Danuel Bragaglia, of Holbrook, and Alexander Zaccaria, of Nesconset, charged in string of armed robberies

Danuel Bragaglia, 27, of Holbrook, and Alexander Zaccaria, 31, of... — Danuel Bragaglia, 27, of Holbrook, and Alexander Zaccaria, 31, of Nesconset, were arrested Wednesday by officers responding to a 911 call of an armed robbery at 2:27 a.m. at an Amoco gas station on Express Drive South in Holtsville. Credit: Google Maps

By John Valentijohn.valenti@newsday.comUpdated December 19, 2024

Two men have been charged in a string of armed and attempted armed robberies in Suffolk County this month, police said.

Danuel Bragaglia, 27, of Holbrook, and Alexander Zaccaria, 31, of Nesconset, were arrested Wednesday by officers responding to a 911 call of an armed robbery at 2:27 a.m. at an Amoco gas station on Express Drive South in Holtsville.

Police stopped a vehicle matching the description of the car involved and then arrested Bragaglia and Zaccaria.

A series of robberies and attempted robberies took place over a nine-day period beginning Dec. 9. According to police, those included:

An attempted robbery at a Bolla Market on Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma, at 2:06 a.m. on Dec. 18
An attempted robbery at a 7-Eleven on Lakeland Avenue, Bohemia, at 2:24 a.m. on Dec. 17
A robbery at a 7-Eleven on Lowell Avenue, Islip Terrace, at 2:35 a.m. on Dec. 17
A robbery of a Bolla Market on Portion Road, Holstville, at 12:34 a.m. on Dec. 10
A robbery at a BP gas station on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset at 7:37 a.m. on Dec. 9
A robbery at 12:57 a.m. on Dec. 10 at the same Amoco in Holtsville the pair allegedly robbed on Wednesday

During each of the incidents, police said a knife was displayed. No injuries were reported.

Bragaglia was charged with five counts of first-degree robbery. Zaccaria was charged with seven counts of first-degree robbery.

The two were scheduled for arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip.

It was not immediately clear if either is represented by counsel.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”