Police: $500,000 worth of rare coins stolen from vendor at event in Melville

Rare coins and gold - totaling $500,000 - were stolen from a vendor at a coin show in Melville on Sunday, police say.
The victim, who didn't want to reveal his identity for security concerns, says he asked another vendor to watch his items while he went to the bathroom.
That's when a woman is seen on security footage going over to that vendor and distracting him while another man grabbed the box full of coins and precious metals.
Witnesses say the two suspected thieves ran out of the event space into a waiting dark-colored SUV driven by a third person. They say it then sped north on Route 110.
The victim says he has been selling rare coins and gold at the Melville Coin, Stamp and Collectables Show on Route 110 for several years without incident.
The landlord, Mark Catapano, says the space is used for bingo and is usually quiet.
"I mean it's crazy it happened around here," Catapano says. "We've never had any problems whatsoever."
The victim tells News 12 he is insured but isn't sure a coin show theft is covered.
"I think it's very sad it's come to this situation that people do things like that," the victim says.
The coin show operator says it's extremely unusual for a vendor to have $500,000 in stock at the show, but in the future they will add more security.
Other coin dealers in the area are re-examining their own security due to the theft.
At Numismatic Assets in Melville, just a few miles away from where the latest coin theft was, the owner told News 12 that security at shows is always important.
"You always have to worry because you can get robbed on the way in or on the way out," Paul Zappasodi says. "When you set up at these trade shows, they usually have police there 24/7 in the convention center."