Woman Dies When Tractor-Trailer Wheels Hit Car; Police Search for Witness

PORT CHESTER — A 62-year-old woman died on Interstate 95 Tuesday afternoon after two rear wheels of a tractor-trailer flew off and crashed into her car, police said.

Adele Mancuso of Toms River, N.J., and formerly of Larchmont, was driving to her sister's Connecticut home to dog sit about 2:45 p.m., when the trailer's wheels came loose as it exited I-95 onto Interstate 287 at Exit 21. Police said the wheels traveled across three southbound lanes, striking Mancuso's car in the far left northbound lane.

"The tractor-trailer lost the whole rear axle with two wheels attached," state police Investigator Joseph Beccera said. "The entire axle compartment went airborne about 100 yards and crashed into the windshield and roof of the northbound vehicle."

Mancuso, formerly of 1299 Palmer Ave., Larchmont, had recently moved to Toms River to live with her boyfriend. She was killed instantly, Beccera said, noting the axle and wheels that struck her weighed well over 200 pounds and likely caused lethal injuries to her head and neck.

Police said Mancuso's mother, an 84-year-old Constance Casalina of Larchmont, was a passenger in the car and sustained what Beccera described as "miraculously" minor injuries. She was taken to Stamford Hospital, where she was treated for cuts to her arm.

After the crash Tuesday afternoon, the car involved, a Chevrolet Cavalier, was partially covered with a yellow tarpaulin. The roof was almost entirely collapsed and the windshield crushed.

Police said the driver of the tractor-trailer did not stop, but that investigators, using a license plate provided by someone at the scene, were able to locate him Tuesday evening in New Jersey.

Police had not charged the tractor-trailer driver with any wrongdoing in the crash by press time, but were questioning him, Beccera said.

His name was not released.

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a Hispanic male witness who might have stopped the tractor trailer on I-287 and informed the driver of his missing wheels.

Police said the tractor trailer drove off after speaking with the Hispanic driver.

All three northbound lanes were closed for about an hour and a half. The right lane was reopened for travel shortly after 4:30 p.m., but hours later, traffic remained at a near-standstill and was backed up far to the south.

The damaged car was sitting atop a flatbed tow truck at 6:15 p.m. as investigators continued their work. A crowd watched from a nearby overpass.

Patricia Carriere, 41, of Port Chester walked from her home to view the scene from the Grace Church Street overpass.

"Since I live right here, I just came to see," she said. "I just feel bad for the person that died."

Carriere said her husband uses I-95 often as a truck driver and that she has ridden along in his 18-wheeler. In her opinion, it was possible the driver of the tractor-trailer never realized a pair of wheels came off.

"If it was two middle ones," she said, "I don't even think you could notice."

Jose Lopez, an employee with Hannigan's Towing in Port Chester, said he towed Mancuso's Cavalier to the state police barracks in Tarrytown about 7:20 p.m.

Lopez said that during his 15-year career as a tow truck driver, he had seen numerous incidents similar to Tuesday's crash.

"That's why I've got to wake up and kiss my wife every day before I leave for work," he said. "You never know what's going to happen out there."

Shortly before 9 p.m., police reported all northbound lanes on I-95 had been reopened.
If you have information about the crash or the witness police are searching for, please contact the State Police at 914-524-0223 or 914-524-0229.

Party City: Halloween's Never Over!

I hate to be mean, but I walk into Party City in Port Chester, and get in line behind a devastatingly beautiful creature that was being waited on.

I wait for a minute, realize she's one of those people who will be a while, so I go grab my phone out of my car and snap some pics while innocently looking like I'm texting on my phone:


I just wish I could've gotten her face in a shot, she didn't show her face to me until she turned away to leave and it was only for a second, but she looked like ET and the wig somehow was able to look even worse from the front.

I'm so bad >=]

The Ghost of J.J. Cassone?

I know that there are a lot of fabricated ghost stories out there to be heard, but my account is 100% genuine, although it does not directly involve me.

