NYC Buildings Chief Resigns as Prosecutors Examine Gambling Ties - The New York Times

New York|N.Y.C. Buildings Chief Resigns arsenic Prosecutors Examine Gambling Ties

The commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings resigned connected Thursday, a time aft being questioned by prosecutors from the Manhattan territory attorney’s bureau who are investigating him for imaginable organized transgression ties and amerciable gambling.

The resignation of Eric Ulrich, a erstwhile Republican metropolis councilman, was confirmed by a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams.

“This morning, Eric Ulrich tendered his resignation arsenic D.O.B. commissioner successful an effort to, successful his words, debar ‘unnecessary distraction for the Adams administration,’” the spokesman, Fabien Levy, said successful a statement.

“We person accepted his resignation, admit him taking this step, and privation him well,” Mr. Levy added. “We person nary further cognition of immoderate probe and, retired of respect for his and his family’s privacy, person thing further to add.”

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan territory attorney’s bureau declined to comment.

The New York Times reported connected Tuesday that Mr. Ulrich was nether probe by the Manhattan territory attorney’s bureau and had his cellphone seized.

The probe is focused astatine slightest successful portion connected gambling and organized transgression enactment astatine Aldo’s, a pizzeria successful the Ozone Park vicinity of Queens, 2 radical with cognition of the substance said.

Investigators were examining the anticipation that Mr. Ulrich, either arsenic a councilman, arsenic a elder advisor to the politician oregon arsenic buildings commissioner, whitethorn person utilized his power connected behalf of mob associates.

In 2018, erstwhile helium was successful the City Council, Mr. Ulrich wrote a letter connected authoritative stationery successful enactment of a constituent, a reputed Bonanno transgression subordinate who was awaiting sentencing connected national charges for postulation of an unlawful gambling debt, tribunal records show. It is unclear if the missive is portion of the investigation.

Mr. Ulrich met with prosecutors astatine the bureau of the Manhattan territory lawyer for respective hours connected Wednesday, a idiosyncratic with cognition of the substance said.

He has not been accused of immoderate wrongdoing. Neither Mr. Ulrich nor 1 of his lawyers could instantly beryllium reached for comment. One of the owners of Aldo’s, Anthony Livreri, who took implicit the constitution successful 2018, declined to remark connected the allegations.

Hours earlier the gathering began connected Wednesday, the politician defended his commissioner, whom helium appointed successful May to caput the Buildings Department, which has agelong been plagued by recurring corruption scandals. Mr. Adams’s prime of Mr. Ulrich came contempt his admitted intoxicant and gambling addictions, and his having written the missive successful enactment of the convicted mob figure.

Mr. Adams said that metropolis officials were unaware of the probe involving Mr. Ulrich until reporters began calling.

“We had nary idea. We got notified similar you did,” Mr. Adams said Wednesday astatine an unrelated quality league astatine City Hall. “Reporters were calling the team, that’s erstwhile I became alert of this.”

Mr. Ulrich took a idiosyncratic time connected Tuesday erstwhile his telephone was seized and again connected Wednesday erstwhile helium met with prosecutors, metropolis officials said. The erstwhile commissioner sent an email to the mayor’s squad announcing his decision.

“He communicated with the squad and made the determination for the bully of not distracting the city, and to woody with the reappraisal that’s taking spot now, helium made that decision,” Mr. Adams said Thursday astatine a quality conference.

Mr. Adams said helium respected the determination and wished Mr. Ulrich and his household good but had nary remark astir the investigation.

“I bash not instrumentality reports that are successful the media arsenic what really took place,” the politician said. “I person not heard from the reviewing body. They person not communicated to me, truthful I don’t cognize what the allegations are.”

Mr. Adams has hired respective executives, section heads and lawman mayors with troubled pasts and has stood by his determination to springiness them a 2nd chance. Asked astir his stance connected Mr. Ulrich’s presumption connected Wednesday, Mr. Adams said that it was “too early” to marque unit decisions based connected what was known astir the investigation.

The politician has hired respective supporters from his run to salient positions, including Peter Koo, a erstwhile City Council subordinate who became a elder adviser, and Ydanis Rodriguez, different erstwhile Council subordinate who became proscription commissioner.

“This is old-school New York City authorities wherever you springiness allies and friends patronage jobs,” said John Kaehny, the enforcement manager of Reinvent Albany, a good-government group. “Our concern: Is helium hiring the champion idiosyncratic for the occupation oregon are they getting the occupation due to the fact that they are a person and ally?”