Addiction or Corruption? Ex-NYC Official Goes on Trial Over Alleged Bribes

A former New York City official who allegedly gambled away half his salary at casinos and an underground gambling den with Mafia connections went on trial Monday (Oct. 19) accused of trading political favors for cash and gifts.

Eric Ulrich, 41, a former Queens councilman and buildings commissioner under then-Mayor Eric Adams, was originally accused of accepting more than $150,000 in bribes from businessmen seeking favors from City Hall.

Prosecutors say Ulrich’s gambling addiction left him perpetually short of money despite his six-figure government salary. His lawyer acknowledges that he frequently borrowed money to gamble but insists none of the payments were bribes.

Ulrich and co-defendant Michael Mazzio, a towing-company owner, are being tried without a jury before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Daniel Conviser.

Casino Regular, Illegal Gambling Den

According to QNS, prosecutor Guy Tardanico told the court that Ulrich spent roughly half his paycheck gambling at Resorts World New York City and the 89th Street Café, an illegal gambling club in Ozone Park operated by his former aide, Joseph Livreri.

Defense attorney David Jason Cohen said Ulrich visited Resorts World around 100 times annually, with more than 180 visits in 2017. His bank account could go from full to empty within days.

“Call him an addicted gambler, call him an alcoholic, call him a foul-mouthed, unpolitically correct politician, but he was never a bribe receiver,” Cohen told the court, according to Gothamist.

Cohen said his client played cards socially at the 89th Street Café but did not participate in the high-stakes illegal games operated there.

The club had an intriguing history. According to a 2023 New York Magazine investigation, the premises once served as the headquarters of Ciro Perrone, a captain in the Genovese crime family.

Livreri renovated the premises in 2020, installing slot machines, video poker terminals, and high-end card tables.

Mafia Connections and Political Favors

Joseph and his brother Anthony also formerly operated Aldo’s Pizzeria, a notorious Queens Mafia hangout once frequented by Gambino figures including Ronald “Ronny One Arm” Trucchio and Vincent Asaro, according to the New York Post.

The brothers pleaded guilty last month to bribery-related charges, admitting they paid Ulrich $4,000 to help rescind a vacate order at Fortunato Brothers Bakery in Brooklyn following a fire.

Prosecutors also allege Ulrich secured a rapid health reinspection at Aldo’s after it was shuttered over a mouse infestation in 2022. Joseph Livreri subsequently sent him $300, which prosecutors say he promptly spent at Resorts World.

Mazzio allegedly provided Mets season tickets worth nearly $10,000 in exchange for help with licensing problems affecting his towing company. Prosecutors also allege Ulrich helped Mazzio’s daughter secure a better-paid city job.

‘Trust, Not Corruption’

The defense maintains these were ordinary favors between longtime friends, not corrupt transactions.

“Eric’s mistake was not corruption, it was trust,” Cohen told the court, according to City & State.

Ulrich resigned in November 2022 and was indicted in 2023. One of five original indictments was subsequently dismissed, and the current trial concerns two cases.

Prosecutors expect to present wiretaps, financial records, and testimony from senior city officials over the coming weeks.