Book recalls near-deadly turkey prank

The crime was shocking and Victoria Ruvolo's response to it was stunning.

After a Long Island teenager in a prank tossed a 20-pound turkey through Ruvolo's windshield as she drove in Ronkonkoma, shattering every bone in her face, Ruvolo publicly forgave him. She begged prosecutors to have mercy by sparing him a lengthy jail sentence.

Seven years after the incident, Ruvolo, 51, has written a book, "No Room for Vengeance," about her recovery and the importance of forgiveness. She said she hopes it will help other youth think before they lash out.

"I took this stupid, ridiculous thing that happened, and decided to make something positive," Ruvolo, of Lake Ronkonkoma, said in a recent interview.

On Nov. 13, 2004, Ryan Cushing, then 17, and a group of friends stole a credit card from a parked car, then went on a shopping spree, buying video games, movies and a fresh 20-pound turkey.

Later that night, as they drove down Portion Road in Ronkonkoma, Cushing hurled the turkey out a back window. It crashed through Ruvolo's windshield with such force that it bent the steering wheel and crushed her jaw, cheeks and left eye socket. Ruvolo underwent hours of surgery to rebuild her face and endured months of painful rehabilitation.

But Ruvolo's suffering didn't stop her from hugging Cushing in court after he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in 2005. She told him, "Just do something good with your life."

Because of Ruvolo's intercession, Cushing was sentenced to six months in jail and community service. He had faced 25 years in prison. The other teens accused in the case all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation.

Road to redemption

Ruvolo's book, which she co-authored with lawyer and psychologist Robert Goldman, retells the incident and explains how redemption can come when offender and victim see each other as human beings. It was self-published by Goldman, and is available on amazon .com and barnesandnoble.com.

The book describes Cushing's emotional scene in court when he pleaded guilty: "The victim and her attacker suddenly embraced each other, openly crying. Spectators and reporters alike strained to hear what Ryan was saying, as he quietly apologized to Vicky for what he'd done before collapsing into loud sobs."

Ruvolo said writing the book gave her a new perspective on the ordeal.

"It was hard to relive it, but it helped me realize everything I had been through," she said.

TASTE for change

Her co-author, Goldman, runs the Suffolk County probation department's TASTE program -- Thinking errors, Anger management, Social skills and Talking Empathy.

The program, in which Cushing and Ruvolo have been regular speakers, is for those age 12 to 17 who have committed crimes or ended up in trouble for skipping school or other infractions. Its goal is to show youngsters how their choices affect others.

"This tragedy gave me a way to help kids," said Ruvolo, who has no children. "I truly don't believe most of them know what they're doing. And what are we doing by sending them to prison? Just creating more criminals."

Every child in the program is required to write an apology to the person he or she hurt. About 5 percent of them, the offenders thought to be ready, are reunited with the people they victimized, Goldman said.

For years, Cushing, who Ruvolo said still lives in Suffolk County and is working full-time, spoke at the TASTE program seminars. He could not be reached for comment.

Through the book, Ruvolo, a project manager for a collections agency, and Goldman said they hope to bring the story to more young people. They are distributing free copies to 100 Long Island schools, sponsored by Young Equipment Sales Inc., of Hauppauge.

"I thought it was amazing that she could forgive those kids for what they did," said Matthew Benedati, 17, who attended a recent TASTE seminar where Ruvolo spoke. He went at his mother's urging after a difficult period at home led him to have trouble controlling his anger.

"It made me realize how holding on and harboring anger can really kill your spirit, and prevent you from growing as a person," said his mother, Tracy Benedati of Patchogue.

Ruvolo said she spent months after the accident crying herself to sleep, asking God why he had chosen her for such pain. But slowly, she began thinking of Cushing as well.

"I'd ask myself, 'What good is it going to do to throw him in jail for 25 years?' " she said. "Then I realized why it had happened to me. It happened to me so that I could save someone else's life -- Ryan's."

Excerpts from the book

"The victim and her attacker suddenly embraced each other, openly crying. Spectators and reporters alike strained to hear what Ryan was saying, as he quietly apologized to Vicky for what he'd done before collapsing into loud sobs. 'I'm so thankful and happy that you are doing well,' Ryan said to her. The two of them held hands and hugged repeatedly. She caressed his cheek with her palm and rubbed his back."

"The unidentified object struck Vicky directly in the face, breaking numerous bones and leaving her barely conscious. Almost immediately, Louis reached down in front of her and pulled her foot from the gas pedal. The wind and snow rushed through the broken windshield, and and he strained to see where to steer the car to the side of the road."

"Victoria saw her assailants as 'a bunch of kids who committed a stupid act.' The 'group think' wanted severe justice, but Victoria refused to get caught up in that current. When she asked 'why?' she took her power back. No longer was she the meek victim of a horrific act but rather an empowered, compassionate survivor, willing to face her assailants."