NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Moderator: Capos
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Looks like it could possibly be connected to Robert Pisani and the Bonannos
Credit to Incorruptible on reddit for finding this article
https://www.qchron.com/editions/queensw ... 16ca3.html
Credit to Incorruptible on reddit for finding this article
https://www.qchron.com/editions/queensw ... 16ca3.html
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Ulrich hung around Aldo’s a lot in ozone park, and he was also very tight with the Russos (russos on bay), which is on record with gambinos according to some court filings. Aldo’s is supposedly on record with bonannos.
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Given articles mentioning the gambling angle, thinkin this may be connected to the underground casino/poker spot shut down by cops yesterday in ozone park. Was right behind romanelli funeral home. Buddy said he saw cops walking out with dozen plus joker pokers, tables and boxes.
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Once you get these guys back in building trades it takes a long, long time to rid their influence.
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kicklife23
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Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
Now he lost his 250k job on top
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
N.Y.C. Buildings Chief Resigns as Prosecutors Examine Gambling Ties
Eric Ulrich, a former city councilman under investigation from Manhattan prosecutors, resigned on Thursday from his post as commissioner of the city’s Buildings Department.
Eric Ulrich resigned a day after he met with prosecutors from the office of the Manhattan district attorney. Credit...Stephanie Keith for The New York Times
By William K. Rashbaum, Jeffery C. Mays and Jonah E. Bromwich
Nov. 3, 2022
The commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings resigned on Thursday, a day after being questioned by prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office who are investigating him for possible organized crime ties and illegal gambling.
The resignation of Eric Ulrich, 37, a former Republican city councilman from Queens, was confirmed by a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams.
“This morning, Eric Ulrich tendered his resignation as D.O.B. commissioner in an effort to, in his words, avoid ‘unnecessary distraction for the Adams administration,’” the spokesman, Fabien Levy, said in a statement.
“We have accepted his resignation, appreciate him taking this step, and wish him well,” Mr. Levy added. “We have no further knowledge of any investigation.”
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Mr. Ulrich was under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and had his cellphone seized.
The broader scope of the investigation was not immediately clear, but it is focused at least in part on gambling and organized crime activity at Aldo’s, a pizzeria in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
Investigators were examining the possibility that Mr. Ulrich may have used his influence on behalf of mob associates while he was either a Queens councilman, a senior adviser to the mayor or buildings commissioner.
Mr. Ulrich met with prosecutors at the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, for several hours on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the matter said. A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.
Neither Mr. Ulrich nor one of his lawyers could immediately be reached for comment, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. One of the owners of Aldo’s, Anthony Livreri, who took over the establishment in 2018, declined to comment on the allegations.
Under its previous owners, the restaurant, like its predecessor at the same address, had a place in city mob lore. A racketeering and gambling case two decades ago brought by the Queens district attorney linked Aldo’s to a Gambino crime family captain named Ronald Trucchio, who went by the moniker Ronnie One Arm for his withered right limb. And in the 1980s, it was the site of a notorious 14-hour lunch attended by the then Queens district attorney, a senior police official and several men tied to the mob.
According to campaign finance reports, Mr. Ulrich has spent at least $6,500 at Aldo’s. The bulk of the spending, $5,000, came during his unsuccessful 2019 campaign for public advocate.
Hours before Mr. Ulrich’s meeting with prosecutors began on Wednesday, the mayor defended his commissioner, whom he appointed in May to head the Buildings Department, which has long been plagued by recurring corruption scandals.
Mr. Adams’s choice of Mr. Ulrich came despite his admitted alcohol and gambling addictions, and his having written a letter in 2018 on official stationery in support of a constituent, Robert Pisani, a reputed Bonanno crime associate who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges for collection of an unlawful gambling debt, court records show.
Mr. Levy defended Mr. Ulrich’s brief tenure at the department.
“Eric Ulrich was open about the challenges he had overcome, had gone through a standard background investigation, and was building a strong record of success at the Buildings Department,” he said. “We have no reason to believe the investigation is focusing on his time at City Hall.”
Brendan McGuire, the chief legal counsel for Mr. Adams, said on Wednesday that Mr. Ulrich had undergone a background check through the city’s Department of Investigation.
Though the agency may flag issues in a candidate’s background, Mr. Adams still makes the final decision about whether the person should be hired. The results of the investigation are not shared with the public.
“Needless to say, this administration takes very seriously what turns up in those D.O.I. background checks,” Mr. McGuire said. “And we have, in the past, taken action when necessary based on what those investigations find.”
