Police say hate crimes in Nassau County are down from last year, despite incidents allegedly involving homegrown white supremacists over the weekend.

Nassau police say 64 hate crimes were reported so far in 2007, compared to 77 during the same time frame last year. Suffolk police did not have statistics available.

"They've learned to stay below the surface as much as possible," Nassau Det. Sgt. Gary Shapiro said.

The National Alliance, a white supremacist group, reared its head on Long Island this past weekend, police said.

"It's rather unusual that the National Alliance should assert itself here," said Joel Levy of the Anti-Defamation League.

John Rocissano, a 20-year-old Manhasset man who lists the National Alliance on his MySpace page, is accused of taking part in the weekend vandalism spree. Police say he spray painted National Alliance symbols, swastikas and other anti-Semitic phrases on a synagogue and other locations. Matthew Felicetti, a 17-year-old who worked with Rocissano, is also accused in the incident.

"The idea that he's a leader of this national organization is preposterous," Rocissano's lawyer said of his client. "He is struggling with mental illness known as frontal lobe damage, which affects his thought process, and is being medicated for bi-polar disorder."

Felicetti's lawyer declined comment. Both men, charged with felony hate crimes, face up to four years in prison if convicted.

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