Dana Ciardullo, of North Bellmore, sentenced to 6 months in prison for managing a Suffolk brothel

A North Bellmore woman who managed a brothel in West Babylon for her mob associate boyfriend was sentenced to 6 months in jail Thursday, in a scheme that also involved a Suffolk County police officer and an Islip High School gym teacher.

Dana Ciardullo, 33, was taken into custody to begin her sentence following the brief proceeding before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei in Riverhead. She pleaded guilty to a single count of third-degree promoting prostitution in September and will remain on probation for 5 years following her jail term as part of the agreed-upon sentence, officials said.

Ciardullo did not address Mazzei during the proceeding. The judge also refrained from making any comments other than handing down the sentence.

"She made a mistake that she regrets and she's going to do her time and get out and start her life," defense attorney Nancy L. Bartling, of Garden City, said outside the courtroom.

Ciardullo previously admitted she was a manager at Tunnel of Love, one of two brothel operations led by boyfriend Frank Saggio, and was aware that prostitution was taking place there.

Saggio, 61, who has pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption, is expected to serve between 2 and 6 years in prison after he is sentenced next year. He also must forfeit $1.8 million.

Prosecutors have said dozens of women performed sex work at the West Babylon operation managed by Ciardullo for Saggio, whom she has since married.

The four defendants, including 18-year Suffolk police veteran George Trimigliozzi, 56, and teacher Steven Arey, 55, were indicted and arrested in October 2024 and have all since pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors said Trimigliozzi, who was fired by the police department following his September guilty plea and is serving a 2-year prison sentence, collected proceeds from the sex workers and coordinated their schedules. Arey, who was suspended from Islip schools and then retired after a 26-year career as a teacher and coach, will avoid jail time and serve community service for his role in helping Trimigliozzi run the Holbrook operation.

Prosecutors have said Saggio and Trimigliozzi forced the sex workers, some of whom spoke limited English, to sign leases as payment for using the brothels’ suites, prosecutors have said. The cost was $6,000 a month in Holbrook and $12,000 a month in West Babylon, prosecutors said. The sex workers were paid in tips.

The Holbrook brothel, located on Sunrise Highway, was known as the American Girls Spa "Suite 3," prosecutors said. The building contained two additional brothels allegedly managed by Saggio: Spa "Suite 4” and Reiki for Healing "Suite 5."

The yearslong investigation began after an unusual incident. Shortly before 3:30 a.m. on March 19, 2021, one of the sex workers at the Holbrook brothel called Trimigliozzi to report a robbery there, prompting him to abandon his post and speed to the brothel, driving some 88 mph, according to prosecutors. The officer responded to the scene in his uniform and stayed there for about a half-hour, which raised questions inside the police department.

Trimigliozzi then "falsified official police paperwork" to hide his actions, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said previously.

Saggio’s sentencing has not been set because, as part of the plea agreement, Mazzei has agreed to hold off until an ongoing federal case is disposed of. Saggio, who has been convicted of multiple felonies and has described himself as an associate of all five New York mafia families, is awaiting sentencing in the Eastern District of New York in a federal mail fraud case, prosecutors have said.

His sentencing date in state court is March 12 following an adjournment Thursday.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.