Eric Tassiello

An admitted drunken driver from Bethpage who killed a 44-year-old bicyclist in a hit-and-run crash two years ago has been released from Nassau County jail after serving only one year behind bars.

Eric Tassiello had pleaded guilty in February 2012 at Nassau County court to vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while intoxicated. He was freed two months ago after completing the jail’s DART drug and alcohol treatment program.

“I have had enough time to think about my actions and I am extremely remorseful,” the 27-year-old unemployed bar back told Judge Alan Honorof on May 6, when he was sentenced to six months time served. “I can humbly say that I will never be back in front of this court for anything, especially [of] this magnitude.”

Authorities said Tassiello was driving his Kia southbound on Merritt Road in North Massapequa after leaving The Nutty Irishman in Farmingdale when he struck the victim from behind and fled the scene in the early morning hours of Jan. 11, 2011.

The victim, Juan Hernandez, later died of his injuries, which included internal bleeding.

Police caught Tassiello shortly after the crash. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.20 percent—more than double the legal limit of 0.08 percent—about two hours after the crash despite telling the arresting officer that he only drank one beer, according to court documents.

The blood stain on the street where the victim was hit before the driver fled.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Bushwack had recommended that Tassiello be sentenced to two to six years in prison. But, as a part of the plea deal with prosecutors and his Garden City-based attorney, Brian Griffin, Honorof promised that if Tassiello completed the DART program he would be eligible for early release.

“The court believes that it is in the interest of justice to accept the plea from this defendant,” Honorof said in court when Tassiello changed his plea.

Honorof also sentenced Tassiello to five years’ probation, a $750 fine and revoked his driver’s license for one year. He has until Aug. 19 to pay the fine.

“There has always been two systems of justice: One for those who have money, power and influence and another for the poor, no matter what their color, background or nationality,” said Allan Ramirez, the longtime advocate for Long Island’s Hispanic community who retired as pastor  of the Brookville Reformed Church and moved to Mexico City last fall. “You are in deep ‘caca’ trying to get justice if your name is Juan Hernandez.”

Honorof is the same judge that reportedly drew ire from the families of two DWI crash victims’ when he sentenced Martin Heidgen to 18 years to life, instead of the maximum 25 to life, for killing limo driver Stanley Rabinowitz and 7-year-old flower girl Katie Flynn in a 2005 wrong-way crash.

Tassiello was initially released from jail after his arrest and then posted bail after first pleading not guilty in October 2011 to the charges in a grand jury indictment. He began serving his year in jail when he changed his plea to guilty four months later.

“As we got the updates throughout the course of this case from the DART program at the jail, I am very pleased and happy,” Griffin told the court last week, noting that Tassiello has been undergoing outpatient substance abuse treatment since his release. “He met each and everything he was asked to do. He met every milestone at the jail.”

Griffin did not return a call for comment. A spokesman for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice declined to comment. John Fowle, the acting director of the Nassau probation department, referred a reporter’s question asking why a probation officer recommended Tassiello’s light sentence to a spokeswoman for Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, who also failed to respond to the query.

Photo by Katherine Schroeder courtesy of North Fork School for Dogs

Imagine a place where dogs run freely together, playfully romping on fresh green grass. Where canines of myriad breeds share the same water fountain while their owners exchange ideas. A place that’s clean, accessible, popular, safe.

While it may sound like dog heaven, this is actually a common description of a dog park—designated off-leash areas where canines can get much-needed exercise and socialization time while their owners trade tips on everything from training to proper nutrition. And following a national trend, they’re sprouting up all across Long Island.

“We’ve seen a really big increase in dog parks on Long Island, both in Nassau and Suffolk counties, over the last five or six years,” says Ginny Munger Kahn, president of nonprofit LI-Dog Owners Group. “It’s been the result of collaborations between organizations of dog owners and elected officials and parks department officials.”

Currently Nassau has 10 dog parks and Suffolk has 11, she adds. Just six years ago Suffolk had only one. Just within the past year, three new dog parks opened in Nassau County: in Valley Stream, Massapequa and Eisenhower Park. And more are set to open in both counties.
Supporters point to several reasons why dog parks are gaining ground.