The Department of Investigation, which focuses on possible crimes and corruption committed by city employees, has not been involved in the current inquiry, which, if it does focus on Mr. Ulrich’s time on the City Council or working for the mayor, would be unusual.
Mr. Ulrich took a personal day on Tuesday when his phone was seized and again on Wednesday when he met with prosecutors, city officials said. The former commissioner sent an email to the mayor’s team announcing his decision.
“He communicated with the team and made the determination for the good of not distracting the city, and to deal with the review that’s taking place now, he made that decision,” Mr. Adams said Thursday at a news conference.
Mr. Adams said he respected the decision and wished Mr. Ulrich and his family well but had no comment about the investigation.
“I do not take reports that are in the media as what actually took place,” the mayor said. “I have not heard from the reviewing body. They have not communicated to me, so I don’t know what the allegations are.”
Mr. Adams has hired several executives, department heads and deputy mayors with troubled pasts and has stood by his decision to give them a second chance. Asked about his stance on Mr. Ulrich’s position on Wednesday, Mr. Adams said that it was “too early” to make personnel decisions based on what was known about the investigation.
The mayor has hired several supporters from his campaign to prominent positions, including Peter Koo, a former City Council member who became a senior adviser, and Ydanis Rodriguez, another former Council member who became transportation commissioner.
“This is old-school New York City politics where you give allies and friends patronage jobs,” said John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a good-government group. “Our concern: Is he hiring the best person for the job or are they getting the job because they are a friend and ally?”
Kazimir Vilenchik, the first deputy buildings commissioner, will serve as the interim commissioner. Pierina Ana Sanchez, a councilwoman from the Bronx who is chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, said the city must ensure that Mr. Ulrich’s resignation does not interrupt the agency’s work.
“While I am not aware of the details of this investigation, I respect Eric Ulrich for stepping down and allowing the agency to continue its vital work,” Ms. Sanchez said.
Eric Ulrich, a former city councilman under investigation from Manhattan prosecutors, resigned on Thursday from his post as commissioner of the city’s Buildings Department.
Eric Ulrich resigned a day after he met with prosecutors from the office of the Manhattan district attorney. Credit...Stephanie Keith for The New York Times
By William K. Rashbaum, Jeffery C. Mays and Jonah E. Bromwich
Nov. 3, 2022
The commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings resigned on Thursday, a day after being questioned by prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office who are investigating him for possible organized crime ties and illegal gambling.
The resignation of Eric Ulrich, 37, a former Republican city councilman from Queens, was confirmed by a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams.
“This morning, Eric Ulrich tendered his resignation as D.O.B. commissioner in an effort to, in his words, avoid ‘unnecessary distraction for the Adams administration,’” the spokesman, Fabien Levy, said in a statement.
“We have accepted his resignation, appreciate him taking this step, and wish him well,” Mr. Levy added. “We have no further knowledge of any investigation.”
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Mr. Ulrich was under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and had his cellphone seized.
The broader scope of the investigation was not immediately clear, but it is focused at least in part on gambling and organized crime activity at Aldo’s, a pizzeria in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
Investigators were examining the possibility that Mr. Ulrich may have used his influence on behalf of mob associates while he was either a Queens councilman, a senior adviser to the mayor or buildings commissioner.
Mr. Ulrich met with prosecutors at the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, for several hours on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the matter said. A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.
Neither Mr. Ulrich nor one of his lawyers could immediately be reached for comment, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. One of the owners of Aldo’s, Anthony Livreri, who took over the establishment in 2018, declined to comment on the allegations.
Under its previous owners, the restaurant, like its predecessor at the same address, had a place in city mob lore. A racketeering and gambling case two decades ago brought by the Queens district attorney linked Aldo’s to a Gambino crime family captain named Ronald Trucchio, who went by the moniker Ronnie One Arm for his withered right limb. And in the 1980s, it was the site of a notorious 14-hour lunch attended by the then Queens district attorney, a senior police official and several men tied to the mob.
According to campaign finance reports, Mr. Ulrich has spent at least $6,500 at Aldo’s. The bulk of the spending, $5,000, came during his unsuccessful 2019 campaign for public advocate.
Hours before Mr. Ulrich’s meeting with prosecutors began on Wednesday, the mayor defended his commissioner, whom he appointed in May to head the Buildings Department, which has long been plagued by recurring corruption scandals.
Mr. Adams’s choice of Mr. Ulrich came despite his admitted alcohol and gambling addictions, and his having written a letter in 2018 on official stationery in support of a constituent, Robert Pisani, a reputed Bonanno crime associate who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges for collection of an unlawful gambling debt, court records show.
