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schumer asks. modello about why he never served nassau county bettors when he was president of nassau otb see also ny const art 1 sec 3 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-lottery-third-annual-easter-open-house-executive-mansion
As longtime Nassau GOP chairman Joseph Mondello readies for Senate confirmation hearings for the ambassadorship to Trinidad and Tobago, his top lieutenant, Joseph Cairo, has emerged as a top prospect to succeed him.
But many on the county GOP committee, which Mondello has led since 1983, say it’s nearly impossible to picture a future without Mondello.
“It will be very difficult for anyone to fill his shoes,” said former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, a Republican.
“It’s hard to imagine Nassau County without Joseph Mondello being the chairman,” said Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford).
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Mondello, 80, of Oyster Bay Cove, took over the county party after the conviction of his predecessor, the late Joseph Margiotta, for extortion and mail fraud. The party under Margiotta had gained a national reputation for “machine politics” that awarded public jobs to those who participated in local Republican clubs.
, originally of Levittown, continued the practice, ensuring that Republican turnout in local elections usually bested the Democrats’. Mondello also served as state GOP chairman in the 2000s.
Mondello’s successor will inherit a party that lost control of key positions in last November’s elections, when Democrats won races for Nassau County executive and Hempstead Town supervisor.
Democratic County Executive Laura Curran, in particular, ran on an anti-corruption platform.
In 2016, then-Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto was arrested on federal corruption charges, along with then-County Executive Edward Mangano and his wife, Linda.
Venditto and Edward Mangano are charged with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and honest services wire fraud. Mangano also faces an extortion charge and Venditto also is charged with securities fraud. Linda Mangano is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI.
Their trial began last week at federal court in Central Islip. All have pleaded not guilty.
Mondello has “kept the party together during some tumultuous times, during Democratic landslides,” D’Amato said. “He’s weathered all kinds of storms. It’s not easy to be in political leadership these days.”
Cairo, 72, of North Valley Stream, in an interview spoke of his longtime friendship with Mondello, dating to the early 1970s. “Certainly, if and when the chairman leaves, I think I would be one of the people considered, perhaps together with others,” Cairo said.
Other candidates who have been mentioned include former state Sen. Charles Fuschillo and former Hempstead Town Clerk Dan Fisher. Both in the past have said they were not interested.
Republican executive leaders have been called to a meeting Thursday, and told they should attend.
Top county Republicans described Cairo as a skilled campaign organizer who could help Republican candidates quickly secure petition signatures and motivate campaign volunteers. Cairo also is first vice chairman and president of Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
“They call him the coach,” said legislative Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park). “In some of the campaigns, he inspired the type of enthusiasm with the workers as a coach does with his team.”
Cairo has “time and time again come to the rescue of the party,” D’Amato said. “He’s always been there, first on the battle line. He’s been the strong right arm to Chairman
Cairo has in the past served as campaign manager to former state Sen. Jack Martins. The Republican, who lost to Curran in November, called Cairo “a person who certainly everyone in the party looks up to.”
Nassau County's most powerful Republican, Joseph N. Mondello, said today that he was stepping down from the County Board of Supervisors to become chairman of the Nassau Offtrack Betting Corporation, but would remain the leader of the county's Republican Party.
The $139,000-a-year OTB position, regarded as a rich patronage plum, was essentially Mr. Mondello's for the asking, since he largely controls patronage in this Republican-dominated county.
The new post will give Mr. Mondello ample time to focus on political matters as Republicans are facing the strongest challenge for control of the county's government in more than 70 years.
Although Mr. Mondello had hinted at an interest in the OTB job, his announcement at a Board of Supervisors meeting here still caught colleagues by surprise. At his request, the board unanimously approved a measure naming Mr. Mondello to the Nassau OTB board, a prerequisite to a vote by the OTB board electing him chairman. Foes See Challenge
Mr. Mondello, 55, a lawyer from Levittown, earns $39,500 as a member of the Board of Supervisors, a position he has held for six and a half years. He has been chairman of the county's Republican Party since May 1983.
Political opponents said today that Mr. Mondello's hold on the party leadership had weakened, and they predicted he would face a challenge for the party post, which pays $75,000 and includes a free car. "There's going to be a fight now," said a Democratic board member, Benjamin L. Zwirn, supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead.
But Mr. Mondello dismissed that as "wishful thinking," and said he was leaving elected office at a time when "my leadership of the party has never been stronger."
"I always admired Rocky Marciano and Joe DiMaggio," he said. "They went out while they were on top. Everyone who has left this board has done it with a whimper. I got a standing ovation."
Mr. Mondello said he expected to be named to the OTB position by the corporation's board today after the resignation on Friday of the current chairman, Easa Easa. He said he had considered seeking the job "for some time," and made his decision over the weekend. He said he would announce at a meeting of the Hempstead Town Board Tuesday morning that he was also relinquishing the $60,500-a-year post as the town's presiding supervisor. The town board will name his successor. Erosion of G.O.P. Power
During Mr. Mondello's tenure, Republicans who long ruled Nassau lost political control of the Board of Supervisors, where Democrats now hold nearly equal power.
His announcement today coincides with a Federal judge's order directing the county to offer plans within 45 days for replacing its Board of Supervisors. The judge, Arthur D. Spatt of Federal District Court in Uniondale, declared the board unconstitutional in a ruling on Tuesday because its weighted voting system violated the principle of one person one vote.
Mr. Mondello said the replacement of the board by a county legislature would benefit Republicans and was not a factor in his decision to step down.
Thomas S. Gulotta, the County Executive and a Republican, praised Mr. Mondello for "years of public service" despite a rift between the two top Republicans over taxes and the county budget.
But Mr. Zwirn blamed the Republican chairman for property-tax increases. "The only issue is taxes, and I think Mr. Mondello recognized what was going to happen this fall," Mr. Zwirn said. "So he found himself the safest patronage job he could find."
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