"My husband had amazing friends amazing people to support him and they're not going away," Michelle Mannino said.
They showed their support in the courtroom on Wednesday, wearing bright yellow t shirts calling for justice for their friend and brother Christopher Mannino.
Prosecutors say 27 year old Brian Andreski of Dix Hills was drunk and had cocaine in his system when he smashed his boat into the boat carrying Mannino.
The accident happened in late June. Investigators said five people were aboard the 38-foot fishing boat when Andreski's 25-foot high-performance catamaran slammed into the smaller vessel. The back end, where Mannino was standing, was smashed. He was thrown into the water. His body was found 9 hours later.
Mannino had left in the dark hours of the early morning of June 23 for a fishing trip with some friends. No one else was injured.
Prosecutors say Mannino before being propelled into the water was killed instantly from severe head trauma. He was a father of two young children
"My kids are a mess. They keep asking for their father," Michelle Mannino said.
Prosecutors say Andreski's blood alcohol content was almost two and half times the legal limit.
They say he had just come from a house party in Ocean Beach and was speeding underneath the Robert Moses causeway.
Andreski's lawyer say they will take the case to trial
"All I would really like to say at this time is this is a tragedy for both families involved," defense attorney Eric Sills said.
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