Queens Pizzeria Owners Plead Guilty to Bribing Former DOB Chief for City Favors

In a Manhattan Supreme Court proceeding, Joseph and Anthony Livreri, co-owners of Aldo’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Ozone Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery for paying $4,000 to former Department of Buildings commissioner Eric Ulrich in 2022. Prosecutors said the bribe was intended to secure city jobs for the brothers’ relatives, accelerate health and building code inspections at their pizza shop and at the Fortunato Brothers Bakery in Williamsburg, and assist co-defendant Michael Mazzio in obtaining a highway-towing license.

The Livreri brothers also sought to prevent the bakery’s closure after a fire. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the conduct “quintessential public corruption.” City Department of Investigations chief Nadia Shihata noted the brothers gained access to senior members of former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration and secured a city position for a defendant’s daughter. The brothers face probation and possible jail time, while Ulrich denies the allegations.