Documentary showing Sayville's role in WWII shown at Bourne Mansion

Historian Chris Krentz says the radio was new at the time and the tower was set up in Sayville to transmit secret code messages to Germany.

News 12 Staff

Nov 12, 2021, 8:31 PM

Updated 1,140 days ago

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A documentary aired Friday about the Telefunken Radio Tower in Sayville that played a pivotal role in World War II.
The film "Invisible Threads--From Wireless to War" was created by independent filmmaker Joe Sikorsky and shown at the Bourne Mansion in Sayville.
Historian Chris Krentz says the radio was new at the time and the tower was set up in West Sayville to transmit secret code messages to Germany.
"It all happened in our backyard, and it had a world impact, and nobody knows the story," Sikorsky says.
Long Islanders were also part of the team that were able to decode secret spy messages and stop them from being sent to Berlin during the war.
Connie Currie was a historian in Sayville when she came across the tower and decided to research its history.
She soon discovered its historical significance she worked tirelessly to save the buildings.
The buildings were destroyed in a fire, but she made sure the story was told.
She told Sikorsky about Telefunken and he helped make sure people heard the story.
"It's my victory, you see I lost it and that has been on my heart for many years," Currie says.
Once the secret German spy operation was discovered, Marines arrived on the Long Island Rail Road and marched into Sayville to close it down.