Advocates contend that dog parks provide much-needed open space for those owners who may otherwise not have adequate backyards for their pets to roam in.

“There’s a lot of people that can’t exercise their dogs off-leash, especially the elderly, and it’s a great way to exercise your dogs,” says dog trainer Dawn Bennett.

Another major benefit, they say, is that socialization and exercise have been known to positively impact a dog’s behavior.

“People talk about how they see their dog’s behavior change for the better because they are getting adequate exercise at a dog park,” says Munger Kahn. “Over the last ten years it’s become common knowledge that dogs need exercise and socialization.”

Additionally, Kahn points out, dog parks are great place for owners to meet like-minded people.

“They build communities,” she says. “Many of my best friends I’ve met through the dog park.”

There’s definitely a need here on Long Island. Dogs are only permitted in Suffolk County parks if they are on a leash, she explains. In Nassau, no dogs are allowed in county parks—leashed or unleashed. Most town parks across Long Island carry the same or similar rules.

“I adopted a dog and realized that there is no place to walk your dog in parks or take her off leash,” says Peggy Heijmen, an Oyster Bay resident, dog owner and nonprofit LI-Dog Owners Group board member. “It’s very, very difficult.”
The group, founded in 1998, is dedicated to increasing public parkland for Long Island dog owners and their four-legged companions. Their efforts are paying off. Heijmen was the driving force behind the Massapequa dog park.

“We went to several town board meetings and did petitions and wrote letters to get this park running and successful,” she says.

Opened in June 2012 on Louden Avenue, the park features such amenities as doggie water fountains and separate areas for small and large dogs.

“It has been incredibly successful,” she continues. “We have a Facebook page so that people can share their pictures and their experiences, and we have over 200 people actively using the page.”

The Valley Stream dog park opened a month prior, mainly the brainchild of the Friends of Valley Stream Dog Park, an all-volunteer group organized to support and provide facilities to local dog owners.

President Richard Infield says the project went off without a hitch after receiving the support of the Valley Stream Mayor Edwin Fare and other members of local government.

“Once we started, it was very much a team effort between us and the village,” he says. “It’s really been an easy relationship and continues to be.”

UNLEASHED
Government officials and dog park proponents have been joining forces to open more spaces in Suffolk County, too. In July a dog park in Calverton opened under the guidance of Riverhead Town Councilman Jim Wooten and nonprofit Move the Animal Shelter (MTAS).

“We initiated the Calverton dog park to address the needs of our senior community, who live in modular homes or smaller lots,” says Woonten. “It gives their pets a chance to run about and play and socialize with other dogs.”

MTAS secured funding for the park, he adds, which along with private donations of benches and fencing, helped keep the cost down for taxpayers. After all, it’s the startup costs that can pose hurdles. Lack of funding was one of the obstacles Bennett faced when she tried to secure a bigger dog park in Southold, she says.

“I had come back from California and I was blown away with how many dog parks were there and how dog-friendly they were,” explains Bennett. “And here, where we live, the only off-leash area we had was this pitiful, very barren quarter of an acre dog park that wasn’t used by anybody.

Bennett and her business partner Asha Gallacher, who together run the North Fork School for Dogs, decided to create a petition for their cause. After two months, the duo collected about 500 signatures.

“I just put the petitions in every store,” Bennett says. “We collaborated with all the pet stores and the animal shelter. The squeaky wheel gets the oil—I just went to every town meeting and got all the petitions together.”

While the request to build a new park was ultimately denied, officials agreed to expand upon an existing dog park. The environmental nonprofit Group for the East End donated trees for shade, and the town installed benches. After a year, the park was completely overhauled and is now more than an acre in size and full of people and dogs every weekend.

Bennett is grateful for the help from Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell.

“He was very corporative and he was a big help,” she says. “He listened. Even though we had a strict budget, he gave us a piece of the recreational pie.”

