Blakeman defends volunteer deputy arrested at JFK Airport as his status with program under review

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Friday said Gaetano "Guy" Savia, a volunteer sheriff’s deputy who was arrested after authorities said a loaded handgun was found in his carry-on bag at Kennedy Airport, has not been asked to step down but his participation in the county program for citizen gun owners will go through an administrative review process. 

"We have an administrative review process both with the sheriff's department and the police department," Blakeman told Newsday during at a gubernatorial campaign stop in the Bronx. 

Savia, 68, of Bellmore was arrested Thursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport when a TSA officer spotted a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol in his carry-on luggage as it moved through the X-ray scanner at the security checkpoint at Terminal 4, according to a police report. 

He was released on his own recognizance and was ordered to return to court next month. 

Blakeman said Savia "made a mistake" as he was rushing to the airport to catch a flight to Syracuse to attend the graduation of a grandchild.

"He had in his duffel bag a weapon and he was supposed to secure that weapon. He did not do that," Blakeman said. "He obviously made a mistake. It wasn't intentional on his part and that he was arrested and then it'll go through the system."

Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor, created the provisional special deputies program in 2024 and has recruited and trained volunteers who could be called on to assist professional law enforcement in the event of an emergency. Critics of the program have argued the incident raises questions about the vetting and qualifications of volunteer deputies, whose identities were under court seal until last month.

Savia holds a license to carry the gun for business, hunting or target but not "with the magazine containing ten rounds of ammunition in the gun at an airport," according to court documents provided after his arraignment.

His charge involves knowingly and unlawfully possessing a firearm in violation of the terms of a license. 

Brendan Brosh, spokesman for the Queens County District Attorney, said the office does not comment on pending cases. Savia's attorney, Kelsey Laing, did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment on Friday. 

Savia was appointed to the Hempstead Industrial Development Agency in 2024 by the Hempstead Town Board. He owns a medical supply company, a hospitality management company and a commercial real estate holding company on Long Island, according to a January 2025 news brief on his appointment published in the Long Island Press. 

The IDA website calls Savia a business owner and real estate developer who has collaborated with local businesses and international corporations. 

Hempstead Town spokesman Brian Devine declined to comment on Savia's arrest Friday, citing an ongoing investigation. 

He also is a longtime donor to the Nassau GOP and Republican candidates, including Blakeman, who defended him Friday.

"I know Guy Savia very well and he's a hardworking, good member of our community," Blakeman said. He added, "He's not a criminal."