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Endorsement from anti-illegal alien group

BY INDRANI SEN
STAFF WRITERS

August 26, 2005

A Farmingville civic group that has led the movement against immigrant laborers in the community has weighed in on the Brookhaven supervisor race, endorsing Robert DiCarlo in his primary challenge to party designee Edward Hennessey.

Ray Wysolmierski, president of the Greater Farmingville Community Association, praised DiCarlo for calling illegal immigrants criminals and having "the kind of attitude that is needed in this war against this psychological terrorism of political correctness."

DiCarlo appeared with Wysolmierski in front of a 900-square-foot Farmingville house on Woodmont Place where dozens of workers were found living in a June raid by the town and county.

"This issue was ignored by the elected officials for too many years," DiCarlo said. "These are not immigrants, these are illegal aliens who should not be here."

Wysolmierski called the Democratic candidate, Legis. Brian Foley, "pro-illegal," referring to his past support of a hiring hall, and Hennessey "tepid," saying, "You must be far more militant than his position in order to accomplish things."

Hennessey has not attended any of the group's meetings. Of Wysolmierski, who is a Republican committeeman, Hennessey said, "He's entitled to support who he wishes."

But, he said, "It's not productive to the resolution of the disputes that we increase racial tensions, and I would caution any candidate to be cautious in the rhetoric that they engage in."

Democrats attacked DiCarlo for accepting an endorsement from Wysolmierski, who was a leading organizer of Sachem Quality of Life, an anti-immigrant organization that split about two years ago."Embracing an individual whose intolerant and incendiary rhetoric is similar to that of hate groups is a new low for the increasingly desperate DiCarlo campaign," said Jack Schnirman, campaign manager for Foley, in a prepared statement.

A spokeswoman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups, said it had been considering listing Sachem Quality of Life until they lost prominence. "We've looked at them really hard," said Heidi Beirich. "In the anti-immigration world, for a group to be that rabid and that small is quite unusual."

DiCarlo's spokesman, Dean Murray, said the Farmingville group is legitimate. "They're asking for their community to be made safer," Murray said, "and they're asking their elected officials for help."