Paul in Queens claims senior staff are being threatened and stalked by volatile civic leaders. So she shows up at his headquarters to warn everyone that this will not be tolerated.
Republican City Council member Joanne Arriola and her chief of staff, Phyllis Inserillo, were involved in a collision. Ozone Park Residents Block Council Last week, a meeting flanked by council security guards was held to explain allegations of “harassment” by the group’s embattled president. disgraced former NYPD officer Saverio “Sam” Esposito;
“The lies must be exposed, and the lies must stop!” At the March 14 meeting, Arriola became furious and continued to speak even after board member Dalma Díaz cut off the microphone. continued. “You all deserve better.”
Diaz, a Democrat, is vice chair of the city’s Department of Homeless Services and a former Brooklyn City Council member.
Arriola and his aides also brought in two powerful sergeants, who are normally responsible for maintaining order in City Council meetings.
Although the use of council security outside normal business hours is rare, Arriola decided it was necessary because she and Inserillo were “concerned for their safety.”
Records show that Inserillo filed two police reports in the past four months alleging that Esposito had been “followed,” threatened and otherwise harassed.
During the meeting, Mr. Arriola expanded on the charges, alleging that Mr. Esposito followed Mr. Inserillo in his van and tried to blackmail him.
She also cited disputes that Esposito allegedly started with other community leaders fueled by his spreading “misinformation” about immigration, holiday lights and other topics in public and on social media. He also looked through a huge list.
A November letter from Mr. Esposito to Mr. Arriola, obtained by the newspaper, said that his office would be “homophobic” if she did not punish him for allegedly making previous false statements about Mr. Inserillo. He was threatened with disclosure. She denied that Mr. Inserillo ever tried to tarnish Mr. Esposito’s reputation with her.
“He literally threatened me in the letter and said that if I didn’t give Phyllis permission, he would go to the press and announce that the entire office was homophobic,” Arriola said. .
“What kind of nonsense is this? I was officially elected to the board by you! And I shouldn’t have to stand in front of you to talk about this.”
Esposito Denies harassment allegations, He told the newspaper that “the case is closed” and “there is no substance to this”. He canceled the group’s meetings until further notice.
According to one report, Esposito claimed that his recent mood swings and “loss of reality” were due to the “adverse effects” of medication for his liver disease. Post on the group’s Facebook page on Tuesday. and a letter to that board.
“Over time, my decision-making became erratic,” he wrote, but insisted he did not violate any laws.
In 2014, Esposito was among 120 victims of a massive Social Security fraud involving the NYPD and retired employees of New York City, New York, including those who died during 9/11. Some even lied about being at Ground Zero to collect their benefits.
His father and alleged ringleader, Joseph Esposito, pleaded guilty to first-degree grand larceny for coaching dozens of former police officers and firefighters to lie on disability applications in exchange for kickbacks.
The younger Esposito, who was an NYPD officer from 1986 to 2005, pleaded guilty to aiding a criminal in 2018 as part of a plea deal.
He also has a history of being a hellish landlord, having been arrested twice for crimes against tenants while still a housing police officer. That included being placed on modified duty after being arrested for illegal eviction in 2003.
