Bethpage-Tribune_1990-08-09

              4 COPIES
Bethpage Lib
47 PoweU Ave
Bethpage W 1171*
YOUR OFFICIAL HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER BETHPAGE PUBLIC L
Serving Bethpoge, Island Trees, Plainedge, Seaford, Old Beth page and Plainview
BKART
VOL. 23 NO. 39 Celebrating Our 23r'1 Year August 9-15, 1 9^ Ce!ot)ia(inu Oui ^Kiid Yeat 25 CENTS
BETHPAGE'S OWN CRIMESTOP
JOSEPHINE ROMANO
How One Woman Stopped An Attennpted Citibank Robbery Without Even Knowing It^
By Linda Antonelli
When Josephine Romano set out to
see her daughter Patti, who was sched­uled
for surgery on Thursday, July 19 at
Long Island Jewish Hospital, little did
she know that she would become a local
hero,
Josephine, who claims to be some;
what nervous behind the wheel of a car,
began her trip to the hospital early Thurs­day
morning. She was not too familiar
with the area around the hospital and
soon realized tliat she had passed the
hospital's parking garage. In order to find
a parking spot "Josie" had to go around
the traffic circle.
As Mrs. Romano was stopped at a stop
sign at 9:15 am she noticed a gentleman
nmning towards her who was screaming
for her to stop. Josephine at first thought
that perhaps the gentleman was a patient
of the hospital. She slowly proceeded to
the second stop sign and it was then that
the screaming gentleman began to bang
and pry on her passenger side door to try
and get in. Fortunately, her car doors
were locked and Josephine began to honk
her horn for help.
Josephine stated "At this point my
legs were trembling so much that I didn't
think I could keep my foot on the brake.
My car began to inch forward so I quickly
put my car in park."
Well when Mrs. Romano switched
her cars gears to the park position a
mechanism in her car automatically re­leased
her door locks. The gentleman ran
to the drivers side of the car and forced
his way in.
"He was sitting on my lap and just kept
telling me to move over and get out of his
way. I was seatbelted in so I couldn't
move at all," she said.
Well it was at that lime that Long
Island Jewish security guard, Ron
Abrams, who was unarmed and who just
so happens to be a graduate of Bethpage
High School came to Josie's rescue.
Abrams quickly pulled the man out of the
car, wrestled him to tlie ground and hand­cuffed
him. The man, Joey Russo (an
alias) approximately 40 years old was ap-piirently
trying to escai^ ^ft^r robbing a
nearby Citibank of over $7,000. Russo,
who was armed with a gun, lost it in the
run from Ute hospital but had an ice pick
in his rear panls pocket when he was
trying to make his getaway in Mrs.
Romano's car. Russo is also believed to
have been responsible for 3 other robber­ies
in Nassau and 3 in Queens.
Josephine, was now as she put it, "a
wreck" and was taken into the hospital
where she was questioned by hospital
officials and security guards. "They actu­ally
thought that I was Russo's getaway
car. I had to prove that I was only there
to see my daughter who was recovering
from surgery and that it was only coinci­dence
that I was looking for a parking
spot at 9:15 am and Russo was fleeing a
bank robbery which occured at 9:10 am.
"she said.
Josephine told us that the hospital
officials and security guards were quite
comforting and helped her to calm down
after tiie trying ordeal. She went on to say
tliat the bank robber actually complained
of chest pains after the incident and was
taking into emergency for treatment.
Mrs. Romano was then taken to the
105ih Precinct in Queens for further
questioning by the Police and other FBI
officials. Finally slic was released and
driven back to tiic hospital where siie
would at last be able to see her daughter
Palti, who was by now oui of reci)vcry
and in lier own room.
"What a day! Josephine su.'d, that man
was trying to escape in !ny car with a
baggie full of money...! siill cmVx believe
it!"
Weil, Josephine is quile a hero. She
along wiih security guard Ron Abrams
Slopped a robbery and siiouid he tuin-ruendod
for their couray,cous acts "! feci
that Ron Abrams saved my life. He came
to my rescue immediately and pulled the
thief out of my car. So many people totlay
don't want to get involved in things like
this...wellRondidandIthink he should
be commended for his bravery."
As for our local hero, Josephine
Romano ,who has been nicknamed
"RAMBO JO", well we certainly com­mend
and congratulate you on your he­roic
deed. Although you claim to be a
nervous driver, on this particular day you
certainly had reason to te. Keep up llic
good work Josie, it's citizens like your­self
who make our area a safer place to
live. We rest assured knowing that llicrc
is one less criminal on our streets because
of you. The Tribune also extends our
sincere get well wishes to Patti, who we
understand is recovering quile quickly
and has started a new "RAMBO JO" line
of T-shirts!
TOB To Ammend Otfstreet
Parking Ordinances
An amendment to the loun ol
Oyster Bay C\)dc of Ordinances
regarding oii-street parking ol cuni-mercial
vehicles will be the subject ol
a Tuesday, September 25, public
hearing by the Oyster Bay Town
Board, according to Town Council­man
.John Venditto.
"' Ihc amendment to be considered
concerns otT-strcet parking ol com­mercial
\chicies in ri'sidenltally-/oned
areas." \cnditto {.-xpiained. "It would
hmit lu one the number olcommercial
vehicles that could be placed on a
residential property and would also
limit the height, length and weight ot
the vehicle."
I he hearing is scheduled lor iO.AM
in ihc hearing rot>m o[ lov\n Hall 1 asi
Auilrcv A\cnuc. Oxstcr Ba\.
jfkk 'LiC^lilic^r of Thsinlcs
m^lvedin « very sertom « f . " ^ . M m to take MS
ZT bind tbaugbis '^ ^'^,^^ge Vire Oeparmm'Pr
mthemeumd women of '^/^^^iffgr <mr specU^ thanks
,0 mke cmrke and '^^Tv^ the call of duty to ^ '^«'
at the ^ene mtd ««"/«'^"'*f„ („„^, Medical Center.
' » i ^ ' « ' « ^ ' ^ ' " ' ^ „ n X - / 2 a month at Sassau
anmopher spent a M'^JJ"^ ,^, , , ^ best of c^e and
Comly Medical where he ^«^';*'«^,.„,,„, ^ home thanks o
,e c,n,Unues '« W ^ ^ J ^ . ^ U . Once again mm>M
ibe visits of his friend an» 1 .«„fc«rs of the communtty. Itte
Zmhep taog sea yti'rthe aOnekpsa trott anleln '^t Jan^dJ ^Snafsys au Medica^l C^e^nt^e r-
Uon.Hita,Soclt& Chris Keardon