A Long Island pizzeria owner joins the growing list of tourists who have died suddenly in the Dominican Republic.

Vittorio Caruso, 56 of Glen Cove, died June 17 while staying at the Boca Chica Resort in Santo Domingo, the US State Department confirmed to Fox News Friday.

His sister-in-law, Lisa Maria Caruso, said he suddenly went into respiratory distress after “drinking something.”

Caruso’s older brother, Frank Caruso, 70, confirmed his death to the Post on Saturday, saying his brother was “very healthy” when he left for the Carribean vacation about six weeks ago.

“He went to the doctor before he left, and he had no problems,” Frank Caruso said. “I spoke to the doctor. He called me when he found out he died, and he said he did not see anything wrong before he left. He could not believe the news.”

Caruso said his brother was single and co-owned Vittorio’s pizzeria in Glen Oak with one of his five siblings before selling the business about two months ago. He traveled regularly to the Dominican to stay at his time-share condo.

“This is not normal. We are very suspicious,” the elder Caruso told The Post. “We think maybe there was something in his drink or in his food.”

Like the families of others who have died in the Dominican, Lisa Maria Caruso said local authorities have provided vague answers about how their seemingly healthy loved ones unexpectedly fell fatally ill while vacationing in the Carribean nation.

“It is very hard to get a straight story from anyone there,” she said. “They even wanted to cremate the body. We insisted on having the body sent back here.”

Caruso, who was scheduled to return to New York June 27, is among three tourists in the past month and at least 11 in the past year who died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Dozens more have reported illnesses.