PUPPY LOVE
Dog parks aren’t just gaining popularity here on Long Island. According to data from the Trust for Public Land’s 2011 City Park Facts, dog parks in major U.S. cities jumped 34 percent over the last five years. In comparison, parks overall only increased 3 percent during that time.

“This is not unique to Long Island,” says Munger Kahn. “There’s a tremendous demand for these areas, and a love for them.

“They are now what the playground movement of the 1950s was,” she adds.

So far, Long Island’s new dog parks have garnered so much positive reception that more are in the works. In Suffolk, the LI-Dog Owners Group is working on a campaign to build a second dog park in Centereach with Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Kathleen Walsh. Councilman Wooten also hopes to create another dog park this spring at Stotzy Park in Riverhead. In Nassau, Heijmen is now looking to add more dog parks in the Town of Oyster Bay.

Besides the additional parks, owners also seek more on-leash access in both counties’ parks.

“A lot of people exercise with their dogs,” says Munger Kahn. “Dog walking is their primary form of exercise. At most Long Island town parks you’re not allowed to even walk your dog on a leash. So dog owners are regulated to walk on the sidewalks in the neighborhoods that have them or in the street, and it’s dangerous.”

Munger Kahn says the main criticism against this is concern about people not picking up after their dogs. Yet with increased access, she says, comes increased accountability among responsible dog owners. And that can only lead to more access for dog lovers.

“We understand by asking for more access it means we have to be responsible. We have to pick up after our dogs,” she says. “I am confident that as long as the majority of us dog owners are responsible and pick up after our dogs that we will continue to see improvement in gaining access to public park land.”

“I think that as more dog parks have been developed, elected officials have seen how successful and popular they are,” she adds.

It’s a sentiment Councilman Wooten shares.

“Dog parks are a wonderful thing,” he says.

Bruno was the last displaced dog from Superstorm Sandy. (Photo: Handout)

A national animal rescue group has stepped forward to help the last displaced Hurricane Sandy dog in Nassau County find a home before the emergency shelter he was staying in since the storm closes Saturday, a Nassau County SPCA spokesman said Friday.

UPDATE: Bruno leaves pet shelter

Bruno and his owner were displaced from their Long Beach home following the Oct. 29 superstorm. The Rottweiler’s owner, who lost his job after the hurricane, was hired outside New York State and had to say goodbye to the pup.

On Thursday, the Nassau County SPCA sent out a heartfelt news release regarding Bruno’s dire situation and pleaded for help finding the “strong and sometimes stubborn” dog a home.

Bruno’s story touched the hearts of pet lovers across the country and quickly went viral. Now someone is stepping in to help.

The county will say farewell to Bruno at a press conference Saturday, when they will officially identify his saviors. Bruno has yet to be adopted, but there is a plan in place to help the dog find a new family, officials said.

“Bruno is a devoted dog,” said Gary Rogers, spokesperson for the Nassau County SPCA. “He has a strong and sometimes stubborn Rottweiler personality that would fit best with an owner who understands the breed, but he becomes a loveable puppy around the people he really knows and trusts. He has had a very difficult last few months and we are desperate to find him a happy ending.”

Beverly Poppell, vice president of Wantagh’s Pet Safe Coalition, one of the volunteer groups that took care of the 515 animals displaced by Sandy, said a lot of research went into Bruno’s case because “not just anybody could take him.”

The animals all had owners who dropped the pets off at the temporary shelter inside an abandoned former gymnasium in Mitchel Field to keep them safe during the storm. All but 50 of the animals returned to their owners and the remaining pets found new homes.

“It’s a wonderful thing that happened,” Rogers said Friday. “Everybody came together and worked together as a team.”

He credited Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano for allowing volunteers to keep the shelter open as long as possible. No animal was going to be left behind, he said.

“What Ed Mangano did here, he’ll forever have my respect,” he said.

The nor’easter that dropped up to 8 inches of snow on the Island Friday is finally nearing its end after a two-day event that included a mix of rain and snow, strong gusty winds and plenty of armchair forecasting.

