Thomas Hoey took loads of cash to Manhattan, ex-driver testifies

A former driver for Thomas Hoey testified in Manhattan federal court Wednesday that the one-time Long Island Banana Co. mogul insisted on loading up with cash wads for regular drives into Manhattan to enjoy the night life.

Driver Mark Polito, appearing at Hoey’s trial on embezzling worker retirement funds, said they would bring along a bag with the company’s daily take of cash and checks, and Hoey told him he felt “naked” without plenty of cash on him.

“It was an array — anything from $1000 and up,” Polito said.

Hoey used the money to dine at posh restaurants — from Le Cirque to Sparks Steakhouse — with his girlfriend and others, using his stash to pay tabs of “$400, $500 and up,” the ex-driver said, before court broke for the day.

Hoey, 48, of Garden City, is charged with siphoning more than $750,000 out of worker profit-sharing accounts at Long Island Banana, a family-founded and owned regional produce distributor, in transactions in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

The defense said he was borrowing the money to try to keep the company afloat in cash crunches, but prosecutors maintain he stole it to subsidize his lavish use of company cash and credit cards for fancy restaurants, foreign travel, strip joints and country clubs.

Hoey is already imprisoned for distributing cocaine at a sex party that led to an overdose death, and faces prison time for assaulting his girlfriend. Those cases are being kept from the jury, as is alleged spending on drugs and prostitutes. His company went bankrupt.

After the jury left Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmeyer noted that Polito appeared “scared,” and asked the lawyers what was up. Prosecutors said his car windshield was broken Saturday after Hoey was informed of his possible testimony, and there were previous incidents.

The judge took no action, but told the government to remind Polito of his duty to show up on Thursday. Dominic Amorosa, Hoey’s lawyer, said he “categorically denied” Hoey’s involvement in anything that had happened to Polito’s car.

Earlier Wednesday, two longtime Long Island Banana company accountants testified that they warned Hoey repeatedly he could get into trouble and should replace the workers’ profit-sharing money, but he didn’t listen.

“I told him that it is a prohibited transaction, it is illegal, I am not an attorney, but he could go to jail for it,” said CPA Alan Centofranchi of Huntington Station, testifying with an immunity grant. “I told him over and over in different conversations.”

Centofranchi said Hoey never disputed that he should pay it back if he could raise the money, but his accounting partner Dennis Ench testified after a while, Hoey seemed to get sick of the warnings and told the accountants “don’t razz me about it.”

Testimony and closing arguments in the case are expected on Thursday, and the judge said he planned to instruct the jury and start deliberations on Friday.