An Investigative Perspective on the Sparaco Tapes

This is being written to refute most of the assertions that were printed in the New City Patch by Vice President Amy Durbin (Vice President of the Clarkstown Taxpayers Association).  We honestly have become tired of the constant phone calls that we have been getting about Dennis Malone and the questioning of our credibility in our desire to still carry him on the independent line that we are helping to develop for the November elections, called PreserveRockland.

First, in the interest of full disclosure, it must be understood that we do not take sides based on emotion or personal friendships.  We merely gather all facts and evidence which is available at the particular moment, and then try to make rational decisions.  I had never met or spoken to Dennis Malone until the night of the Bardonia Civic Association which occurred sometime in late May or early June in 2013.  I have only met Frank Sparaco twice, once at a Valley Cottage Indians Football brunch, and the other time was yesterday, when he approached me on a sidewalk in Valley Cottage while I was in the process of gathering signatures for the PreserveRockland line.

I was a Fire Marshal within the New York City Fire Department for a period of twenty five months a few years ago.  I investigated over three hundred fires in that twenty five month period.  A Fire Marshal's job is to determine cause and origin of all fires, methodically document all findings, conduct interviews and in cases where the cause was incendiary, make the appropriate arrests.  This job carries Police Officer status.  During the course of my investigations over the twenty five month period, I had approximately twenty cases where surveillance video was integral in making the case for probable cause to arrest the perpetrator.  I worked closely with the NYPD TARU (Technical Assistance Response Unit) on several of these cases.  Although I never received the formal training that these guys had, they did show me a thing or two about interpreting video quality and accuracy. 

If you go online, you can access the Frank Sparaco press conference that the Journal News has dated as July 15, 2013.  This date is relevant as I will explain a little later.  In that press conference, Mr. Sparaco states that he had been repeatedly threatened and bribed by Larry Weissman, Frank Borelli and Dennis Malone.  The allegations were essentially that if Mr. Sparaco didn't provide his "sphere of influence" to secure the Independence and Working Families line for Malone in the next Highway Superintendent race, there would be hellish consequences to be paid by Mr. Sparaco, both politically and personally.  Mr. Sparaco further added that "after being both threatened and bribed, I naturally went to my Chairman, Chairman Reda (Republican Chairman), and together we approached counsel.  It was decided that I should record these conversations on videotape, which I did."  My first question at that press conference would have been:

What is the name of the attorney that advised you, Mr. Sparaco, and Chairman Reda to conduct an undercover police investigation without the consent of at least the local police department?  If you can furnish a name of the attorney, I'm sure they will face sanctions from the New York State Bar, as this would constitute gross negligence on the attorney's part.

Mr. Sparaco then continued with his press conference and informed the media that after gathering in excess of eight hours of video footage, he proceeded to turn the evidence over to the FBI.  Mr. Sparaco implied that the FBI encounter was sometime in March.  Mr. Sparaco then stated that the FBI concluded that "the FBI then asked that we waited a certain amount of time before going public with the tapes and that time is now (July 15, 2013)."  This seems like a strange concession on the part of the FBI.  But if Mr. Sparaco insists that that is how it went down, so be it.

Here are a couple of observations: the New York State Board of Elections last date to file petitions for all established parties (Democrat, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families) was July 11, 2013.  As of the press conference, no more petitions could be submitted for election year 2013.  However, the petition gathering period for the independent line, PreserveRockland, had just started on July 9, 2013 and will continue until August 20, 2013.  These are important facts that may bear relevance a little later. 

Malone/Borelli/Sparaco - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-T_N3Iol9Q

Weissman/Sparaco - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCNrtotwgAg

Borelli/Sparaco - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5v5pjpKRX4

If you are a citizen that wishes to try to unearth the truth, then it is imperative that you view the tapes.  In an effort at transparency, Mr. Sparaco has graciously posted his "edited" version of the three different encounters that he submitted to the media on July 15, 2013. 

While it is understood that Mr. Sparaco acknowledged at the press conference that he had significantly trimmed the footage down from a little over eight hours, all the way to forty one minutes, he seemed to imply that he did so out of consideration for the media and the time constraints that they face. 