After some residents pooh-poohed the first round of the storm, which sprinkled the area with 1 to 3 inches of snow, the nor’easter’s final act brought heavier snowfall that slushed up roadways and slowed the morning commute.

The storm brought 8 inches of snow to Syosset and more than 7 inches to other communities. Orient saw the highest accumulation in Suffolk County, according to the weather service, with 7.1 inches.

Forecasters with the Upton-based National Weather Service said a wintry mix of rain and snow will continue to fall over the next several hours, but the worst is behind us. Soon it will taper off and give way to much-needed sunny skies this weekend—and temperatures in the upper 40s.

Some of the roads across the Island are still wet but it’s not expected to seriously impact the evening commute, though they could freeze overnight when temperatures drop under 30 degrees.

The winter storm, which has lingered over Long Island for more than two days, was more of a headache than anything else. Long Island Power Authority customers didn’t go through prolonged outages, and public transportation, specifically the Long Island Rail Road, wasn’t adversely impacted.

The only major disruption came in the air, with travelers facing delays at area airports. Islip’s Long Island MacArthur Airport cancelled flights late Wednesday but continued normal operations Thursday morning.

As for this weekend, forecasters are calling for sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 40s. There’s even better news for Monday, meteorologists said, with temperatures possibly piercing 50 degrees.

Nassau County PBA President James Carver discusses Nassau wage freeze during press conference Friday, Feb. 15.

Fresh off a victory in federal court Thursday, Nassau County police officer’s top union official called on the county to move forward for the sake of taxpayers after a federal judge reversed a wage freeze established by a state watchdog two years ago.

But the fight for union workers’ wages is far from over, with the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) expected to appeal the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler, who stayed his ruling pending an appeal. The wage freeze will continue until the case is resolved.

“Let’s move forward, no appeal, no wasting of anymore taxpayer money on the legal process here, the language is plain and simple—they lost,” Nassau County PBA President James Carver said at the union’s Mineola headquarters Friday, flanked by other union heads.

The ruling could cost the county millions of dollars if it has to increase wages.

“NIFA’s Directors respectfully disagree with Judge Wexler’s decision and will appeal the ruling to the United States Court of Appeals, where they are confident that the continuing validity of its wage freeze power will be upheld,” NIFA Chairman Ronald Stack said in a statement.

Union leaders filed a lawsuit soon after Nassau County asked the finance authority in March 2011 to implement the pay freeze for all county workers.

Through the end of 2012, the wage freeze has saved the county $80 million, according to Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos’ office.

Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli said in brief a statement, “The County is reviewing the decision.”

Carver said he received a phone call from Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano following the judge’s decision but has yet to hear from NIFA. He declined to disclose the specifics about his conversation with the county executive.

The judge ruled that NIFA’s wage freeze authority had already expired before it was implemented.

Carver criticized NIFA for declining to discuss a settlement throughout the court process, but didn’t rule out sitting down with the agency if they decide they’re open to a settlement during the appeal process.

“Now that they know the score they can’t turn around and say let’s play this all over again,” Carver said. “We’re always open to discussions and we’ll never close our doors like NIFA did with us.”

The PBA president noted that Wexler’s decision could have far greater implications across the country as cash-strapped municipalities continue to seek concessions from unions.

“If we would’ve lost this case,” he said, “every municipality would’ve turned around and tried to freeze everybody’s wages.”

Jerry Laricchitua, president of CSEA Local 830, said the union filed the same motion as the PBA and they “fully expect the same decision to come for the 6,000 Nassau County employees that we represent.”

William Flanagan surrendered to Nassau County prosecutors in March.

A jury has found former Nassau County Police Second Deputy Commissioner William Flanagan guilty of conspiracy and not guilty of receiving reward for official misconduct for helping a friend’s son escape arrest for a burglary.

Jurors handed down their verdict before Judge Mark Cohen shortly before 8 p.m. Friday. Flanagan had been convicted of two counts of official misconduct the night before, on Valentine’s Day. In all, he was convicted of three misdemeanors and acquitted of  the top charge, a felony.

