Westchester Guardian Article/Giulio Cavallo.

Message from The Publisher.

Mighty Independence Party Chair Knocks Out Andy Spano In Fourth Round

On Tuesday, Election Night, The Guardian was present at the Astorino victory celebration at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains. At about 10:30pm a man in the room yelled out, “Giulio Cavallo knocked out Andy Spano.”There was a round of applause and cheers for Dr. Cavallo,
the maverick Chairman of the Westchester Independence Party.

As numbers continued to come in, it became clear that what the man had said was, in fact, true. The powerful political fat cat, Andy Spano, a Democrat, in a Democrat-dominated County, where Republicans are outnumbered two to one was, in fact, knocked out by the leader of the Independence Party, a small but mighty third party with fewer than 23,000 registered voters countywide.

That knock-out punch had come from the hand of none other than civic leader and party chair, Dr. Giulio Cavallo.

Dr. Cavallo has led the Westchester Independence Party for more than 12 years. In that time he has supported Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Conservatives alike in elections throughout Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties.

This year was special for Doc. After four years of arrogant, excessive taxation, and economic enslavement perpetrated by Democratic Party County Executive Andy Spano, and County Legislator Bill Ryan, Dr. Cavallo vowed to step up to the plate and fight the administrations he had helped elect in the last election cycle.

Cavallo had declared, “It’s about doing what is right. Our elected officials have forgotten that they were elected to serve and not to be served. The duty of the Independence Party is to represent the interests of the People, all the People.”

In January 2009, at a meeting in New Rochelle, Dr. Cavallo, the Westchester Independence Party Committee and Guardian Publisher Sam Zherka decided to join forces to organize the Westchester Tea Party, an anti-tax movement determined to reduce Westchester’s bloated County Government.

On April 25th, the Tea Party Rally was held at the Westchester County Office Building; and an estimated three thousand angry and frustrated citizen taxpayers assembled to petition and protest against Andy Spano and his Administration for their “tax and spend policies” which had turned Westchester citizens into “the highest taxed citizens in America”.

Spano and his Administration attempted to downplay the Tea Party event. However, that event clearly elevated stock in the Westchester Independence Party which helped deliver the knockout blow.

On Election Day The Guardian visited many polling places throughout the County, questioning voters before and after they cast their votes. One voter, a man in his 50’s, from Tuckahoe named Charles, stated that he was fed up with the status quo, and wished “for a revolution; a
revolution is what we need to teach our politicians a lesson, maybe a ‘tax strike.’” When asked if he had attended the Tea Party in White Plains back in April he indicated that he hadn’t, but that his family members had.

Another man, George Nivkor, accompanied by several family members at a polling place in Yonkers, when asked if he was happy with Yonkers and Westchester County politicians and taxes, said, “We feel like we are being extorted. I’m watching rampant waste and theft all at our expense; and we are tired of it.”

When asked if he was a Democrat or a Republican, Nivkor replied, “Some of my family are each, but this year we are Independent and voting Row C, the Independence Party.”

It’s clear that the Independence Party has struck a nerve, and the numbers show it. Over the last three countywide elections, the Independence Party received between five and seven thousand votes. This election, they more than doubled that number, with well over 12,000 votes, which Dr. Cavallo attributes to the Independence Party’s role at the Westchester Tea Party Rally and all the mailings and telephone calls the Party faithful did to get out the vote.

“We mailed literature to thousands of taxpayers, asking them to join us,” Cavallo said. He went on, “Unlike the Conservative and Working Families Parties, the People of Westchester County know where we stand on the issue of high taxes. The Conservative and Working Families
Parties have done nothing to combat the tax problem. In fact, both minor parties endorsed Andy Spano, but didn’t make a difference.”

Cavallo reiterated that as a civic leader and party chair, it is his duty to stand up against politically-entrenched, power-hungry politicians when it comes to issues that negatively effect so many lives as high taxes do.

When asked where the Independence Party will be going from here, Cavallo said, “Nowhere but up; we are the third largest party in the state, and maybe one day we’ll be the second, or even the first, but in the meantime, on Election Day, we were the most important party and the deciding factor for some of the most important races in Westchester.”

Political insiders have confirmed that Andy Spano made numerous attempts to obtain the Independence Party endorsement; but was rejected every time by Dr. Cavallo. It is clear that had Spano gotten that endorsement, he might have remained King Andy for a fourth term.

For now, we must hail Dr. Giulio Cavallo, a true leader with the moral fortitude and courage to do the right thing. He is the most powerful political figure in Westchester.

Westchester Guardian/The Court Report/Janet Difiore/Giulio Cavallo/Sam Zherka.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Court Report
By Richard Blassberg

Civic Leader Hauls DiFiore
And D’Amato Into Court
Claims Retaliatory First Amendment Violations

Last Wednesday, December 3rd, civil rights attorney Jonathan Lovett, of White Plains, filed a federal lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 against former United States Senator from New York, Alphonse D’Amato, individually, and Janet DiFiore, individually, and in her capacity as District Attorney for the County of Westchester, New York, on behalf of his client, Giulio Cavallo, Chairman of the Westchester Independence Party.

The suit seeks a sum of $10 million each from D’Amato and DiFiore, for a total of $20 million in punitive damages, plus an award of compensatory damages in the amount of $20 million, sought jointly, and severally, against D’Amato and DiFiore, for a total of $40 million.
The suit describes D’Amato as, “a disgraced, retired United States Senator,” who is politically connected to Defendant DiFiore directly, and
through her husband, Dennis Glazer, “a wealthy New York City-based attorney with long-term deep, and extensive, connections to D’Amato.”

