L.I. pol takes aim at NRA fund-raiser

A Long Island congressman is taking aim at a local gun group for hosting a fund-raiser for the National Rifle Association at a popular catering hall.

Rep. Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat who represents parts of Long Island and Queens, is blasting the Nassau County Friends of the NRA for organizing the fund-raiser planned for next month, complete with dinner at a banquet venue and an auction of weapons and prizes.

Among the items going to the highest bidder at the Sept. 27 event will be a .410-gauge Henry Lever Action Shotgun with Second Amendment engraving and a Colt Cobra double-action revolver with custom NRA grips.

“Children have been murdered in their schools throughout our country,” Suozzi said Tuesday.

“Mothers have demanded that the NRA not hold this antagonistic sideshow, with guns and ammo as enticements, in one of our neighborhoods. I stand with these moms and call on the NRA to cancel this event, which will cause even more anxiety to our children and families.”

A flyer advertising the event at The Inn at New Hyde Park on Jericho Turnpike urges participants to “celebrate a legacy of shooting sports traditions.”

“Join other champions of the Second Amendment for dinner, raffles, auctions and fun with a chance to win exclusive NRA guns, gear, decor and collectibles!” the flyer says.

A similar event in Coney Island this year was heavily criticized by federal, state and city politicians as the nation mourned the Feb. 14 slayings of 17 people in the Parkland, Fla., school shooting.

A statement from a crosssection of New York officials denounced the fund-raiser’s presence in Brooklyn as “profoundly disappointing.”

A manager for the catering hall and a spokesman for the local NRA organization did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Dinner tickets for the event cost $65. Space for 10 at the “Charlton Heston Table” is going for $2,000.