Anonymous email warns against ‘safe landing’ for Anthony Santino

Nassau Republican Party leaders received an anonymous email last week demanding that they deny a “safe landing” to Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino, who lost his bid for re-election, and stand together to protect 2,000 GOP town jobs.

The email — unusual for regimented Nassau Republicans — was sent under the name “NoMoreSantino” and was titled “Enough is Enough.”

It blames Santino and his staff for losing to Laura Gillen, the first Democrat to win the town supervisor’s job in more than a century.

“Let’s cut right to the chase,” it begins. “We did not lose this election. . . . Santino did and did it by himself. . . . The loss was the result of arrogance and of Republican votes suppressed by angry workers, angry committeemen, angry leaders and angry contributors.”

It lists Santino’s alleged wrongdoing and calls for 11 staff members to lose their jobs.

Santino “should give up his leadership and go away. He showed no loyalty to us over two years. We should show him nothing for destroying 100 years of success in one term,” it said.

Santino declined to comment.

Nassau Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello said he had not heard about the email until questioned by Newsday, which faxed him a copy.

“I’m trying to figure out in my head where it is coming from,” Mondello said. “I honestly believe it’s got to be somebody who is going to be affected by the turnover and is quite upset.”

Mondello said his heart “goes out to people” losing their jobs, but said he can offer few recommendations because of Republican losses in the town and county.

“This is a cyclical business,” he said. “Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. The challenge is always there to come back.”