Ex-Roslyn School Officials Collect Pensions in Prison

NEW YORK -- Frank Tassone, the former superintendent of the Roslyn school district who is serving 4 to 12 years in jail after being convicted of stealing $2.2 million from the school district, is still receiving his annual New York state pension of $173,495, Newsday reported Tuesday.

Tassone will continue to get that public pension, in monthly installments of $14,457.92, in his bank account for the rest of his life, the paper reported.

State records show that Tassone is one of the top 20 pension earners among school administrators in the state. And as a felon collecting a generous state pension for the rest of their lives, he is not alone, the paper reported.

Pamela Gluckin, the Roslyn schools' former business official who admitted to stealing $4.3 million from the district, continues to get her $54,998 annual pension while she serves a 3-to-9-year prison sentence at Albion Correctional Facility near the Canadian border. As part of Gluckin's plea agreement, she sends half of that amount directly to Roslyn toward her restitution, the paper reported.

Even though former William Floyd school district treasurer James A. Wright pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $777,000 from the district, he still collects an annual pension of $142,807. Former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who pleaded guilty to a felony for misusing state personnel by having them drive his wife around and perform other family chores, keeps his annual pension of $104,123, the paper reported.

-- NYSSCPA.org News Staff

Posted on 5/6/08