An official website of the United States government The .gov means it’s official.Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil make sure you're on a federal government site The https:// ensures that you're connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and sent securely Karen Acerra-Williams assumed the position of associate director Acerra-Williams served as the deputy director for VA Boston from 2014 to 2022 she voluntarily stepped down from the deputy director role she was appointed interim medical center director for the Bedford VA by Dr undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs Acerra-Williams was the assistant director for the VA Boston Healthcare System Prior to this she was the health system specialist to the medical center director and health system specialist to the chief of staff Acerra-Williams had worked in various leadership positions for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center she served as an adjunct instructor at two local colleges and served on the health advisory committee in her local community from January 2006 through December 2007 Acerra-Williams holds a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and has worked in healthcare administration for more than 30 years She served on the board of directors for the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board from 2014 to 2017 Acerra-Williams was recognized as the Professional/Administrative Employee of the Year by the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board The Scientific Police returned to the crime scene to carry out new investigations necessary to reconstruct what happened a week while only little Giulia Loffredo and her father Vincenzo were at home in the house in the Ice Snei public housing district where the little girl died Giulia Loffredo The Scientific Police recently returned to the crime scene to carry out new investigations necessary to reconstruct what happened a week while only little Giulia and her father were at home Vincenzo LoffredoThe child's mother and Vincenzo's partner was working in a pizzeria According to what Loffredo told investigators he and the child had fallen asleep on the double bed Loffredo explained that he had found the child on the floor in a pool of blood and that he had assumed that the little girl had been attacked by the family pit bull Taken by her father to the nearby Villa dei Fiori clinic many clouds gathered over Loffredo's story also in light of the fact that the man tested positive for hashish use The investigations ordered by the Nola prosecutor's office will have to clarify all the questions that have emerged Read also other news on Nova News Click here and receive updates on WhatsApp Follow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Gene and Gladys Fontaine; husbands: Ralph Acerra James Acerra and Victoria Acerra; granddaughter Jerry Fontaine and David (Holly) Fontaine of Wisconsin; nieces Suzi Fontaine and Linda Summers of Wisconsin; family members: Pam Henning and Jamie Berntson of Minnesota; and many other extended family and loved ones.  She was involved in many activities during her school years including being president of her student council and choir at Luxemburg High School in Wisconsin She eventually moved with her husband Ralph and two children to Magnolia After many years of spending summers vacationing in Cherokee Village she and Ralph would move and retire to Cherokee Village in 1976 then became a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Cherokee Village where she spent years serving in various roles within the church Her faith was a driving force for all she did including supporting many causes for veterans She loved to cheer on the Razorbacks and her beloved Green Bay Packers A Memorial Service will be at Peace Lutheran Church on February 8 please make donations to Peace Lutheran Church of Cherokee Village or the charity of your choice.  This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors GALESBURG — Another challenger has entered the race for a seat on the Galesburg City Council announced last Friday that she will run to represent Ward 5 on Galesburg City Council Jaclyn Smith-Esters now represents Ward 5 and has filed with the Galesburg Election Commission to run to maintain her seat The election for city council members to represent Wards 1 “I think that there are some efforts in place to address legitimate concerns that have not been completely thought out and I want to be involved in a positive way to address the issues that might prevent us from growing as a community in a positive way,” Acerra said on her decision to run Acerra and her husband are the inventors and founders of Lux Blox a construction toy company that is headquartered in Galesburg She is also currently an employee benefits consultant at Cottingham & Butler Acerra worked as the assistant dean of students at Knox College for three years helped run the Acerra Studio of Art with her husband for four years formed the Costa Scouts group at Costa Catholic School and the coed youth program The Young Marines She said she has worked in human resources leadership positions and related consulting for over 25 years Acerra said she would like to promote workforce development in Galesburg — as in grow the tax base get more businesses and make sure that young people are trained and educated so they can be productive citizens She would also like to address the abandoned buildings in the city that are creating “dangerous situations” and driving down neighbors’ home values “I think the fact that I have worked in business for most of my career would be an asset,” Acerra