The Kessel NYPA Watch, November 24, 2009 – By George J. Marlin
Kessel Asides
As former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno’s sad corruption trial winds down revealing systemic corruption as a way of life in Albany, NYPA CEO Richie Kessel, who, befitting his reputation as a bipartisan operator and favor dispenser, was listed on both the FBI and Bruno defense witness lists, has not been called to testify. The Feds and Bruno’s defense lawyer passed for unknown reasons. It is important to note, however, that activities at LIPA, Kessel’s former sinecure, were raised in testimony by prosecution witnesses, including one testifying under a grant of immunity.
Street Corner Conservative calls on Kessel to release the transcripts of any pre-trial cross-examination by Federal prosecutors to the public immediately. Should Kessel fail to do so, Street Corner will seek public release of Richie’s testimony and will post it on this site when available.
Street Corner has learned of multiple reports that Rocco Iannarelli, the elected Receiver of Taxes for the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, will be leaving shortly that challenging position and decamping for White Plains where he will serve as, get this, Director of Human Relations for NYPA and its 1,000 or so employees. Rocco, according to his bio on the Town website “developed a reputation as a keen administrator with many governmental accomplishments to his credit.” The bio doesn’t speak to his HR experience although he did send some time in the food distribution business and stayed in a Holiday Inn Express the night before his interview with Kessel.
Careful observers of Richie will remember that, while at LIPA, he hired as Director of HR, the daughter of the then Nassau County DA, who herself had been an unsuccessful candidate for public office in Nassau County and, before that foray into electoral office, a barmaid.
streetcornerconservative.com 
December 9, 2009 at 10:47 pm
This is all so sad. Wish we had the likes of Zeltmann back. Gosh how the former chief risk guy and IG guy must be laughing now. When Richie and his backstabbing buddy Quiniones threw these two guys under the bus (because the chief risk guy had already spoken out and neither of them wanted any sr staffer looking over their shoulders) being outside NYPA now must look pretty darn good. Wish we had them both back plus some of the others who have left…good talent run off. Hope this all isn’t some grand scheme to force a combination of NYPA w/ LIPA….running off the talent and those who cared and tried to do the right thing.
December 5, 2009 at 11:13 pm
A friend in law enforcement says there is interesting and hilarious stuff in Kessel’s testimony in the Senator Bruno trial. Guy says that at one point Richie tried telling some schmaltzy story to change the subject and hard-*** Federal gal cut Kessel with off without a fare thee well.
December 5, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Friends in White Plains HQ are saying to watch the bids for Lake Erie to watch the bids that hire Pataki and his former Chief of Staff Cahill and for the one with former Senator D’Amato who basically owns Kessel. D’Amato lobbied for Florida Power & Light when our Richie tried to jam a FPL Jones Beach wind mill deal down the throats of Long Islanders. Richie was only doing his master’s bidding.
December 4, 2009 at 11:26 am
The only good with all of this is that at least we’ll be down to one regime as Quiniones and his hacks are slowly shown the door. Hopefully, the next governor has the fortitude to give Kessel and his cronies the axe and we can get things back to some level of normalcy.
December 2, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Well, the inevitable has happened. HR lady is out. New HR tax collector friend of Kessel is in. Quiniones is also on his way out – he has lost Marketing and some other groups.
Kessel now has lots of direct reports so of course, he will have to bring some new people in (his friends, naturally) to help manage this. Because, let’s face it, he couldn’t manage his way out of a wet paper bag. Even if you gave him written and verbal directions. Written in crayon.
Someone in White Plains said something very interesting a few days ago – “it is going to take an outage, or an accident, or something worse, before the newspapers wake up to this blatant sabotage of NYPA”.
I certainly hope not.
Hopefully they’ll offer a package and I’ll be outa here real soon.
Keep the faith. This madness surely can’t last forever.
Can it??
November 30, 2009 at 7:47 am
I also heard that Kessel wants to get rid of the tests that the Union Techs are required to take, because the guys HE wants for the jobs are just too stupid to actually pass the tests.
HELLO BOARD – remember what you’re paid for? Could you wake up now?
November 29, 2009 at 11:59 am
Word is that Richie is interviewing yet another Long Island and LIPA veteran after his recent coup in hiring Rocco. WPO will be overrun with out of work Nassau Democratic hacks. Will our board say something or remain supine as Kessel walks all over them and destroys an agency that used to have a reputation for public service and excellence. This is all truly sad.
November 28, 2009 at 4:57 pm
One of the real tragedies besides canceled raises (2 years)& canceled variable pay (earned by so-called contracts) while watching the hiring of 6 figure salaried political hacks and the total abuse of NYPA resources by the “executive” branch is they are now implanting unqualified political “friends” at the essential skilled worker levels in union positions that NYPA will be stuck with forever. I am completely amazed at what I see. If the people of New York had any idea how much danger the electrical grid is in not only would Paterson lose any election but he and Kessel would go to jail.
November 27, 2009 at 10:40 am
with the loss of the Nassau Leg and Suozzi, hiring Rocco is genius since he can vet all the resumes that will come flooding in from out of work Nassau Dems. Who better to review them than a fellow Nassau Dem hack. This Kessel is a genius.
November 26, 2009 at 4:01 pm
But wait a minute – we already have a Human Resources / Relations Director, don’t we? She was only just promoted last year.
Is she being let go in favor of this political appointee?
When will this madness stop?
I don’t think anybody actually cares enough to do anything, do they?
I’m too low in the food chain to make a difference, sadly.
November 25, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Word is that Kessel has been talking to some defeated Nassau pol named Meihas and another who won, Scannell who apparently ain’t taking all this well and another pol named Mel Shine.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends at PASNY.
November 25, 2009 at 1:05 am
Just what we need–another Long Island political hack. Plus now that Suozzi has lost and the Nassau Dems have lost the Legislature our Richie will be looking to protect all his Nassau friends. Upstate be damned!