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Light Rain Officials, community work to rebuild memorial after its destruction
A memorial gazebo in Seaford’s Washington Avenue Park has been refurbished by the community after it was destroyed by Tropical Storm Isaias last year. Local residents and Nassau County and state officials unveiled the refurbished Capano Memorial Gazebo at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday.
The gazebo was originally constructed by Seaford resident Cory Levy in May 2014 for his Eagle Scout project. Levy, who was unable to attend last Friday’s ceremony because of a work obligation, was 15 at the time of the construction.
He created the structure to honor a slain federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent named John Capano, a Seaford resident who was shot and killed during the robbery of a Seaford pharmacy on Dec. 31, 2011. Capano was off duty at the time.
State Sen. John Brooks, who has familial roots in Seaford, said at the ceremony that Capano’s life-risking actions 10 years ago were “tragic and heroic.” “It underscored to us all how dangerous the job of policing is,” Brooks said. “It’s important that we understand and respect the police force.”
Last August, Tropical Storm Isaias ripped across the South Shore, downing trees, leaving thousands without power, damaging property — and destroying Levy’s gazebo. “We wanted to do everything we could to fix it,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said. Levy, Seaford High School graduate who went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from University of New Haven and now works in Conn., worked with county officials and the Long Island Board of Realtors, two groups who helped fund the reconstruction.
“It’s important to preserve and honor the memory of John,” Curran said last Friday, “and it’s also an important testament to our entire county that law enforcement who have died in the line of duty will always be remembered and honored.”
County Legislator Rose Marie Walker said she was grateful to the Board of Realtors for their financial contribution. “The Scouts raised money on their own when they’re doing their Eagle projects, but when it was destroyed, it was not an easy task for to raise that money again,” Walker said. “Then stepped in, and our county helped along the way. This is stronger and better than it ever was before.”
As a child, Levy played baseball in Washington Avenue Park. In the winter, he went sledding there with his family, said his father, Ken Levy. Even as a Cub Scout, Ken said, his son knew he wanted to complete his Eagle Scout project in the park.
“This is something that has been going on for many, many years,” Ken said. ‘“He got the opportunity … he wanted to honor someone in our community, and there’s no better person.”
At the ceremony, Ken spoke on behalf of his son. “He wants to say thank you to everyone who has been involved,” he said, “and he’s thrilled that it’s up here and it can last forever now.”
Former U.S. Rep. Peter King, a Seaford resident who knows both the Capano and Levy families, recalled that he worked with Cory to get his original project off the ground. “These are two great families who really personify what Seaford is all about,” he said. “If anyone in Seaford deserves a lasting tribute, it’s John Capano.”