said “I know how to approach problems in a rational I have experience within organizations having to reach across departments and find common interest to move projects forward.” she said her experience with creating Lux Blox informed her personal philosophy to “define your goal and consult the stakeholders” before taking on any endeavor before obligating our citizens to generations of debt and higher taxes to pay for something like a new community center we should first connect with and hear from those individuals already working in the areas such a community center would serve,” Acerra wrote in her announcement letter and considerate when making such big decisions with our taxpayers' money.” In order to be on the ballot in the city council election candidates must acquire a minimum of 25 petition signatures from the community and file those signatures with the Galesburg Board of Elections by Dec Candidates must also have lived in the ward they are seeking to represent for at least one year Ward 5 is mainly located in the center of the city and slightly extends into the west side of the city Acerra was born in Galesburg at Galesburg Cottage Hospital She graduated from Galesburg High School in 1986 and graduated from Knox College in 1990 After graduating from Knox she moved to Chicago where she got her master’s degree in Industrial Relations at Loyola University She returned to Galesburg in 1998 after the birth of her first son and has lived in Ward 5 since Acerra said her family has been in Galesburg since the late 1800s as her great grandfather was a classmate of Carl Sandburg and her father served on the Galesburg Police Department and her mother there are now two contested races in the upcoming election for the odd-numbered seats on the Galesburg City Council Steve Cheesman, a retired Education District 205 teacher, announced last week that he would run to represent Ward 7 Larry Cox now represents Ward 7 and has filed with the Galesburg Election Commission to run to retain his seat the other incumbents First Ward City Council Member Bradley Hix and Third Ward City Council Member Kevin Wallace have also filed with the Galesburg Election Commission to run in the April election 91 of Long Branch passed away peacefully Saturday Freddie was born and raised in Long Branch He graduated from Long Branch High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Monmouth University he was an Electromechanical Engineer at EAI Freddie served his country honorably during the Korean War Freddie was a parishioner of Holy Trinity RC Church where he served as an usher and was a member of the Holy Name Society and the Golf Committee the Holy Name Society honored Freddie as “Man of the Year.” Whether Freddie was tending to his vegetable garden relaxing at the beach or spending time at the barn with Todo He participated in many activities from playing cards and bocce in Florida fixing anything that was broken or enjoying a Boston Cream donut from Dunkin Donuts Mary Ann; his children Valentina & Thomas Manzo and Alfonso & Stacey Acerra; and his grandchildren Maria Visitation Wednesday, June 7th 4:00 – 8:00 pm at the Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home, 10 Morrell Street, Long Branch, NJ 07740. Mass of Christian burial Thursday, June 8th 10:00 am at Holy Trinity RC Church, 408 Prospect Street, Long Branch. Burial to follow in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, West Long Branch. In lieu of traditional remembrances, donations may be made to Monmouth County SPCA, 260 Wall Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724;  www.monmouthcountyspca.org please visit Freddie’s page of tributes at www.woolleyboglioli.com Your name will appear next to the candle you light.Your condolence may need to be approved before it appears on this page It may not appear immediately once submitted Upload attachment  (Allowed file types: jpg and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" It looks as though you’ve already said that!' + ' Your condolence may need to be approved before it appears on this page Thank you for leaving a condolence..Your comment has been submitted for moderation Fortunato “Freddie” Acerra, 91 of Long Branch passed away peacefully Saturday, June 3rd surrounded by his family. Freddie was born and raised in Long Branch. He graduated from Long Branch High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Monmouth University. Before retiring, he was an Electromechanical Engineer at EAI, West Long Branch. … Read More Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Designed and produced by ©document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); MKJ Marketing|Privacy Policy|Sitemap « Back WEST LONG BRANCH – The last of the Acerra family baseball siblings has crossed home plate known simply as the "Babe," died of natural causes Jan She was on vacation in Hawaii — a trip she's taken every year except once since 2000 a generation," said her daughter Elizabeth Elmore to Italian-immigrant Luciano Acerra and American-born Elizabeth Lista She spent her childhood on Laurel Avenue in a house with 16 siblings "They were so poor they didn't even know it was the Great Depression," said Elmore Her brothers were a gritty bunch that formed their own minor-league baseball team and played locally from the 1930s to the 1950s they were honored at baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown A children's book was later penned about them called "Brothers at Bat." My uncle Jimmy had a shot with the New York Yankees but he was injured on D-Day," said Elmore Six of the Acerra brothers went off to World War II In 1942 Babe married Dominic