Long Island Press Long Island Press
Serving the opinion leaders of Long Island
Long Island Press Long Island Press
Long Island Press Long Island Press
  • Home
  • Long Island News
  • Columns
  • Entertainment News
  • Living
  • Special Series
  • CURRENT LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
  • SECTIONS
    • Home
    • Long Island News
    • Columns
    • Entertainment News
    • Living
    • Special Series
    • CURRENT LONGISLANDPRESS.COM

Is Nassau County Police Department Selling Preferential Treatment?

by Shelly Feuer Domash on March 31, 2011
cover13

Behind the Curtain

According to the foundation’s public tax forms filed with the IRS, the nonprofit’s backbone consists of a board of directors culled from some of Long Island and the region’s most prominent law, real estate and investment banking firms. Some are also heavy campaign contributors.

Here’s the big secret:

  • Gene Bernstein, of Melville-based NIC Holding Corp., is listed as one its directors. So are Marc Feinberg and brothers Marc and Eric Blumencranz of BWD Group LLC in Jericho. [Full disclosure: BWD Group is the Press’ current insurance liability broker.] Eric serves as Foundation treasurer.
  • Stephen L. Hammerman is also listed as a director on the IRS form. Hammerman currently serves as an executive officer and senior special counsel for the New York office of London-based international law firm Clifford Chance US, LLP, according to his executive profile and bio on Businessweek.com. He is a former independent director of embattled global insurance giant American International Group and served as Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters for the New York Police Department and as former vice chairman and general counsel of Merrill Lynch & Co., it reads.
  • Tariq R. Shaikh and Anish Berry of the Diagnostic Imaging Group in Bethpage are also directors. Berry is the company’s president and Shaikh is its chief operating officer. Both were appointed by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano last year to the county’s Human Rights Commission. Berry was also appointed by Mangano to the Nassau County Board of Health, which, among other responsibilities, inspects radiological facilities that conduct mammographies—his does.
  • Martin Greenberg, founder and chairman of the board of Manhattan-based Sterling Commodities Corp.—one of the largest members of the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Commodity Exchange—is also a director. He is a former chairman of the Commodity Exchange, current board member of the New York Board of Trade, and has a room named after him at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University.
  • Federico Amorini, of Farmingdale-based Amorini and Associates is listed as the foundation’s counsel.

Manhattan-based firm Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker, LLP is listed as the “paid preparer” of the foundation’s tax documents.

All did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Press for this story, except Bernstein, who happened to answer the phone on a follow-up call. He could not explain why the police department wouldn’t release his name, telling the Press he has the foundation “listed on my own resume.”

Bernstein acknowledged receiving the police ID and shield, explaining that he thought it was an honorary type of thing, given like a plaque. He added that he did not expect to receive favorable treatment because of it.

“I haven’t asked for anything,” he insists.

Bernstein also refused to identify the names of other Foundation directors and contributions made to the group.

While the IRS records do reveal the group brought in $91,000 its first year, they do not include a breakdown of individual contributors or list the names of other Foundation members. The Press has learned that its top director, however, has ascended the ranks of the police department since fundraising efforts have kicked off.

NCPD Foundation president Robert P. Codignotto, a financial advisor and local branch manager at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., a St. Louis-based regional brokerage and investment banking firm, was recently appointed NCPD assistant commissioner by Mulvey, who tells the Press Codignotto was a good supervisor and would be a “good ambassador.”

Mulvey’s office refused requests for Codignotto’s bio and qualifications. According to the Nassau County Comptroller’s Office, the position todate is unpaid. Karl Kampe, executive director of the Nassau County Civil Service Commission, tells the Press there exists no job responsibilities or specifications for the title.

Along with Mulvey, Sheikh and Berry, Codignotto has been actively involved in raising funds for the Nassau County Law Enforcement Exploring Board, a youth-orientated nonprofit organization aimed at promoting careers in law enforcement in young adults—and one of the other groups listed in the March 2010 memo whose members were issued police identifications.

Codignotto’s appointment to such a high level in the department while simultaneously serving as the Foundation’s president doesn’t pass the smell test for Jon Shane, an assistant professor at John Jay College and former captain in the Newark Police Department.

“That sounds like a conflict of interest to me,” says Shane. “It sounds like the bylaws were worked in such a way that a person occupying that position in the foundation would be independent of the police department. You don’t want to raise a conflict of interest, but maintain independence of the organization.

“Nonprofit groups have a history of doing these things and when they are less than 100 percent transparent it gives rise to the idea that something untruthful is happening,” he continues. “When I hear those things happen, I get squeamish, because I don’t see what the point is in not being forthright if you have nothing to hide.”

Bill O’Reilly, host of FOX News’ The O’Reilly Factor and a native Long Islander, is also an advocate of the Foundation, and was a speaker at a December fundraiser hosted by Greenberg in Mill Neck.

Oddly, following Press calls to Codignotto and other board members, O’Reilly’s assistant phoned the Press’ editor-in-chief, unsolicited, in January, offering that the television talking head did not receive any preferential treatment from Mulvey regarding his involvement with the group.