The suit alleges that in 2005, when DiFiore ran for Westchester District Attorney, Glazer personally threatened Plaintiff Cavallo by Coercion
in the Second Degree, on DiFiore’s behalf, that if he failed to secure the Independence Party’s endorsement for her, indicating that he, Glazer,
would use his wealth and political connections to “take control of the Independence Party, and remove Cavallo as its chairman.”

It is further alleged that out of fear induced by both Glazer and DiFiore, Cavallo did secure the Independence Party endorsement for DiFiore directly resulting in her election, and that she was sworn in, as such, on January 1, 2006. The suit refers to an issue of The Westchester Guardian,
in March 2007, in which an article pertaining to DiFiore, and regarding Glazer’s conduct, in corruptly securing from Plaintiff Cavallo the Independence Party’s endorsement, appeared.

Subsequently, Plaintiff Cavallo, on August 28, 2008, published an article in The Westchester Guardian newspaper, accompanied by the headline,
“Civic Leader Declares DA DiFiore A Failure,” in which he expressed his opinion that DiFiore, “has been largely ineffective in combatting crime,”
and described her administration as a “disappointment.”

The suit further alleges that Di-Fiore and her spouse Glazer, “as a consequence of a federal civil rights action, brought by Guardian publisher Sam Zherka against DiFiore because of her threats in her capacity as DA to go after Zherka and his family, became aware of Cavallo’s willingness to testify that DiFiore had told him that she was going to ‘fix Zherka’, and that, as a consequence, DiFiore and Glazer “entered into an agreement to enlist the active participation of D’Amato and other Republican political operatives to threaten and intimidate Plaintiff with a view toward silencing him.”

Interviewed last Friday, December 5th at his attorney, Jonathan Lovett’s, office, Cavallo explained that on October 16th he was attending
a luncheon with Nassau County officials and the State Chairman of the Independence Party, Frank McKay, at the Oheka Castle Restaurant
in Huntington, Long Island.

Cavallo said, “To my surprise, I was informed that Al D’Amato had come to the luncheon and that he wanted to sit next to me.” Cavallo explained that once D’Amato sat down next to him the former Senator subjected him to more than two hours of threats from Janet DiFiore and her spouse, Dennis Glazer.

This reporter asked, “How do you feel about DA Janet DiFiore?”

Cavallo responded, “I feel fear and intimidation.”

Three-State, Multiple Bank Robber, Gets 92 Months
Judge Tells Poughkeepsie Man, “You And I Are The Same Age,”
Reminds Him Of His Responsibility To Be There For His 16-Year-Old Daughter
United States District Court, White Plains
Judge Kenneth M. Karas Presiding

Last Tuesday afternoon, December 2nd, Frank Surico, 44, of Poughkeepsie, appeared before Judge Kenneth M. Karas for sentencing, having pleaded guilty to five counts of Bank Robbery, filed in the Southern District of New York, and one count, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, in July 2008. Showing no partiality for one bank over another, he robbed the Webster Bank in Brookfield, Connecticut, of $2,800; the Citizen’s Bank in New Windsor, New York, of $3,264; the Fairfield County Bank in Danbury, Connecticut of $5,300; the Catskill-Hudson Bank, in
Middletown, New York, of $5,365; the Citizen’s Bank in Matamoras, Pennsylvania, of $6,756; and, attempted to rob the Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union in Middletown, New York.

His method of operation involved no weapon or threat of violence. He would merely put a plastic bag on the counter before a teller, and announce that it was a robbery, demanding that the teller put money in the bag, whereupon he would then walk out.

Other than The Guardian, the only other press present for the sentencing was staff writer Oliver Mackson of The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, who had graduated from high school with Surico and had written an article about Surico’s history, and his conduct on Graduation
Day some 26 years earlier. Mackson was curious whether Surico would recognize him upon entering the courtroom from the holding area.

However, the Defendant showed no glint of recognition as he entered the room, accompanied by a federal marshal, looking toward the spectators gallery. In his account, Mackson recalled how the Defendant at graduation had held up his diploma. As it turned out, Mackson’s article had unintended significance in the proceedings, as it served to document the fact that Surico was, indeed, a high school graduate, an issue that his attorney, Michael K. Burke, of Burke, Miele, and Golden, LLP of Goshen, New York repeatedly stressed to the Court was apparently not clarified in his client’s probation report. Burke would explain that high school graduation would be determinative of where his client would be designated to serve his time and “what programs he would be admitted to by the Bureau of Prisons.”

Judge Karas acknowledged the Times Herald-Record article, copies of which Attorney Burke produced for him, declaring, “I will take judicial
notice of his walking off the stage holding his diploma. I’m happy to attach the article to his papers.” Karas added, “I’m happy to give him credit for time served back to March 4.”

Attorney Burke, moving in a different direction, then stated, “My client has a long history of substance abuse, starting with alcohol as a youth, then cocaine, and finally heroin. Not in any way to justify his behavior, but in none of these robberies did he threaten violence or use violence. In Middletown, when he handed the plastic bag to the teller and she threw it out, he just walked out. He was not violent.” Burke then advanced his case, telling Judge Karas, “I would hope he could be treated other than as a violent criminal so that he could be eligible to enter a 500-hour treatment procedure and shave one year off his sentence.”

Judge Karas then injected, “Technically, the record is correct.” Burke went on, “He is a 44-year-old man. He has a 16-yearold daugher whom he,
his mother, and father, raised.” At that point the Prosecutor, Assistant United States Attorney Anna M. Skotko, spoke up to the Court, declaring,
“He isn’t over-classi-fied. Congress classified Bank Robbery as a violent crime. The Government’s position is that the conditions are properly
calculated.”

