Come Clean on Ridge Hill By JOHN MURTAGH
Mayoral Candidate Spano Must Explain his Role in Bribery Scandal
I have renewed my call today for my political opponent Mike Spano to fully and directly explain his role in the bribery scandal that has already resulted in the conviction of one of Spano’s closest long time aides.
During a live debate on News 12 Westchester last night, I asked Spano to explain his role as a highly paid lobbyist for a major developer -- who was caught bribing Spano’s Assembly Counsel Anthony Mangone -- as well as offering long time Spano confidant Zehy Jereis a $60,000 no-show job in exchange for his delivering the deciding vote for the approval of the Ridge Hill project.
In 2006, Mike Spano, who had taken two years off from the NYS Assembly, was working as a six-figure lobbyist for the lobbying firm of Patricia Lynch & Associates -- a firm which recently was fined $500,000 for its role in the Alan Hevesi pay to play scandal. Lynch is also an equity stake holder in brother Nick Spano’s Albany lobbying firm.
When confronted during the debate, Spano did not deny that it was he who made the introduction of Jereis to the developer’s senior vice president Bruce Bender.
Within a few weeks of that introduction, Jereis’ cousin, Councilwoman Sandy Annabi, abandoned her long time opposition to the Ridge Hill project and cast the deciding vote to approve it, after which Jereis was awarded with a high paying no-show job. The federal indictment also alleges that Jereis and Mangone passed additional bribes along to Annabi.
Today I said, “Mike Spano owes the people of Yonkers a full and credible explanation of his role in this ongoing federal bribery investigation. He also needs to explain to the voters why they should elect a mayor who already has a long history of employing and working with convicted felons”.
Mangone, Nick Spano’s former Chief of Staff and Mike Spano’s former counsel, was indicted on corruption charges in connection with the ongoing Ridge Hill investigation. Mangone, who doubled as a mob attorney for Genovese mafia capo Patsy Parrello, became a government informant shortly after his indictment and is presently cooperating in both the Ridge Hill and Putnam County federal investigations.
Jereis, who has previous convictions for drug dealing and election fraud, was indicted in January 2010 on corruption charges in connection with the Ridge Hill investigation after Mike Spano introduced him to the developers. Jereis' wife is also a member of Spano’s Assembly staff.
John Murtagh is the Republican designee for the Mayor of Yonkers. Learn more at www.JohnMurtagh.com
And we all know that this is only the tip of the iceberg with the Spano "Machine."
This family will rip Yonkers apart....
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2011 at 12:58
Ah! remember when SpaNO took time off to play DAD with his kids, then all of a sudden showed up as a paid Lobbyist for Ridgehill working for Patricia Lynch, the same company that brought us the red light tax cameras.
Hey John, dig around on Ridgehill, you'll find a lot more things going on there that need to be investigated, even today. You won't have to look hard, but I doubt you'll look either.
When is the court case for Annabi? Has this been held off until after the election?
Posted by: ? | October 27, 2011 at 13:06
Spano wrote the following on Facebook after the debate last night:
"They came at me with everything they had tonight, It seemed like they even had Janine Rose on thr side. and we still beat them!"
What??
Huh??
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HA
You need to spend more time with the Scarf Lady in Albany. She uses file cards when she debates; much classier than your pen and mess of papers.
But why dont you know the material by now? The other candidates know the issues cold.
You certainly could not answer the questions about ethics. You stumbled over them like an amateur - or someone with a guilty consience.
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2011 at 13:09
There's gold in them thar hills!
Posted by: Yonkers Gold Rush | October 27, 2011 at 13:36
So let me ask you do nothing no life naysayers a question ... If not spano then who is the right choice for mayor ? Calvi who when he was on the council did nothing but sulk like a child with balancio and vote no on everything... murtagh who changes his position on things on a daily basis and hasn't released any solid plan for the future of the city ... bob flower who is a nobody ... the way I see it mike spano is the lesser of the evils. I don't like how he changed parties or the fact that his brother is a high powered lobbyist that is betrothed to many people but in politics everyone is going to be betrothed to someone. I like the fact that mike has extensive political experience and the fact that you can talk to him.
Yonkers politics is dirty and it's wrong but you have to put all that aside because we have to vote for someone.
One of the above posters stated that "This family will rip yonkers apart" They were presumably speaking about the spanos. Let me ask you, can they rip yonkers apart more than the amackassin club family has ?
Posted by: wake up | October 27, 2011 at 13:53
Bob Flower is not running for Mayor, he lost in the Primary.
The "Amakassin Club" is not running for mayor, it is not a person, although the cronies who are members are Spano lovers.
"Yonkers politics is dirty and it's wrong but you have to put all that aside because we have to vote for someone."
That is one of the dumbest comments EVER written on YT.
Like I said, go back to sleep.
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2011 at 14:37
Murtagh has a huge head
Posted by: Jim Bob | October 27, 2011 at 15:24
I don't care John, you are a TOOL and most of Yonkers will agree on election day.
