Nassau Cop Busted as Mob Enforcer: Lavine Demands Investigation

By Chris O’Neill

Nassau County police detective, Hector Rosario, age 49, of Mineola, has been arrested for working for the mob.

The Genovese and Bonanno crime families were involved in running illegal gambling facilities out of seemingly innocuous local businesses in Queens and Long Island, including a coffee bar, a soccer club and Sal’s Shoe Repair in Merrick. The illicit receipts were then laundered through cash transfers to the defendants and by ‘kicking up’ the money to family leaders.

Arrested and charged included Anthony Pipitone, a captain and soldier in the Bonanno family and Carmelo Polito, acting captain in the Genovese family. They were all charged with racketeering and illegal gambling.

Detective Rosario was allegedly paid by the Mob to organize police raids on competing gambling locations. He has been formally charged by federal authorities with obstructing a grand jury investigation into the alleged crimes and with making false statements to the FBI. He has pleaded not guilty.

Rosario worked for the Nassau County Police Department for over 15 years. The Village of East Hills honored him in 2016 for capturing robbery suspects.

Rosario was first suspended without pay pending a hearing, and on August 25 was fired without right to termination pay. According to a payroll database, Rosario made $166,531 in salary in 2021.

NYS Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) has asked the Nassau County Legislature to open an investigation into Mob penetration into the police department.

“Every citizen of Nassau County has reason to fear when our public servants, including law enforcement officers, engage in corruption.” stated Lavine.