Tower Bribery Alleged

Last summer, during a marathon public hearing on Vertical Broadcasting's plan to build a 360-foot communications tower in Noyac, an angry resident charged that the all-Republican Southampton Town Board had allowed the firm's owners, Eric and Gerry Ferrara, "to move into Town Hall."

The board would give the application a rubber-stamp approval, said the taxpayer.

An irate Supervisor Vincent Cannuscio rebuked that speaker, and later, during a break in the testimony, told bystanders that those who questioned the impartiality of the Town Board - whose members had accepted campaign donations from the Ferraras - would be in for a surprise.

Sought Zone Change

"I was dropping hints for months," Mr. Cannuscio said this week, following the arrest of Eric J. Ferrara, 38, of Post Lane in Southampton on charges of bribery.

Federal authorities credited Supervisor Cannuscio and two Councilmen, Patrick (Skip) Heaney and Steven Halsey, with pivotal roles in an undercover investigation that ended on Jan. 15. Mr. Ferrara is alleged to have tried to bribe the three officials to approve the tower.

"He did the wrong thing, and we did the right thing, as trite as that sounds," said Mr. Cannuscio. "He was buying, and we weren't selling."

Vertical Broadcasting had applied in 1993 for a zone change to allow it to build the $3 million communications tower on the moraine east of Millstone Road.

Pretended To Cooperate

The application generated fierce opposition and resulted in a series of public hearings last summer during which the Town Board listened to over 18 hours of testimony.

Ironically, the board had accepted a final environmental impact statement on the project just before Mr. Ferrara's arrest.

"It was everything," said Loretta Lynch, a Federal prosecutor, of the board members' cooperation. "They reported the incident and were willing to go back and take back their earlier denials and pretend they would accept this money."

According to a complaint filed in United States District Court in Uniondale, the investigation, which began last spring, culminated when Mr. Ferrara on Jan. 9 offered $20,000 to one board member, with $5,000 to be left in his vehicle the next day.

Hidden Wire

Mr. Ferrara, who was released on $200,000 bail, faces a maximum 10-year sentence and $250,000 fine if convicted. Ms. Lynch said she expected a grand jury indictment in 10 days to a month.

Although Mr. Cannuscio and Mr. Halsey said they had been asked by Federal investigators not to discuss specifics, Mr. Heaney confirmed published reports that Mr. Halsey had worn a wire and been frisked by Mr. Ferrara before a meeting at the Paradise Diner in Sag Harbor. The concealed wire reportedly went unnoticed.

During that meeting, Mr. Halsey, as instructed by Justice Department investigators, agreed to accept the alleged bribe.

In the predawn hours of Jan. 10, Mr. Halsey is reported to have seen a person fitting Mr. Ferrara's description leaving a package, found later to contain $5,000 in $100 bills, in his truck.

Mr. Halsey turned the money over to Federal investigators, triggering the arrest.

Mr. Ferrara also offered Mr. Cannuscio "a substantial amount of money," according to Mr. Heaney. "I don't know if it was $100,000 or $150,000, to be given after he left political office," he said. The Supervisor, too, tape-recorded his meetings with Mr. Ferrara, according to Mr. Heaney.

Councilman Heaney himself played a peripheral role in the investigation because he was so adamant in his refusal, he said.

Mr. Ferrara offered him a bribe in the spring of 1996, Mr. Heaney alleged, and "if I didn't take it, he would spend substantially more money to drum me out of office."

"It was a 'take the carrot or I'll hit you with the stick' thing," said the Councilman.

The Look On Her Face

"It was a big surprise for me. I thought, I've got to disclose this," said Mr. Heaney. "So I called the town attorney [Lisa Kombrink] and made arrangements to come in and talk to her."

"The look on her face, when I told her. She said, 'You're not the first, nor are you the second.' "

Mr. Halsey, too, reported the alleged bribery attempt to Ms. Kombrink.

Supervisor Cannuscio discussed it with Vincent Toomey of Lake Success, the town's labor attorney, because, he said, he wanted to "get it as far away from the local political spectrum as possible," to avoid leaks.

It was Mr. Toomey who first reported the matter to the Justice Department, which has jurisdiction in the case because the town receives more than $10,000 a year from the Federal Government.

Emotional Ordeal

Like the others, Mr. Cannuscio said he was stunned by Mr. Ferrara's alleged overtures.

"I told him, you don't have to do that," he said. "To myself, I thought, you stupid bastard, this is not going to help."

Mr. Halsey said he was "internally outraged and hurt" by the alleged attempt. "Obviously, he couldn't have held me in high esteem," he said. "He had absolutely no respect for me as a person or an elected official."

The ordeal left Mr. Halsey "very, very tired," he said. "The emotional and physical stress for the entire year was immense. It was hard to keep going, because you were always wondering what was going to happen next. I just feel whipped."

Anxious Moments

"It created anxious moments from the moment it happened," said Mr. Cannuscio. "I thought those anxious moments would go away when it came out, but they did not."

"Some people think all you have to do is say no and it's over," he continued. "But there is trepidation, fear, anxiety, and a whole range of emotions, none of which are good."

Said Mr. Heaney: "My strongest emotion after my contact with this guy, after my anger and my disbelief - I was mostly embarrassed."

Mr. Cannuscio and Mr. Heaney are said to be mulling an offer to take a retreat at the Siena Spirituality Center in Water Mill.

All three officials said they were touched by the reaction of the community after their role in the investigation was reported last week.

Community Support

"Gosh, yeah, everywhere I go, people are coming up to me," said Mr. Halsey.

He said he was recognized by the check-out clerk at the Bridgehampton King Kullen early last Thursday when he stopped in to pick up 10 copies of Newsday, which first reported the story, with his picture on the cover.

Mr. Halsey said he had received a number of congratulatory telephone calls and letters from friends, neighbors, and even people he does not know.

"Maybe this will alleviate the stereotypical view of a politician always lining his pockets," he said.

Application Is "Dead"

As for Vertical Broadcasting's application, "Face it, it's dead in the water," said Mr. Heaney. "I've been compromised. I can't even cast a no vote."

Ms. Kombrink said she would advise Mr. Cannuscio and Mr. Halsey also to recuse themselves.

"There's only two members who could cast a vote," said Mr. Heaney, referring to Councilman James Drew and Councilwoman Martha Rogers. "I don't know if they would be inclined to do so. It would mean a defeat anyway."

Mr. Ferrara is a Town Republican Committeeman, but is expected to step down.