Kings Park FD-Firebombing on Church Street

January 13, 1976 Police are investigating the mysterious firebombing last Tuesday that damaged the rear portion of the home of Mrs. Katherine Coupian, a widow, who lives at 92 Church Street, adjacent to the Princess Park Garden Apartments. Two other firebombs were found intact near Mrs. Coupian’s garage.

On Monday, Fourth Precinct Deputy Inspector David Daniels talked a resident of the Princess Park apartment complex out of killing herself, as well as the police official.

The woman, 64 year old Angelini Cazzio, was huddled in the bathroom of her apartment, holding a 12-inch butcher knife and a sharp pointed carpenter’s file. She motioned threateningly at Daniels as he entered the tiny bathroom. After talking to Daniels for more than two hours, she surrendered her weapons and collapsed in his arms, in tears. She was taken to Kings Park Psychiatric Center for evaluation.

The incident, which ended at 4:25PM, began at noon when other tenants complained to garden apartment manager Anthony Whitman. Whittman attempted to get Mrs. Cazzio to open the door but she refused. Attempts to open the door with a pass key were also unsuccessful because the door had a double lock. Whitman turned off the gas to Mrs. Cazzio’s apartment and called police.

The Princess Park Apartment complex made the headlines on its own this week when town and county officials threatened to close the 144-unit housing facility down. The complex, which has had several owners in the past few years, has a chronic drainage problem that causes sewers to overflow and a sump to stagnate. From the 1-15-1976 Smithtown News.