Defense lawyer: 'There was no evidence'
Castaldo spoke about the impacts the abuse has caused generations of boys in the district. Many struggle with addiction and have had their own brushes with the criminal justice system. Some were pushed to suicide, she said.
But Bernagozzi's lawyer, Steve Politi, said "There was no evidence" of abuse against anyone outside of the indictment introduced in court.
He accuses Castaldo of making up a "fantastic lie" that Bernagozzi moved a child's shorts to show his genitals to secure the conviction.
Politi asked where the mother who gave a victim impact statement was during the trial. Her husband shouts an obscenity, and the judge asks him to refrain from speaking.
Politi said he'll see the dad outside.
"In order to believe [the allegations] you have to suspend your disbelief as to how the world works," Politi said.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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