By: JOSEPH KELLARD
Arthur Corso, 41, owner of Jack's Pizzeria at 165 Long Beach Road; Louis DeSilvio, 44, a deliveryman; and David Mortensen, 49, the cook, all Island Park residents, were the objects of an undercover sting conducted jointly by detectives from the Nassau County Narcotics-Vice Bureau and Fourth Precinct police over a 15-day period.
Between Jan. 11 and Jan. 26, the officers and detectives investigated intelligence suggesting that Corso, of Suffolk Road, was dealing cocaine out of his restaurant, and made contact with him. Police said that Corso delivered the cocaine in two initial sales, and that he and DeSilvio, of Radcliff Road, delivered cocaine to undercover officers on five separate occasions. Each sale involved at least $100 worth of cocaine, police said.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 26, officers reportedly went to the pizzeria and observed Mortensen, of Long Beach Road, removing a package of cocaine from the kitchen refrigerator and fleeing out the back door in an attempt to get rid of the evidence. About 500 milligrams of cocaine was recovered, police said, and Mortensen was arrested and charged with one count of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of resisting arrest.
Corso was arrested at the pizzeria, and charged with five counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Police arrested DeSilvio in Island Park after following him from the pizzeria. He allegedly also resisted arrest, and was charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
Corso and Mortensen were arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead. DeSilvio was arraigned at Nassau University Medical Center after he complained of chest pains.
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