“The jury took care of the felony, the Appellate Court’s going to take care of the misdemeanors,” Bruce Barket, Flanagan’s attorney, told reporters following the verdict, indicating that he’d be appealing.

“This isn’t over,” added Flanagan.

Prosecutors said that Flanagan helped quash the arrest and prosecution of his friend and wealthy police benefactor Gary Parker’s son Zachary, who stole more than $11,000 worth of computer and sound equipment from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore in 2009.

Gary testified during the trial that he gave Flanagan three $100 gift cards shortly after the property was returned, but the jury was not convinced that it was a quid pro quo.  Zachary pleaded guilty to the burglary after he was indicted following a 2011 Long Island Press story exposing the thefts and coverup.

That story also sparked an investigation by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office that led to Flanagan’s March 2012 indictment, along with that of retired Det. Sgt. Alan Sharpe and former Deputy Chief of Patrol John Hunter, who also pleaded not guilty. They’re slated to be tried separately.

Flanagan’s sentencing has been scheduled for May 1.

“This case has always been about making sure that there isn’t one set of rules for the wealthy and connected, and another set for everyone else,” Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement Fright night.  “This is a huge win for the public, but it’s also a sad day for an awful lot of incredibly hard-working Nassau cops who do their brave jobs honestly every day. This case is a reminder that to safeguard the public’s trust and the integrity of our honest officers, we must be vigilant in our fight against corruption and misconduct.”

Most jurors declined to comment after they were released following the four-week-long trial, which included about a week of deliberations. One juror said the jury was convinced there was a conspiracy after reviewing the testimony of Deputy Inspector Lorna Atmore, the former Seventh Precinct Squad commander.

“We realized it was a conspiracy from the beginning from day one,” the juror said, referring to Atmore’s testimony that she she became concerned with Parker’s connections to police brass when the case came in just before she was promoted out of the unit. “They did what they did. They can’t undo that.”

Nassau County Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), left, ex-lawmaker Dave Mejias, center, and others announce their opposition to building a casino on Long Island on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013.

About a dozen members of a new anti-gambling group declared their opposition Thursday to any proposals to build a casino in Nassau County, citing quality of life concerns and worries that a deal to bring Atlantic City-style gaming to Long Island could be in the works.

The group dubbed themselves Nassau Residents Against Gambling Enterprise Development, or N-RAGED for short, during their debut press conference on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Mineola. Members of various neighborhood civic organizations as well as current and former local Democratic lawmakers round out its ranks.

“We are afraid that our suburban quality of life will be torn apart by some backroom deal in Albany,” said Dave Mejias, an attorney, a former Nassau legislator and the chairman of N-RAGED. “We want to make sure that Long Island is not going to be sold out to those special interests.”

He was referring to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to legalize casino gambling in New York State, a plan that requires a second consecutive vote of approval in the State Legislature before voters ultimately decide its fate in a referendum. The Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton has been scouting for a location to build a gaming facility since winning federal recognition in 2010.

Despite the timing of the rally about an hour after fellow Democratic former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi held a press conference announcing his intentions to reclaim his old position, Mejias maintained that the group was “a-political.” Nevertheless, participants praised Suozzi’s agenda and criticized the Republican who unseated him, Ed Mangano, for proposing a casino at Nassau Coliseum. Also speaking at the anti-casino rally was Nassau Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, another Democrat from Suozzi’s hometown of Glen Cove.

“It’s a question of whether or not we really want to push gambling,” said DeRiggi-Whitton, adding that she prefers alternative proposals to build sports or research centers that have been floated for Uniondale and Elmont. She and others also expressed concerns that bringing casino gambling to LI would further strain social services because there might be an increase of gambling addicts losing their homes after betting on cards and other games of chance and tearing their families apart.

Cuomo had said during his State of the State address last month that he thinks whatever casinos New York builds should be located upstate, drawing tourists from LI and New York City. When reminded of the governor’s idea, Mejias said it’s still possible LI could be dealt a gaming facility while negotiations continue.

