October 10, 2006

Tassone Sentenced to Prison

Judge gives former Superintendent 4-12 years in prison

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced this morning that the former Superintendent of the Roslyn School District, Frank Tassone, 59, has been sentenced by the Honorable Alan L. Honorof in Nassau County Court to four-to-twelve years in prison for his role in a more than $8 million theft from the district.

In September 2005, Mr. Tassone pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the First and Second Degrees. Mr. Tassone has admitted stealing $2,208,361, of which $1,918,028.40 has been returned to the school district. The balance of the restitution will be paid upon receipt of the defendant’s bail money, an expected loan on a relative’s house, and a soon-to-be-closed stock sale worth more than $40,000.

Mr. Tassone is the last defendant of six to be sentenced for his role in the school theft.

“This case has left an indelible mark on this school district’s reputation and on this county’s trust in their public officials,” said Rice. “If there were ever a case signaling the need for more transparency in our government and in our school districts, what happened in Roslyn is it. Hopefully this case provides us with the collective will to demand more from our public officials and to have the courage to report criminal activity to the authorities.”

Pamela Gluckin
Ms. Gluckin has admitted to stealing $4,358,743, of which she has repaid $1,976,843.22 to the school district. In addition, she is in possession of artwork and jewelry valued at approximately $60,000 that will be the subject of forfeiture action by the District Attorney’s Office and eventually returned to the school district. Ms. Gluckin’s bail amount, $24,250, will also be given to the school district. In an attempt to pay full restitution, Ms. Gluckin has also agreed to give half of her school district pension, $21,924 per year, to the school district during her stay in state prison. She received a sentence of three-to-nine years in prison.

Debra Rigano
Sentenced last week for her role in the heist was Ms. Gluckin’s niece, Debra Rigano. Ms. Rigano, the account clerk for the school district, admitted to stealing $852,231 and pleaded guilty in November of last year to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. She has admitted to stealing $852,231, all of which she has been ordered by the court to pay back to the Roslyn School District. Thus far, Ms. Rigano has returned $75,000. Additional proceeds are expected to be returned upon the sale of personal assets, including a Florida home she is in joint ownership of. She received a sentence of two-to-six years in prison.

Stephen Signorelli
Stephen Signorelli, a principal of WordPower, a Roslyn School District vendor, pleaded guilty January 18 to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. District Attorney Rice, in holding Mr. Signorelli to the top indicted count and requiring full restitution in the amount of $219,000, recommended an upstate prison sentence of one-to-three years. On March 16 of this year, the Honorable Alan L. Honorof sentenced Mr. Signorelli to one-to-three years in prison and full restitution for his role in the heist.

Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller, a former partner at the accounting firm Miller, Lilly & Pearce, LLP, and the Roslyn School District’s auditor, pleaded guilty in November of last year to Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree. Despite District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s recommendation of two-to-six years in prison, he was sentenced in January to four months in jail and five years of probation.

John McCormick
John McCormick, son of Pamela Gluckin, was charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. Mr. McCormick pleaded guilty to both charges in March and in June received five years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and an order to pay full restitution in the amount of $83,982.54. In addition, Mr. McCormick agreed to pay $104,958.56 in forfeiture, which represents stolen money and items given to him by his mother, and has been credited against Ms. Gluckin’s restitution order.

Handling the cases for the District Attorney’s Office has been Assistant District Attorney Peter Mancuso, of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau. Mr. Tassone is being represented by Ed Jenks, Esq., of Garden City.