The Three A’s in Westchester Corruption Trial—Annabi, Aronwald and Abady
Sandy Annabi
The political corruption trial of former Yonkers City Councilwoman Sandy Annabi has taken a strange turn, with Federal prosecutors accusing Annabi attorney Bill Aronwald of using the services of Sam Abady as part of the defense team, last month.
Aronwald called the accusation absurd, and at a court appearance last week on the case, Aronwald and Judge Colleen McMahon had an exchange about Abady in which Judge McMahon accussed Aronwald of lying and being deceptive about what role Abady was playing in Annabi’s defense. Aronwald called McMahon’s comments offensive and wrong.
And while Annabi told the judge she has full confidence in Aronwald’s representation, it is never a good idea to piss off the Federal Judge that you will try your case before. Which has a lot of people wondering if Aronwald’s days representing Sandy are numbered.
Abady has always been a strong supporter of Annabi’s innocence, including on this blog. Abady lost his law license in 2005.
Aronwald has represented former Westchester District Attorney Jeannie Pirro. Annabi and Al Pirro were seen ‘dozens of times’ together at Mulino’s restaurant in White Plains, according to staff at Mulino’s.
Disgraced attorney and politcal operative Anthony Mangone, who was recently disbarred, has been going around telling friends that he will not serve any jail time for his role in the corruption scandal.
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The Fight for Sandy Annabi’s Cooperation
By Yonkers Confidential
Federal Judge Colleen McMahon will hear arguments on June 30th by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District to have Sandy Annabi’s defense attorney, William Aronwald, thrown off the case because of a conflict of interest. The feds believe that the only thing standing between them and gaining the cooperation of Annabi in the ongoing public corruption investigation in Westchester County in Aronwald. And they sorely want Annabi’s testimony against other, more ‘high-value’ targets.
The U.S. Attorney’s argument for conflict of interest looks to involve mob solider Emilio Fusco, who Aronwald is currently defending in Massachusetts. Fusco is a member of the Genovese crime family who was involved in the murder of Springfield, Mass. mob boss Al Bruno. Also involved were Bronx capo Artie Nigro and two other mob associates, who have already been convicted.
It is believed that Aronwald’s recent trip overseas, which was cited by Judge McMahon as the reason for moving Annabi’s trial start date to next year, had to do with the Fusco case. Fusco was arrested in Italy after he had attempted to escape there upon learning that he was being investigated in the Bruno murder.
Artie Nigro, onetime Genovese crime family boss, and Genovese capo Patsy Parello are very close and have worked together running the Bronx operation for the Genovese family for years. The Genovese’s and the Gambino’s have pretty much worked as one family in New York over the course of the last two decades, more recently in tandem with the late Gambino capo, Greg DePalma. And everyone knows that federal informant Anthony Mangone, indicted last year with Annabi and Zehy Jereis on federal conspiracy and bribery charges, was a mob attorney for Patsy Parello. As you might remember, Mangone was caught on a federal wiretap in 2002 serving as the conduit who ran orders from Parello, who was in prison at the time, back to his crew.
The feds would have to be able to argue that Aronwald’s defense of Genovese solider Fusco somehow conflicts with the Annabi case. That means that this will be the first hint by the U.S. Attorney that organized crime could be involved in Annabi’s case – as well as the ongoing Westchester County public corruption investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
And remember that Pasquale Gueniero, brother of Mangone’s wife and Annabi’s secretary Debbie Kayal, worked for the allegedly mobbed-up Nigro Construction. Does that name ring a bell?
Although Yonkers Confidential doesn’t have all the wiretaps the feds have, there’s enough here to make one imagine the argument that the U.S. Attorney will make next week in front of Judge McMahon. Stay tuned.
who is paying for Sandy’s defense?
Good question Poster #2. But, better yet, who is paying for all of the miilions that corrupt public officials here in Westchester have dipped into, not to mention the millions wrongfully spent by our District Attorneys Vergari, Pirro, and DiFiore, sending innocent individuals to prison, and then keeping them there.
The answer is we the taxpayers. And, it’s about time we speak up, letting the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the State Attorney General’s Office know “We’re angry as Hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore!”
I knew of the connection between Bill Aronwald and Al Pirro. But now I understand the connection between Sandy Annabi and Al Pirro. OMG.
Good reporting Rising Times.
Wasn’t Aronwald’s father killed by LCN organized crime? What’s he doing defending the same mobsters who killed his father, a well-respected administrative law judge in Brooklyn?
What a disgrace.
Abady has been “McRepresenting” Annanbi since 1-10 when he filed a lawsuit in state court. Loehr tossed it. I wonder what their relationship is….
Can anyone in their right mind accept the crap that the Journal News published today, attempting to do a total make-over of LARRY SCHWARTZ one of the cruelest pathological misfits ever to hold public office anywhere in New York State? And, God knows we’ve had our share.
