RED ALERT AT VICTIM’S BEDSIDE
Castle king fears hit man will strike again
The political power broker who was shot at his Long Island castle-hotel fears for his life and is under roundtheclock police protection in the hospital, the lead investigator on the case said Tuesday.
Gary Melius, 69, is “extremely lucky” to be alive because the bullet that hit him in the forehead on Monday didn’t pierce his skull, Suffolk County Detective Sgt. John O’Sullivan said.
Melius went into shock after the assassination attempt and didn’t remember many details during an “extensive” interview at his North Shore University Hospital bedside on Tuesday, O’Sullivan said.
“He has no idea who did this to him,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve got to investigate every aspect of his personal and professional life to determine who did this.”
As the Oheka Castle owner recovered, he released a statement through his friend, former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato:, “Thank God I’m alive. I have great family and wonderful friends. I love them all,”
O’Sullivan said Melius was hit by one of up to three bullets fired by a masked gunman who approached from the rear and shot him through the window of his MercedesBenz outside the historic Huntington estate.
The wouldbe assassin then sped away in a Jeep Cherokee driven by an accomplice.
A parkinglot surveillance camera captured the shooting but not the assailant’s face, a hotel source told The Post.
The main entrance to the sprawling estate is protected by a security guard and a gate that is kept closed until potential guests are identified.
But there’s also a rear entrance for employees that isn’t guarded, which only an insider or someone who had scouted the grounds would know about, sources said.
“Who knows? Maybe it was a disgruntled employee,” said one source close to Melius.
“I talked to authorities. It was definitely an amateur job.”
Pols of all stripes have stayed at Oheka, where Melius — a plumberturneddeveloper with extensive Democratic, Republican and Independence party connections — regularly hosts poker games.
The opulent, Frenchstyle chateau — which was featured in the classic movie “Citizen Kane” — was nearly deserted on Tuesday, with the usual crowd of guests scared off by the unsolved shooting of Melius, who lives there with his wife, Pam.
The bullet that hit Melius traveled under the skin from above his right eyebrow and exited near his right ear, O’Sullivan said.
Doctors are concerned about damage to Melius’ eye, ear and nose, but Melius “said his hearing seems to be better than it was yesterday,” O’Sullivan said.
Longtime friend Darren Aquino, who visited Melius Tuesday, said at least 10 family members were by his bedside.
“He’s resting. We’re happy he’s OK,” said Aquino.
Additional reporting by Kenneth Garger