Long-distance love saga continues as harbor cop's wife stuck in immigration limbo this holiday

BY Erica Pearson
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, February 13th 2011, 4:00 AM

Queens harbor cop will be half a world away from his wife this Valentine's Day - she has been stuck in immigration limbo in her native Ecuador for years.

"It's a sin to love somebody so much and then to suffer like this," said Paul Mazzarelli, 38.

Mazzarelli's Fresh Meadows neighbor introduced him to Natalie Silva, 30, five years ago when the cosmetician was here visiting her mother.

They fell in love and spent nearly two years dating long distance. They even had a romantic rendezvous in Niagara Falls.

The two bonded over a shared love of karaoke, celebrated their August birthdays together and found buffalo wings at Ecuador hot spot Hunters, which Mazzarelli says is "like Hooters without the girls."

In 2007, while flying from Quito to New York, they first talked about getting married, but after they landed, everything fell apart.

Immigration officials pulled Silva aside and said that because she had overstayed her tourist visa by six years as a teen, she was being sent to a Jersey detention center.

"They treated me like I was a criminal," Silva said. "That was the ugliest day in my life because I felt like they were taking my love away."

Silva had told Mazzarelli about overstaying, but since she had gotten a new visa and been careful with it, she was shocked to be detained.

Terrified inside the detention center, Silva decided not to fight the charge and agreed to be deported.

"I was heartbroken," Mazzarelli said.

"She overstayed and I understand. But come on. You're not talking about an A-1 felony. You're talking about a 17-year-old girl who made a bad decision."

Since then, Mazzarelli has been trying without success to bring her back. They were married in Ecuador in 2008 and filed paperwork asking for Silva to be allowed in the U.S.

Last spring, they were told all of her paperwork had to be done in Panama, and that they had to wait at least eight months to get a new appointment because of a backlog.

A USCIS spokeswoman declined to comment.

In the meantime, life has become even harder for Mazzarelli, whose mom died last month.

"To not be able to give him a hug - that kills me," said Silva. "I'm looking forward to spending every day with him, not just Valentine's Day."

Mazzarelli told his buddies that if his love ever does step back on American soil, he may throw a parade.

"Like the San Gennaro Feast," he said. "Carry her around on a chair for seven days? Maybe!"

epearson@nydailynews.com

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