Constantine Sackos, of Holtsville, charged with arson in Wading River pizzeria fire

A Holtsville man accused of intentionally setting a fire at a Wading River pizzeria in November was indicted on third-degree arson and other charges Wednesday, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Constantine Sackos, 59, had been terminated from the Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria and had visited the owner’s residence on multiple occasions to demand back pay before and after the Nov. 18 fire, Tierney said in a statement.

Sackos was arrested on Wednesday and later appeared before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski in Riverhead. Pilewski ordered him placed on supervised release with GPS conditions.

No one was injured in the fire, but the restaurant sustained heavy damage and has not reopened. The pizzeria’s owner, Anthony Tranchina, said in November that money had been taken from the restaurant's safe and its cash register was missing. The restaurant, which opened in 2017, had been hailed by Newsday as one of Long Island’s best pizzerias. Tranchina couldn't be reached for comment.

“This was a brazen act of alleged arson that could have resulted in tragedy,” Tierney said. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our first responders who quickly contained the blaze, and for the meticulous investigation conducted by my team, the Riverhead Town Police Department, the Fire Marshals, and the Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad.”

Sackos is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 26. He faces 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted.

"As in every criminal case, it is very easy to charge someone with a crime, but much more difficult to convict someone of that crime,” said Sackos’ attorney, Anthony La Pinta. “Arson cases often involve complicated forensic evidence that is not typically found in other investigations.”

Tranchina in November said he had been planning to sell the business after the death of his wife, Maria Tranchina, in August.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about two hours during the early morning of Nov. 18, Tierney said in his statement. Investigators quickly determined the cause of the fire was criminal — in part because they found a container of charcoal lighter fluid at the scene.

Sackos was seen on video driving to Stop & Shop in Farmingville the night before, where prosecutors said he bought a bottle of Kingsford Charcoal Lighter Fluid “consistent with that which was recovered at the scene," the statement from the district attorney's office said. 

Sackos was later seen in video riding his bicycle toward the pizzeria, which is on Route 25A just east of Wading River Manor Road. He was also seen in additional video exiting the rear of the restaurant as smoke billowed out the door, Tierney said.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Sackos’ Holtsville home. A K-9 dog indicated the presence of accelerants on clothing recovered during the search, Tierney said.

Sackos also faces charges of third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief and petit larceny.

"We will undertake a careful and thorough review of the evidence, and, if necessary, we will hire our own forensic experts to challenge the reliability of this evidence,” La Pinta said.