Illegal Immigrant Sentenced in Deadly DWI Crash

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced Monday that a Brentwood man has been sentenced to five to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to driving drunk and killing two men, including North Babylon's Daniel Gambardella, in an April 2011 crash on the Wantagh State Parkway.

Oscar Ramirez, 30, to aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of manslaughter in the second degree and driving while intoxicated. He was sentenced by Judge William Donnino.

Rice said that at approximately 4:50 a.m. on April 30, 2011, Ramirez was driving a Ford Windstar minivan northbound on the Wantagh State Parkway when he side-swiped a Kia sedan just south of Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow.

The Kia, containing driver Scuteri, 49, and passenger Gambardella, of North Babylon, was pushed onto the east shoulder of the parkway and across the grass. The Kia then became airborne and struck a tree, killing Scuteri and Gambardella instantly, Rice said.

Ramirez, who is in the country illegally and has no driver's license, admitted that he drank nine beers that night and had a blood-alcohol content of .10 percent more than two hours after the crash, according to Rice. Ramirez will be deported to Guatemala upon his release from prison, Rice said. 

Scuteri and Gambardella were on their way to Manhattan where both men worked as members of the Carpenter's Union.