The NYPD is promoting an assistant chief who was the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation as recently as last March for possible business dealings with the mob.
Assistant Chief Edward Delatorre is the new chief of the transit bureau. He was the top cop on Staten Island, where he was praised for his handling of that borough’s heroin epidemic.
Delatorre was the subject of a WNYC investigation that revealed he bought the properties of a missing loan shark at a discount from the man’s grieving daughter while the NYPD was still investigating the disappearance. He also scooped up mob-connected properties after the feds crippled the Bonanno crime family. In one complicated deal, mobsters ended up owing his wife more than $650,000 for at least six months.
Delatorre also did business with Bronx politicians and owned a private security company on the side.
The reports prompted NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill in March last year to publicly announce an Internal Affairs investigation into Chief Delatorre. The department has not released any findings from that investigation — neither clearing Delatorre of wrongdoing nor announcing punishment.
WNYC asked O’Neill about the status of that investigation in September. At the time, he said he didn’t know and would need to look into it. The NYPD did not respond to multiple requests Monday and today for information about the status of the investigation.
A spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio also did not respond to a request for comment. De Blasio was himself part of a federal corruption investigation that included charges against several high-ranking NYPD officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office ultimately decided there wasn’t enough evidence to file charges against the mayor. One sergeant and one police officer have pleaded guilty, while the cases against a deputy inspector and deputy chief have not gone to trial yet.
UPDATE: Late Tuesday, after this story was published, the NYPD released the following statement:
“Based on prior media inquiries, the NYPD conducted an internal review of certain real estate transactions involving Assistant Chief Edward Delatorre. This review failed to note any evidence of misconduct associated these transactions.”