Sunday, September 27, 2026

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Comptroller.

Law Office of John J. Tormey III, Esq.
John J. Tormey III, PLLC
1578 Third Avenue, PMB 188
New York, New York 10128 USA
(212) 410-4142 (phone)
(212) 410-2380 (fax)
jtormey@optonline.net
https://www.tormey.org
 
Sunday, September 27, 2026
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-473-9104, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
lcrisafulli@osc.ny.gov
Laura M. Crisafulli, Esq. - Assistant Counsel
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division Of Legal Services
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street, 14th Floor
Albany, New York 12236 USA
 
Re:     
A Request To Expand The Piermont, New York State Comptroller (OSC) Audit
To Include Non-Profit Corporation “Keep Rockland Beautiful, Inc.”
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 06-1513190
Filing And Incorporation Date: April 29, 1997
NYSDOS ID #2138397

The Ongoing OSC Audit Of Piermont, New York And Its Ex-Mayor Bruce Tucker
 
Dear Ms. Crisafulli, and OSC Colleagues:
 
I write to respectfully request that the ongoing law enforcement investigation (“Investigation”) and audit (“Audit”) of Piermont, New York and its ex-Mayor Bruce Edward Tucker be expanded, to include any possible fiscal or other connection between Bruce Tucker on the one hand, and the New York not-for-profit corporation known as “Keep Rockland Beautiful, Inc.” (“KRBI”) on the other hand. As you know, the Investigation and Audit of Piermont and Tucker, as presaged by an initial OSC Risk Assessment, has been pending now for approximately two (2) years, although no resulting OSC Audit Report has yet issued to my knowledge. I therefore hope and trust that I am forwarding you this information in time for OSC consideration and inclusion.
 
As an environmental advocate myself for many years, I would of course normally applaud any well-intentioned and well-run non-profit entity undertaking a self-imposed mission to clean up my own home county on a regular basis – or indeed any county. However, given the long-standing set of interactions between Bruce Tucker and KRBI, particularly while he occupied the office of Piermont Mayor for eight (8) years, it now appears imperative that the Tucker-KRBI relationship should be included within the penumbra of the OSC Investigation and Audit of Tucker and Piermont. I will be making a comparable inquiry to the Charities Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office as well.
 
While I have not found evidence that Bruce Tucker himself served as an officer or director of KRBI or took money from the entity, Bruce Tucker’s connection to KRBI appears to be in his capacity as then-Mayor of Piermont for four (4) consecutive terms from 2018 through 2025. During that time-frame, as you may already be aware from existing OSC field-work, KRBI repeatedly conducted community-cleanup activities in Piermont. The key documents and events have been thusfar identified to me as follows:
 
1. The February 16, 2021 Village Board of Trustees Meeting:
On February 16, 2021, while Bruce Tucker was Mayor of Piermont, the minutes of Piermont’s Village Board of Trustees meeting (“Piermont Board Minutes”) record a discussion concerning a then-upcoming KRBI cleanup in Piermont. A Trustee with last name of “Ruby” therein reports receiving a call from KRBI about the event. The Piermont Board Minutes continue:
 
“Mayor Tucker said he will speak with Chief Hurley about setting up a BBQ lunch after the event as was done in the past”.

That is direct documentary evidence of Bruce Tucker personally acting, in his mayoral capacity, to facilitate something associated with the KRBI event. In other words, Bruce Tucker personally participated in facilitating at least one KRBI Piermont cleanup by indicating that he would contact the Piermont Police Chief about arranging a post-cleanup barbecue. It is not yet clear whether that barbecue happened or, if so, how it was funded.
 
2. The February 21, 2023 Village Board of Trustees Meeting:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2026/09/2023-02-21-piermont-village-board-of.html
The February 21, 2023 Piermont Board Minutes record an appearance by KRBI, regarding KRBI’s then-upcoming May 2023 cleanup in Piermont. Again, Bruce Tucker was Piermont Mayor at the time and appears to have been present at that meeting. These minutes indicate KRBI’s intention to rent Piermont’s Goswick Pavilion and conduct a Piermont community cleanup on May 6, 2023, with a May 7, 2023 rain date. Then, on the March 22, 2023 Village Board Agenda which followed the meeting, the same matter appeared as:
 
“Request from Keep Rockland Beautiful to hold their annual event at the Goswick Pavilion...”
 
Again, the Agenda identifies Bruce Tucker as Mayor and included KRBI’s request to use Piermont’s Goswick Pavilion – a Village Board still headed by then-Mayor Bruce Tucker:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2026/09/2023-03-22-piermont-village-board-of.html
 
3. The April 16, 2024 Village Board of Trustees Meeting:
The April 16, 2024 Piermont Board Minutes record KRBI speaking concerning another then-upcoming Piermont community cleanup, while Bruce Tucker continued to serve as Mayor. Moreover, during the time-period while Bruce Tucker was Mayor of Piermont, KRBI appears to have repeatedly obtained municipal cooperation and in-kind support from the Village, not just use of Piermont’s Goswick Pavilion, but also assistance from multiple Village of Piermont departments. Therefore, upon information and belief, Village of Piermont resources supported KRBI’s Piermont activities. The April 16, 2024 Piermont Board Minutes make the extent of municipal participation clear. KRBI therein thanks the Piermont Police Department, the PAL, EMTs, the Piermont Fire Department, the Piermont DPW, and the Piermont Village Clerk-Treasurer for their support of the community cleanup. Again, Bruce Tucker was Mayor of Piermont at the time and appears to have attended that meeting. The same minutes repeatedly identify him acting in his mayoral capacity.
 
