Police: 2 charged after officers break up Melville 'fight club'
Suffolk police say they broke up a "fight club" that drew about 70 people to a Melville park Sunday. Credit: Paul Mazza
Three men are facing charges after police broke up an unauthorized "fight club" that drew about 70 people to watch the brawl in a Melville park, Suffolk police said.
Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, officers investigated the event at Walt Whitman Park after seeing it advertised on social media.
The group comprised mainly young adults in their early 20s, police said.
Finley McCloskey, 19, and Jake Zimilies, 19, both of Northport, who were fighting when officers arrived, were each charged with unlawful assembly, police said.
Both were issued appearance tickets and were scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.
Suffolk police said Wednesday they also arrested another man for promoting the fight club contest.
Joseph Cassese was charged with obstructing governmental administration, unlawful assembly, criminal nuisance and disorderly conduct, police said in a release.
Cassese, 22, of Oakland Ave., East Northport, was released on a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date, the release said.
The fight had been advertised on Instagram by an account that has since been deactivated, police said.
The "fight club" term emanates from the Chuck Palahniuk novel and subsequent 1999 movie of the same name about an underground fighting club whose first rule is to remain secretive.
