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Ex-FDNY chiefs indicted on federal bribery charges in 'pay-to-play corruption' scheme
By
Matt Katz
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 16, 2024
Modified Sep 16, 2024
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(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
By
Matt Katz
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 16, 2024
Modified Sep 16, 2024
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Two FDNY chiefs accepted at least $190,000 in bribes in exchange for fast-tracking approvals of buildings’ fire alarm systems, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday by federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Until their retirements earlier this year, Anthony Saccavino, 59, from Manhattan and Brian Cordasco, 49, from Staten Island, were the top two chiefs at the fire department's bureau of fire prevention, which issues approvals for fire alarm and fire suppression systems in businesses and buildings. According to the federal indictment, from 2021 to 2023 they worked through a retired firefighter who, acting as a middleman, promised to expedite reviews and inspections in exchange for cash.
Both of the retired chiefs were charged with conspiracy to solicit and receive bribes, wire fraud and making false statements. They were arrested and are now in federal custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The purported middle man, 46-year-old Henry Santiago Jr., pleaded guilty and is cooperating with investigators, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
“They allegedly created a VIP lane for faster service that could only be accessed through bribes,” Williams said on Monday at a press conference announcing the indictment. “That’s classic pay-to-play corruption, and it will not be tolerated by this office.”
An attorney for Cordasco did not immediately return a request for comment.
Joseph Caldarera, an attorney for Saccavino, described his client as a 9/11 responder and “hence an American hero." He also described the allegations as “both surprising and distressing.”
“He deserves the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any citizen,” Caldarera said. “We urge the media and the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions before all the evidence is presented. Chief Saccavino’s legacy as a firefighter and a leader should not be overshadowed by these claims.”
The chiefs are additionally accused of lying to the FBI when interviewed in February about the alleged scheme.
When the investigation was first revealed earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams was under scrutiny for allegedly prioritizing fire safety reviews for developers and campaign donors, as Gothamist reported. Saccavino had been appointed to replace former fire official Joseph Jardin, who claimed in a lawsuit that he was demoted in part because he had complained about “corruption in favor of major real estate developers.”
Adams is not mentioned in the indictment and is not implicated in the former chiefs’ purported scheme. But the indictment says his administration maintained a list that was used to fast-track projects based on requests from the deputy mayor’s office. It was often called “the City Hall list," prosecutors said.
Cordasco, the other alleged co-conspirator in Monday’s indictment, had previously complained about City Hall giving preferential treatment to developers, according to emails obtained by Gothamist last year and cited in the indictment. In subsequent text messages to friends, according to the indictment, Cordasco said: “There is no support for Fire Prevention, but elected’s [sic] want what they want, when they want it.”
Saccavino and Cordasco also falsely claimed to other fire prevention personnel that the projects they were expediting came from the City Hall list — when in fact the men were being bribed to fast-track those inspections and Adams administration officials were uninvolved, according to prosecutors.
During an unrelated press conference on Monday, Adams pushed back on concerns that the latest corruption indictment would damage the public’s trust in his administration.
He noted that the alleged illegal activities date back to 2021, before he became mayor — though the indictment says some of the activities continued into late 2022, after Adams was inaugurated.
“This is a big city, and there's so many things that happen,” he told reporters. “But can you maintain your focus to continue to move down the field? That is what this administration has been successful at.“
Adams also denied maintaining a “City Hall list” of prioritized inspections.
“We stated it then and we’re going to state it again: This administration did not have a list name like that,” the mayor said.
Saccavino had a $263,478 annual salary, according to the indictment. Cordasco, his second in command, made $257,296.
Their scheme emanated from backlogs in the inspection process caused by staffing shortages and pandemic-related slowdowns, prosecutors said. Building owners and developers are allowed to hire registered “expediters” who can file applications on their behalf, but the process is still supposed to operate on a “first-come, first-served” basis, the indictment said.
In 2022, both chiefs allegedly pushed to consolidate two FDNY offices — one that signed off on fire safety plans and another that handled inspections. They then “helped to install” a trusted ally to run the new consolidated unit, and subsequently directed that person to expedite reviews and inspections for fire alarm systems, the indictment said.
A former firefighter, Santiago set up a business to work with expeditors, according to prosecutors. Customers paid Santiago, who then bribed Saccarino and Cordero, prosecutors said.
Santiago’s customers paid thousands of dollars for his services, with Saccavino and Cordasco each getting a 30% cut via cash, check or electronic transfer, including to a company in Saccavino’s wife’s name, according to the indictment. Santiago sometimes handed money over to Saccavino and Cordasco at the headquarters of the FDNY's bureau of fire prevention or during Manhattan steakhouse dinners.
About 30 projects in all got special treatment, prosecutors said, including apartment buildings, two hotels near John F. Kennedy International Airport, and restaurants, which have fire suppression systems in their kitchens. One person representing eight different projects paid Santiago $50,000, prosecutors said.
Reached by phone on Monday, Santiago declined to comment.
“Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically," FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said in a statement on Monday. "Anything less will not be tolerated. The Department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations. Keeping New Yorkers safe remains our top priority.”
The allegations were first investigated by the city Department of Investigation in 2023, when FDNY officials alerted DOI officials to the scheme, according to Jocelyn Strauber, the agency’s commissioner.
Saccavino and Cordasco each face 55 years in prison if convicted of all the charges.
David Brand contributed reporting. This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
fdny
corruption
new york city
public safety
bribery
sdny
Politics
eric adams
Matt Katz
Matt Katz is a former WNYC & Gothamist reporter.
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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