By: JOSEPH KELLARD and CHRIS MUNZING
Police discovered the body of Robert Calabrese, 24, of East Harrison Street, lying face-down on the ground just feet from his 2003 Infiniti, near Georgia Avenue. The police responded to several reports from residents and merchants who said they heard gunshots at about 8:39 p.m. on Dec. 3. Calabrese was pronounced dead at the scene after police arrived, just before 9 p.m., and his body was taken to the Nassau County Medical Examiner's office.
"He was essentially laying on his stomach in the street," said Detective Lt. Dennis Farrell, commanding officer of the Nassau Homicide Squad. "Multiple shots were fired, but at this time we're not revealing how many or what type of gun was used."
The shooting occurred behind a block of businesses near the corner of Broadway and Georgia Avenue, and over the weekend police cordoned off the bloodstained crime scene with tape. There have been no arrests. "At this point we're following numerous leads," Farrell said.
Calabrese, a mortgage broker and a champion wrestler at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale in the 1990s, comes from a large family whose members, along with his many friends, have been interviewed by police about the shooting. "It's quite a large group of people," Farrell said. "They've provided us with some insight into aspects of his life that may or may not factor into this. We'll be pursuing all of those leads."
The victim's father, Robert Calabrese, is a retired Long Beach police officer, and his mother, Kathy, is a teacher's assistant in the Long Beach City School District.
"There are a lot of people here who knew Robert and his children, and it's just a tragic event," said Long Beach Police Benevolent Association President John Sharpe.
"The staff is in shock, because we all care so much for Kathy," Ronni Reimel, principal of East School in Long Beach, said. "It's such a horror." Reimel said that there were school psychologists and social workers on call for any children who had any questions.
In 1997, Calabrese captured the state Catholic High School Athletic Association's wrestling championship at 125 pounds, according to the Web site www.nywrestling.com.
Calabrese spent his first two years of high school at Kellenberg before returning to Long Beach High School, according to Kellenberg's dean of men, Edward Solosky. "The people and staff here who knew him remember him fondly," Solosky said. "Our deepest condolences go out to the family. This is just an unfathomable tragedy." Calabrese continued to be a force in his weight class at Long Beach. He was ranked in the top seven in the 125-pound class in Section VII in the state in 1998.
Calabrese's homicide follows three other unrelated shootings in Island Park since the summer. Two men were arrested after firing a 9mm Beretta automatic rifle at a man in his car on California Place in July; a Long Beach man was arrested after firing a .357 Magnum at a man coming out of Club Heat on Long Beach Road in October; and four men were arrested in a drug-related shooting on Lancaster Place in November.
Detectives ask anyone with information about the Calabrese shooting to call Crime-Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
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