Ex-FDNY Chiefs Arrested in Alleged Bribery Scheme

Two former FDNY chiefs are feeling the heat. 

Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino were arrested at their respective Staten Island and Manhattan homes on Monday, sources told ABC News. The arrest came seven months after the men’s homes were searched as part of an investigation.

Cordasco and Saccavino, who are the former deputy assistant chief and assistant chief of the FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention, are in hot water for allegedly accepting bribes, according to an unsealed indictment that the outlet obtained.

The men, the indictment claimed, “repeatedly abused their positions of trust” and “abused their power” to provide specific companies and people with fast-tracked safety inspections. In the process, the indictment alleged, the men lined their own pockets to the tune of nearly $200,000.

The New York Post, citing the case’s indictment, reported that, as part of a two-year-long scheme that involved upwards of 30 projects, Cordasco and Saccavino teamed up for a “secret partnership” with retired firefighter Henry Santiago Jr. 

The docs obtained by the outlet allege that clients would pay Santiago for “expediting” services. He would, in turn, make bribes to Cardasco and Saccavino so they’d exhibit preferential treatment, including fast-tracking plan reviews and inspection dates. The outlet reported that the men allegedly exchanged bribes while out to eat in Manhattan and at their Brooklyn office.

“Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically. Anything less will not be tolerated,” Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said in a statement. “The Department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations. Keeping New Yorkers safe remains our top priority.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement, “As alleged, Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco abused their authority as chiefs of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention to line their pockets in a pay-to-play bribery scheme… This Office and our partners at the DOI and FBI will continue to ensure that City officials who put themselves over the public interest will be held accountable.”

Santiago has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and honest services wire fraud. He is cooperating with investigators. 

As for Saccavino and Cordasco, both of whom retired earlier this year, they are charged with conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe, solicitation and receipt of a bribe, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and making false statements.

Joseph Caldarera, an attorney for Saccavino, told Gothamist of his client, “He deserves the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any citizen. 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.”