What Made 2012's Top 10 List?

We've already brought you the most-viewed stories of December 2012 on Garden City Patch - the stories that got the most reads from our audience - but here's a top 10 list of the articles that saw the most traffic in all of 2012.

1. Another Tragedy Strikes Grimaldi's: Dean LaLima, long time manager of Grimaldi's Pizza, was killed in August in Williston Park in an incident county police described as a hit and run. He was 41. This was the second tragedy in less than a year the Grimaldi's business community had to endure. The popular pizzeria's owner, Russell Ciolli, died unexpectedly in November 2011. He was 39.

2. Subway Train Strikes, Kills Garden City Man: A 2007 Garden City High School graduate died in January after being hit by a Brooklyn-bound subway train. Brian O'Mara, 22, was out with friends before the accident. According to the MTA, he was walking along the tunnel on the 14th St. L line near the Third Ave. stop when he was struck by a Brooklyn-bound train at 8:12 a.m.

3. Suspect Arrested in Fatal Hit and Run: A suspect was arrested in the fatal hit-and-run accident that took the life of long-time Grimaldi's Pizza manager Dean LaLima in August in Williston Park. Raymond F. Kalenka, 45, of Williston Park, was arrested in connection with the accident, charged with leaving the scene of an accident with death.

4. Community Reacts to Sad News of Dean LaLima's Passing:  Those mourning the tragic loss of Dean LaLima all agreed on one thing: Grimaldi's Pizza would never be the same without him.

5. Nassau Police: Garden City Man Stole More Than $200K in Merchandise From Williams-Sonoma: A Garden City man was arrested in February after allegedly stealing merchandise from Williams-Sonoma and selling it on eBay while employed by the store. According to Nassau County detectives, David Muscat, 22, while employed as a stock room clerk for six years for the Williams-Sonoma located at 630 Old Country Road, stole in excess of $200,000 worth of merchandise from the store.

6. Blaze Engulfs E. Garden City Apartment Complex [Photos]: In April, flames engulfed one building inside the Avalon Garden City apartment complex and spread to others. The fire broke out inside the Stewart Avenue development, which was under construction. Nassau County Police's Arson and Bomb Squad detectives say a worker at the Avalon Garden City Complex located at 800 Mitchel Field Way accidentally started the fire that engulfed one entire apartment building. More than 100 firefighters from 10 local departments, including Uniondale, East Meadow, South Hempstead and Garden City, were called to the scene. They used approximately 20 assorted pieces of fire apparatus.

7. UPDATE: Lynbrook Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Mall Car Jacking: A car jacking in January in front of Houston's restaurant at Roosevelt Field Mall left a 21-year-old with stab wounds to his face, head and hand, according to Nassau County Third Squad detectives. Damien Armella,  31, of Lynbrook, was arrested for the incident, charged with attempted murder, first degree, two counts of robbery, first degree, two counts of assault, first degree, robbery, second degree, and possession of a dangerous weapon, fourth degree.

8. Teen Biker Dies From Injuries Sustained in East Garden City Crash: A motorcyclist involved in a serious crash in East Garden City in June succumbed to his injuries. According to Nassau County Police, Stephen Fay, 19, of Westbury, was operating his 2012 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle southbound on East Gate Boulevard around 9:40 a.m. when a 2000 Ford E-450 box truck, that was traveling eastbound on North Avenue and approaching the intersection, made a left turn onto East Gate Boulevard. Fay, unable to avoid a collision, struck the rear portion of the box truck, causing him to be ejected from his motorcycle, police said. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced by a staff physician at 10:30 a.m.

9. Report Recommends Leaving Firehouses Unmanned at Night: An analysis of the Garden City Fire Department's overall performance, provided by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) at a cost of $36,000, suggested eliminating staffing at both satellite fire stations during evening hours. The rationale, according to the ICMA report, is based on the "very low nighttime call volume and the ability to transverse the village quicker at night."

10. Who Will Be Garden City's Cutest Couple: Our search for Garden City's cutest couple in February had folks submitting photos of themselves and significant others. Garden City Patch profiled the winning couple's love story on Valentine's Day.