By Mike Schnitzel
Fasciglione, 50, a longtime Metro North employee who lives on Marjorie Lane in Bay Park, East Rockaway, was last seen leaving Pier 101 Tavern on Althouse Avenue at 11:55 that night, according to police.
His brother Michael, 53, the oldest of Fasciglione's four siblings, said that his brother worked a double shift that night at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan and had stopped in at Pier 101 on his way home. "He would go there on Saturday nights because he liked the bartender who works there, Kenny Mugsey," said Michael.
Mugsey, who said he is a longtime friend of Fasciglione's, was tending bar that night at Pier 101 and is believed to have been the last person to see him. According to Mugsey, Fasciglione stopped in the bar and had two drinks and a meal before he left.
"When he left, he grabbed his groceries and headed south," said Mugsey. "He wasn't inebriated, and he's just disappeared. I'm at a loss for words."
Michael Fasciglione said that his family began to worry when Thomas failed to show up for work. "He always reported for work," said Michael. "If he was sick, he would call in to Metro North. They were actually the first people who notified us, because they were concerned."
Metro North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said that Fasciglione has been a custodian at the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan for the past 15 years. "He just did not show up to work, and he has not been back since," said Anders. "We hope that he turns up safe."
Anders said that Metropolitan Transportation Authority police were cooperating with Nassau County police in the investigation into Fasciglione's whereabouts.
Nassau County police officer Michael Aronsen said that police are considering foul play a possibility, but there were no definitive answers at press time. "He just fell off the face of the planet," said Aronsen.
Michael Fasciglione said that friends and family had been very supportive, and that the family was doing everything they could to find his brother. "[On Sunday] we had some friends, some of them Nassau County police officers, who devoted their time to do a land and sea search," Michael said. "One detective thought that my brother may have fallen into the water, so we had sea-tow boats looking in the water while other people walked the path he would have walked to get home."
Michael recently visited a psychic in an attempt to glean any possible information on his brother. "The psychic mentioned [Thomas's] name without my even telling her, and then she told me in 90 seconds that Tommy was with my father, who died over 10 years ago," said Michael, adding that he was supposed to see the psychic again this week, because "right now I have nowhere to look."
Michael said there were a few reported sightings of his brother in early February, but they turned out to be false. He added that the family suspects foul play because of the length of time Thomas has been missing without contacting anyone. "People don't just walk away from their paycheck, especially after working a double shift," said Michael.
Fasciglione regularly walked the route he followed on Jan. 28, which took him from the East Rockaway Long Island Rail Road station on Ocean Avenue down Front Street and Compton Avenue to his Marjorie Lane residence. According to Michael, Thomas did not drive a car to work. "He would walk to the train station from his house," Michael said. "Most of the time my brother is going to work, coming home from work, or fishing. He didn't have a need for a car."
According to family and neighbors, Fasciglione had no enemies. "He was the kind of guy who would give you the coat off his back," said Michael.
A Marjorie Lane neighbor who has lived near Fasciglione for nearly 20 years but did not want to be identified by name said that he never knew Fasciglione to have problems with anybody. "I never saw him have a harsh word with anybody," said the neighbor. "He was a regular working guy who was faithful about going to work every day, and he liked to fish."
Fasciglione was in good financial, physical and mental health at the time of his disappearance, his brother said. Michael asks that anyone with any information contact the police. Thomas was described as a white male, 5 feet 9, 175 pounds, with wavy brown hair and blue eyes, in good physical condition. He was last seen wearing black Levis, a cream-colored sweatshirt and brown boots, and was carrying his Metro North employee identification. The police said that anyone with information should call the Missing Persons Bureau at (516) 573-5370.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516)569-4000 ext. 265.