My boyfriend grew up in Port Chester, New York, and had a best friend who lived (and I believe the family still lives there today) behind J.J. Cassone's Bakery. The street, Bent Avenue, runs along the back of the bakery, along with the houses behind it, West Avenue.

I will not reveal Joe's friend's name. Although Joe still talks to him on rare occasion, I do not have permission to use his name. If Joe or I were to contact him at a later time we might let him know of my findings and see if he wants to be mentioned.

My boyfriend does not like hearing or learning of any paranormal or ghost stories, and as I've grown very interested in these types of things lately it's almost been driving him nuts. I have a thirsty appetite for learning about historical spots and locations that may be haunted in and around my own town, Greenwich, Connecticut. After hearing my boyfriend, who's usually against such things, tell his story, I was sufficiently creeped out.

After a an all-nighter of playing Playstation games, Joe and his friend fell asleep in the living room. They woke at 6 am, by the friend's mom- and only other person in the house at the time.

"Which one of you a**holes did that?" She was irritated. When they asked what was up, she told them that she was in the basement tending to laundry, when a basketball rolled up to her foot. She non-nonchalantly nudged it back behind her while she continued laundry, and the ball kicked back up past her and left a mark on the wall just next to her. I'm not sure if she heard it make an actual contact sound before flying against the wall, but would be interesting to find out.

The second (and last for my boyfriend) encounter was also creepy, but less aggressive.
His friend had a thing about going to the bathroom in his own house. Joe brought his friend to the house and waited in his car in the driveway while his friend ventured in. While sitting there, Joe saw the attic light go on. His friend mentioned beforehand no one was home before using the bathroom, so when he gets back in the car, Joe asks him why he went up into the attic.

"I used the bathroom downstairs. That must've been 'him'." Joe then proceeded to tell me how his friend's family knew their house had a spirit inside it, one that obviously manipulates objects. He also mentioned they had a priest come visit and see, but I wasn't sure of what the outcome was.

I can't imagine living in a house that experiences such phenomenon- I'd be out by the first strange occurrence. But that's just me.

So, after hearing this account and having Joe re-tell it to a few of my friends who found interest in such creepy things, I decided to do a little google-ing to see if I can find any history behind the house. I searched for news articles and web results regarding the actual address on Bent Avenue, expecting to maybe find an Obituary of someone that had died in that house if anything. Nothing regarding Bent Avenue.

Then, it occurred to me. Well, the house is so obviously close to the large Bakery in front of it, maybe something happened there? The bakery was around long enough, a worker might've died while at work, or any number of things.

Sure enough, after searching "J.J. Cassone Bakery" on google, I find a newspaper article from July 26th, 1923. J.J. Cassone, owner and founder of Bakery, shot dead on his way to work at the Bakery. I found the picture of the newspaper article on his grandson's site, who is now a local musician from Kent, Connecticut.

My mouth dropped open in wonder. Then, I thought not to get too excited, J.J. could have been shot down in a different neighborhood if he was walking to the bakery. Then, a second, more detailed article is found.
(http://www.cakeroo.com/Journal%20News%204-26-08.pdf)

"Theresa Cassone found her husband on the path leading from the family's backyard along West Street to the bakery, bleeding from shotgun slugs fired at close range."

It was never solved. No eye witnesses, little evidence, any suspects they had were released. Did J.J.'s spirit filter into this family's house, since being in such proximity of the murder?

The fact that I learned and discovered this unsolved murder AFTER hearing the accounts of occurrences in the house is what gives it credibility. The family who lived (and again I think still might live there today) has no knowledge of that event, they are a newer family to town, and as the article mentioned, the murder was soon hushed up after occurring, as if tried to be forgotten by everyone.. Unless dug up by overly-curious people like me.

Thoughts? Comments. Feel free. Or I invite you to e-mail me directly if you wish,
my email is KAOconnor1985@yahoo.com.

Pictures below are of articles I found, of the streets behind the bakery, and two of J.J. Cassone himself.