Former FDNY Fire Chief Gets 3 Years in Corruption Scandal

UPDATE May 15, 2025 2:59 PM CDT

A former New York City Fire Department chief was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to fast-track fire safety inspections at restaurants, hotels, and other city businesses. Anthony Saccavino, 61, pleaded guilty in January to running the scheme while heading the department's Bureau of Fire Prevention, which regulates the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in New York City, the AP reports. With the help of another chief, Brian Cordasco, Saccavino solicited and received $190,000 in bribe payments between 2021 and 2023, prosecutors said. Cordasco was sentenced to 20 months in March.

Sep 16, 2024 4:10 PM CDT

Two former New York City Fire Department chiefs were in custody Monday on charges that they solicited tens of thousands of dollars in bribes before ensuring the department's fire-safety division gave preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies. Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco were arrested on bribery, corruption, and false statements charges alleging that they solicited and accepted the bribe payments from at least 2021 through 2023, authorities said.

• The arrests came as multiple ongoing federal investigations swirl around Mayor Eric Adams and his top deputies, including one inquiry that appears at least partly focused on whether the administration sped up fire safety inspections at the Turkish consulate in exchange for illegal contributions, the AP reports.

• Manhattan-based US. Attorney Damian Williams declined to say whether the case against the former fire chiefs was related to "any other investigation we may or may not be doing." But he put people on notice that his office is continuing to pursue allegations of corruption.
• "We are determined to address it from root to branch, and our work is far from done," he said at a news conference, adding, "If you are aware of and participated in corrupt activity in our government, now is the time to come forward to get on the right side of the law."
• The indictment against Cordasco and Saccavino said they were former chiefs for the city Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention. The bureau is responsible for regulating the installation of fire safety and suppression systems throughout New York City and ensuring fire safety regulations are obeyed.

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• Attorney Joseph Caldarera called the charges against Saccavino "both surprising and distressing." "I want to assure the public that we will vigorously contest these allegations. He deserves the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, just like any citizen," Caldarera said. "Chief Saccavino's legacy as a firefighter and a leader should not be overshadowed by these claims."
• While the indictment makes no reference to projects linked to the Turkish government, it does refer to a "City Hall List," which was used by the fire department to "track inquiries and requests from City Hall stakeholders" in order to give priority to those projects. Adams, a Democrat, has previously denied the existence of the priority list.
• Williams said at Monday's news conference that Cordasco and Saccavino allegedly used the list to "excuse or cover up the way in which they were pressuring other folks to expedite the matters they were being bribed to expedite."

(More FDNY stories.)