At that point, Judge Karas offered the Defendant an opportunity to speak. Surico accepted and said, “I would like to apologize to all of the tellers. I didn’t mean to frighten them. I made a wrong turn; I made some bad decisions. I harbor no ill will. Under no condition would I ever have hurt anyone.” Judge Karas then began, “The Court’s starting point is what the guidelines have to say. There’s a guideline for each offense.” He went on to acknowledge Surico’s criminal history and its impact on the sentence, adding points for one aspect or another. He concluded that the guidelines called for 92 to 115 months, and then declared, “So that’s the math.”

Karas went on, “This is yet another sad case of someone who got involved in substance abuse. Mr. Surico has a lengthy criminal history, but not a history of violence or hurting people. He has a daughter.” Then the Judge became more stern, declaring, “Bank Robbery is a serious crime and, even though Mr. Surico didn’t use a gun, still people can be hurt by a reaction to the crime. What Mr. Surico did was a very serious crime. I think the criminal history category wasn’t overstated. I do think Mr. Surico needs to learn his lesson, which I don’t believe he has.”

Karas then opined, “All too often I see people who are engaged in the use of drugs. But, he made choices, not once, but many times. If Mr.
Surico had brandished a gun, his guidelines would be 140 to 175 months. It is the judgement of this Court that he serve 92 months followed by three years supervised release.”

Westchester Guardian/Giulio Cavallo/Janet Difiore.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Special Report

Dr. Cavallo Diagnoses State of Westchester Politics “Sickly”
Calls DA Janet DiFiore’s Performance One of His Greatest Disappointments

Unfortunately, the state of Westchester County politics is sickly. We are in a very precarious state since the Democratic Party in Westchester County has sought to consolidate power and create a one-party, autocratic political environment. This should cause great political alarm to those citizens who are struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times, particularly for the middle- and working-class families who bear the heaviest proportionate burden, as well as those who care about how effectively, and how much, of our hard-earned taxpayer money is being spent without political repercussions.

Let me explain what I mean. When the Republican and Democratic Party each share political power, there is a healthy system of ‘checks and balances’ which works to ensure that the citizens, and their hard-earned tax dollars, are adequately protected from waste and abuse by government officials.


As it stands right now, with the County Executive, District Attorney, and 13 of 17 members of the County Legislature all Democrats, the balance of power has tipped dangerously to one side of the scale, and citizens are increasingly powerless to hold elected officials fiscally accountable. This dangerous trend severely undermines true democratic government and needs to be stopped and reversed. Otherwise, Westchester County will eventually become a place where only the super rich or the very poor live. None of us want that.

Examples of the County’s egregious waste of taxpayer money abound but, as an example, Gary Kriss, who already earns a whopping $150,000 as chief advisor to Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Bill Ryan, was called out by the press for purchases just short of $13,000 In unnecessary high-tech computer gadgets and soft- ware, not to mention an additional $10,000 in taxpayer-reimbursed cell phone bills, and even a cigar purchase at taxpayer expense. Does this sound like a fiscally-restrained way to use taxpayer money? In an era, where people are spending $60, $70 or $80 for a single tank of gas; not to me. No wonder grassroots political movements have started to get momentum from within the Democratic Party establishment, seeking to explore whether the size of County government should be dramatically reduced or completely abolished, as it was, for example, in nearby Fairfield County, Connecticut. I do not know if this is the solution to the problem, but it certainly needs to be looked at and evaluated.


Perhaps leaders such as Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Bill Ryan should tread lightly in this political and economic environment before seeking to ram a 90% salary increase down the throats of a now veto-proof Democratic legislative majority which spends nearly $2 billion of our money each year. Strong and well-qualified Republican candidates, in particular, are urgently needed. The Republican Party leadership should use this opportunity to run qualified candidates who advocate for and actually implement real political and cost-saving reforms to benefit all citizens of Westchester County. Talk is cheap; the people want action and should elect those candidates who are most likely to deliver.

To be completely candid, one of my greatest disappointments as Chairman of the Independence Party here in Westchester County is District Attorney Janet DiFiore. As the voters in Westchester County will remember, in choosing to join with our Republican Party friends back in 2005, the Independence Party endorsement provided the margin of victory in her narrow vote margin over Tony Castro. It was really disconcerting to me that, after getting elected three times with Republican and Independence Party support, first as a County Court Judge, then Supreme Court Justice, and then Westchester County District Attorney, Ms. DiFiore showed her true colors in being a disloyal turncoat to the very people who worked so hard to support her, raised money for her, and got her elected, by changing her party registration to Democrat in the middle of her term of office.


As the people may also remember, our District Attorney, during the 2005 campaign, strongly blasted her opponent, and the Democratic Party, for not knowing how to fight crime here in Westchester County. Yet, just 1-1/2 years later, last summer, out of left field, she changes her registration and tells the people back in August, “…the principles of the Democratic Party are closely aligned with my views.”

The way I see it, she ran over to the Democratic Party in 2007 because she knows that her performance as District Attorney will not get her reelected if she runs on her record with Republican and Independence Party support in 2009. In case anyone was wondering, the last Democratic District Attorney to serve here in Westchester was a guy named William Platt, back in 1895, more than 100 years ago. I guess that gives some idea as to how afraid the DA was to stay a Republican! As I see it, in taking an objective look at the crime statistics so far, the DA had reason to panic, more than two years before having to stand for reelection.


Despite the fact that there are well over 3,000 full-time sworn and civilian law enforcement personnel Countywide, our present District Attorney, Janet DiFiore, has been largely ineffective in combating crime, particularly violent crime, here in Westchester County, during her time in office.