It is no secret that Schwartz drove a very gifted young attorney David Meyer, husband and father of two young girls, who worked under Jay Hashmall in Andy Spano’s Office, to suicide in 2002 after blackballing him all over the Eastern Seaboard for having worked hard for the Democratic candidate for Westchester DA against Schwartz’ fix for Jeanine Pirro. It is no secret that Larry was in the middle of every fixed County-wide election between 1993 and 2008. All of Reggie LaFayette’s unlawful activities in the Board of Elections was under the direction of Schwartz.
If the Feds are reading, this man Schwartz was, and still is, PUBLIC ENEMY # 1. You must not leave this creature standing, irrespective of Cuomo’s involvement with him. Look deeply into Schwartz’ activities on the Westchester IDA, and Friends of Parks, as well as his direct involvement and perjury in rerports to HUD for six years as he and Spano used $52 million to reward their buddies, and do everything but build affordable housing.
Carbone, Halperin, wake up already!
Way to go posting # 7 !!!!
Could not have said it any better myself, and don’t forget his bullying of the County legislators in approving a questionable massive, waste disposal contract. I still cannot believe the Journal news endorsed this guy.
Arch Stanton
I’m sure Andy Spano and Mr. Schwartz are on the U.S. Attorney’s radar. After all, according to the late Genovese capo Greg DePalma, Zehy paid $150,000 to the “Italian exec,” didn’t he?
Intelligence suggests that the Feds will likely be seeking beachheads soon against corrupt Westchester public officials in the soft sand of Medicaid misappropriations, federal funds intended for everything from prescriptions to nursing home care, to childcare. The latter, at $1,100 per month per child, has been a sore point with many taxpayers who see abuse, particularly when the caregiver is a relative, or the care facility is overcrowded, and offering little program or educational activity of value.
Once again, such landings are likely to be in Mt. Vernon for openers. And, we thought Ernie Davis would surely be carted off after those highly publicized carton boxes were carried out of City Hall by those FBI agents.
A. Truman.
Your crazy rants clearly clog up the blogs. Stand down.
It will be a huge betrayal of public trust, and an enormous waste of taxpayers’ funds if after all the time the United States Attorney’s Office has taken to develop and prosecute public integrity crimes in Westchester the really big fish, rotten from the head down, are passed over thus confirming the suspicions of some observers that the fix that was in under Michael J. Garcia continues to shield the likes of Janet DiFiore, Jeanine Pirro, Andrew Spano, Larry Schwartz, Tim Idoni, Reggie LaFayette, Arnie Klugman, Gary Stracuzzi, Judges Francis Nicolai, Nicolas Colabella, and Anthony Scarpino, Al Pirro, Ken Jenkins, Jose Alvarado, Phil Amicone, Edmund Hartnett, Nick and Mike Spano, Ernie Davis, Yolanda Robinson, Kevin Mahon, Diane Atkins, ADA Patricia Murphy, ADA George Bolen, M.E. Dr. Luis Roh,and Dr. Millard Hyland, George Longworth, ADA Laura Murphy, ADA Tim Ward, ADA Jim McCarty, Comm. Joe Stout, and Rocco Pozzi, and AUSA Cynthia Dunn, as evil a so-called prosecutor as ever disgraced the Federal Courthouse.
And, this list is not exhaustive by any means, though each and every one of them have committed numerous federal offenses and civil rights violations and continue to.
Add A. Trumann to that list.
We knew Mr. Edelman could easily be drawn out. He’s been drawn out before.
You don’t seem to get it…just posting names doesn’t make people
guilty…A.Truman is on a mission to destroy people’s
reputations…many good people…He should be banned from this site.
Rather, it is Mr.( Anon) Edelman who is on a mission to cover up his buddies and business associates and former law partners, and political clients, there’s not one individual on the list in Post #12 whose transgressions against the interests of decent, innocent Westchester citizens and taxpayers that can not be documented. And, he knows that only too well. Unfortunately, he has the tendency to take on political consultancies for large sums of money, and then proceed to malign, and defame his client’s opponent. Consider his recent apologies to Putnam County Sheriff Smith.
Truman’s only mission is to expose the truth so that citizens can make more informed decisions. “Anon” gets uncomfortable in the presence of the sometimes ugly truth. His buddy, and former client, Phil Amicone was another guy who couldn’t take the heat and decided there was no First Amendment. They both should know better by now.
Mr. Truman, what do you know about the relationship between Sandy Annabi and Al Pirro? You seem to know quite a bit (or at least claim to).
Quite frankly I know absolutely nothing about any relationship between them. I do however know Sandy quite well for some ten years now. And, I know a great deal about Al over many more years. Therefore if I were to run into Sandy, and she was speaking to me, I would simply utter, “Sandy, say it isn’t so!”
You expect Sandy Annabi to tell the truth, Truman? You must be more of a chump than I thought.
Those batting eyes, pursed lips and voluptuous figure must have you mesmerized.
Batts, your detailed description suggests YOU have been drooling over her. I’m no chump; and she would be the first to tell you that, probably in anger. The point is I understand the difference between a “-D” and an “F”.