Christopher and joined another large Italian immigrant family They bought a parcel of land in West Long Branch and eventually the entire family "As young kids we knew the flavor of every house Each family had a different taste to their spaghetti sauce They all made their own sauces," said Christopher Several Christophers still live on that land on Victor Avenue I was sorry to hear the news but she had a great life and we will celebrate that," said Christopher that the family of Filomena Phyllis Acerra Diebold announce that on Thursday their beloved mother passed from this world to join her heavenly Father she was extraordinarily proud of her Italian heritage her hometown of Long Branch and she adored her sweet doggy Phyl was the youngest child of Alfonso and Valentina Acerra a fact of which she relished repeating to her sister and brother they enjoyed an idyllic childhood on Vanderbilt Avenue in a neighborhood where many of their aunts cousins and lifelong friends lived as well After graduating from Long Branch High School Phyllis worked as a telephone operator where she learned the skills that she would later refer to as the most important in her life be respectful and never say anything negative without first disconnecting the phoneline Phyllis brightened every room she entered with her dazzling smile and starlet beauty that a panel of judges for a beauty contest while breaking for lunch on the Long Branch boardwalk spotted her on the beach and insisted she be entered into the contest By day’s end she was crowned queen of the pageant it wasn’t just her movie star looks that captured the attention of all she met it was her sense of humor and the rare quality of being as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside Phyllis was an independent thinker and a woman who would stand on her own She was determined to care for her family and never be discounted by anyone who never left you wondering where you stood the mere glance of one of her four grandchildren would melt her heart and she would become the softest version of herself After starting in the workforce in a position as an assembly line worker in a factory it wasn’t long before her work ethic would catch the attention of the management and she would quickly be promoted to the administrative office With a reputation for perfectionism and superior skills Phyllis set her sights on a higher goal with more opportunity for growth She applied for and was offered a coveted position with the administrative team of the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office where she would proudly serve for 25 years she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer She endured two surgeries and dozens of rounds of radiation but never wavered in her resolve to beat it Her medical team attributed her positive outcome to pure willpower she would receive the grim diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease never letting herself be defined by her diagnosis that it would take an international pandemic in the end she refused to pass until she knew her children would be alright both of whom she spoke of adoringly every day of her life She was also predeceased by their first son who passed at only three years old and is lovingly referred to her precious grandson William John Sylvia and her treasured doggy Fortunato “Freddie” Acerra and his wife MaryAnn their families and numerous extended family members and friends Filomena will be laid to rest with her parents in Mt viewings and funeral masses have been suspended a funeral mass and celebration of Filomena’s life will be announced donations may be made to the Monmouth County SPCA her children ask that you please be careful love each other and ask that you join them to celebrate her life when we are able to be together It is with profound sadness, that the family of Filomena Phyllis Acerra Diebold announce that on Thursday, April 16, 2020, after a brief, but courageous battle with COVID-19, their beloved mother passed from this world to join her heavenly Father. If you knew Phyllis, even for a moment, you knew several basic truths. Phyllis loved … Read More This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website With a performance aesthetic and personality to match the Acerra proved capable of handling high speeds and huge landings Usability of the dual Boa closure was simple and testers found little need to retighten throughout the day A stiff flex pattern and tall profile provided ample edge-to-edge drive that had riders railing hard turns and hammering hacks on transition Pressure points were noted by some during break-in supportive boot that will charge hard and hold up to the stress that comes with it the Acerra ADV was ready to handle high speeds and harsh landings with classic adidas aesthetics Testers enjoyed the simplicity and effectiveness of the dual Boa closure system commenting that it stayed tight throughout the entire day The dual-density Gold Level Ultralon liner is heat moldable for a customized fit The articulated cuff shell combined with a 3D-molded tongue creates a natural-flexing boot The boost foam is a proprietary compound from adidas aimed at supplying increased energy even in cold conditions Testers were concerned that the grippy outsole may degrade over time but it proved to hold up over the course of our testing period Tested + Approved has swiftly and proudly established itself as snowboardings most comprehensive and bullshit-free product test With an endless sea of gear to choose frombindings and boots and everything in betweenits not getting any easier to know where to spend your money when everything seems to