Frank Sammartano was given a second-chance, acknowledges Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto.
Sammartano resigned in 2003 as administrative assistant to Republican town board members after admitting he lifted a computer disk from the desk of a secretary for a a Democratic board member. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated in the Town of Oyster Bay,” Republican Venditto said then.
Democratic legislature candidate John Rennhack's Nassau GOPwatch reported last week that Sammartano, leader of the Jericho Republican club, was back on the payroll. A town spokeswoman subsequently told Newsday that Sammartano, who resigned in July 2003 at a salary of $52,000, was rehired in Jan. 2004 as a labor supervisor and was promoted last November to a $81,375-a-year public works deputy commissioner.
Venditto said Sammartano came to him and made a case for being rehired, pointing out that then Nassau District Attorney Denis Dillon had dropped the original misdemeanor charge of official misconduct to a non-criminal violation.
“I have track record of giving town employees at all levels of the town government a second chance,” Venditto said. “Frank is one of the situations that has had a happy ending. He is and continues to be a very valuable employee in the Town of Oyster Bay.”
As for Sammartano’s political activities, “Its not a factor in my determination,” Venditto said.
Celeste Hadrick