A Holtsville man has been indicted for allegedly setting a fire inside a Wading River pizzeria after being terminated from his job, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
Prosecutors say Constantine Sackos, 59, was indicted on charges including Arson in the Third Degree for allegedly intentionally setting a fire at Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria on November 18, 2025.
Police and fire crews responded to the restaurant shortly before 2 a.m. after a 911 call reported a fire. Multiple local fire departments worked for approximately two hours to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported.
Investigators later determined the fire was criminal after discovering seven points of origin and a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid at the scene. A joint investigation by Riverhead Town Police, fire marshals, the Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad, and the District Attorney’s Office followed.
According to investigators, Sackos had recently been terminated from the restaurant and had allegedly visited the owner’s home multiple times demanding money for back pay. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Sackos purchasing charcoal lighter fluid at a Farmingville supermarket hours before the fire, traveling to the area near the North Shore Rail Trail, and later riding a bicycle toward and away from the restaurant around the time of the blaze.
Additional video surveillance allegedly captured an individual matching Sackos’ appearance exiting the rear of the restaurant as smoke billowed from the building. A search of Sackos’ Holtsville home later recovered clothing consistent with surveillance footage, which a K9 accelerant detection dog indicated contained accelerants.
Sackos was arraigned on January 28, 2026, before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski and charged with Arson in the Third Degree, Burglary in the Third Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, and Petit Larceny. He was released under supervised conditions with GPS monitoring and is scheduled to return to court on February 26, 2026.
If convicted on the top charge, Sackos faces up to 15 years in prison.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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