Posted by: R.Brand | October 27, 2011 at 15:35
murtaugh knows that mike spano did not have any criminal involvment in ridge hill/ all lies! It should be noted that our city is now receiving the benefit of about 2 million dollars a month from this development. the same development that murtaugh voted against. without the murtaugh delays the city would be in far better shape. Dirty and low blow john.
Posted by: yks voter | October 27, 2011 at 15:54
murtaugh just makes up facts he is sad. he said yks raceway made 600 million in profit! i hear the rooneys are looking for that money! what bs
Posted by: lies | October 27, 2011 at 15:57
councilman murtaugh. anthony mangone was not charged with anything relating to ridge hill/ you can expect a call from his attorney for your slanderous comments
Posted by: same old bs | October 27, 2011 at 16:00
isnt it wierd how HBO's Boardwalk Empire seems to be a lot like modern days Yonkers...scary actually. We can call it "Waterfront let-down"
Posted by: Nucky thompson | October 27, 2011 at 16:32
Your correct in that Spano listens but the fact still remains that while he served in the NYS Assembly he was a follower and not a leader. You don't become a leader because your running for mayor of Yonkers.
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2011 at 17:14
if Spano had a role in the bribery scandal, he would have been arrested. Murtaugh moved into "Panic Mode" earlier then expected.
Posted by: baffling with BS | October 27, 2011 at 18:26
Spano introduced very little legislation of his own while in Albany. He is from the Stewart-Cousins school of latching on to others work and co-opting it for a nice sound bite. "I passed this and that," etc. Someone else wrote the bill, Spano was one of many co-sponsors and they all voted for it.
That is a far cry from actually creating and writing legislation. Fact is he is a hanger-on and rarely produced anything for Yonkers or anywhere else in the State, especially when you consider how many years he has been in Albany.
Nick was far more productive and even he played it up with the annual game of bringing money down the Thruway on a white horse at the last minute (one shots and spin-ups for the most part by the way).
Every year we all waited for Wagners "Ride of the Valkeries" and Nick galloping down from Albany with a sack of money.
No one ever waited for Mikie because we knew he could not deliver anything.
So Mike stay in Albany and do what you do best, be a legislative leech.
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2011 at 18:38
lets face it yonkers is corupt no matter who is mayor it`s same game different players
Posted by: jimmy | October 27, 2011 at 18:53
murtagh is a large headed angry loser. Spano will kick his ass and he will be looking for a job. Couldn't hack it as a lawyer so he went into politics. Loser.
Posted by: Tiny tears | October 27, 2011 at 19:23
Murtaugh's antics are ruining this slot for Spano's Assembly seat. Yonkers GOP will go with Jim Castro Blanco because Murtaugh cannot behave as a gentleman.
Politics is a rough business, but the dirty people don't last in the business.
Posted by: baffling with BS | October 27, 2011 at 20:01
Jim Castro Blanco's days of running for office in Westchester ended earlier this year.
Everyone knows what he tried to do. No one will ever trust him again.
Posted by: Kenny | October 27, 2011 at 21:07
JOHN MURTAGH YOU SIMPLY JUST SUCK. YOUR EGO IS AS BIG AS THAT HEAD. CANT WAIT UNTIL YOU CRAWL UNDER A ROCK IN NOVEMEBER.
Posted by: HOWDY DOODY | October 27, 2011 at 22:46
reread my post you stupid bastard, I didn't say the amackassin club was running, I was referring to another previous post. And incidentally the people from the amackassin club are far from spano supporters.
Bob flower is still running a write in campaign for mayor, his signs are out in many areas of the city.
As far as my final comment goes, we do have to vote for someone so it is up to us to wade through the nonsense.
Posted by: wake up | October 27, 2011 at 23:50
The ripping apart will be election day when Mikes opponents go down Mike is an honest hardworkin guy it is wrong to slander him. But the people of Yonkers know that Mile Calvi is a convicted felon what Spano did not bring up. murtagh is very unfair in tryin to pull mike into ridge hill
Posted by: Hehehsjsn | October 27, 2011 at 23:54
Idiot.
http://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2010/nyfo010610.htm
"The Indictment also charges ZEHY JEREIS, the former head of the Yonkers Republican Party, and ANTHONY MANGONE, a Westchester County attorney, with conspiracy, bribery, and extortion in connection with two real estate development projects within the City of Yonkers which were pending before ANNABI."
Posted by: Matt | October 28, 2011 at 00:37
I don't care what anyone says. Murtagh is an unelectable dick. And his head is Easter Island statue huge.
Posted by: Jumbo | October 28, 2011 at 01:01
Who the $uck do you think you are? Fill Amicone. This site will not bring in anything for about 20 years, and as it is it will blight Cross County and Central Ave. If you have proof it brings in $2 million a month, produce the evidence or shut the $uck up. Another yonkers tool believing anything they are told by the administration.
You are a yonkers voter alright dumb and dumber.
Posted by: Trolls all of them | October 28, 2011 at 02:43