Shinnecock Trustee Chairman Randy King told the Press in a statement that if and when the tribe settles on a potential location to open a casino, they are required by federal law to ask the community for input.

“There has not been any recent activity regarding Shinnecock gaming in Nassau County,” the statement read in part.

Aside from the aging coliseum in Uniondale, there have also been proposals in recent years to build a casino at the Belmont Racetrack in Elmont, where the latest development pitch is for a soccer stadium for the New York Cosmos.

A spokesman for State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), the co-leader of the chamber who has been instrumental in Belmont redevelopment talks, did not return a call for comment. Neither did a spokeswoman for Mangano.

“We spend a lot of money sending our kids away to college,” said Mejias. ”They’re not going to be able to live here if they come back to be cocktail waitresses and blackjack dealers.”

Adam Haber is running for Nassau County Executive as a Democrat.

On a warm sunny day in February fit for a coronation or the Second Coming, a beaming Nassau Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs took to the podium set up on the steps of the Supreme Court in Mineola to announce what had already been obvious for quite a while: Tom Suozzi is running for Nassau County executive—again. Why? Because he says the county cannot endure another four years under Ed Mangano, the Republican who’d beaten Suozzi by 386 votes in 2009.

The official roll-out was choreographed with an “exclusive” in Wednesday’s Newsday that “Suozzi’s In” accompanied by a Kennedy-esque profile of the committee chairman’s favored candidate filling the front-page of Long Island’s daily paper owned by Cablevision—for which Suozzi did some consulting work after he lost the nail-biter and from whose owners he’s received nearly $200,000 in campaign contributions throughout the years.

Jacobs’ press conference, it turned out, was just a teaser.

“The party is behind Tom Suozzi,” said Jacobs.

But Suozzi wasn’t by Jacobs’ side. The former county executive’s time to shine in the public’s eye reportedly comes on Valentine’s Day when he officially hits the trail.

His absence, however, was conspicuously noted by the only other Nassau Democrat to declare his candidacy, Adam Haber, whose campaign fired back this salvo that read: “No-Show Suozzi once again takes voters for granted,” and it “slammed insider Tom Suozzi for failing to show up at his own press conference.”

When Haber announced weeks ago, he certainly didn’t have Newsday’s front page touting him.

Haber, 47, is an entrepreneurial businessman, a restaurateur (he owns Lula Trattoria in Mineola) and a former Wall Street investor who’s been on the Roslyn School Board—the only elected office he’s ever held. Haber—who, unlike Mangano and Suozzi, is not an attorney—recently got a master’s degree from C.W. Post in political science. He put together his team of political consultants in early February, hiring Red Horse Strategies, a Brooklyn-based firm, and loaning his campaign $2 million.

As of Jan. 15, Haber had almost $2.2 million on hand, compared to Suozzi’s war chest—left over from his 2009 race—which held less than $1.1 million. North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, whose restlessness in town hall is well known in political circles, has made some waves recently by saying that he’s formed an “exploratory committee” about running for county executive, but that’s as far as it’s gotten.

Jacobs, no doubt, would love to clear the field for Suozzi, but it doesn’t look likely, given the sharp response of Haber’s campaign.

“Nassau Democrats remember career politician Tom Suozzi’s years of scandal, tax hikes, budget deficits and backroom deals,” Justin Myers, Haber’s campaign manager, said in a press release. “For over a decade, career politicians have mismanaged the county and Nassau needs a better future. Adam Haber is running to stop the waste and cronyism and make Nassau work again for middle class families.”

A Democratic Party insider said that the Nassau’s party faithful “are very excited about a Tom Suozzi candidacy, they’re excited about his comeback and they’re excited to hit the streets for him…. Haber’s not well known to the public at large or to the county committee.”

And without party support, Haber has to battle to appeal to the grassroots.

Jay Jacobs announcing Tom Suozzi is running for Nassau County Executive without Suozzi by his side at a press conference in Mineola on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.

