Mangano, Venditto circumvented permit process, prosecutors allege

The political ties between former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and former Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto were so strong that Venditto had a town official help Mangano sell a building “circumventing the TOB’s normal permitting process,” according to federal prosecutors.

Mangano, his wife, Linda, and Venditto went on trial this week, accused of partaking in a scheme involving restaurateur Harendra Singh, who has pleaded guilty. Singh is alleged to have provided them with perks ranging from a $450,000 no-show job for Linda Mangano to office and massage chairs totaling $7,000 for Edward Mangano in exchange for county contracts and town-linked indirect loans boosting Singh’s restaurant empire. They have pleaded not guilty.

Eastern District prosecutors also argued in court papers unsealed in federal court in Central Islip Friday that Venditto hired town workers at Mangano’s request and Mangano hired county workers at Venditto’s request.

Attorneys for Mangano and Venditto have argued that the two were both unfairly charged in getting Singh the $20 million loan guarantee from the Town of Oyster Bay because neither had influence in the other’s jurisdiction.

U.S. District Court Judge Joan M. Azrack ruled on Monday after a sealed hearing and over the objections of defense attorneys that the government would be allowed to present to the jury the account of the sale of a Mangano-owned building in 2011.

“These interactions . . . evidence the criminal relationship and trust between Mangano and Venditto during the relevant time period,” Azrack wrote. “The back-and-forth exchange of favors between Mangano and Venditto also helps to explain Venditto’s alleged conduct and willingness to take official action on behalf of Singh and at Mangano’s request.”

Prosecutors said in court papers that while Singh was trying to get the indirect loan guarantees in 2011, Mangano was also trying to sell a building at 329 Broadway in Bethpage.

Singh found a buyer for $511,000 “and certain representations were made by Mangano . . . concerning the ability to expand the existing building and develop more of the lot on which the building’s parking area was located,” according to the prosecutors.

Mangano then met with Venditto at the Friends of John Venditto headquarters in North Massapequa and asked Venditto to help the buyer “get the requisite approvals and permit to expand the current structure,” the prosecutors wrote in court papers.

Prosecutors said Venditto agreed to help Mangano and instructed then-Oyster Bay Commissioner of Planning and Development Fred Ippolito to assist in whatever the buyer wanted to do at that location, the prosecutors allege.

“Thereafter, the buyer was permitted to greatly expand the location and eradicate the existing parking lot without any variances, utterly circumventing the TOB’s normal permitting process,” the federal prosecutors said.”

Prosecutors said a representative from the town will testify that no variances were obtained for either the expansion of the existing building at 329 Broadway, or the eradication of the parking area, all in direct violation of existing town code.

Multiple witnesses will testify about hiring practices in both the town and in the county, prosecutors said. Among the examples prosecutors said were Venditto’s hiring in Oyster Bay — at Mangano’s request — of both Mangano’s brother Robert, and “Elizabeth Munafo, the mother of Laura Munafo, Mangano’s secretary and close friend.”

Venditto’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, discounted that the government’s assertions prove any illegality saying, “ The government is offering this evidence to show that Venditto and Mangano spoke with each other. But, that is not in dispute. The government still has no evidence that Mr. Venditto committed bribery.”

John Marzulli, a spokesman for Eastern District federal prosecutors, declined to comment.

Mangano’s attorney, Kevin Keating, did not immediately return calls for comment.

By Robert E. Kessler

Robert.Kessler@newsday.com

Bob Kessler covers federal law, including law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, IRS and ATF, as well as the federal courts.