By:Karenlyn Barone
Doyle sentenced Barone to four years for the assault charge and less time for the other charges. All terms will run concurrently. Prosecutor Donald Mates had also asked the court to sentence Barone to the maximum term.
The couple, who lived in Dix Hills, reportedly discussed separating last May, and the charges stemmed from the argument that ensued. After Barone's arrest, his wife told police that on May 20, her husband used an inch-thick chain to tie and padlock her to the bottom of a spiral staircase in the basement of their home, and kicked her in the face repeatedly with a steel-toed boot until she lost consciousness. Barone kept two 50-pound leopard cubs he had purchased about six months earlier in the room next to where the alleged assault took place.
Later that day, Anastasia said, he took her to his Lynbrook tattoo parlor, where he kept her chained to a toilet until he no longer felt she was likely to call police.
Anastasia said she had been abused prior to the May 20 attack, but the other instances were not as violent. According to police officials, she suffered a broken nose during the beating, and had bruises under her eyes.
Once Barone was in custody, the leopards were removed from their windowless, feces-filled basement room by Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officers and Huntington animal-control agents.
According to Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, the leopards, which were being kept in an inadequately ventilated room, are endangered, and a state law bans keeping them as pets.
On May 29, Barone was charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment, weapons charges and endangering the welfare of a child for allowing his children to come in contact with the leopards. The Barones have four children, ranging in age from 2 to 9, who have been placed in foster care.
Barone pleaded guilty last month to all charges.
Barone's shop, Tony's Tattoos Ink, at 371 Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook, never reopened after he was arrested. The landlord posted an eviction notice on the door of the once-popular business days later. According to Lynbrook Building Department Superintendent Michael Ryder, the eviction was prompted by Barone's failure to uphold the lease agreement. The store remained vacant until a few months ago, when a wicker store opened there.
Barone was joined in court Monday by about a dozen family members, but did not make a statement at his sentencing.
Comments about this story? KBarone@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
