Editorial: The Arrest of Gregory DeRosa

Give credit to Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney for being the first to arrest and criminally charge Huntington Land Fraudster Gregory DeRosa.

DeRosa was arrested last week, and will be arraigned on check fraud charges in Suffolk County.

But check fraud is the least of DeRosa’s crimes - as detailed in a dozen lawsuits by people defrauded by DeRosa - and a series of breaking news articles by the Leader showing DeRosa’s corrupt ties to local politicians and land use rezoning.

The FBI has been investigating DeRosa and Huntington municipal corruption for months - and federal charges might soon follow those of DA Tierney.

DeRosa’s ties include huge favors - free land giveaways from Huntington pole; $19 million in IDA tax rebates; rezoning givaways from Supervisor Ed Smyth; and under-the-table payoffs to Huntington politicians. Deep municipal corruption.

Thanks to the Leader’s fearless and truthful reporting, we are now being sued. 

Paul Tonna, an elected Water Commissioner and former Suffolk County Legislator - who serves as DeRosa’s paid registered Lobbyist and PR front man - has demanded we retract all truthful reporting - and pay him $50 million. A classic - and illegal - strategic lawsuit against public participation.

Tonna has manipulated Huntington politics for decades, and is the Eminence Grise behind the current plot to rezone 700 acres of Melville for mass apartment development.

DeRosa and Tonna go back together for over 15 years. As do some truly horrible criminals like ex-Suffolk Police Chief - now a convicted violent criminal felon - James Burke, in Tonna’s secret land developer’s club called “Energeia.” 

Burke was recently re-arrested in a family park with his genitals exposed soliciting sex from men.  That’s the sort of criminal that DeRosa and Tonna call their “friend.”

The Leader was awarded New York’s top journalism award - the New York Press Club’s “Truth to Power” award for our truthful and fearless reporting. 

We take our journalism seriously. And we are not afraid to report the truth.