February 15, 1974 Edward Mankuski was born in Kings Park on Oct 1st, 1939. He was a contractor by trade and an active fireman known to his fellow volunteers as “a very popular leader” He served 3 terms as chief and had been in the fire department for 11 years when he died. Chief Mankuski was 34 years old. Ironically, the tools used to extricate the Chief had only been delivered to the Kings Park FD days before the crash. The crash involved three cars and occurred at approximately 1950 hours.
Chief Mankuski’s vehicle was struck in the right rear, by a vehicle proceeding north onto 25A from Glenview Avenue. The Chiefs car spun into the oncoming lane where it was hit on the drivers door by another vehicle heading west.
Chief Mankuski was returning from an investigation of a false alarm at the recently opened A&P supermarket at the corner of 25A and Bread and Cheese Hollow Road. Chief Tom Weisse, who described the accident, stated that there have been a number of alarms at the A&P recently.
Moments after the crash, a driver at the scene called Chief Weisse who immediately dispatched the FD. Mutual aid was provided at the scene by the Smithtown and Commack Fire Departments.
It is not known if Chief Mankuski was still alive when he was extricated. Chief Mankuski was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Huntington Hospital.
At the time of his passing, Mankuski was one of the youngest Chiefs in the County.
He is survived by his wife Jean McParland, a daughter Robin (13) and a son Edward (9). His uncle Vincent Mankuski is an ex-Chief of the Kings Park FD and was a 30 year member at the time of this crash.
Mankuski was an active member of the disbanded Green Hornets drum and bugle corp.
Chief Mankuski owned and operated Inter-County Cesspool Service Inc was born and raised in Kings Park.
February 24, 1974 Smithtown News
The chief of the King’s Park, L. L, volunteer fire department was killed and six other persons were injured in a three‐car crash in Fort Salonga, L. I., the Suffolk County police reported.
The police said the fire chief, Edward Mankuski, 34 years old, of 64 Dogwood Road, Kings Park, died after his departmental car smashed into the rear of a stalled vehicle on Route 25A near Glenview Avenue in Fort Salonga, then skidded into the left lane and crashed into an oncoming vehicle.
The accident took place at 7:48 P.M., Friday, the police said. Mr. Mankuski was taken to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later.
According to the police, the chief was driving the car east on Route 25A when it smashed into the rear of a stalled auto operated by Suzanne Galasso, 18, of 28 Hastings Drive, Fort Salonga. It then careened into the westbound lane and collided with an oncoming vehicle operated by John Travlos, 37, of 106 Morewood Drive, Smithtown.
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