From the Long Island Wins site:

"The seven men charged with being members of the lynch mob that murdered Marcello Lucero are each individuals. Each one had his own distinct level of culpability or innocense in the commission of this crime. The justice system provides a forum for the law to assign responsibility and determine punishment.
The families and friends of each man are trying to differentiate the individual they knew from the act that was committed. Many are telling the press that their particular defendent was not really involved, didn't know the others, or was simply following the crowd. Experience teaches that that may be true to a lesser or greater degree, but that some of the men described as "good kids" were throwing out warning signals for months or even years.
In this post I want to look at a few of the men accused of killing Lucero.

Jeffrey Conroy is accused of delivering Marcello Lucero's death blow. He was a star athelete and the police believe he led the attackers.
Jeff Conroy's girlfriend broke off with him when she found he had a Nazi tattoo on his thigh. When she confronted him about it, he said "It's what I believe in."
He was known at school for getting into fights with Latinos and fellow students described him as having a problem with "illegals".
Chris Overton was arrested when he was fifteen for a home invasion by himself and other teens in which an African American man was murdered. Overton, who is White, was not charged in the death and the killing was not treated as a hate crime by Suffolk authorities. The killing drew particular attention because the dead man was found with his young son sleeping on his chest in the backyard of the house.
After Overton's arrest in the Lucero case, a family friend said that the implication that this was race based was "unfair".
Jordan Dasch has been described as a "typical Long Island" teen. As this site documented, his public myspace pages included Nazi emblems and he described himself as "Nazi Jew". He also described his desire to kill Arabs.

To read the entire article click here:

"Good Boys"?
By Patrick Young CARECEN

The article also quotes a teen saying teens liked to go out mugging people for fun and latinos were often targeted. I would like to hear what the Suffolk County Police are doing about this. I would also like to hear what the Patchogue-Medford school district is doing about this.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre has this on their webpage:

Statement on Marcello Lucero

Upon learning of the tragic death of Marcello Lucero, Bishop William Murphy, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, offered Mass for him and his family.

Bishop Murphy, who was participating in the Catholic/Jewish Liaison Committee Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, is deeply saddened by this senseless crime. While deploring violence, especially when it is racially motivated, the bishop said that this is a time for calm and healing in our communities. He has directed every parish in the diocese to include prayers for the deceased, his family and all those affected by this tragedy. “My prayer and the prayer of the whole diocese is for the families directly affected and for a renewal of mutual respect that eschews violence in all of our communities on Long Island,” Bishop Murphy said.

As an expression of oneness in grieving, in sorrow and in hope, Bishop Peter A. Libasci, auxiliary bishop and Episcopal Vicar of the Eastern Vicariate will come to St. Francis De Sales parish on Sunday, November 16, 2008. He will offer Mass in Spanish at 12:30 p.m.

St. Francis De Sales Parish
7 Amity Street
Patchogue, NY 11772

The Traditional Latin Mass on Long Island

Starting Sunday, November 30th, the Mass in the extraordinary form that was offered at St. Pius Chapel in Uniondale will now be moved to St. Ladislaus Church in Hempstead. The time will be changed to 9 AM. So, the 4 locations for Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form on Long Island are:

1. St. Ladislaus in Hempstead @ 9 AM (beginning 11/30)
2. Our Lady of Lourdes in Massapequa Park @ 1:30 PM (beginning 11/30)
3. St. Matthew's in Dix Hills @ 9 AM (in the chapel)
4. Sacred Heart in Cutchogue @ 3 PM

This is a vast improvement from the days when the Diocese offered only once a month Masses in Uniondale and Cutchogue. Now, does anyone know where I can go to Mass on Long Island in the ordinary form and hear latin, chant, solid orthodox homilies and pray a reverent Mass in a traditional Church? That would be a vast improvement also, but if anyone knows a parish that would come close to this please let me know. I am happy with the Masses where I attend but am always on the lookout for good Liturgy.

Prosecuting Johns
Why allowing Eliot Spitzer to break the law is a mistake.

This is a good opinion piece in Newsweek on the former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer. The former 'sheriff of Wall Street' and persecutor of pro-life centers was exposed buying sex with a prostitute but for some strange reason not prosecuted for this crime.

"Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned in March 2008 after it was discovered that he had used women in prostitution, a violation of New York's comprehensive anti-trafficking law. Last week, we learned that the former prosecutor will not be prosecuted for breaking the law."

"U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia's decision not to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Spitzer for buying women in prostitution is a stunning betrayal of the public trust. Citing precedent, Mr. Garcia indicated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) does not typically prosecute johns who buy women from pimps, except in cases of prostitution of children. ("In light of the policy of the Department of Justice with respect to prostitution offenses and the longstanding practice of this Office, as well as Mr. Spitzer's acceptance of responsibility for his conduct, we have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter," he said in a statement.) The DOJ also chose not to charge Mr. Spitzer for transporting a woman across state lines for the purpose of prostitution—a violation of the Mann Act. Congress might be interested to learn that its laws are being effectively nullified by DOJ policy."

