Posted on 12/15/2004 6:45:21 PM PST by Cableguy
How does someone who's flat broke afford a sumptuous renovation of two Riverdale apartments? Ask Bernard Kerik.
In 1999, Kerik had workers convert two first-floor apartments into one large home at the W. 239th St. building - even though he apparently was having trouble making ends meet in a single apartment upstairs.
Months earlier, Kerik could not even pay for his November 1998 wedding reception, relying on his best man and another friend to cover much of the tab, the Daily News revealed Sunday.
Despite his struggles, Kerik, then the city's Correction Department commissioner, managed to buy the two Bronx apartments in early 1999 - and then swung the costly renovation.
Three sources who were in the apartment after the work was done said the conversion was opulent, with extensive marble and granite and a large rotunda entryway.
Kerik, whose questionable past derailed his nomination as homeland security czar, was not talking yesterday.
Aside from Kerik's inability to pay, the renovation raises other questions.
The man listed as the contractor on the building permit, Ed Sisca of Englewood, N.J., had been indicted the week before in a massive bid-rigging scandal. He pleaded guilty in March 2000 and was sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison. Sisca, 39, now works at Technical Construction of Fort Lee, N.J.
Also, Sisca is the son of Gambino capo Alphonse (Funzi) Sisca, also of Englewood, who was partners with neighbor Arnold (Zeke) Squitieri.
The two served 11 years in federal prison on a heroin distribution conviction. Squitieri once was listed in a New Jersey law enforcement report as the Garden State's top Gambino. And after the death of John Gotti, he was deemed the apparent successor.
The engineer on Kerik's building permit was Charles Marino. Three months after the permit was filed, Marino was indicted for filing false documents with the city Department of Environmental Protection.
Marino pleaded guilty in February 2001 and was sentenced to five years' probation. State education officials suspended his engineering license for three years, with the last two stayed, and he was fined $10,000.
At the time he filed Kerik's permit, Marino was allowed to self-certify final inspections of work. He signed a "Statement of Responsibility" on June 29, 1999, that he would certify the work was done according to code, but he failed to sign off on the final inspection.
Such a failure can lead to issuance of a violation from the city Buildings Department, said Ilyse Fink, a spokeswoman for the agency. No violation was issued in this case.
According to city records, Interstate Industrial, a construction company linked to Kerik by Daily News revelations this week, did not work on the project.
Interstate's owner, Frank DiTomasso, became fast friends with Kerik in late 1998. Interstate hired the best man from Kerik's wedding, Lawrence Ray, based upon Kerik's recommendation, and Kerik's brother, Don.
At the renovated Riverdale apartment yesterday, a man said, "We can't say anything" from behind a closed door, even before a question was asked.
A woman later answered a phone inside and hung up.
ping
Maybe the renovations were done at government expense???
more like mob money
My opinion, this story is soooooo over. But I expect news coverage to continue for 2-3 more months.
*
The gift that keeps giving.
Most people will live their entire lives and never come across a creature like this.
Can't we moveon.org lol
This is just about sex and stealing, which as we all know is ok because Clinton did it.
That depends on how many Democratic Conventions they attend, don't you think?
more smears - now any italian who he might know automatically means there are "mob ties".
The entire situation is beyond comprehension.
Did Kerik do this to stab Rudy?
Why did the White House nominate this guy before the vetting was complete?
It is the most inexplicable thing that has happened in politics in a very long time.
Response: Not a puzzler, he is a politician, in America, in 2004 A.D.
Why is everybody worried about this minor scandal when the oil for food program is a giant scandal and nobody (MSM) seems to be interested in it.
The oil for food scandal involves many of the players on the world stage, possibly a former president, possibly was a major element in our going to war, possibly was a factor in Israel's problem with homicide bombers, and who knows what else.
Yet the news media is not interested in investigating, but they do have plenty of interest in digging up as much dirt as possible on a nominee who has already withdrawn.
Um, Kerik isn't even in the running anymore, so why are they still running with this? Ah, yes, that's right...anything to take the focus off the MSM's own peccadillos. Don't get me wrong, if this stuff is true, then it's probably a good thing he's not going to have a Cabinet post.
Still, people in glass houses....
because the oil for food scandal can't hurt Giuliani, and this (they hope) can.
Bernard may wind up in the Corrections system once more.
"My opinion, this story is soooooo over. But I expect news coverage to continue for 2-3 more months."
Agreed. I'm yawning over it already. I'm glad we dodged this bullet. The guy did not have the moral fiber for the job. I want someone with his eye on the ball and the borders; not the nearest skirt. Yeesh!
Perhaps the real question is why Rudy Guilani, mob busting U.S. Attorney, didn't realize his handpicked stooge was a thug?
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