A Seaford gun store owner has been awarded $5 million following a federal jury verdict Wednesday that ruled his business was damaged from a wrongful Nassau County police arrest in 2007.
Bellmore resident Martin Tretola and his business, T&T Gunnery on 3778 Merrick Road in Seaford, were awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages by the federal jury in Central Islip, according to court records.
Tretola, who also owns a T&T Tactical in Garden City Park, filed his suit against Nassau County in 2008 following a June 2007 arrest for first-degree reckless endangerment on the basis that he was operating an illegal makeshift gun range inside the Seaford store near an active natural gas line. The charge was later dropped but the arrest left Tretola and T&T Gunnery out of business for around a year until his necessary licenses were reinstated on June 23, 2008, according to court documents.
Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli said they plan to file a motion contesting the jury's verdict in hopes it will be set aside.
"We clearly think that the jury verdict is out of touch with the facts of this case," Ciampoli said. "We think the police had probable cause for what they did."
Despite winning his case, Tretola said the $5 million does not make up for the pain the 2007 arrest caused him and his business.
“It doesn’t seem like a lot after what they did to us,” he said.
Tretola and his son Thomas in February 2011 were arrested following an undercover investigation into the sale of assault weapons at gun shops throughout Nassau County. Tretola said he also expects to win a civil suit against the county for the 2011 arrest but antiicpates that process taking a few more years. The 2011 charges against Tretola were dismissed by a Grand Jury earlier this year, according to Chris Munzing from the Nassau County District Attorney's office.
- Geoffrey Walter contributed to this story
1. Tax poor & working people but not the rich; 2. Encourage wages in the U.S. to fall to third world levels; 3. Pass trade laws that make it easy for companies to send jobs overseas; 4. Pass laws that enable only insurance companies to control who gets health care (including seniors) and who doesn't; 5. Replace public education with out of pocket private schools and home schooling; 6. Refuse to invest in crumbling public infrastructure such as highways, bridges, and sewer systems; 7. Environmental Policy: Pass laws and weaken regulations that enable companies to pollute the environment; 8. Pass laws that enable gas and oil production and prices to be controlled by a few large companies; Make sure that there is no longer any research or work on alternative energy sources; Keep defense spending high to protect non domestic oil production; 9. Repress rights for women and minorities and repress voting participation; 10. Divide the American people on cultural issues (religion, sexual orientation, gun rights, etc); 11. Instill fear in the American public through manufactured crises and created "boogeymen". Then attack political opponents by claiming to be more "patriotic" and the better keeper of "American Values" than they. 12. Make it impossible for literally millions of ELIGIBLE voters to cast their ballots, which is flagrant vote tampering and corruption. Can YOU afford to vote for these guys? I can't. I'm a working mother.
I could take each of your points Meadow and refute them but I need to continue looking for a job. ,y apologies to the rest for using this forum but Meadow can't see beyond the rhetoric.
Yes BAMA is a much better choice; 4) " if I don't get unemployment below 8% I should be a 1 term pres'! 3) " I will CUT the deficit buy half in my first term'! 2) I will claim excutive priviliege on Fast and Furious gun running operation to protece myself and eric Holder! And the #1 reason to re-elect BAMA........................... 1) I am the BEST gun salesman in the country ( how's that for a Kenyan?)!!!!! Now THAT brings it all back to a gun topic!!!!! Capt America
1)chirp chirp crickets crickets.
Now lets everyone support Martin and T&T Gunnery with a celebration by buying as many firearms and accessories as we can afford! And that lady meadow muffin should move to Russia where her marxist soul can live in dreary seclusion with the rest of the communists. 0bama will be moving to Russia very soon too.
Go Marty! shame it will take years to be done with this......even when you win and fix a wrong.... Nice to see the elitist RICE get a 5 mil bitch slap that was long overdue!!!!!!!!