LI Officer, Teacher Accused Of Promoting Prostitution In Brothels: DA

ISLIP, NY — A police officer and teacher were indicted on Tuesday after running brothels on Long Island, Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney announced.

Frank Saggio, George Trimigliozzi, Steven Arey and Dana Ciardullo were accused of enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution, among other charges, for allegedly running multiple brothels in Suffolk County, the DA said.

Trimigliozzi is an 18-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police Department, Arey is a 26-year employee of the Islip School District and Ciardullo is Saggio’s girlfriend.

According to the investigation, between October 2019 and June 2024, Saggio was allegedly the leader of a criminal enterprise that profited from the systematic promotion of prostitution at two locations in Suffolk County, the DA said.

According to the DA, all of the defendants allegedly unlawfully promoted prostitution by hiring sex workers, collecting proceeds of prostitution from sex workers known as "house fees," and posting advertisements seeking patrons of prostitution.

Trimigliozzi and Arey allegedly served as managers on Saggio’s behalf at a building on Sunrise Highway in Holbrook known as the American Girls Spa "Suite 3," the DA said. The building also contained two other brothels managed by Saggio, called Spa "Suite 4" and Reiki for Healing "Suite 5," the DA said. The DA said Ciardullo, the fourth member of the alleged criminal enterprise, served as a manager on Saggio’s behalf at a location in West Babylon known as the Tunnel of Love.

On March 19, 2021, a sex worker called Trimigliozzi who was working as a manager at American Girls Spa and reported that a customer had been robbed while waiting for prostitution services, the DA said. The sex worker also called 911 and told Trimigliozzi that police were on their way to the spa, Tierney said.

Because he was on duty as a police officer at the time, he abandoned his assigned post in the Third Precinct without permission from the police department and drove around 90 miles per hour in his marked patrol car to the brothel in Holbrook, which was located in the Fifth Precinct, the DA said. Trimigliozzi then falsified paperwork with the police department and did not disclose his unauthorized response to the American Girls Spa in Holbrook, the DA said. He also falsified the records of the police department by not disclosing to the department his outside employment as a manager in Saggio’s alleged criminal enterprise, the DA said.

Meanwhile, Saggio required that sex workers engage in prostitution and pay him a minimum amount of money each month, the DA said. Specifically, he allegedly had sex workers who could not read or speak in English sign leases that required them to pay $6,000 per month at Suite 4 and $12,000 per month at Tunnel of Love, the DA said.

"It is a sad day in law enforcement when a public servant is arrested. However, I made a commitment to this country that no one is above the law, and that includes those who are supposed to embody the best of public service," said Tierney. "The allegations in this indictment describe a long-term pattern of organized criminal activity and a shocking betrayal of public trust."

On Oct. 15, the defendants were each arraigned before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, the DA said.

Saggio, 60, of West Islip, was charged with one count of enterprise corruption, a Class B felony; two counts of sex trafficking, a Class B felony; and 51 counts of third-degree promoting prostitution, a Class D felony, the DA said.

He was held on $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $5,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case and is due back in court on Dec. 9, the DA said. He faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is represented by Anthony LaPinta, who was not immediately available for comment.

Trimigliozzi, 55, of Islip, was charged with one count of enterprise corruption, a Class B felony; 13 counts of third-degree promoting prostitution, Class D felonies; two counts of first-degree falsifying business records, Class E felonies; one count of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, a Class E felony; and one count of official misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor, the DA said.

He was held on $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. Trimigliozzi is due back in court on Dec. 9 and faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is represented by William Keahon, who was not immediately available for comment.

Arey, 53, of Islip, is charged with one count of enterprise corruption, a Class B felony; and 27 counts of third-degree promoting prostitution, Class D felonies, the DA said. Arey was held $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said.

Arey is due back in court on Dec. 9 and faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is represented by William Wexler, who was not immediately available for comment.

Ciardullo, 32, of North Bellmore, was charged with one count of enterprise corruption, a Class B felony; and 17 counts of third-degree promoting prostitution, Class D felonies, the DA said.

Mazzei ordered Ciardullo held $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Ciardullo is due back in court on Dec. 9 and faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count. She is represented by Jan Goldman, who was not immediately available for comment.