Jacobs says he plans to talk to Haber in the coming weeks and that the businessman “offers an awful lot to our party and he’ll be part of our future.” He doesn’t fault Haber “for the issues he’s fighting for,” but he’ll try to convince him to step aside.

“If there’s a primary to be had,” Jacobs said, “then a primary will be waged.”

Asked if Haber would drop out, his spokesman, Galen Alexander, tells the Press, “Adam Haber is in it to win it.”

Haber knew he’d have to face a primary. “You’ve got to win the playoffs to get to the World Series,” he says.

“I like Tom Suozzi personally,” Haber says. “I welcome him to the race because it’ll only bring out the issues more often. But he had eight years and he failed. The debt exploded. Manufacturing jobs have left. He’s had one foot out the door for a long time. He sees himself as president. I see myself as county executive.”

As for Suozzi’s name recognition, Haber scoffs, “Nothing that a million dollars won’t cure.”

He says he likes Jay Jacobs despite his supporting Suozzi.

“He wants to keep his job as county chair, which I respect, and he thinks that is by tying his future to Tom Suozzi.”

But he went on to say that “we don’t have a Democratic majority in Hempstead. We don’t have a single person in the Town of Oyster Bay [government]. We have a minority in the Legislature. We don’t have a county executive who’s a Democrat.” Referring to the “gerrymandering scheme” the Nassau Republicans are now pushing through the legislature, he warned that the new legislative districts “will institutionalize for the next 10 years no chance at all of any kind of majority control!”

Mangano, Haber says, won “by default,” but “he’s a career politician and that’s what we’ve had, and look where we are. I think it’s time for a fresh start.”  He lamented the county’s near junk-bond rating, the closing of police precincts, the tax assessment “mess,” the sewage treatment plants “in disarray,” the departure of the Islanders and Mangano’s mishandling of the Nassau Hub, which he dubbed a “disaster.” He called it “bizarre” that Mangano would put Bruce Ratner, the man who lured the Islanders to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, on a committee to create a plan for the Nassau Coliseum.

“That’s like somebody having an affair with your wife,” says Haber, “and then you’re going to him and asking for marital advice!”

Speaking of marriage, Haber and his wife Renee, who used to be a teacher in Mineola and is an expert on bullying prevention, have a son and a daughter, both teenagers. One reason he wants to be county executive, he says, is to do all he can to ensure that his children can afford to live in Nassau in the future.

Driving the Democrats to make this contest competitive is their insistence that the Republican incumbent, Mangano, has done a bad job in Nassau.

“I think we’re pretty close to bottom,” Haber says, warning that if the county’s government—both in the executive office and in the divided legislature—continues to be so dysfunctional, then “we slowly slide into something in between what we have now and Detroit.”

“Most politicians think you either have to fire people or you raise taxes [to] get revenue,” he says. “And I’m saying, forget about that. That’s the last thing you do.” Instead, he says he’d scrutinize how services are delivered and find savings, same as the “millions of dollars” he says he saved the Roslyn School District by getting them to refinance their debt and economize on bus transportation.

“I’m an outsider. I’m a big community guy. I’m a businessman,” he says.

As for investing in his own campaign, he says, “How great would it be if this place just became a beacon for its quality of life…and all I did was cut a check for two million bucks and, in a non-partisan way, help my community thrive! For me, that’s exciting!”

NYPD Officer Peter Figoski

Two days after a North Carolina man was convicted in the slaying of a New York City police officer from West Babylon, a separate jury acquitted the man accused of driving the getaway car.

Michael Velez was found not guilty on burglary and murder charges Wednesday in the death of 47-year-old NYPD Officer Peter Figoski, who was fatally shot in the face in December 2011 while investigating a burglary in Brooklyn.

In his testimony, Velez told the court that he thought he was just giving the four other suspects a ride.

NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly was critical of the verdict.

“When juries fail to comprehend the monstrous scale of a police officer’s murder, they fail society itself,” said Kelly in a statement. “God help us if other gunmen and  their getaway drivers take comfort in these verdicts because when a police officer is murdered society at-large is struck a mortal blow. It’s shameful that the family of Peter Figoski must be crushed again by another incomprehensible verdict.”

