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7 FDNY Chiefs Fined for Accepting Super Bowl Tickets From NFL Exec: City

By Noah Hurowitz | January 14, 2016 2:33pm
 John Curatolo, a firefighter assigned to Engine 8 Ladder 2 in Midtown, admitted to accepting 52 free Super Bowl tickets from an NFL executive and securing an internship at the football league for his child.
John Curatolo, a firefighter assigned to Engine 8 Ladder 2 in Midtown, admitted to accepting 52 free Super Bowl tickets from an NFL executive and securing an internship at the football league for his child.
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Facebook/FDNY Engine 8 Ladder 2

MIDTOWN — Seven high-ranking firefighters were slapped with fines for accepting dozens of free tickets to the 2014 Super Bowl, violating a conflict of interest law, officials said.

John Curatolo, a 24-year FDNY veteran assigned to Engine 8 Ladder 2 on East 54th Street and the logistics coordinator for the Manhattan Borough Command, admitted to accepting and distributing 52 free tickets from an NFL representative whom he knew through coordinating street closures and other events for pre-Super Bowl celebrations, according to the city's Conflicts of Interest Board.

Curatolo, also admitted to using his relationship with a representatives of the NFL film division — whom he met when the NFL filmed a Bon Jovi concert at the Ladder 8 station house — to secure a summer internship for his kid, according to the board's records.

Curatolo agreed to pay a $4,000 fine for the violations, records show.

The six other firefighters, all of whom hold high-ranking positions and accepted tickets from Curatolo, agreed to pay fines ranging from $500 to $3,000, and admitted to being in violation of Section 68 of the City Charter, which prevents public servants from accepting gifts from business interests that have a commercial relationship with the city.

In addition to Curatolo, the firefighters involved were Joseph Brosi, a battalion chief, fined $1,000 for accepting two tickets; Vincent Cartafalsa, a captain, fined $1,000 for accepting two tickets; William Chilson, a battalion chief, fined $500 for accepting one ticket; Hugh Duffy, a lieutenant, fined $1,000 for accepting two tickets; Michael McLaughlin, a deputy chief, fined $3,000 for accepting six tickets, and Michael Meyers, a battalion chief, fined $500 for accepting one ticket, records show.

Tickets bought at face value for the 2014 Superbowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos ranged from $800 to $2,500, according to NJ.com, but prices on websites like StubHub soared to an average of $3,715 a week before the game, according to Forbes.

A representative of the Conflicts of Interest Board declined to comment, and representatives of the Fire Department and the NFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment.