Police Commissioner Edward Cavan's twin brother, a former cop with a troubled past, is under federal surveillance for allegedly working as a “fixer” for upscale Manhattan restaurants and nightclubs, sources said Friday.
Police sources said investigators were looking into various “consulting” jobs that James Cavan, 56, may have held in upscale New York neighborhoods and allegations that he helped mediate between businesses and troubled police officers.
“It's not like the old-fashioned Mafia, 'If you don't pay us, we'll break your window,'” one source said.
“but [it was]”My brother is a big shot, so he can eliminate fines and underage drinking.”
According to sources, restaurants and clubs that Cabán was involved with include the Marquee and PhD, both owned by TAO Hospitality Group, and Creatures at the Selina Rooftop in Chelsea, where public records show that Creatures received 158 noise complaints in the past two years.
Cabán was reportedly summoned during police visits to high-crime areas to sue police for noise violations and underage drinking, and then went to local police chiefs, many of whom are also under federal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.
Repeated violators of the law could face heavy fines and even have their liquor licenses revoked.
Kaban, his brother and other officers at the police department were subject to searches of their homes and summonses on Wednesday as part of a broader corruption investigation, including aiding and abetting, sources said.
The investigation is being led by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, who are also investigating aides to Mayor Eric Adams and have opened a separate investigation into his 2021 campaign finances, the people said.
Investigators are reviewing police reports about Manhattan bars and restaurants and analyzing emails from senior NYPD officials, the people said.
According to sources, the authorities are investigating whether the complaints were handled properly – whether police reports were taken and whether they were written in favour of the authorities.
Sources say James Cavan's alleged involvement with bars and restaurants dates back to at least his brother's time as first deputy chief under then-top cop Kechant Sewell, who abruptly resigned in July 2023 amid conflict with Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
According to one source, Caban was pitching to officers at a hip-hop show on Manhattan's west side, saying, “My brother is going to be the next chief. Let me know if you ever need anything.”
Neither James nor Edwards responded to multiple inquiries Friday.
A man who answered the door at James' million-dollar mansion in New City, Rockland County, cheerfully said no one would want to talk to the press.
Celina's general manager acknowledged they had received noise complaints about loud parties but said they “dealt with them themselves.”
A spokesman for TAO Hospitality Group declined to comment.
An NYPD spokesman said the department was “fully cooperating” with the investigation.
But they declined to comment further, instead directing questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Neither James nor Edward Cabana have been accused of wrongdoing, but they have another brother named Richard Cabana. He owns the Bronx restaurant Con Sofrito.a popular figure among local politicians. There is no indication that he was the target of the attack.
It's unclear whether James Cavan was doing this alleged work under a company or on his own, when he started doing it, or how the company found out about him.
But for a former police sergeant with a shady history and a penchant for getting into trouble, the seedy world of New York bars seemed like a fitting landing spot.
He joined the NYPD in the summer of 1989, but faced numerous complaints and allegations that ultimately led to his early retirement in January 2001, according to online records.
These include A substantiated charge of using excessive force He abused his power on two occasions, in July and September 1996.
Despite this, he was promoted to sergeant, but was fired by the NYPD in 2001 for wrongfully detaining and threatening a taxi driver he believed had stolen money from his wife's purse. According to City & State New York.
He then bought an apartment in the Bronx, but was such a bad landlord that then-Public Attorney Bill de Blasio put him on a list of the city's worst landlords in August 2013, the outlet reported.
Two months later, a judge sent him to jail for 30 days for failing to make hundreds of needed repairs to 12 then-dilapidated buildings on Commonwealth Street. According to The Real Deal.
Housing Court Judge Gerald Klein said at the time that Cavan had ignored all of the city's requests to correct the building's 308 glaring property violations and that the city had already spent $115,000 to fix other urgent issues.
Cabán argued there was not enough money to repair the building, one of the 200 most dilapidated in the city. According to the Daily News.
But he never proved it.
“If you show disregard for your property and your tenants, ignore your legal responsibilities and disobey court orders, we will seek the maximum penalties allowed by law,” RuthAnn Visnauskas, the city's Housing Preservation and Development director at the time, told the News.
