A Holtsville man has been indicted on arson and other charges after he reportedly set fire to a Wading River pizzeria, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced today. District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney identified the suspect as 59-year-old Constantine Sackos, who has been charged with intentionally starting a blaze at Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria back in November 2025.
"This was a brazen act of alleged arson that could have resulted in tragedy," Tierney said in a statement on the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, which outlined the swift response from local first responders and the aggressive investigation conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies including the Riverhead Town Police Department and the Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad, the joint effort lead to Sackos' indictment. Following the November 18 incident, which initiated with a 911 call at around 1:57 a.m., authorities responded to and contained the fire after approximately two hours; the subsequent investigation unveiled seven points of origin for the fire and the discovery of a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid at the scene.
An extensive investigation ensued, involving extensive surveillance video review and a search warrant executed at Sackos' residence, which unearthed clothing consistent with that observed on an individual in the surveillance footage around the time of the fire, an accelerant-sniffing K9 detected the presence of accelerants on the retrieved garments. Investigators determined Sackos had been terminated from the pizzeria before the fire and had demanded money for back pay from the owner both before and after the event, establishing a motive.
Arraigned on January 28, Sackos faces charges that include third-degree arson, third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, and petit larceny, these charges brought forth by Assistant District Attorney Syl-Don O’Gilvie with help from Paralegal Emily Lonigro of the Major Crime Bureau. If convicted on the top count, Sackos could serve 5 to 15 years in prison, he was placed on supervised release with GPS monitoring as his charges are non-bail eligible under current New York State law which precludes requesting or setting bail for such charges, his legal counsel is Anthony Lapinta, Esq., according to the district attorney's office. Sackos' court return date is set for February 26, 2026.