While she is certainly big on announcing new flowery initiatives to ensure positive public relations for her office, such as her “Prom and Graduation Safety Summit Aimed at Parents” and her “Mothers Against Violence Encouraging Responsibility in Community Kids”, they seemed to be concerted efforts to distract the citizens of Westchester County from her inability to oversee more “nuts and bolts” crime-fighting during her time in office.


For example, the taxpayers of Westchester County might be surprised to know that the amount of reported murders, rapes and aggravated assaults, were all up in 2007 over 2006 levels when DA DiFiore came into office. People might also be surprised to learn that Westchester County’s per capita 2007 rate of violent crime was approximately 50 percent higher than that of our suburban neighbors in Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, almost 3½ times that of Putnam County, and just slightly better than Staten Island, one of the five counties of New York City.

I think that District Attorney DiFiore has some explaining to do to her constituents. Perhaps the reason for the increase in violent crime can be explained by the amount of felony arrests, both for drug and violent felonies, which were down significantly in 2007 over 2006, as well as felony DWI arrests, which were down in 2007 almost 20 percent from the year before. Our citizens should also know that the felony arrest conviction rate here in Westchester County slipped below 80 percent, actually 79.4 percent in 2006, for the first time in recent memory, under DA DiFiore’s tenure. It is all right there, in black and white, on the Division of Criminal Justice Services website, for all to see.

Aside from violent crime going up, and the conviction rate going down, here in Westchester, the DA seems to have some critical internal communication problems in her Office as demonstrated in the Ridley, Marquez, and Florim cases. It’s not me who is saying it; it is a current ADA in her office, as well as County Court Judge Rory Bellantoni in his opinion in a case called People v Schelenbach. In that case, Judge Bellantoni granted a criminal defendant’s motion to dismiss an indictment charging multiple counts of sexual abuse and forcible touching, in the interests of justice. The motion took place after the DA’s Office had reduced an initial “D” violent felony plea offer down to the possibility of outright dismissal, over an approximately 7-1/2 month period, and then, suddenly did a complete about-face and requested an immediate trial.

Judge Bellantoni said, “For the People to withdraw an offer, cease negotiations and demand a trial as charged, after months of negotiating towards a non-criminal disposition or outright dismissal, would have a negative impact on the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system, particularly where the resolution is otherwise appropriate, but is being withdrawn because of an internal breakdown in communication within the District Attorney’s Office.” Judge Bellantoni went on to say in the Schelenbach case that there is an erosion of public trust in the DA’s Office.
It’s no wonder that morale at the DA’s Office is so low among the ADAs and support staff.

All in all, the DA’s record of personal and professional disloyalty to her supporters, questionable competence in fighting violent crime here in Westchester County, particularly compared to other suburban counties in the New York City metropolitan area, and communication breakdowns in criminal prosecutions out of that Office, should give people cause for concern when they evaluate their choice for Westchester County District Attorney next year.

During the months ahead, the Independence Party will make a concerted effort to double our current Party registration and continue to seek out highly qualified candidates who believe in the calling of public service and good government, whether in the executive, legislative, or judicial branches, candidates who will serve the people of Westchester County with dedication, enthusiasm, and the highest level of professional competence. That is my mission as a civic leader and Chairman of the Independence Party.

Westchester Guardian/The Advocate/Giulio Cavallo.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Advocate
Richard Blassberg

Giulio Cavallo Speaks Out
Declares “I Am First And Foremost A Civic Leader”

The name Giulio Cavallo, Chairman of the Westchester Independence Party, has been seen on numerous occasions in The Westchester Guardian, not always in the most favorable light. However, given that fact, and the fact that The Guardian has stood up for Freedom
Of Speech, successfully taking on the administration of Yonkers Mayor Phillip Amicone in their effort to stifle the People’s Right-To-
Know, we were certainly receptive to Dr. Cavallo’s request for an interview to clear the air; to discuss what he termed “mistaken impressions.”

We opened the dialogue, asking Cavallo, “Do you see the Westchester Independence Party continuing to play a relevant role in this year’s,
and next year’s, elections?”

Cavallo responded, “We always play a major role, turning out at least eight to nine thousand votes on our line.” He went on, “The Independence Line is very attractive to young voters. Four years ago, in Harrison, we recruited 680 new voters from the Purchase College
campus.”

Asked how he sees himself “in the political power structure in Westchester” Cavallo said, “I started out to be a civic leader and I still see
myself in that light. Many of those I had dinner with were the same people who tried to do me in.”

When we asked him to be more specific, he said, “Nick Spano and Joe Spiezio tried to take over the Independence Party over the last
nine years. First, Nick got control of the Conservative Party, then, he thought he could take over the Independence Party.”

We asked Cavallo, next, about fundraising and about “where all the money goes.” He quickly answered with, “Money that comes into the Independence Club is used to pay and employ petition-gatherers, mostly minority people. And, then there are normal operating expenses,
transportation, purchases of phones, and paying phone bills.”

Becoming emphatic, he declared, “Not one judge that I helped elect ever had contact with me later. Furthermore, no County official has
ever given a job to any member of the Independence Party.”Then, as an afterthought, Cavallo declared, “Nick is against me for not giving
Michael (Spano) the line as a Democrat this time.” He explained, “Because he switched parties, everything he stood for, as a Republican, for 25 years, went right into the gutter.”

Cavallo observed, “Unfortunately, in my role as a civic leader, I make friends of those I endorse and enemies of those I don’t.” Becoming
more animated, Cavallo insisted, “It was the Independence Party endorsement that elected Janet Di-Fiore District Attorney; and, it was
also that endorsement that elected Nick time after time.” Pausing for a moment, he then returned to his position, restating his claim, “I am
first, and foremost, a civic leader.

