Northeast
2 former NYC fire chiefs charged with bribery, corruption for alleged preferential treatment
Two former New York City Fire Department (FDNY) chiefs are in custody, accused of soliciting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to provide preferential treatment to certain builders and developers.
Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco were arrested on bribery, corruption and false statements charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced Monday.
The two, and an unnamed third party, are accused of soliciting and accepting bribe payments from at least 2021 through 2023, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told reporters. The amount of bribes is allegedly more than $190,000, which was allegedly paid in exchange for “priority access to the Bureau of Fire Prevention,” Williams said.
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. Williams explained that the bureau’s approval is often required in order for buildings to be open to the public or occupied, and that they are supposed to operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
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FILE PHOTO – Two former FDNY chiefs are being charged in a corruption case. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
“They allegedly created a VIP lane for faster service that could only be accessed with bribes,” Williams said.
The indictment, obtained by the Associated Press, listed the charges against Saccavino and Cordasco as conspiracy to solicit a bribe, solicitation and receive of a bribe, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and making false statements in connection with a scheme to solicit and accept tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for providing preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies.
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Federal authorities will soon release more information about the case against former FDNY chiefs Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco. (Peter Byrne/PA Images)
“Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically,” Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said in a statement. “Anything less will not be tolerated. The Department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations. Keeping New Yorkers safe remains our top priority.”
Back in February during the investigation, Saccavino and Cordasco participated in voluntary interviews with the FBI. They each are accused of “repeatedly” making false statements during those interviews, according to federal prosecutors.
A New York City Fire Department truck sits at a station. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto)
The arrests come amid a widening corruption investigation of New York City’s government.
Over the weekend, the top legal adviser to Mayor Eric Adams abruptly resigned. That came days after the head of the New York Police Department resigned after federal investigators seized his phone.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Northeast
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani set to earn nearly $260K, about 80% more than his prior salary
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to earn nearly $260,000 a year, in line with the salary paid to his predecessor.
The figure is based on public payroll records showing that former Mayor Eric Adams earned $258,750 in total pay.
Mamdani previously earned about $142,000 as a state assemblyman, according to Ballotpedia, an increase of roughly 80%.
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether he plans to accept the full salary or donate a portion of it.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers his inaugural address Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, outside City Hall. (Fox News/Pool)
New York City consistently ranks among the most expensive cities in the country, with housing costs far above the national average.
An annual salary of about $260,000 would place Mamdani among the city’s top earners, more than three times New York City’s median household income of roughly $80,000, according to the most recent Census Bureau data.
Mamdani posted on his Instagram account in December that he and his wife Rama would move from their home in Astoria, Queens, to Gracie Mansion, the official, rent-free residence of the mayor on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, in January.
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Gracie Mansion in New York, on Sept. 26, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg)
“This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for,” he wrote.
Mamdani was sworn in Jan. 1 as the 112th mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim to hold the office.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacts after speaking during his inauguration ceremony, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)
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“City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability and abundance—where government looks and lives like the people it represents, never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges that others have deemed too complicated,” Mamdani said in his inaugural address.
“In so doing, we will provide our own answer to that age-old question—who does New York belong to? Well, my friends, we can look to Madiba and the South African Freedom Charter: New York ‘belongs to all who live in it.’”
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Boston, MA
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Pittsburg, PA
Hemingway’s Cafe in Oakland closing after more than four decades
A longtime staple near Pitt’s campus is closing its doors after more than four decades of business in Oakland.
Hemingway’s Cafe announced Thursday that it will be closing for good in May after more than 40 years along Forbes Avenue in the heart of Oakland.
“Since opening in 1983, Hemingway’s has been more than just a bar – it’s been a home, a meeting place, and an Oakland staple for generations of students, alumni, locals, and friends at the heart of the University of Pittsburgh,” the bar said.
The bar said while they are sad to be closing, they’re also grateful for the decades of memories, laughter, friendship, and traditions over the years.
“Thank you for making Hemingway’s what it has been for over four decades,” the bar said.
A final closing date for Hemingway’s hasn’t been announced.
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