Funny thing is, the Press never asked. His name had never been brought up in relation to this story until the assistant’s phone call.

“I have never received preferential treatment from the Nassau County Police Department,” O’Reilly subsequently told the Press in response to a request for comment for this story earlier this month.

PAGES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your reaction
LOL
0%
Cool
0%
What!?
0%
Meh...
50%
Sad
0%
RAGE!
50%
Long Island News, News
American International GroupAndrew CuomoAnish BerryBill O'ReillyBWD Group LLCCarlos NievesClifford Chance USCommon CauseCommunity Counselling Service Co. LLCCover StoryDavid CandelariaDepartment of Homeland SecurityDiagnostic Imaging GroupEd ManganoElizabeth ShawEric Blumencranzfeaturedfeatured-scrollFederico AmoriniFrank G. Zarb School of BusinessGary LearnedGene Bernsteinhighlight-foodHofstra UniversityJames CarverJohn HunterJohn Jay College of Criminal JusticeJon ShaneJoseph F. KingKaren O'CallaghanKarl KampeKenneth Lackkevin smithLawrence MulveyLLPLong Island Real Estate GroupMarc BlumencranzMarc FeinbergMaria HaberfeldMartin GreenbergMerrill Lynch & Co.Nassau Community CollegeNassau CountyNassau County Board of HealthNassau County Center for Law Enforcement Training and IntelligenceNassau County Crime StoppersNassau County Law Enforcement Exploring BoardNassau County Police Benevolent AssociationNassau County Police DepartmentNassau County Police Department FoundationNassau Detectives Associationnassau-police-indictmentsNational Institute of JusticeNew York Board of TradeNew York City Police DepartmentNew York Real Estate JournalNew York State Association of PBAsNew York State Committee on Open GovernmentNew York State policeNIC Holding Corp.Nicolaus & Co.Robert J. FreemanRobert P. CodignottoSpielman Koenigsberg & ParkerState of New YorkStephen L. HammermanSterling Commodities Corp.StifelSusan LernerTariq R. ShaikhThomas WilldiggTom SuozziWilliam Flanagan
American International Group, Andrew Cuomo, Anish Berry, Bill O'Reilly, BWD Group LLC, Carlos Nieves, Clifford Chance US, Common Cause, Community Counselling Service Co. LLC, Cover Story, David Candelaria, Department of Homeland Security, Diagnostic Imaging Group, Ed Mangano, Elizabeth Shaw, Eric Blumencranz, featured, featured-scroll, Federico Amorini, Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Gary Learned, Gene Bernstein, highlight-food, Hofstra University, James Carver, John Hunter, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Jon Shane, Joseph F. King, Karen O'Callaghan, Karl Kampe, Kenneth Lack, kevin smith, Lawrence Mulvey, LLP, Long Island Real Estate Group, Marc Blumencranz, Marc Feinberg, Maria Haberfeld, Martin Greenberg, Merrill Lynch & Co., Nassau Community College, Nassau County, Nassau County Board of Health, Nassau County Center for Law Enforcement Training and Intelligence, Nassau County Crime Stoppers, Nassau County Law Enforcement Exploring Board, Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department Foundation, Nassau Detectives Association, nassau-police-indictments, National Institute of Justice, New York Board of Trade, New York City Police Department, New York Real Estate Journal, New York State Association of PBAs, New York State Committee on Open Government, New York State police, NIC Holding Corp., Nicolaus & Co., Robert J. Freeman, Robert P. Codignotto, Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker, State of New York, Stephen L. Hammerman, Sterling Commodities Corp., Stifel, Susan Lerner, Tariq R. Shaikh, Thomas Willdigg, Tom Suozzi, William Flanagan
About the Author
Long Island Press
You might also dig
 
Long Island Power Authority crews working to restore power in East Northport on Wednesday. (Photo credit: Rashed Mian)

LIPA Chairman Howard Steinberg Resigns

by Rashed Mian on November 30, 2012
Long Island Power Authority chairman Howard Steinberg resigned from the board of trustees Friday, adding to the list of top officials that have called it quits amid strong criticism regarding the utility’s handling of Superstorm Sandy outages. LIPA’s [...]
 
Long Island Businesses After Hurricane Sandy

After Sandy: Some Long Island Businesses Bust, Some Boom

by Rashed Mian and Timothy Bolger on November 29, 2012
Ivan Sayles, owner of the popular waterfront restaurant Rachel’s Waterside Grill on Freeport’s Nautical Mile, waded through knee-deep water the day after Superstorm Sandy, the stench of gasoline burning his nose as his eyes focused on dozens of fishing [...]
 
Island Park Hurricane Sandy

Island Park: Suffering 2 Weeks After Hurricane Sandy

by Rashed Mian and Christopher Twarowski on November 10, 2012
While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unloaded food at a Waldbaum’s parking lot in Long Beach Saturday, dozens of volunteers a mile away handed out much-needed supplies to Superstorm Sandy victims at an abandoned Long Island Rail Road station in Island [...]
Long Island Press is a registered trademark of Schneps Communications. © 2017. All rights reserved.