On Monday night, Nov. 5, 69-year-old Anthony Citera of Elmont was attending an Elmont American Legion meeting when he felt ill. He left the meeting early.

The next morning, at approximately 10:55 a.m., while driving eastbound on Hempstead Turnpike, Citera suffered an apparent heart attack and lost control of the car at Evans Avenue, police said.

Citera's car careened into a parked car and motorcycle, both of which were unoccupied. He was transported to Franklin Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. There were no other injuries reported, police said.

Fellow Elmont American Legion member Mike Tetro has known Citera for a long time since both were members of the Our Lady of the Snows Society in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. "We knew each other way back."

Tetro was also at the meeting Monday night when Citera complained of not feeling well. "He said he had a very bad cold," Tetro said. "Later on, he went home and he didn't feel well. I know he had a bad heart because he had a seizure sometime in July. He's been going to the doctor all along."

Citera was taking nitroglycerin for his heart condition.

Citera was a veteran of the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, son and two daughters.

"He was very nice man. We got along very well," Tetro said. "It's a shame."

Citera and his wife Maria were active in the St. Vincent DePaul Parish.