We are here to pick the most qualified candidates. But, I’ve made mistakes.” New York State is one of only five states in the Union that permits the practice of cross-endorsement. But for cross-endorsement, minor political parties would have no effective power, no significance
in any contest except for, perhaps, very limited municipal elections.

When asked about it, Cavallo agreed that, if not for cross-endorsement, his party would be of little consequence. There are some
17,000 registered members of the Independence Party in Westchester. In County-wide elections, the line produces about 16,000 votes,
and a total of 27,000 over the five county Ninth Judicial District.

Without question, votes cast on the Independence Party line, over the last several years, have determined the outcome of numerous
county, municipal, and judicial elections in Westchester, and the Ninth Judicial District.

The Advocate
Richard Blassberg

The Legislature Must Restore Dignity And Constitutionality To New York’s Courts

New York State’s Courts are largely out of control, and rapidly reaching the point of no return. Not even the beginnings of federal intervention, in the selection and nomination of Supreme Court Judges, nearly two years ago, with the ruling by Federal District Judge John Gleeson in the case of Brooklyn Surrogate Judge Margarita Lopez-Torres, who had been denied the opportunity to run for State Supreme Court, has made any impact on the corrupt, Patronage-Driven Monster run amuck.

Judge Gleeson rightly recognized the crux of the problem, as illustrated by the facts in the Lopez-Torres complaint, resides in the selection process, nominations to run for State Supreme Court conducted virtually
out of contact with, and against the interests of, the voting public.

Gleeson not only recognized the injury to the Plaintiff ’s Constitutional Rights, but also to all of those voters in her judicial district whose First Amendment rights of political association were likewise compromised by her exclusion without lawful cause, or Due Process. Judge Lopez-Torres was merely a victim of her own high morality, having refused to make patronage appointments sought by party bosses.

We believe Judge Gleeson got it right the first time when he ruled that the existing Judicial Convention System, under which candidates for State Supreme Court are nominated, denies voters the opportunity for input, and any say in who will be on the ballot. Here in the Ninth Judicial District, consisting of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange Counties, we have seen repeated examples of just how corrupt and deteriorated the State’s Courts have become, like a fish rotting from the head down.

Consider a slimeball, Giulio Cavallo, recently re-instated to chairmanship of the Westchester Independence Party by the State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, many of whose members were elected to the Supreme Court with that party’s paid-for cross endorsement.

That’s correct; many of those justices sitting in the Appellate Division, once described by the Village Voice as “The Whores Who Became Madams,” paid between $10,000 and $20,000 to buy the Independence Party’s cross-endorsement.

Now it is one thing when a corrupt creature such as Cavallo is permitted to sell cross-endorsements for cash to those running for County Executive, Mayor, or Dog Catcher. Unfortunately, we have come to accept a little larceny in our Dog Catchers. But even the most jaded among us are reluctant to accept the notion that the individual cloaked in a black robe, and sitting in a position to send us to prison for a crime we haven’t committed, or separate us from our children at the whim of a former spouse, or deny us the benefit of our own labor, is somebody who never attended law school, bought his way onto the Westchester County Court with funds that he swindled from his campaign treasurer, paying for the cross-endorsement of the Independence Party, and then onto the State Supreme Court as a Republican, by cross-endorsing Democrat Jonathan Lippman, a bastard scheme worked out and approved under the current Judicial Convention System. That somebody is State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Alessandro, found “unqualified” by the Committee on Judicial Credentials.

Yes, Judge Gleeson had it right when he proposed that Supreme Court Judge Candidates be selected by a primary process, thus permitting those who might wish to, and are qualified, to run without interference by party bosses. Here in Westchester, recent primary elections have demonstrated that only the primary process is capable of breaking the stranglehold that party bosses such as Larry Schwartz, Giulio Cavallo, and their ilk have had over the election process for years. Paul Feiner and his team in Greenburgh, and Clinton Young and Lyndon Williams in Mt. Vernon clearly established that fact. And, contrary to the notion that a primary system might be unwieldy or too costly for selecting candidates for State Supreme Court, in reality no other method
should be employed.

Judge Kaye’s ill-conceived bandaid put forth earlier this year, her so-called Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commissions will not resolve the existing problems because those serving on the commissions were selected by Kaye, a Chief Judge with no prior judicial experience, the four presiding judges of the Appellate Division, including Jonathan Lippman, a fox in the henhouse, and state and local bar associations. In other words, largely the same corrupt crowd.

What the State Legislature must do to restore dignity and Constitutionality to our courts, and some measure of credibility to most public offices, is really quite straight-forward and uncomplicated. The State Senate and Assembly must abolish cross-endorsement thereby putting creeps and fraudsters like Giulio Cavallo, Zehy Jereis, and others throughout the state, out of the “election for sale” business. And, they must put the nomination and election of Supreme Court Judges out of the reach of party bosses by establishing a primary-driven process, with strict campaign controls, free of patronage, and underwritten with public funds, both in the primary process and the general election.

Only after such legislative changes have been enacted, and many more honest, dedicated, public servants are elected to our courts and to other public office over time, will we witness the restoration of dignity and Constitutionality.

Article on Giulio Cavallo:

Cavallo, ‘Missing in Action’, Nevertheless Reappointed To County Public Safety Board

Despite being virtually AWOL from public functions, Giulio Cavallo, embattled former Chairman of
the Westchester Independence Party, was recently re-appointed as a Commissioner to the Westchester
County Public Safety Board by County Executive Andy Spano, and approved by the County Board of
Legislators.

Observers are questioning what credentials Mr. Cavallo possesses to act as an overseer of the County
Police. His relationship with Larry Schwartz and the Pistol Permit Unit have been resurfacing. Some
are asking, “How safe is the public?”

