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Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
8 . BEACON NEWSPAPER, August 26,2010, Moving Sale at Horror House offered something for everyone by Carolyn James A woman jogged and a couple walked along the tree-lined street. Another woman pushed a baby carriage while a man and a woman worked in their front yard, hosing off their outdoor furniture. It was a normal summer day in the Village Amityville. Normal, that is, except for the long line of people standing in front 108 Ocean Avenue, otherwise known as the Amityville Horror House. On Saturday, Amity Galleries conducted a tag sale at the home, on behalf o f the owners who are sched uled to sell the home to Amityvillians Carolyn and David D’Antonio. The scene was busy but orderly. Police began set ting up and cordoning off the area hours before the home opened to those who went looking to salve their thirst for bargains—and a morbid curiosity. And, as crowds formed, 10 to 15 were let in at one time. “I am here to see what I can buy, and out o f curios ity and interest for the house,” acknowledged Anna Schmidt who traveled from Oakdale to attend the sale with two other women. “I go to a lot of garage sales, but this one is a little different.” A man standing behind her said he spent time in Dannemora prison in upstate New York with Ron ald DeFeo Jr. who was convicted of killing his par ents and siblings in the home in 1974. “I met him in prison,” said the man who declined to give his name. “That was a long time ago and people change, but I just wanted to see the place and see if I could buy something from the house that was there when the DeFeo’s lived there.” Advised that the murders of the DeFeo family occurred 36 years ago, and that the house has had several owners since then, including the Lutz fam ily that orchestrated the Amityville Horror myth of hauntings there, said he didn’t expect to find much, but wanted to see the inside of the house anyway. “Maybe I could buy a piece of molding or a door knob,” he said. Schmidt shook her head, trying to acknowledge a large divide between her and the man behind her. “I’m not here for that,” she said. “I am just a little curious.” A few feet down the line, three women stood Police sting shows com pliance to law on sale o f alcohol a n d tobacco to minors Suffolk County Police First Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an underage alcohol and tobacco sting throughout the Town of Babylon, and all busi nesses investigated were found in compliance. “It is good to see that our business owners are complying with the law,” said Sgt. Wayne Hutzel of the First Precinct Crime Section, which conducted the sting operation. On Thurs., Aug. 12, a volunteer younger than 18 was acting as an agent with the Suffolk County Po lice Department, and entered seven businesses with the intent to purchase alcohol or tobacco products. The following businesses checked were found to be in compliance with the New York State Penal Law: Getty Gas, Route 109 at 5th Avenue, West Babylon; 7-Eleven, Straight Path at 13th Street, West Babylon; Luk Oil Gas Mart, 328 Route 109, West Babylon; STP Tobacco Sop, 550 Straight Path, West Babylon; BP Gas Mart, 1235 Deer Park Ave., North Babylon; Deer Park Express Mart, 1921 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park; A deli located at 1737 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park. The operation was part o f an ongoing effort by the Suffolk County Police Department to ensure compli ance o f laws pertaining to the sales o f alcohol and tobacco products. This story first appeared on the Beacon website at www.babylonbeacon.com on Aug. 13 At left, Patricia, Erin and Katelyn stand with their Rosa ry beads waiting to get into 108 Ocean Avenue, Amityville at moving sale on Saturday. Below, bargain hunters, the curious and more line up in front o f the house and await their turn to get inside. The event drew hundreds to the.house, known as the Amityville Horror where Ronald DeFeo Jr., killed his parents and siblings in 1974 laughing excitedly. Multi-colored plastic Rosary beads hung around their necks. “I can sense it,” said Erin of Brooklyn who de clined to give her last name. “The evil; I can sense it and I want to get in there and see if we can dispel it.” “It’s a ghostly garage sale said her friend Patricia of Babylon. “It’s a big deal, said the third friend Katelyn. “It is a place full of intrigue.” For Terese Demplsey Konopka who grew up near the DeFeo home, the trip inside was a way to bring some closure to the events she recalls from her childhood. “I was very young when the crime took place, but I always wanted to get inside,” she said as her hus band Damir stood in front of the house with her holding their purchases, including a copy of the move, Invasion o f the Body Snatchers. “It was $2, she said. “Quite a bargain.” Across the street, Louise Moravec who has lived there for 16 years, took it all in stride. As she worked in her garden, she commented that the event was orderly and that police were doing a good job of keeping it that way. “I never think about it,” she said of the murders and the ensuing claims of hauntings that are asso ciated with the home. “It doesn’t really bother me. I was only concerned that it would turn out to be something like the Wal-Mart incident and I didn’t want to see that.” West Babylon man charged with sale of crack cocaine A West Babylon man was arrested and charged with multiple sales of crack cocaine by the Nassau County Narcotics Bureau Wed., Aug. 18. Police said Adrian Spooner, 22, o f Straight Path sold quantities of crack/cocaine in separate incidents between May and August, 2010 in Farmingdale and East Farmingdale. Spooner was arrested at 9:35 p.m. After detectives identified themselves and were about to apprehend Spooner, he allegedly drove his vehicle head-on into a police vehicle and attempted to flee, continuing to fight with the officers/detectives and throwing a bag of what was believed to be crack cocaine, until he was placed under arrest. The defendant is charged with three counts sale and one count possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree, assault 2nd and resisting arrest. He was arraigned in First District Court, Hemp stead Thurs., Aug. 19. POLICE BLOTTER (Continued from page 3) Babylon; Grand Larceny: Francesca Schwamborn, 124 Sherbrooke Rd., North Lindenhurst. Crim inal mischief: Dawn M. Davey, 50, of South Ketcham Ave., Amityville; The charges against those a rrested a re a llegations and the cases are still pending in the courts. Indi viduals charged and w h o se nam es appear in this column m ay subm it docum entation to us a t a later date that the charges have been dism issed or that they have been fo u n d innocent a n d we will include that inform a tion in this space in a timely manner. Head the Beacon online at www.babylonheracon.com
