A former FDNY Chief and 9/11 first responder was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for his role in a $200,000 pay-to-play bribery scheme in which he received more than $50,000, according to prosecutors.
Anthony Saccavino, the former head of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention, pleaded guilty to participating in the crooked scheme with Brian Cordasco — another high-ranking fire prevention chief — to accept bribes from a firefighter in exchange for expediting inspections.
The pair fast-tracked fire safety inspections at high-end restaurants and hotels near JFK International Airport and other city businesses, according to prosecutors with the Southern District of New York.
Saccavino and Cordasco created a “VIP lane” for faster service by the fire inspection bureau that could only be accessed with bribes, prosecutors said.
“Anthony Saccavino undermined the New York City Fire Department, an institution he swore to serve,” US Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. “Chief Saccavino led a pay-to-play bribery scheme that would offend the sensibilities of every hard-working New Yorker.”
In addition to his prison term and two years of probation, Saccavino was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and to return $57,000 that he personally pocketed in bribes, prosecutors said.
The city’s Department of Investigation launched a probe into the illicit scheme in 2023, after receiving a tip that something fishy was going on with the Bureau of Fire Prevention. The FBI and the US Attorney for the Southern District later joined in the investigation.
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that City officials who monetize their positions and give preferential treatment in exchange for bribe payments will face serious consequences, including criminal prosecution and imprisonment,” said DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber.
Saccaviono’s lawyer, Joseph M. Caldarera, said that his client is an American hero, a “fireman’s fireman” who took the deal to do what was best for his family. He noted that his fellow smokeeaters still support him enough to retain him as a union member.
“It’s unfortunate that the Southern District of New York has just crucified a 9/11 first responder and American hero, for overstated crimes,” he said in a statement on behalf of his client.
“Mr. Saccavino took a plea deal because he believed it was in the best interest of his family,” he added. “He made the difficult decision to protect his family from further hardship and uncertainty.”
In March, a Manhattan judge sentenced Saccavino’s partner in the scheme, Brian Cordasco, to 20 months in prison.
“You betrayed the trust that the Fire Department and the people of New York placed in you,” Judge Lewis Liman said of Cordasco at his sentencing before ordering the FDNY member to prison time and making him pay $157,000 in restitution and fines.
The pair were indicted last September.
Additional reporting by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon.