Cavallo, whose financial filings with the State Election Commission have come into question with regard to the legitimacy of expenditures and the shu ing of funds between the Independence Party and the Independence Club, has been avoiding scrutiny and accountability, both publicly and privately. Having attempted to silence The Westchester Guardian with the filing of a $25 million lawsuit several months ago, he has resisted attempts
to depose him, and has been virtually unavailable ever since.

As the result of his failure to submit to deposition, legal counsel for the Guardian has begun sending subpoenas to judges and public officials who received Cavallo’s endorsement over the past several years to determine the circumstances with regard to the exchange of funds.

Cavallo Tries to Silence Press, Sues Guardian for $25Mil.

We Say: “Bring It On!”

Publisher Promises To Subpoena All Judges and Officeholders Who Ever Received Cavallo’s Cross-Endorsement.

In a deliberate, but feeble, attempt to silence the truth, Giulio Cavallo, former chairman of the Westchester Independence Party, and notorious influence peddler, has filed a lawsuit seeking $25 million in damages against Guardian News Corporation, The Westchester Guardian, its President and Publisher, Sam Zherka, and its editor-in-chief, Richard Blassberg. The complaint, filed in State Supreme Court, New York County, alleges, for the first of four causes of action, that the words, “AXIS OF CORRUPTION”, along with a photo of the Plaintiff, Cavallo, on the front page of the January 4, 2007 edition of The Westchester Guardian, was falsely and maliciously written“ with an intent to destroy, humiliate and disparage and defame” him, and that it injured his reputation, causing him financial loss.

The complaint lists a total of 36 separate acts allegedly calculated to defame and harm Cavallo. Publisher Zherka responded, “There was no malicious intent nor defamation, and all of the actions attributed to Mr. Cavallo by The Guardian are true and documented. We intend to subpoena every judge and public office-holder who ever received the cross-endorsement of the Independence Party from Mr. Cavallo.” He further declared, “ We stand on our First Amendment Rights, under Freedom of the Press, to keep our readers fully informed of the activities within our community, particularly those that directly affect the electoral system, and the right of citizens to participate in a free and unfettered process. As an individual who has chosen to be deeply involved in that most sacred of democratic processes, Mr. Cavallo is subject to a very high level of scrutiny.”

Mr. Cavallo has been locked in a pitched battle with members of the Independence Party, united as the Integrity Committee, under the leadership of Nader Sayegh, for control, and, is under a restraining order from Supreme Court Justice Donovan. Having obtained a stay from Judge Joseph Covello, State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, he’s been going around boasting “the fix is in” with that court, and that he will emerge as party chairman.

Meanwhile, informed sources revealed last week that Cavallo is under investigation by the FBI, and that they have been interviewing persons with information regarding his unlawful activities. Until very recently Mr. Cavallo had been soliciting fees, as much as $5,000, from individuals wishing to obtain a pistol permit from the County, who might not otherwise be able to qualify. In that regard he had let it be known that he was able to obtain permits through his connections with Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz, and Commissioner of Public Safety, Tom Belfiore.

By attempting to silence The Westchester Guardian Giulio Cavallo is merely demonstrating his contempt for Constitutionally-guaranteed safeguards against unlawful operatives such as he, who would pervert and nullify the electoral process. He has engaged for so many years in the sale of endorsements for personal enrichment, and gotten away with it, that he simply cannot now accept the notion that the gig is up. After all, he has conspired with the most politically powerful in Westchester, including Larry Schwartz, Nick Spano, and Jeanine Pirro, the latter providing cover and protection from prosecution as well.

Mr. Cavallo, who reportedly hasn’t been seen lately in any of his usual haunts, is apparently under attack from other sources as well, some of whom have taken to the Internet to complain of his unethical conduct. A building contractor in Connecticut, apparently involved in the construction of a house in a wooded area, that some have described as “ Cavallo’s Hideout,” reports that Cavallo owes him a large sum of money for his work, and that repeated attempts to get paid have failed.

As previously reported, Giulio Cavallo was slated to be the guest speaker at a fundraiser organized by Nick Spano, a few weeks ago. Inside sources had revealed that the proceeds were to be used for Cavallo’s expected legaldefense. The party, which was held at the Surf Club in New Rochelle, drew some 500 guests, but Cavallo failed to show up.)

In light of publisher Sam Zherka’s announced intention to subpoena each and every office-holder and judge who ever received the Independence Party’s cross-endorsement from Giulio Cavallo, over many years, readers will, no doubt, find the legal struggle about to ensue most enlightening. Stay tuned. The truth will set us free!
“ There was no malicious intent, nor defamation, and all of the actions attributed to Mr. Cavallo by TheGuardian are true and documented. We intend to subpoena every judge and public office-holder who ever received the cross-endorsement of the Independence Party from Mr. Cavallo...We stand on our First Amendment Rights, under Freedom of the Press, to keep our readers fully informed of the activities within our community, particularly those that directly affect the electoral system, and the right of citizens to participate in a free and unfettered process. As an individual who has chosen to be deeply involved in that most sacred of democratic processes, Mr. Cavallo is subject to a very high level of scrutiny.”

Federal Indictment!

FBI And Federal Prosecutors Having A Field Day In Westchester Election Fraud, Misappropriation Of Funds, And, Everywhere Arrogance.

If one had to identify a signature characteristic of Jeanine Pirro’s public persona it would certainly be arrogance. Everything she will be remembered for, mostly evil, and unlawful, will be tinged with that unmistakable arrogance. It was arrogance that prevented her from making a joke about herself when she lost ‘page ten’ and it was arrogance that allowed her to publicly vilify United States Attorney Mary Jo White during her husband Albert’s tax fraud trial, despite having been left out of the indictment involving ten years of fraudulent joint tax returns. In the end it will be that same arrogance that helped bring her down.