"Even when the pimps are alleged to be running a high-end, high-class call-girl service, they still sell women for sexual use and still take their cut. And those in it, like Ashley Dupré—a young woman whom Mr. Spitzer bought for sex—more often than not, have entered prostitution as a result of long-term abuse, neglect, and economic desperation; a situation that worsens disproportionately for women as the economy declines. Ms. Dupré ran away from what she has described as an abusive home, and her lawyers have confirmed she was filmed by "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis, who pleaded no contest to child abuse and prostitution charges stemming from his work, when she was 17. Ms. Dupré later met up with the pimps and johns at Emperor's Club VIP in New York, a prostitution ring that sometimes moved women from the United States to Europe on what they called "travel dates" rather than human trafficking."

The authors of this good piece are:

Melissa Farley is founder and executive director of the nonprofit group Prostitution Research and Education in San Francisco.
Norma Ramos is the coexecutive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women in New York.

Prosecutor: Teens targeted Hispanics

In Patchogue, a man was stabbed to death by 7 men. They told police they wanted to go after 'Mexicans' and ended up stabbing the victim to death.

From Newsday:

"In their own words, 'Let's go find some Mexicans to -- -- up,' " said Assistant District Attorney Nancy Clifford at First District Court in Central Islip.

"The victim, Marcello Lucero, 38, of Patchogue, was attacked and killed near the Long Island Rail Road station in Patchogue late Saturday, police said"

"Christopher Overton, the youngest of the group who is also awaiting sentencing for his involvement in a violent home invasion which left a man dead, was held on $250,000 cash bail, or $500,000 bond. The other defendants -- Kevin Shea, 17, Jordan Dasch, 17, Nicholas Hausch, 17, and Jose Pacheco, 17 -- were all held on $150,000 cash bail, or 300,000 bond. All the suspects pleaded not guilty."

What I cannot believe is that these monsters have not been charged with federal civil rights violations:

"Conroy, of 189 Jamaica Ave. in Medford, was charged with first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime.

Both James Margolin, a spokesman for the FBI in New York, and Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for Eastern District U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell, said their offices were aware of the situation, but were not actively involved in the investigation, at this time.

The U.S. attorney's office is "monitoring the situation to see if there are any potential federal civil rights violations," Nardoza said."

This Newsday article lists all their names:

Cops: Fatal stabbing of Patchogue man a hate crime

"One suspect, Jeffrey Conroy, 17, of 189 Jamaica Ave. in Medford, was charged with first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime, said Fitzpatrick.

Another suspect, Christopher Overton, 16, has the same name, age and address, 9 Yacht St. in East Patchogue, as one who pleaded guilty to burglary in another fatal attack in May 2007 in which a 38-year-old East Patchogue man was shot dead when a group of teenagers robbed his home. A neighbor found the victim, Carlton Shaw, dead in his backyard, his 3-year-old son sleeping on his chest.

The others are: Jordan Dasch, 17, of 5 Lyndsie Ct., Medford; Anthony Hartford, 17, of 94 Greenport Ave., Medford; Nicholas Hausch, 17, of 36A Middle Island Ave., Medford; Jose Pacheco, 17, of 244 Hospital Rd., East Patchogue; and Kevin Shea, 17, of 301 Jamaica Ave., Medford."

In this post I mentioned the closing of the former St. Pius X High School building and wondered what would happen with the traditional Latin Mass that is now offered each Sunday in the Chapel. I found out yesterday the Mass will be moving to St. Ladislaus in Hempstead! I will post the exact time and place when I can get it confirmed.

I attended the lecture yesterday by Msgr. George Graham on "Liturgical Reform: Pluses and Minuses" at the Nassau Community Center for Catholic Studies. Msgr. Graham covered all the 'usual suspects' such as the reformers Pius X and Pius XII as well as the villians Hans Kung and Bugnini. My friend Aristotle, the Recovering Choir Director, attended also. He was smart enough to get up after the lecture to ask a question (on the musical aspects of Liturgical Reform) while I wrongly assumed there would be enough time for me to ask my question. I was interested to hear Msgr. Graham's take on the reintroduction of the traditional Mass (Extraordinary Form) and how this movement will influence the 'Reform of the Reform'. As Aristotle mentioned, there is expected to be, and has been, a 'gravitational pull' where the EF will help to bring about more reverence and tradition in the Ordinary Form. However, I wonder if we will see the OF, especially here in the Diocese of Rockville Centre infused with tradition? After all, many Catholics interested in these matters now have the EF to attend - 4 places in DRVC - so would any bother attending the OF? Is there enough interest in the 'reform of the reform' within parishes and amoung everyday (Joe and Mary?) Catholics? Interestingly, Fr. Z at What Does the Prayer Really Say? posts pictures of a very nice OF Mass offered by the great Fr. Jay Scott Newman . The comments in this post seem to indicate that even OF Masses offered with tradition will not satisfy some, and may actually lead to the exposure of the great difference between the EF and the OF. What about the DRVC where there is almost no latin, no reverence and no tradition in most parishes? Does a Catholic interested in such matters have no 'choice' but to attend one of the traditional latin Masses? I think this is an interesting topic because although interest in the EF is high in online Catholic communities, it is not as high in the average parish. I would love to see both a spreading of the EF and a real reform of the OF.