The New York City Police Benevolent Association was also clearly disappointed.

“This jury did not exhibit an ounce of the courage that Peter Figoski showed time and time again during his life as a police officer,” PBA President Patrick Lynch said in a statement. “This is a devastating verdict for all police officers and for the Figoski family. We are deeply disappointed that the jury completely disregarded the role that the defendant played in the death of a brave police officer.”

“While Peter’s tragic death brought our city together,” he continued, “today, this jury let the entire city down.”

Another jury Monday convicted the gunman, 28-year-old Lamont Pride, for Figoski’s murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder, burglary and manslaughter. Prosecutors were not able to convince jurors to convict Pride on the top charge of first-degree murder.

Figoski’s partner chased down and arrested Pride after he shot and killed the decorated cop and father of four.

Two other suspects, 28-year-old Nelson Morales and 31-year-old Kevin Santos, have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. Meanwhile, a fifth suspect, 23-year-old Ariel Tejada, pleaded guilty and will testify against the two men in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Tom Suozzi declares his intention to run for Nassau County Executive.

Three years after Tom Suozzi narrowly lost Nassau’s top-elected position, the former county executive is aiming to get his old job back.

Suozzi, a Democrat, made the announcement Wednesday on his campaign’s official website in a letter addressed to Nassau County residents, declaring his intention to challenge Republican Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano to “restore fiscal stability to our county government and to stop the irresponsible borrowing and skyrocketing debt that shifts the responsibility to our children and grandchildren.”

The former four-term Glen Cove mayor and two-term county executive’s campaign intentions have been one of the worst-kept secrets in Nassau political circles for months. Suozzi has made no secret of his love of politics or intentions for higher office, stating during a debate against former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer during his failed bid in the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary that he’d like to be president one day.

Mangano, a veteran county legislator from Bethpage, defeated Suozzi in December 2009 by less than 400 votes following a razor-thin recount that ended in New York State Supreme Court. The following month, Suozzi was hired by one of his largest campaign contributors, Bethpage-based Cablevision Systems Corp., as a consultant to its Local Media Group, which includes holdings Newsday, am New York and News 12. In April 2010 he was hired as a senior advisor to Manhattan-based global advisory investment bank Lazard Ltd. Most recently, Suozzi was of counsel to Harris Beach, a law firm with 13 locations throughout New York State, including Albany and Uniondale.

“Nassau County was once the ideal suburb and we can be again,” Suozzi declares in the letter, dubbing himself “a problem solver” who loved his job as county executive.

During his time away from public office, Suozzi writes, he’s seen “the county mismanaged from one man-made crisis after another” and notes its financial takeover by state watchdog Nassau Interim Finance Authority.

Former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, conceded a razor-thin defeat to Republican Ed Mangano for the county’s top-elected position in December 2009, losing by less than 400 votes. (Christopher Twarowski/Long Island Press)

He also reflects on the continued departure of recent college grads who can’t afford a future in Nassau because “this suburb of opportunity for my parents, my grandparents, and my generation now has little to offer them.”

“I’m running to demonstrate that we’re all in this together and to stop shifting the burden to our school property taxpayers,” Suozzi continues. “I’m running to stop the deficit spending and the phony budgets.”

A Mangano spokesperson wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs will be holding a press conference to discuss Suozzi’s candidacy Wednesday afternoon. Although there is already one announced Democratic candidate for the position, Rosyln School Board member/businessman Adam Haber, and another currently exploring a possible run, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, political insiders tell the Press Suozzi is the party favorite.

“Jay [Jacobs] is in Tom’s corner, that is well-known in party circles,” says a Democratic Party source.

“I believe that everything I have done in my life has prepared me for this moment,” continues Suozzi’s letter. “My training as a certified public accountant and attorney, my years as a mayor and county executive, and my recent private-sector experiences have prepared me for this job.”