Clearly, throughout her twelve-year reign as Westchester DA she was the undisputed center, the de facto leader, by virtue of her power to prosecute, of the cabal, the corrupt mob that continues in its unlawful enterprise without her. Sleazy creatures all, including the likes of Larry Schwartz, Deputy County Executive, Nick Spano, former State Senator, Giulio Cavallo, embattled Chairman of the Westchester Independence Party, and Zehy Jereis, Convicted Drug Dealing Felon, and Chairman of the Yonkers Republican Committee, to name but a few; every one as arrogant as Pirro.

Imagine, the arrogance of Guilio Cavallo involved in a life-anddeath struggle with Nader Sayegh, and the decent law-abiding faction of the Independence Party, for control, and under a restraining order, and an order to appear, from State Supreme Court Justice Donovan, nevertheless going around and boasting to everyone that he has been assured that, “the fix is in with the Appellate Division,” and that Donovan’s ruling will be overturned. Imagine too, that this same creature who purports to represent more than 15,000 registered Independence Party members is still soliciting to get pistol permits for $5,000, through his connections with Larry Schwartz and Tom Belfiore.

To decent, honest, citizens the blatant criminal activities that Cavallo, Larry Schwartz, Nick Spano, Zehy Jereis, andassociates, continue to routinely engage in, despite the fact that the United States Attorney’s Office is diligently pursuing their Presidential mandate to clean up the corruption in “the suburbs north of New York City,” might seem unfathomable. But, again, it’s all about arrogance, with a generous helping of denial thrown in for good measure.

Simply stated, these players, common criminals all, have gotten away with so much, for so long, it simply doesn’t enter their minds that the ‘gig is up.’ After all, consider Nick Spano, former State Senator from the 35th District, who for years surrounded himself with the likes, not only of Zehy Jereis, convicted drug dealer, and accused election fraudster, but also Anthony Mangone, admitted forger of 166 ballots in the Green Party and IndependenceParty primaries of 2000. Anthony was Nick’s campaign manager, as well as hislegal advisor. As legal advisor he was paid $125,000 of taxpayers’ money.

Of course, after his admission of massive ballot forgery, under cross-examination at the Dennis Wedra trial in 2002, Mangone dropped back to part-time employment for Senator Nick, at $50,000. But, not to worry, then-DA Jeanine Pirro, got him a full-time position in her husband Albert’s former law firm. And, of course, Mangone continued to work on Nick’s following election bids, most helpful in the the_ of the 2004 election from Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a stunt they were thwarted from repeating last year because of the presence of federal monitors.

Speaking about the contest for the 35th State Senatorial District in 2004, the the_ - and the_ is the right word - could never have been pulled o_ , over those three months of manipulation and fraud, had it not begun with the bogus ruling of Judge Robert Spolzino, of the Appellate Division, Second Department, who less than two years earlier had been Senator Spano’s personal attorney. Conflict of interest you say? How did the Democratic Election Commissioner, who just happened to also be the Chairman of the Westchester Democratic Committee, allow that to happen, you ask? Go ask Larry Schwartz, who orchestrated the whole thing, much as he had a hand in fixing every other major election in Westchester for the better part of two decades.

Perhaps, not so incidentally, Cavallo’s boast that “the fix is in” at the Appellate Division might just have something to do with Judge Spolzino, and/or Judge Joseph Covello, and a number of other Pataki-appointed “ Whores Who Became Madams.”

Difficult as it may be to fathom the shear gall with which these political imposters, these influence peddlers, operate in our faces the way they do, once again, it must be remembered that they have been getting away with it for so long, protected from prosecution by a corrupt District Attorney’s Office, and from exposure by a very cooperative,bought-off, media and press. Nearly seven years ago, News12, Cablevision, through their Lightpath division, received a $23.5 million, five year, no-bid, contract from the County of Westchester, Office of the County Executive. that kind of money buys a lot of news management. Larry Schwartz knows that, and so does Janine Rose, News12 news director. Add to that the fact that the Journal News president and publisher, until a little while ago, was Gary Sherlock, business partner of Albert Pirro, and the cabal has had little to fear from the press.

No, it wasn’t really about a failed costume jewelry business, nor even attempts to tape her husband on his boat with another woman, that attracted the United States Attorney’s Office to Jeanine Pirro. It was about election fraud, abuse of public office, misappropriation of public funds, tax evasion, and crimes of that weight, the same offenses that will soon bring down every other arrogant member of the cabal. As the expression goes, what we send in to the lives of others eventually comes back into our own.

Giulio Cavallo:

Axis of Corruption

In Our Opinion...

It’s beginning to look more and more as though Giulio Cavallo’s political pimping days are over, and he will soon be trading in his Armanis for Federal Prison Stripes. We believe what he has been engaged in for several years, in his capacity with the Westchester County Independence Party, comes under the heading of ELECTION FRAUD. He has been the Axis of Corruption in Westchester.

The People of New York State, one of only five states in the Union to permit cross-endorsement, are just beginning to open their eyes to the scandal that has been state, and local government. Under cross-endorsement, parties such as the Independence Party do not have to field their own candidates for public office. They are permitted to ‘sell’ their endorsement, together with the votes of most of those registered to them, to the highest bidder. In Westchester, those votes, often more than 17,000 countywide, can, and have, decided far too many elections.

Cavallo, who for years held a six-figure, Pataki appointed, position with the State Health Department, most recently has been “employed” by a state senator from Queens, courtesy of former Republican ‘Boss of Bosses,’ Nick Spano. But Cavallo has worked both sides of the street, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the gutter with snipes such as Larry Schwartz, particularly in the effort to elect Jeanine Pirro District Attorney in 2001, and numerous other candidates in “fixed” elections.