be touted as the next great innovation in performance and technology We set out to navigate this deep sea because we get bummed when something fails on its word We start the Tested + Approved process by reaching out to brands with reputable product offerings asking them to submit qualifying gear across an array of categories We then distribute this gear to insightful diehard shredders across the country with distinguished product knowledge and an astute ability to critique it What remains is a collection of the industry's most proven products; all of it Tested + Approved See More Tested + Approved 2019 Reviews Here from the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem discuss the upcoming events for the museum's exhibit a radio repair session open for the public to bring in their modern and antique radios in need of repair a talk on how speakers and amplifiers work Cameron Simmons' reason for wanting to run away from his South Carolina home seemed trivial - his mom was yelling at him but when Acerra went back to the boy's home save for a black garbage bag full of clothes 'Sometime on the couch and sometimes on a blow-up mattress.'" That response resonated with Officer Acerra and over the next few weeks he began gathering items for Cameron and his family "The kid was in tears," Acerra said Ferdinando Acerra posted a photo of his brother and Cameron sharing a hug and the image has gone viral, with more than 50,000 likes people all over the world are contacting Officer Acerra to see how they can help the family Acerra hopes he can contnue to help other families that have fallen on hard times and I'm not one to gloat or brag or even ask for help but with all these people standing behind us we can change a lot of lives," he said A former rookie Taunton cop who was fired in 2009 – and stirred a controversy that resulted in the early retirement of then-Taunton Police Chief Raymond Oberg – has been implicated in a Middleboro case involving a heroin-overdose death and allegations of pimping out his girlfriend whose last known address is 40R Shores St. was arrested last Friday night by Middleboro police in the Days Inn hotel He was charged with deriving support from prostitution conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of Class A controlled substance Police said they confiscated three small plastic bags of heroin with a street value of less than $200 Acerra was arraigned Monday in Wareham District Court and held in lieu of $1,000 bail Police said they also arrested Acerra’s 24-year-old Taunton girlfriend and charged her with prostitution and conspiracy She was released Monday on $250 bail and will be arraigned in Wareham on May 15 the same day Acerra is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Police said Acerra and Ellis told them they were addicted to heroin Police said they suspect Acerra was a pimp for his girlfriend who they say was soliciting sex for a fee in the Middleboro area via ads on a website called Backpage.com Police said Ellis indicated she resorted to prostitution “around six months ago” on account of her drug addiction Joe Perkins said the arrests stemmed from a four-day investigation that started on April 22 after police received a 911 call of a medical emergency in a room at the Holiday Inn Express at 43 Harding St Police said when they arrived they found a man who appeared to have died of a heroin overdose They said they also found Acerra and Ellis Police said they indicated they had called 911 after sharing heroin with the deceased man because of the state’s so-called Good Samaritan Law which precludes police from arresting anyone who calls 911 to report a possible drug overdose Police said they subsequently determined that a meeting had been arranged between Ellis and the overdose victim whom Perkins described as an Idaho man temporarily living at the hotel while doing contract work for a phone company Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas said there is no criminal investigation into the death of the man the Taunton City Council fired Acerra after five weeks of testimony as part of a disciplinary hearing after police determined he provided false information on employment and firearms applications Acerra had been a cop for less than a year and was on paid administrative leave Acerra claimed Oberg tried to force him to resign as retribution for his having told two “professional standards” officers that Oberg had divulged sensitive information to City Clerk Rose Marie Blackwell That information allegedly involved a warning to Acerra to steer clear of a supposed marijuana drug house in East Taunton Oberg was placed on paid leave and eventually took early retirement while Blackwell was suspended with pay for a short time a tank commander brandishing a snappy uniform they observed their 65th wedding anniversary Freddy in his bed at Vassar Brothers Medical Center family members whispering the news in the ears of each died in her sleep after battling intestinal cancer died at the hospital after a long struggle with bladder cancer had worried whether one of them would be stricken with "broken-heart syndrome" — the stress-induced cardiomyopathy that can affect a survivor after a loved one's passing they settled in Mount Vernon before moving to Yonkers and then to their son's home in Stormville Freddy came to New York speaking only Italian He spent 35 years as a paint foreman at General Motors' North Tarrytown assembly plant "They are my best friends," said their 19-year-old granddaughter "It was like the corner barbershop," their son said The ladies would come in and chat with Dolly The Italian men would make a beeline