Mr. Levy defended Mr. Ulrich’s brief tenure at the department.
“Eric Ulrich was open about the challenges he had overcome, had gone through a standard background investigation, and was building a strong record of success at the Buildings Department,” he said. “We have no reason to believe the investigation is focusing on his time at City Hall.”
Brendan McGuire, the chief legal counsel for Mr. Adams, said on Wednesday that Mr. Ulrich had undergone a background check through the city’s Department of Investigation.
Though the agency may flag issues in a candidate’s background, Mr. Adams still makes the final decision about whether the person should be hired. The results of the investigation are not shared with the public.
“Needless to say, this administration takes very seriously what turns up in those D.O.I. background checks,” Mr. McGuire said. “And we have, in the past, taken action when necessary based on what those investigations find.”
The Department of Investigation, which focuses on possible crimes and corruption committed by city employees, has not been involved in the current inquiry, which, if it does focus on Mr. Ulrich’s time on the City Council or working for the mayor, would be unusual.
Mr. Ulrich took a personal day on Tuesday when his phone was seized and again on Wednesday when he met with prosecutors, city officials said. The former commissioner sent an email to the mayor’s team announcing his decision.
“He communicated with the team and made the determination for the good of not distracting the city, and to deal with the review that’s taking place now, he made that decision,” Mr. Adams said Thursday at a news conference.
Mr. Adams said he respected the decision and wished Mr. Ulrich and his family well but had no comment about the investigation.
“I do not take reports that are in the media as what actually took place,” the mayor said. “I have not heard from the reviewing body. They have not communicated to me, so I don’t know what the allegations are.”
Mr. Adams has hired several executives, department heads and deputy mayors with troubled pasts and has stood by his decision to give them a second chance. Asked about his stance on Mr. Ulrich’s position on Wednesday, Mr. Adams said that it was “too early” to make personnel decisions based on what was known about the investigation.
The mayor has hired several supporters from his campaign to prominent positions, including Peter Koo, a former City Council member who became a senior adviser, and Ydanis Rodriguez, another former Council member who became transportation commissioner.
“This is old-school New York City politics where you give allies and friends patronage jobs,” said John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a good-government group. “Our concern: Is he hiring the best person for the job or are they getting the job because they are a friend and ally?”
Kazimir Vilenchik, the first deputy buildings commissioner, will serve as the interim commissioner. Pierina Ana Sanchez, a councilwoman from the Bronx who is chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, said the city must ensure that Mr. Ulrich’s resignation does not interrupt the agency’s work.
“While I am not aware of the details of this investigation, I respect Eric Ulrich for stepping down and allowing the agency to continue its vital work,” Ms. Sanchez said.
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
The mention of Russos is silly, since it’s a NYC institution. So many different political officials hold functions there, as does every NYPD police union, teachers union, etc.
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queensnyer
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Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
ulrich is extremely soft. if there is any truth to anything he will rat everybody and everything he knows. i drank with him years ago and he was almost crying about the stress politics put on him while in cj's. on crossbay. the mob is gone from building trades. they are the non union today. the trades are too highly regulated. so many law suits over the years of discrimination etc have them under a microscope by the dept of labor and the rogue/fake unions that pop up are running amuck. he mightve got a someone on a site or a company a bid that didnt belong but its piecemeal stuff. these guys saw him a mile away too, trust me.
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queensnyer
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Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
yeah article proves my point the mob is gone from the building trades unions. but makes for a nice headline
Re: NYC Building Commish Tied to potential Mob Gambling Investigation
DOB deals with stop work orders, and is historically a dirty city organization. DOB has basically no role in development but stop work orders for safety violations, lack of site safety supervisors, and other issues can be big, but honestly not so sure this guy being head of DOB makes him so valuable to mob guys … there’s value, but just saying not sure what his power is on a large scale.
One thing I’ll say as a NYC guy, there are so many sketchy characters in mayor’s inner circle, waiting for some of them to start getting arrested.
Liveris are the guys that ran the gambling spot behind the funeral home. Assuming Ulrich, a degenerate gambler, was a frequent patron and that’s how he got roped into this gambling investigation.
One thing I’ll say as a NYC guy, there are so many sketchy characters in mayor’s inner circle, waiting for some of them to start getting arrested.
Liveris are the guys that ran the gambling spot behind the funeral home. Assuming Ulrich, a degenerate gambler, was a frequent patron and that’s how he got roped into this gambling investigation.