Heartsick father of Daniel Cicciaro visits son's grave as killer freed by Gov. Paterson goes home

Daniel Cicciaro Sr. visits his son's grave as his killer, John White, returned home for Christmas. His sentence was commuted by Governor Paterson















The father of the Long Island teen killed by reprieved gunman John White broke his silence Saturday before a somber visit to his son's grave.

"The day was going to come anyway," Daniel Cicciaro Sr. said outside his Long Island home. "So whether it happened now or a year from now, it is what it is."

Cicciaro then drove to his son's resting place at Washington Memorial Cemetery, where he knelt in silence by the grave for about five minutes.

Asked what message he had for White and Gov. Paterson, who commuted the sentence Thursday, Cicciaro said: "Enjoy your holidays."

White spent what would have been his first Christmas behind bars in the comforts of home, popping out only for a moment to collect his morning paper.

"It's nice to be home for the holidays. Merry Christmas, have a blessed day," he said before retreating inside.

White, 56, was sprung after serving just five months in an upstate prison for killing 17-year-old Daniel Cicciaro Jr. in 2006. He was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to two to four years behind bars.

White claimed he was trying to protect his family from a "lynch mob" when he shot the teen, who arrived at the White home with a posse in the dead of night, bent on fighting his teenage son.

Paterson hinted Saturday there were some in his administration against the controversial decision to commute White's sentence.

"We had varying opinions on what to do with this situation, from giving a pardon to doing absolutely nothing about it," Paterson said during a Christmas event at the Rev. Al Sharpton's headquarters in Harlem.

The Cicciaros criticized Paterson on Thursday for not informing them of his decision before White was released. Paterson spoke to the family for nearly an hour on Friday and admitted he should have called them first.

"In spite of her anger, in spite of her passion, in spite of her absolute gall at hearing what I had done, she and her husband were very, very gracious," Paterson said of Joanne Cicciaro-Marks. "I am grateful to them for treating me the way they did."

While he refused to disclose what was discussed during the 55-minute phone call, Paterson said Friday "there were some points Mrs. Cicciaro made that were compelling."

"There were some issues raised by Mrs. Cicciaro that I will be thinking about over the holidays," he said.