them onto the ground, Lesmeister said.
The car door hit Celentano's parents, Clara and Michael Sr., his brother, Michael Jr., his 85-year old grandfather, Giuseppe, and a 53-year-old neighbor, John Camilleri. Cassidy then shifted the vehicle into drive, allegedly running over Clara Celentano, this time breaking her leg. He then drove off, Lesmeister said. Joseph Celentano was unharmed.
The injured were rushed to Nassau University Medical Center around 9 p.m. Clara¹s broken leg was casted, and may require future surgery, according to her husband, who was treated for a minor leg injury and released. Michael Jr. and Camilleri were admitted for observation for bruises and cuts to the back of the head, and were later released. Giuseppe Celentano was hurt most seriously, according to police, sustaining head trauma. He was in the intensive care unit in critical but stable condition at press time, according to NUMC spokeswoman Shelley Lotenberg.
"This is just insanity. And insanity almost killed four, five, six people," Michael Sr. said upon returning from the hospital to his Pacific Street home the next morning.
According to Michael Sr., Cassidy falsely accused his son of taking a ring once owned by Cassidy¹s mother, Dorothy, who died on May 11. Members of the Celentano family had attended the woman's funeral, he said. Police are looking into the theft allegation, Lesmeister said during a news conference on May 18, although no larceny report was on file, according to police.
Michael Sr. said that Joseph received a phone call earlier that evening from Cassidy's younger brother John, 28, a passenger in the SUV at the time of the incident. John said he and his brother wanted to talk to him. Michael Sr. said Joseph thought the brothers were depressed over their mother's recent death and wanted him to go out to commiserate with them. He also said his son had no idea that the brothers were angry until they arrived and asked Joseph to come outside.
"The bottom line was that emotions were running high," Lesmeister said, "and escalated to a verbal and then a physical exchange that led to Mr. Cassidy hitting all these people with his car, and he then fled the scene."
The Cassidy brothers had been friends with Joseph for 15 years, Michael Celentano Sr. explained. They had been invited to Joseph's upcoming wedding, which was to take place last Saturday but was postponed under the circumstances, he said.
"I hope to God my father's going to make it," Michael Sr. said. He explained that the elderly man, the future groom's grandfather, had flown in from Italy for the planned nuptials. He said that the 85-year-old was hooked up to monitors, and that "the doctors were doing a CAT scan," and told him they had to "wait and see" about the severity of his condition.
No one at the Cassidy home could be reached for comment at press time.
On the night of the incident, Cassidy was apprehended and arrested in his vehicle near his home, at 24 Pell Terrace in Garden City. He was charged with six counts of second-degree assault, one for each of the five people he struck with the car door when backing up and one for allegedly running over Clara Celentano when he reversed directions. John Cassidy was not charged.
Joseph Cassidy was arraigned in 1st District Court in Hempstead on Thursday, and pleaded not guilty. District Court Judge Norman Janowitz set his bond at $50,000. Second-degree assault is a felony that carries a sentence of two to seven years. Evidence will be presented to a grand jury in Nassau County Criminal Court at a later date to determine whether an indictment on these or other charges is warranted, according to Lesmeister.