Reputations are on the line however, including Dennis Malone's, the Clarkstown Preservation Society's and PreserveRockland's.  It is imperative that some things are made clear.  About three weeks before the press conference, I received multiple (three) phone calls from people that had just finished attending the Clarkstown Town Hall Meeting.  All three people were frantically telling me that if we wanted to retain our credibility, we had to immediately remove Dennis Malone's name from the PreserveRockland line or we would potentially be associated with a person that is on tape offering Frank Sparaco a promotion to full time status, plus a 30k pay raise.  I was further told that Sparaco would be releasing the tape.  My first question on each and every phone call was, "Did you see the tapes?".  Each and every person said they didn't.  I ended every phone call by saying, "We are on standby for now; I'm calling Malone in the morning."  The next morning when I called Dennis, I got right into it:

Me: “Did you offer Frank Sparaco a promotion and pay raise?”

Malone: "The only thing that I told Sparaco was that he was going to be fired and the job position dissolved." 

Me: “What if you're on tape offering him a promotion and pay raise?” 

Malone: “Then the tapes are cut up.”

Me: “If that's true, what would be your recourse?”

Malone: “I'm going to sue him, I don't do deals.”

With that, conversation concluded.  We warned Dennis that if we feel he promised Frank Sparaco a promotion, we would be dropping him.

Analysis of the Malone/Sparaco/Borelli meeting

After you read this mailer, I would appreciate it if you print it, and then highlight the following time frames that I'm about to outline.  As stated earlier, there are ways in which even a layman can verify a tapes authenticity.  When I used to submit to the assistant district attorney, my downloaded discs which provided feeds from cameras which are mounted on the exteriors of many buildings in New York City, the first order of business was to synchronize the dated "timestamp".  The timestamp, is a digital clock which is situated in the corner of actual footage which is being shot by the camera.  Sometimes, if the timestamp wasn't conveying the correct time at that moment, I would simply have to articulate it in my notes that they timestamp is off by however many hours and minutes.  Once I did that, it was submitted as legitimate evidence.  The important thing to remember is that even if the timestamp is not properly calibrated to the current time, as long as the video is fluidly ticking off one second at a time, the video is conveying a true pictorial of events it is capturing.

Fortunately, Mr. Sparaco has provided us with three videos on YouTube to examine and scrutinize.  The most important to us, is the only one in which Dennis Malone is involved in.  If you go to that video, enlarge the picture on your computer and take note of the timestamp in the bottom right hand corner of the footage.  There are discrepancies in the following time frames:

timeframe 10:05:35 jumps to 10:05:53- 18 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:06:05 jumps to 10:06:48- 43 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:06:53 jumps to 10:13:16- 7 minutes and 9 seconds of footage are missing.

timeframe 10:13:25 jumps to 10:13:44- 19 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:15:49 jumps to 10:16:04- 15 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:16:51 jumps to 10:17:03- 12 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:17:39 jumps to 10:18:17- 38 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:18:48 jumps to 10:19:03- 15 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:19:58 jumps to 10:21:00- 1 minute and 2 seconds are missing.

timeframe 10:21:05 jumps to 10:21:19- 14 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:21:48 jumps to 10:22:49- 1 minute and 1 second is missing.

timeframe 10:23:12 jumps to 10:23:28- 16 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:23:48 jumps to 10:24:08- 20 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:25:26 jumps to 10:26:44- 1 minute and 18 seconds are missing.

timeframe 10:29:59 jumps to 10:30:06- 7 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:30:25 jumps to 10:36:56- 6 minutes and 31 seconds of footage are missing.

timeframe 10:37:44 jumps to 10:38:07- 23 seconds of footage is missing.

timeframe 10:38:24 jumps to 10:42:35- 4 minutes and 11 seconds are missing.

timeframe 10:47:02 jumps to 10:51:06- 4 minutes and 4 seconds are missing.

Total video time, if there were not missing footage: 44min:44sec. 

Total time value of missing footage during that meeting: 29min:16sec. 

Total YouTube video of that meeting: Approximately 15min:28sec. 

A cautious and prudent person should naturally now be begging the question: “Legislator Sparaco, since you have now been officially granted permission by the FBI to release your eight hours of corruption footage, and your integrity is not for sale, when can we all become privy to the complete unedited eight hours of footage?"

