Wayne Prospect, former Suffolk County legislator, dies at 72

Wayne Prospect, the former Suffolk County legislator who was key to stopping the Shoreham nuclear power plant and was later convicted of receiving a bribe, died Saturday at age 72 after a 14-year battle with cancer, friends and family said.

Prospect, who served in the legislature through the 1980s, was a fierce and fearless advocate known for taking on big causes and going against entrenched political powers, former colleagues said. His political gunslinging, in an era of the legislature known as the "Wild, Wild East," earned him the nickname "Butch Cassidy."

Prospect, who had soft-tissue sarcoma, died of respiratory failure while under hospice care, his family said, outliving the 2008 prognosis that he had about 18 months to live.

Prospect "was misunderstood in a lot of ways but accomplished tremendous things," former Legis. Phil Nolan said. Prospect was key to reversing plans for a new state prison in Central Islip and preventing a garbage incinerator in Dix Hills, former colleagues said. He helped pass anti-smoking bills, reform the Suffolk County Water Authority, establish a coalition government, create a drinking water protection program and preserve the pine barrens.

"He was really consequential. Suffolk County would definitely be different if he had not been there," former aide George Hoffman said.

Prospect was convicted of conspiracy and bribe receiving in 2006, years after he left office. Prosecutors said he sought a bribe from undercover cops posing as developers looking for county contracts. He served less than a year after his sentence was commuted as he fought cancer, but the conviction devastated him, friends said.

"His whole life was wrapped around politics and government," said former legislature Presiding Officer Gregory Blass, who believes the prosecution was politically motivated. "That was the love of this life, and it’s what ultimately destroyed him."

Prospect, born in July 1948, graduated from North Babylon High School, where he later taught history, his younger brother, Robert Prospect, said. His family later moved to Dix Hills, where Prospect lived with his parents throughout his political career.

Prospect, who graduated from Stony Brook University, worked as a state legislative aide before his 1979 election to the county legislature.

He left office at the end of 1989 after party and business leaders backed another candidate in the Democratic primary.

He later worked as legislative aide and then a public relations consultant. He also advised Steve Levy in his county executive campaign.

Prospect was convicted after he and then-Suffolk Off-Track Betting Corp. official Steven Baranello were caught on videotape in 2003 asking undercover cops for $10,000 to help secure county contracts. Baranello later pleaded guilty and turned on Prospect.

Christopher Cassar, Prospect's attorney, said Prospect was consulting clients in navigating government bureaucracy, and the tapes did not show Prospect taking bribes.

Prospect spent his last years in Kings Park battling cancer, family said. They are hoping the Suffolk district attorney's conviction integrity bureau will reexamine his case, noting it was prosecuted under former District Attorney Thomas Spota, who was later convicted of helping to cover up the beating of a prisoner.

Prospect is survived by his brother, Robert, and sister-in-law, Connie.

By Rachelle Blidner

rachelle.blidner@newsday.com@rachelleblidner

Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.