for the lottery machine the paesani would gab about the winning numbers and try to predict the next round Whenever Freddy would walk out with a stack of lottery tickets in his pocket "She'd be yelling at him that we aren’t making money at Lotto with him playing it," Gaetano said They remained together until two months ago then back to the hospital for the last time Dolly suffered from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease Gaetano would have to remind his mother how ill her husband was And then she'd promise her son that at least she wasn't going anywhere Gaetano was bringing his mother her favorite oatmeal breakfast when he found her Monday Gaetano said he's received condolences from countless others That Mary and Ferdinando Acerra lived — and died — in lockstep John Ferro: 845-437-4816; jferro@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @PoJoEnviro 2023 at 5:04 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Toni Acerra told Patch her ninth-grade Spanish teacher formed an inappropriate relationship with her that lasted throughout her high school years It ended after they had sex when she was 17 NY — The West Babylon School District has contacted legal counsel after a graduate claims she was sexually assaulted and groomed by a teacher while she was a student — and that he is currently working in another district said in a public post on Instagram that her former Spanish teacher formed a relationship with her in 2016 While she has not filed a complaint with the district told Patch in a statement that they are looking into the matter "The district has been made aware of a social media post sharing allegations of an alleged inappropriate relationship between a former staff member and graduate of the district The district takes these allegations very seriously," the statement said "While no formal complaint has been filed with the district or administration the district has contacted legal counsel and the New York State Education Department The safety and well-being of all students is the district’s number one priority." when she was a student in his ninth-grade class a minute longer with him just leading a normal life," Acerra told Patch "And the people in his personal life not knowing what he was capable of." and she quickly became a "teacher's pet," she said it did not take a genius to see that our relationship was not strictly student-teacher," she wrote in the post Patch is refraining from using the teacher's name or his current school district Acerra and the teacher would spend time with each other outside of school They would talk about things unrelated to school — she helped him to prepare for his masters program — and about his long-term relationship She felt she was being treated as "more than" a student "I thought that I was so mature and so grown up," she told Patch the teacher left West Babylon Senior High School and took a job at another district in Suffolk County The two continued to regularly speak and see each other the teacher told Acerra how he and his long-term girlfriend had broken up This drastically changed the tone of their conversations and once again I was flattered to give it." He started to become an even more constant in her life Acerra and the teacher performed at open mic nights together and helped her family move homes in August 2019 "He actually helped my parents move furniture and stuff," she said "He just established himself as a trustworthy figure." Her parents were aware that their daughter and the teacher spent time outside of school together "It's pretty dark that my parents were also manipulated by him." the beginning of her senior year of high school our interactions escalated and started to become more and more sexual Acerra told Patch that once their relationship became romantic and sexual the teacher insisted they move their conversations to the app Snapchat she does not have evidence of their inappropriate relationship would tell me that nobody could know about this," Acerra said if you tell anybody about this I have to move out of the country saying that the romantic portion of their relationship needed to end the teacher then said they needed to end their relationship completely "He took what he wanted and disposed of me," she said Acerra told Patch the assault has had serious negative effects on her life she struggled in telling her loved ones what happened She only told two close friends — one who was also the teacher's student — six months after the alleged assault Acerra also has seen multiple psychiatrists But she only felt comfortable to confess the assault after working one year with her current therapist Acerra said her therapist diagnosed her with PTSD which develops in some people who have experienced a shocking she said she while she still feels anxious she has greatly benefited from therapy and no longer has suicidal thoughts It also took her two years to tell her mother The musician has since written and released a song that talks about the subject and so her mother had already "figured it out" in a way Acerra had a panic attack after she encountered the teacher at a Starbucks The last time she had seen him was the date of the alleged assault Acerra recalls she ran at "full speed"out of the store and freaked out as if I saw like a monster," Acerra said "Imagine a 5 or 6-year-old girl seeing a vampire in real life — it was a similar reaction." After her two friends who knew of the alleged incident comforted her she said she went from having a "mortifying" feeling to "anger" toward herself "I couldn't believe that I was still allowing this man to make me feel that way," Acerra said "I took