Hung jury at Mangano trial
Former Nassau County Ed Mangano’s corruption case ended in a mistrial Thursday when the jury foreman begged off following nearly three months of fruitless service.
Central Islip federal Judge Joan Azrack pulled the plug on the 12-week trial following receipt of a note from jurors that led to a closed-door meeting with lawyers on both sides.
“I can no longer carry out my duties as a juror. I wish to be excused,” foreman Marc Tambassopoulos wrote to the judge midway through the court day.
Tambassopoulos, an NYPD cop, said afterward that he was among a majority of jurors who favored acquittal but that the panel couldn’t reach a consensus. “Certain people would not change their viewpoint no matter what, and I just didn’t feel com- fortable sitting on a jury giving a verdict either way that I didn’t feel comfortable with,” he said.
The move came on the ninth day of deliberations and after an earlier note on Wednesday in which the jury declared itself deadlocked.
Judge Azrack said he had no other choice.
“I have declared a mistrial in the case,” Azrack told the panel around 3:30 p.m.
“Your deliberations are over. You are free to go with our thanks for your hard work.”
Brooklyn US Attorney Richard Donoghue intends to retry the case, a spokesman said.
Mangano’s wife and codefendant, Linda Mangano, threw an arm around him as relatives in the gallery gasped and broke down in tears.
The couple then began hugging and weeping as the jurors filed out of the courtroom.
Ed Mangano is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks from a crooked restaurateur, Harendra Singh, in exchange for county contracts, government loan guarantees and a no-show job for Linda, who was charged with making false statements.
A co-defendant, former Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, was acquitted of similar allegations last week.