FDNY: Rot at the Top?

Eric Lamar
2 min readSep 19, 2024

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Chiefs arrested, pay-to-play alleged

Former FDNY chiefs Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino have been charged “with bribery and bribery conspiracy; honest services wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy; and making false statements. . .,” according to the NYT.

Damian Wilson, the Manhattan District attorney made the announcement saying the two had created a “VIP lane” for paying customers to gain quicker approval for projects throughout the City.

Cordasco and Saccavino

This is not your “on the street” inspector taking a C-note but rather allegations that the top guys directed fraud from headquarters.

Both have pleaded not guilty but there’s a hitch: their alleged co-conspirator, retired firefighter Henry J. Santiago, Jr., “cooperated with prosecutors and has already pleaded guilty to bribery, bribery conspiracy and wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, according to court papers”, the Times reported.

Wilson’s office says the trio netted a paltry $190,000 for their efforts. Both chiefs were paid over $250,000 in salary in 2023.

A silver lining may be that in 2023, Santiago revealed the scheme to another FDNY member who reported it to authorities.

If guilty as charged, perhaps the pair of chiefs are holding out for a deal where they spill the beans on the companies who paid for the VIP service though it seems that Santiago may be a step ahead of them.

They surely will have an audit session with the I.R.S.

Going to trial on federal charges rarely pays off, in 2022 less than 1% were found not guilty.

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