an important date for my own well-being so that every year on the date of the incident it doesn't have to be that day anymore," she said "It could be the day that I spoke up about it." She told Patch she was inspired to go public after reading Brittany Rohl's public letter addressed to the Babylon School District in November 2021 claiming that a teacher groomed and sexually abused her for years "The first emotion I had (after reading the letter) I was sick to my stomach that this man could do these things," she said While she was aware that what the teacher did was wrong it wasn't until reading Rohl's letter that she felt as though creating a public post was something she could do "I needed to take power back and the control of the narrative," she said Acerra said a plethora of people have reached out to her in support The teacher only worked at the school for two years so he was not remembered much among other educators She has not been in contact with the West Babylon School District or the teacher's current school district she understands the boundaries between a teacher and students."I'm not super strict but I'm also not trying to befriend my students," Acerra said Acerra told Patch she does not plan to press charges The purpose of her post is to bring awareness to grooming and to prevent this from happening to anyone else parents and families to "heighten your awareness" regarding signs grooming "It might feel flattering to be made to feel different and more mature than the other kids in your grade," Acerra said it's not normal for an adult to tell you those things and make you feel that way." and assemblies to educate parents and guardians about grooming "I think it's a little bit of a general generational disconnect," she said "It's a long game that a lot of people don't realize it's happening." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Staten Island AdvanceAbella StudiosMr 12 for the marriage and reception of Grasmere residents Holly Acerra and Steven Pepe Joseph of Arimathea Independent Catholic Church The newlyweds are spending their honeymoon in Hawaii The bride is a daughter of Michele and Mark Acerra of Eltingville The bridegroom is a son of Rosalie Pepe of Grasmere and the late Peter Pepe the bride chose Elizabeth Erraji as the matron of honor and her twin sister Ralph Pepe was the best man for his brother The junior groomsman was Christopher Delgado Pepe is a graduate of Tottenville High School in English literature from the College of Staten Island where she earned a master of science degree in adolescent education She is an English teacher at New Dorp High School Pepe is a graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School He earned a bachelor of arts degree in music education from Wagner College and a master of arts degree in music composition from New York University He is a music teacher at New Dorp High School Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedIn(Source: Ferdinando Acerra)SUMTER SC (WIS) - When Sumter Police Officer Gaetano Acerra decided to help a 13-year-old boy he never thought his act of kindness would go viral "I didn't think it was going to get this big," said Acerra Simmons was sleeping on an inflatable mattress that he said deflated during the night to help him deliver the bedroom furniture to the boy and that's when a simple Facebook post went viral "I just wanted to brag a little bit about what he was doing," said Ferdinando who posted a picture of his older brother hugging Cameron The picture was posted online May 6 and three days later more than $5,000 had been donated to Cameron and his family to help fund basic needs "I appreciate all the support and kind words I've been receiving from all over," said Officer Acerra Officer Acerra has since been able to provide a bed for Cameron's brother Much of the furniture has been donated or given at reduced prices by local businesses the Acerra brothers are in the process of setting up a non-profit Officer Acerra has filed the paperwork and the non-profit should be official in about a month knowing that you can help somebody out that needs the help," said Ferdinando The brothers credit their mom and dad for raising them to know that helping other people is the right thing to do They hope to help as many families as possible once the non-profit is official and that I answered her prayers," said Officer Acerra about Cameron's mother Officer Acerra describes himself as a mentor to Cameron and is thankful for the international support "You really changed his life," said Officer Acerra If you would like to donate, visit http://www.gofundme.com/918g68. For more information on The Officer Acerra Children's Foundation, visit www.facebook.com/Acerrafoundation. Follow WIS:    Copyright 2014 WIS If you would like to donate, visit http://www.gofundme.com/918g68. .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.comThe former principal who sold crystal methamphetamine from the Bethlehem school is collecting a $4,058 monthly pension The Public Employees' State Retirement System released the details of pension in response to a Right-to-Know request filed by The Express-Times Acerra resigned as principal of Nitschmann in March 2007 shortly after his February arrest He was released from state prison in May 2009 and is currently on probation The Express-Times sought Acerra's pension information to include it in a story about new legislation proposed by state Sen to lose their pension and have two years automatically added onto any jail sentence Boscola said the legislation was inspired by the Acerra case Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site Ad Choices