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STATEN ISLAND, NY - Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. today announced the sentencing of Vincent Ventafredda (DOB: 10/15/1979), of Arbutus Ave, Staten Island, for a September 22, 2005 incident in which the defendant operated a motor vehicle into a Department of Transportation (DOT) worksite, injuring several Department of Transportation (DOT) workers, including one, Nick Antico, 35, fatally.

Ventafredda was sentenced by Justice Leonard Rienzi in State Supreme Court to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison for his January 10, 2007 guilty plea to a charge of Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree. Ventafredda was convicted of operating a blue 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Track shortly before 2:00 a.m. in the vicinity of Slosson Avenue near Lortel Avenue where a crew of DOT workers was repaving Slosson Avenue. The defendant is alleged at an excessive speed to have passed through cautionary signage and a coned area, striking a DOT truck and three workers.

District Attorney Donovan stated, “This is obviously a tragic situation for Mr. Antico’s family, which has lost the love of a father, husband, brother and friend. No amount of jail time could ever erase the pain that they experienced due to this defendant’s cowardly actions. I hope Nicky Antico’s family can take some solace in the fact that this defendant will be going to state prison, is a convicted felon, and will be haunted by guilt for his actions that night for the rest of his life. ”

After leaving the scene of the accident, the defendant surrendered on Friday, September 23, 2005 to the Richmond County District Attorney’s office and was placed under arrest by Det. Tony Raccioppo of the Accident Investigation Squad.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mark Palladino, working under the supervision of ADA Mario Mattei, Chief of the Investigations Bureau and ADA Janet Silvers, Deputy Bureau Chief. The defendant was represented by Joseph Benfante, Esq.