We, as the Clarkstown Preservation Society, in trying to assist in the creation of PreserveRockland line, do believe that at this moment in time, our candidate Dennis Malone should be no longer subject to ridiculous blogs filled with unsubstantiated assertions on any medium.  Smarten up bloggers!!!  If you feel that Wayne Ballard is a better fit for Highway Superintendent, say so and then sign off.  A man's reputation is being damaged by people that are too lazy to do their homework or are just set in their ways.  The final results of my investigation reveal the following: we will not form any commentary about Larry Weissman and Frank Borelli.  We will only vouch for Dennis Malone.  If you want to do your own research, then I beg of you to go onto the Larry Weissman undercover video which is timestamped as occurring on 2/22/13.  Now, use the YouTube timestamp and go to 3:13 on Larry's video.  You will hear Frank Sparaco saying the following, "I'm hearing he's already telling people he's gonna cut the job, he's gonna fire Frank Sparaco."

Now, once again, go back to the Malone/Borelli/Sparaco meeting.  This meeting is timestamped as 2/25/13. Go to the end of footage where Frank Sparaco and Frank Borelli are in the hallway next to the soda machines.  Legislator Sparaco is clearly trying to persuade Mr. Borelli to convince Malone to let him keep his job.  Dennis Malone has already left his first, last and only meeting with Legislator Sparaco.  My question is, if he was promised a promotion, pay raise and full time job in the conference room, why is he still begging Borelli out in the hallway.

The last tape is with Borelli on the sidewalk with Sparaco.  This tape is timestamped as occurring in early March, the final video of the edited series.  Once again, most of the conversation is dominated by these two trying to figure out a way to get Malone to agree to keep Sparaco on if Sparaco could use his "sphere of influence" to secure the Independence and Working Families line for Malone.  Dennis Malone as steadfastly maintained that he has only met Frank Sparaco one time.  Mr. Sparaco still seems to be under the impression in early March that he doesn't have a job come January.

On Sunday, while I was gathering signatures on a sidewalk in Valley Cottage, I was approached by Frank Sparaco.  Frank had told me that he had read my last and only email blast about the videos.  He further stated that I was not being fair and reasonable.  In the two days prior, both  Frank and I had been negotiating through a common friend for me to view the whole eight hours of video on four separate days for two hours each day.  Frank had a problem with burning me off a copy so that I could view it at my home.  That's fine and I understand.  He's probably worried about the lawsuit that he's facing from Malone.  I then made another offer to go to the Journal News offices on four separate days for two hour intervals.  Frank said that would be no good because he wanted to watch the video with me.  I told him that I don't need him.  I will bring a notepad and write down any questions that I may have.  So, on the sidewalk, as he was telling me that I don't want to know the truth and that I have no moral compass, I kept telling him that I have no problem going to the Journal News and watching in two hour sittings.  I followed up with him by saying "You did turn in the eight hours to the Journal News, like you said you were going to, right?"  His reply to me was, "I took it to the Journal News and allowed them to watch it with me present.  I then left with it.  The only people that are keeping a copy of the eight hours are the FBI."

Frank then started questioning why I even wanted to watch the eight hours.  My reply was that because the tapes were edited.  He then kept asking me if I saw when so and so said this and so and so said that?  My answer each time was, “I did Frank, but the tapes are edited.  I need to see the whole eight hours."

On Monday morning I called the Journal News and asked the Clarkstown reporter if Legislator Sparaco had indeed been into their offices with the eight hours.  Her reply was no. So for some reason, Legislator Sparaco lied to me about being to the Journal News. 

Just so everyone understands, time as little as eight seconds is an eternity with human dialogue.  When clips of eight, twelve, eighteen seconds etc. are missing in a meeting, and it appears to the uninformed that a free flowing conversation is ongoing, skepticism should be aroused by anyone viewing.  There are a total of 19 "dead spots" on the Malone/Borelli/ Sparaco video.  I think that honesty and integrity are an important trait for an elected official to hold.  It truly does appear that a continual conversation is ongoing in many portions of the YouTube Malone video.  Maybe this is just a simple misunderstanding.  So being that the FBI has granted their permission for releasing of the corruption tapes on July 15, 2013 ( this is less than one week into our PreserveRockland signature gathering drive ), we are now insisting that Legislator Sparaco release the entire eight hours of unedited video to the public.  Corruption cannot be accepted by the Clarkstown residents any longer.  Legislator Sparaco needs to step up and help rid us of our problems.