It is well known that for fifteen to twenty–thousand dollars, or more, Cavallo has put the Independence Party’s seal of approval on scores of candidates, including numerous individuals now sitting as County, and State Supreme Court Judges. All those elected officials who paid the toll to the Axis of Corruption are beholden to Cavallo, and are, therefore, suspect and untrustworthy. In reality, Cavallo is nothing more than a political pimp, and those who have paid him are simply prostitutes.

There can be little doubt that United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael Garcia, and the federal attorneys and investigators working with him, have had Cavallo, Dhyalma Vazquez, his girlfriend and co-conspirator, as well as Mario Castaldo in the crosshairs of their sights, as well as Larry Schwartz, David Hebert, Nick Spano, and other co-conspirators too numerous to detail, for some time now. After all, if the Justice Department is to fulfill the mandate set out by President Bush, “to clean up the corruption in the suburbs north of New York City,” surely they must focus first on all of the election fraud that has been synonymous with Westchester politics for years. Quite simply, if the Right of Free and Unfettered Elections is not guaranteed, no other Constitutional Right can be guaranteed.

The Westchester Guardian is gratified by the actions of Nader Sayegh, and numerous genuine and honest card-carrying Independence Party members, who, over this past year have stood up to Cavallo and his henchmen, opposing them in intra- party elections, and challenging their unlawful antics in State Supreme Court.Judge Denis Donovan, while perhaps leaving something to be desired in much of his activity in the Matrimonial Part, nevertheless, must be recognized, and applauded, for his right-minded actions in presiding over the petition brought by Michael J. Lehrer, et al, as “Petitioners against Giulio Cavallo, Dhyalma Vazquez, Mario Castaldo, and the Westchester County Committee of the Independence Party, and the Westchester County Board of Elections, and New York State Board of Elections.”

It is clear, both from Judge Donovan’s Findings Of Fact and Conclusions Of Law, that he is onto Cavallo’s game, and is not about to compromise the interests of honest Independence Party members or Westchester voters. We are confident, going forward, that not only will Guilio Cavallo, and those who have done unlawful business with him, be apprehended, and carted off to prison, but also that decent well-meant citizens will come forward to fill the ranks of the Independence Party.

The Advocate Richard Blassberg

Cross-Endorsement: Cornerstone Of Corruption In New York State Politics


Students of Political Science, from Harvard to Berkley, and everywhere in between, are taught that the United States is fundamentally different from most other democracies worldwide, in that we operate politically under a two-party system. Presumably, under the two-party system candidates nominated by minor parties, Conservatives, Independents, Working Families, would stand little chance of election against those put up by the Republican and Democratic Parties. For the most part that is true throughout the country, and, as a result, one can count on the fingers of one hand the number of individuals who have been elected to Congress without the nomination of either the Republicans or Democrats.

However, in New York State, and only four other states out of fifty, the two-party system has been subverted by a gimmick known as cross-endorsement. Under the practice of cross-endorsement, candidates nominated by other parties are adopted, as it were, endorsed and nominated by minor parties, whose constituencies very often comprise the votes needed to put a Democrat or Republican over the top, in an otherwise close contest.

Here in Westchester, in recent elections, we have come to understand, only too well, the opportunity created for corrupt politicians, and party power brokers, to contaminate and subvert the electoral process through cross-endorsement. - at is not to suggest that all minor parties in Westchester have been engaged, at one time, or another, in the unlawful manipulation, or rigging of election outcomes. Quite the contrary.


There are times when a minor party will actually vote in its executive committee to support a Democrat or a Republican candidate based upon that candidate’s stance in support of some issue central to their party’s platform. Such was the case, we are told, in 2004, regarding the Working Families Party’s support of a Republican who claimed to strongly support a signi cant raise in the Minimum Wage. Ordinarily, one doesn’t expect that party to align itself with the Republican Party.

Nevertheless, it is common knowledge that the election process in Westchester has been fraught with fraud and criminal activity for many years, and that certain individuals, up to their eyeballs in race fixing and election fraud, have enjoyed protection from state prosecution in exchange for their conspiring with, and collaborating with the former District Attorney, Jeanine Pirro. Anthony Mangone, a political operative, admitted under cross-xamination, while serving as the chief prosecution witness at the Wedra trial in February 2002, that he, Mangone, was, in fact, the individual who forged 166 ballots in the Green Party primary of 2000. Not only was Mangone granted immunity, but Pirro arranged for him to be employed as an attorney in her husband’s former
law firm.

There have been several elections, involving numerous individuals, who engaged in unlawful activities, in Westchester, over the last ten years alone, enough to fill several columns on the subject. Suffice to say, significant numbers of elected officials, party committee persons, law enforcement personnel, and county and municipal employees, will be exposed in upcoming issues. For now, it should be pointed out that one of the most outrageous of these Election Fraud criminals is Giulio Cavallo, “on again, off again” Chairman of the Westchester Independence Party, who, we have been told, by usually reliable sources, is under federal investigation.


Mr. Cavallo, currently “employed,” by a State Legislator from Queens County, is clearly someone who several elected o cials and political operatives, from Westchester to Albany, are very concerned about. They
are plainly worried that, once put under threat of criminal prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office, he will rat them all out to save his own ass. Cavallo is experiencing sleepless nights, not only in fear of prosecution but in fear of the consequences of his loss in last Tuesday’s primary to Nader Sayegh, co-founder, and former party chairman, who has been leading a very aggressive reform movement within the Westchester Independence
Party.

Stay tuned for further developments and revelations.