4. The May 13, 2025 Village Board of Trustees Meeting:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2026/09/2025-05-13-piermont-village-board-of.html
Thereafter, on May 13, 2025, Village of Piermont Board minutes record KRBI once again thanking the Piermont Village Board, the Piermont Police Department, the Piermont Fire Department, and the Piermont DPW for their assistance with KRBI. Bruce Tucker still presided as Mayor during this time-frame. It therefore appears that municipal personnel and resources were used in support of KRB-sponsored Piermont events during Bruce Tucker’s mayoralty. Yes, personnel and resources are different from a cash grant. However, municipal labor, police and fire participation, DPW services, and facility use can constitute economically-valuable in-kind governmental support.
 
5. The 2022 Orange & Rockland Climate-Resilience Working-Group:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-2022-orange-and-rockland-climate.html
Additionally, a 2022 Orange and Rockland climate-resilience working-group document lists both Bruce Tucker as Piermont Mayor, and a Sonia Cairo as Keep Rockland Beautiful Executive Director, among participants or representatives. That demonstrates that Bruce Tucker and KRBI’s executive leadership participated in at least one broader environmental and governmental network.
 
In any event, I hope and trust that you and your colleagues can carefully consider this information in connection with the pending OSC Investigation and Audit of the Village of Piermont and Bruce Tucker. Thank you for reviewing and considering the foregoing request. As you all know, I very much appreciate all your work.
 
Very truly yours,

John J. Tormey III, Esq.
 
cc:
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
mcolangelo@osc.ny.gov
Matthew P. (Matt) Colangelo – Auditor 2 (Municipal)
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division of Local Government & School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York 12553 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
bsheevers@osc.ny.gov
Brian Sheevers - Auditor 3 (Municipal)
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division of Local Government and School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive, Suite 102 - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York 12553 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
lnewhall@osc.ny.gov
muni-newburgh@osc.ny.gov
LGSA-Audits@osc.ny.gov
Laura A. Newhall – Auditor 3
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Newburgh Regional Office
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive, Suite 102
New Windsor, New York 12553 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-473-8940, (1-212-681-4468), U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
contactus@osc.ny.gov
sgaaudits@osc.ny.gov
Robin Lois - Deputy Comptroller
Elliot Auerbach - Deputy Comptroller
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street - Albany Office
Albany, New York 12236 USA         
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
jfreeman@osc.ny.gov
press@osc.ny.gov
Jennifer L. (Jen) Freeman - Communications Director
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
59 Maiden Lane - New York City Office
New York, New York 10038 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
mmueller@osc.ny.gov
Mary Mueller
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
59 Maiden Lane - New York City Office
New York, New York 10038 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
Matt Sweeney - Assistant Communications Director
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
59 Maiden Lane - New York City Office
New York, New York 10038 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
LGSAmonitoring@osc.ny.gov
eburgess@osc.ny.gov
eburgess@strategen.com
Edward J. Burgess IV
Chief of Data Operations – Chief, Municipal Audits
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division of Local Government and School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12223 USA

VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
Jay Phillips – Manager, Monitoring and Analysis
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division of Local Government and School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12223 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-408-3931, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
InspectorGeneral@osc.ny.gov
Lucy Lang - Inspector General
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 2, 16th Floor
Albany, New York 12223 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-408-3931, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
investigations@osc.ny.gov
Jennifer Wood, CFE - Chief of Investigations
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Investigations Division
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
59 Maiden Lane
New York, New York 10038 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
akama@osc.ny.gov
Adam S. Kama – Senior Examiner
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
Division of Local Government & School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York 12553 USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
lgsamonitoring@osc.ny.gov
Amy McCabe, CPA – Auditor 2, Monitoring and Analysis Unit
Division of Local Government & School Accountability
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York 12553 USA

VIA FAX: 1-518-486-4382, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
Simonia Brown - Assistant Comptroller
Division of Local Government and School Accountability
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12223 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-486-4382, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
LocalGov@osc.state.ny.us
Mary Berghela – Manager, Data Management Unit
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12223 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-486-3146, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
rsickler@osc.ny.gov
Ryan E. Sickler - Auditor 1 (Municipal), Data Management Unit
Division of Local Government and School Accountability
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12236 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-486-3146, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
jpostulka@osc.ny.gov
Jacklyn L. Postulka
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12236 USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-486-3146, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
rnayyar@osc.ny.gov
Ruchika Nayyar - Auditor 1 (Municipal), Data Management Unit
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street
Albany, New York 12236 USA
at
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