Traumatizing fireworks: Ronkonkoma mother’s plea for support is falling on deaf ears

The Fourth of July is cause for celebration with fireworks lighting up the night sky – but Carol Franciotti cannot enjoy it. She lives with her son, Dean, who is blind and developmentally delayed.

News 12 Staff

Jul 4, 2022, 9:22 PM

Updated 906 days ago

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A Lake Ronkonkoma mother says her family is struggling nightly because of illegal fireworks.
The Fourth of July is cause for celebration with fireworks lighting up the night sky – but Carol Franciotti cannot enjoy it. She lives with her son, Dean, who is blind and developmentally delayed.
"I'm just concerned for my family. At least I understand what fireworks are, my son doesn't, can't see them. He's never seen them," she says.
Franciotti says the fireworks going off in her neighborhood also scare her very nervous three-legged pitbull rescue named Hope.
"I mean shaking, trembling, panting and that's all on medication with a thunder vest. I've done everything I could do to help her get through it," Franciotti says. "The whole household is traumatized, honestly, by it, including me."
Franciotti says she's not against celebrating the Fourth of July, but she says the fireworks have been more frequent. As a result, she decided to put up a sign in front of her house before the holiday weekend to let people know about her situation. She says her neighborhood has sounded like a war zone recently.
Jason Walters lives across the street with his family and he sees nothing wrong with celebrating with a fireworks display.
"It's America's birthday and we celebrate America's birthday. That's what we do," Walters says, who adds that a lot of people in this neighborhood light off illegal fireworks.
Walters thinks the sign in front of Franciotti's home is ineffective.
"I think it's ridiculous, I think it's petty, I understand she has a blind son," Walters says. "I had advised her that people in the neighborhood would be lighting off fireworks. Maybe it's best to go somewhere else here on Long Island. I don't know what neighborhood that doesn't light off fireworks."
If you see illegal fireworks going off in Suffolk County, your asked to call 631-852-COPS. In Nassau County, police ask residents to call 911.