TRUMAN SEEMS LIKE A REAL DICK
Billy Batts is as batty as his name suggests. Was he born this stupid or did it just come naturally?
Probably time to explore a new subject in the “Wonderful World of Westchester.”
wow all this really goes on in westchester remarkable
ill tell you this… i know for sure… a well known yonkers politician in office at the time female was in a night club in florida whooping it up having body shots lapped up off the nape of her back in a bikkini from what i understand…she just didnt realize there were several civil servants from her home city in this same club wow…. people from westchesters largest city actually go to night cubs in florida not a real good idea probably preceeded by others and so on and so on
its all leading to Putnam. Edelman’s appology to Smith was lame, lame, lame. If he didn’t mean it, why did he say it? Can he answer us that much? If it wasn’t true, why did he say it? Why is he held to a different standard than the rest? You mean he just took someone’s money and repeated every foolish lie that came out of that person’s mouth? Becausse we’re having trouble understanding why he apologized.
Tick tock. Tick tock.
The U.S. Attorney is coming to town. And Nick now knows it.
How is Mike Spano paying for his legal fees?
@25 So what is your point? You spend a lot of time thinking about female politicians who probably never give you a second thought.
@Truman — If I were Ms. Annabi I’d cross the street if I saw you coming. What’s with the -D and an F remark?
With all the two bit hustlers in this City you can’t find something else to talk about than what Annabi did or didn’t do?
I think @28 has the right idea. Forget the bikinis and the pursed lips and follow the money.
hey 29 if your a 30 something public figure and careless enough to act like some college brat on sping break in a public place ……..it leaves me to believe that your not mature enough to make good decisions/ judgements in a carefully watched public arena.especially when some more mature persons are piping ideas/schemes into your dopey head.everybody has their day in court and that day is coming and then hopefully the truth will prevail……i vote cosistently and never give any politico a second thought untill their indicted and hauled off to court follow the money trail and at the end will be the whole storey
Fair enough #30. I’m just tired of all the venom toward Annabi. She won that race last time but they stole it. How come some theft is prosecuted and so is ignored?
I don’t know who your talking about with the spring break thing but hey as long as it wasnt Pat McDow.
Annabi could open a lot of doors and hopefully she will. There’s nothing wrong with standing up and telling the truth, even if the sole motive is to save your own skin. Tell the truth and help the FBI rid government of corrupt politicans, especially the ones who pass themselves off as being honest.
*Mangone has provided substanial cooperation against many different people, not just senator leibell
*Mangone has closed the puzzle between the money and the power in Westchester. It’s because of him that many different areas of governemnt are under investigation. By getting a guilty plea out of Leibell, the FBI has proven that mangone is reliable and is providing reliable information.
*no telling which way Jereis is going to land but word is that he’s cooperating as well
*Westchester I believe is going to see Big Nick finally go by way of the Feds. They wanted him for a decade and now they finally have him.
*The Bronx has their voting machine fiasco which could not be more blatant if they put an announcement in the newspaper.
*Putnam County up north has their federal investigation moving right along. Remember, during the whole Leibell investigation, the feds subpoenaed far more documents than just those involving Mr. Leibell. All those documents coming out of Carmel and Carmel Town Hall, and also some people were served with papers and spoken to by FBI agents, even though these folks have decided to remain quiet. The next target on their radar seems to be Leibell’s right hand man, and his relationship with a certain shell consulting company which was nothing more than a money clearinghouse. A couple of guys are crashing down hard in that one. I hear Cuomo already has a replacement in mind for DA.
*and the one who seems to skate in perpetuity is Jeanine Pirro. With all the stories and all the declarations about her downfall, she has landed a new TV show and seems to be doing well. My predication is that nothing will ever happen to her. The best chance they had to grab her was when she wanted to bug her yacht, and the feds missed the boat, no pun intended.
*let’s see what happens with Mr. mangone, whether the feds will move on the rest of the info he gave them. Based on recent activity, I would say yes.
Knowing councilwoman Sandy Annabi, I’m confident that she is totally innocent and someone has planned all this. I trust Sandy and I know she will come out free, innocent and strong.
Liam Mclaughlin is as corrupt just like the rest
I agree Liam has been manipulating the city council for years. Driving his city car to the his Hampton home. I thought that was against regulations also paid by Spencer for his vote on ridge hill. And how if the city has no money is he able to hire friends and family for the dept of sanitation. Seems shady.
Nobody is innocent hear. That time frame with the ridge hill and fellowship contracts will prove ALL of the council were bought.. Liam mclaughlin was their with his hand out like the rest ,and I thought he was suspended for using the city car to drive back and fourth to the Hampton twice a week on the city’s gas???? And stop hawking the Spano’s to get you positions for the city of yonkers for your family
I finally see that everyone is waking up about the corrupt city council for Ridge Hill,they all got paid off for their vote. (Mclaughlin ). Why is nobody investigating him. I also remember he was almost suspended for using his city car for personal gain. But spencer let him go because he needed that vote. Please investigate his family for the jobs he got for his family and his brothers charge people to pick up garbage (just wrong?).