Joe-Mentum! Tiago Wins State Ruling On His Termination

A state labor decision has landed on the side of Joe Tiago who was fired by Mayor Joe Ganim for the deputy director of Public Facilities alleged role in the scrap-metal sales for cash. The arbitration ruling declared a suspension of 90 days would have been sufficient in the matter.

Unclear how this will all play out. The city can appeal the ruling.

From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:

This week a labor arbitrator ordered Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration to reinstate Joe Tiago as deputy public facilities director with back pay. He had been earning around $130,000.

Ganim fired Tiago in February 2019 for his alleged role in an illicit scrap-metal-for-cash operation which caught the FBI’s attention.

That federal investigation, which also involves the U.S. Attorneys from Connecticut and the Southern District of New York, was broadened into city contracting procedures as well as 2018’s search for a police chief. And, as reported earlier this year, Ganim’s administration has spent over $250,000 on outside attorneys and consultants in connection with the investigation.

Tiago’s union, the Bridgeport City Supervisors Association, appealed his termination last March, and both parties, per the collective bargaining contract, agreed to take the matter to an independent arbitrator.

Tiago, hired during the mayoral administration of Bill Finch, was elevated deputy director of Public Facilities when it was led by John Ricci who retired in January. Ricci lost two weeks pay and paid vacation, but no suspension, for his role in the matter that centered on scrap metal sold for cash that was presumably used as a morale-boosting sunshine fund for department employees.

Ricci is quoted by the Connecticut Post “It was Joe Ganim’s decision to fire him and it appears he may have been in error.”

Ricci, however, also told OIB when he served as chief of the department that his relationship with Tiago was irreparable and that he’d terminate Tiago if he were returned to work. While Ricci took some responsibility for his conduct in the dubious cash business he leveled most of the culpability on Tiago who has privately told friends that he was scapegoated in the fallout. Both Ricci and Tiago were interviewed by the FBI. No one has been charged with wrongdoing.

Tiago, who has a construction background, was well-liked by people in the department. Ricci at the time said he pushed for Tiago’s appointment as his deputy.

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19 comments

  1. Well this will get interesting quickly. Does this push, auto promote Craig up to Dir. of Pub Faciliites?

    My opinon is a Dir. of Facilities was never hired because they knew this was coming and was retroactive. They savings can help offset the initial mistake.

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  2. Let the corruption continue.Tiago had his hands into alot of things if I remember correctly, awarding bids to “connected” contractors,he takes corruption to a different level.Joe should promote him to chief of stafff,Joe,Tiago &Mario would be unstoppable!!…

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  3. Please, there was no doubt that the City was not going to win this case, Mayor Ganim had to do something to make the taxpayers and the voters to THINK that he was doing something, it didn’t matter that there would be backpay because it was more important for Ganim to LOOL LIKE the mayor was doing something while John Ricci was doing his job.

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  4. Ernie
    Didn’t take much heavy lifting to get Gee to produce a letter from Saffran to say this vendor, Dunn Lightweight Architecture, is a Hispanic owned company.
    While you are at it, maybe you could tell us why the company is not listed under the SOTS commercial recording of businesses?
    Is it not a Connecticut business or was it formed recently, like yesterday?

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  5. Ernie
    I did find a Dunn Lightweight Architecture LLC.
    Is that it?
    If it is maybe you can tell me how using a company registered in Doha, Qatar will be helpful to your black and brown community in Bridgeport?

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  6. Again Ernie,
    I found a Langley Tucking INC that is located in Perrysville, IN. Could that be it?
    Not to sure how that would help your community in Bridgeport.

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  7. Hey Ernie
    While you are at it could you tell us why there is no date on this letter???
    Is it just a CYA letter that Saffran wrote a day or two ago???

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  8. Now let’s get back to the tax breaks for housing.
    I believe when Guedes originally bid for this development he didn’t need any help. Now he does. So what gives?

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  9. And rather than Maria suggest people login the the virtual public hearing, why not offer something of substance rather than just some numbers.
    Why not a substantial penalty if this does not go as planned. For example the developer cannot charge a penny more than what he has in his pro forma. The excess goes into a fund to help finance truly affordable housing.
    How’s that grab you Paul. Gives you something to sink your teeth into. Unless Trumbull residents don’t really care what happens with Bridgeport tax abatements.

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      1. Is that Harbor Yards One or HY Two? I get confused.
        Or was that if inferior design them the contractor would be responsible for ALL cost overruns and repairs.

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  10. Let’s make believe we are a fly-on-the-wall.
    JG: Hey Howie, I was thinking. Why don’t you put a bid on our RFP for Harbor Yards. You can bid on a amphitheater instead of a ballpark.
    HS: I don’t know Joe. I mean I know about putting on a concert but building an amphitheater sounds kind of out of may league. Get it, out of my league?
    JG: You’re a real comedian. Too bad I’ve got someone for the comedy club I want to open.
    Seriously, how difficult could it be.
    HS: Ya think?
    JG: Sure. You got the seats already. A little paint and it will look awesome. And I really like the idea of concerts much more than baseball. It’s not like someone put a sewer line through center field or anything.
    HS: Sounds like fun but what if someone DOD put a sewer line in centerfield. What am I supposed to do if something like that really happened. You know how that place is built.
    JG: Relax. Will cover costs overruns. How much could it be? A couple of thousand dollars. And we’ll have a blast up in the city’s skybox.
    HS: OK Joe let’s give it a go. As long as you’ve got my back covered.

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