Two ex-FDNY chiefs arrested by feds for taking nearly $200K in bribes to speed up inspections
Two retired FDNY fire chiefs were slapped with a federal indictment Monday for allegedly accepting $190,000 in bribes – the latest high-profile corruption case to hit Mayor Eric Adams’ increasingly beleaguered administration.
Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco – once the two top highest ranking members in the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention – formed a crooked “secret partnership” with a retired firefighter to fast track inspections in exchange for bribes, according to the indictment filed in Manhattan federal court.
The retired smoke-eater-turned-businessman, Henry Santiago Jr., personally delivered bribe payments by cash and checks to the pair during steakhouse dinners in Manhattan and, brazenly, at the fire prevention bureau’s Brooklyn office, court papers state.
The nearly two-year scheme involved roughly 30 different projects across the Big Apple — including fire alarm checks at apartment buildings, restaurants, bars and hotels, court filings state – and spanned the mayoralties of both Adams and Bill de Blasio.
“They allegedly created a VIP lane for faster service that could only be accessed with bribes,” said Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
“That’s classic pay-to-play corruption.”
The 43-page indictment provides new details about a long-running corruption case that burst into view in February when the two former chiefs had their homes raided by the FBI and city investigators.
The FDNY’s Brooklyn headquarters was also searched at the same time.
The middleman who allegedly connected the building owners and real estate developers to the fire chiefs – Santiago, 46, of Staten Island – pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery on Sept. 10 and has agreed to cooperate with the feds, court records show.
Saccavino had schemed with Santiago, a close friend, as early as 2020, two years before Adams took office, about partnering in a fire safety business serving commercial and residential building owners in the city, according to the indictment.
By 2021, Santiago had converted his pre-existing hospitality and nightlife business into a fire safety company, with Saccavino and Cordasco as secret partners, court papers state. The Post couldn’t confirm the business’ name.
Around this time, Saccavino and Cordasco were promoted by then-FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh – a move that unfolded as she demoted three other chiefs and sparked a mutiny among the top ranks.
Santiago promised clients, including a high-end Manhattan restaurant and two hotels near JFK Airport, that he could help expedite fire inspections, according to the indictment.
The inspections were supposed to unfold on a first-come, first-serve basis, Williams said – but that list grew longer during the COVID-19 pandemic, with wait times for fire inspections hitting upward of 30 weeks at the end of 2021, city officials have said.
City Hall officials, first under de Blasio and then Adams, pushed “prioritized” FDNY inspections for certain projects – a controversial list that Cordasco behind-the-scenes claimed to oppose, according to the indictment.
“(Despite) claiming to be an opponent of the BFP giving select projects preferential treatment, Cordasco did just that in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes,” the indictment states.
Saccavino and Cordasco were secretly offered a “cut” by Santiago in exchange for their help fast-tracking the permitting process, including for the high-end Manhattan eatery.
A rep for the restaurant ponied up $10,000 to speed up a review and inspection for a fire suppression system after months of delays, according to the indictment.
Santiago waxed poetic with his promises, documented in texts.
“Brother / I am your shadow . . . You guys will look like your [sic] moving clouds and the moon with a touch,” he texted, according to the indictment.
Within weeks, the long-awaited inspection came through, the indictment states.
“Another Hanukkah present,” Santiago texted a group chat after expediting the approval on Dec. 22, 2022, court papers state.
Adams, who recently saw many of his top aides and allies raided by the feds, tried to distance himself from the fire inspection probe when asked about it during an unrelated news conference.
He noted the alleged wrongdoing began under his predecessor’s tenure, and that when his administration became aware of it, “they took the proper steps and reported the action.”
Saccavino and Cordasco pleaded not guilty to all charges, including solicitation and receipt of a bribe and wire fraud, during a Monday arraignment in Manhattan federal court.
Federal prosecutors agreed to their release pending trial, but the pair were both ordered to put up a $250,000 personal recognizance bond and surrender their passports.
Saccavino’s attorney, Joseph M. Caldarera, called the accusations “surprising and distressing.” He said his client was a 9/11 first responder and an American hero.
“He deserves the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any citizen,” Caldarera said in a statement. “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.”
Cardasco’s lawyer, Frank Rothman, likewise highlighted his client’s two decades of service.
“He’s been a dedicated firefighter for two decades, serving fearlessly and faithfully,” he said outside the courtroom Monday. “This is indeed a sad and troubling day, but I’m glad that he’s on his way home.”
Saccavino and Cordasco respectively retired in March and June this year, and are set to receive annual pensions of $261,789 and $125,573, according to records.
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker, who started his role after the pair retired, said the department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations.
“Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically,” he said in a statement. “Anything less will not be tolerated.”
Williams declined to address the ongoing Adams administration probes directly but emphasized that his office was still eyeing public corruption — and warned other possible investigation targets to cooperate with his office.
“Anyone who corrupts the system in an attempt to line their own pockets will be held accountable,” he said. “Second, I want to emphasize that our fight against public corruption continues.
“We are determined to address it from root to branch. And our work is far from done.”
— Additional reporting by Joe Marino, Susan Edelman, Aneeta Bhole and Emily Crane
