Woman Gets 6-Month Jail Sentence In West Babylon Brothel Operation Involving Former Cop And Teacher: Report

RIVERSIDE, NY — A woman who ran a brothel in West Babylon for her self-described mob associate boyfriend — as part of an operation with a former Suffolk police officer and a former Islip teacher — was sentenced on Thursday to six months in jail and five years' probation, Newsday reported.

Dana Ciardullo, 33, of North Bellmore, pleaded guilty to a single count of third-degree promoting prostitution in September, and managed a West Babylon location known as "Tunnel of Love," prosecutors said.

Her defense attorney, Nancy Bartling of Garden City, told Patch that it is "an unfortunate situation" and her client "has accepted responsibility for her actions" and she is "looking forward to putting this all behind her."

In his plea, Ciardullo's boyfriend, Frank Saggio, admitted that between October 2019 and June 2024, he operated the prostitution enterprise, in which he employed his co-defendants as managers, according to prosecutors.

Saggio admitted he required sex workers to pay substantial monthly fees ranging from $6,000 in Holbrook to $12,000 in West Babylon, prosecutors said.

Saggio pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption, a felony, and agreed to pay $1,875,000 in forfeiture as part of his plea agreement, according to prosecutors

The sentencing of Saggio has not been set because the judge has agreed to hold off until an ongoing federal case involving federal mail fraud is disposed of, Newsday reported.

Between October 2019 and March 2021, George Trimigliozzi, an 18-year veteran of Suffolk's police department, served as co-manager of one of two locations that Saggio, 61, of West Islip, led "as a criminal enterprise" that profited from the systematic promotion of prostitution, prosecutors said.

The operation included the "Tunnel of Love," as well as locations on Sunrise Highway in Holbrook, running as Suite 3 – American Girls Spa, Suite 4 – Spa, and Suite 5 – Reiki for Healing, according to prosecutors.

Trimigliozzi managed the Suite 3 location, along with co-defendant Steven Arey, a 26-year employee of the Islip School District, prosecutors said. Trimigliozzi admitted he abandoned his police duties on March 19, 2021, by responding to a robbery at his brothel location — driving nearly 90 miles per hour in his patrol car, while knowing he was unauthorized by the police department to abandon his assigned post, according to prosecutors.

Trimigliozzi was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and Arey was sentenced to 840 hours of community service in lieu of jail earlier this month, authorities said.