DA McMahon and Sen. Spanton Stand by Hanks – Law Enforcement Outraged
By Rick LaRivière, M. Thomas Nast, and Frankie Pressman with Richard Luthmann
Kamillah Hanks is once again at the center of a scandal—this time tied directly to accused Staten Island Drug Lord Ettore Mazzei.
Public records reveal Mazzei sat on the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc. board, the nonprofit founded and run by Hanks before her NYC Council win.
The nonprofit received millions in grants and donations.
IRS records show Hanks pulled an $82,375 salary from the group while Mazzei served as a board member.
Records also show that Hanks’s ally and NYC Board of Elections Commissioner, Attorney Michele Sileo, also serves on the board of Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc.
Questions about conflicts of interest and law enforcement betrayal abound not only for Hanks but also for her political supporters, including State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.
Was the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc. a “cash wash” for Drug Lord Ettore Mazzei’s criminal operation?
Hanks’ direct links to Drug Lord Mazzei are a far cry from her statements when he was arrested.
At this point, Hanks’s re-election campaign is in free fall, and her challengers are gaining momentum.
Calls for Hanks to return Drug Lord Mazzei’s dirty campaign contributions are hitting a fever pitch. With NYC matching funds, Hanks’s 2021 campaign realized thousands of dollars of dirty money. How the NYC Campaign Finance Board is asleep at the wheel on this issue is anyone’s guess.
This outlet sent the NYC CFB a copy of this report.
Calls for change are also sweeping Staten Island’s North Shore. The Staten Island Democratic County Committee did not endorse incumbent Hanks.
Does Dems Party Chair Laura Sword know something we don’t?
The Democratic Primary is June 24.
Coke Corruption and Kamillah: Mazzei, Hanks, and Tentacles of Crime
Mazzei, arrested last year in a massive narcotics sting, currently sits in Rikers Island awaiting trial on charges of running a multimillion-dollar cocaine operation in Stapleton. The 2024 indictment, unsealed by DA Michael McMahon’s office, details how Mazzei, his daughter Melissa, and others ran the drug empire.
“Ettore thought he was untouchable,” a law enforcement source said. “His tentacles were everywhere—including inside Kamillah Hanks’ nonprofit.”
Mazzei’s financial ties to Hanks raise new questions. Did McMahon know about Mazzei’s role at Tappen Park? If so, why is McMahon’s political machine still backing Hanks?
Sources say McMahon and State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton have refused to distance themselves from Hanks—even sending operatives to help her gather petition signatures for re-election.
“It’s a slap in the face to every cop,” a PBA insider told us. “They claim to be pro-law enforcement. Meanwhile, they’re backing Hanks, who’s knee-deep in this Mazzei mess.”
Hanks has never returned Mazzei’s campaign contributions. Critics say it’s “drug money”—and should be treated as such.
“The fact that Hanks still has Mazzei’s dirty cash is outrageous,” said a retired NYPD officer. “She should return every dime.”
Sileo’s Conflict and the Board of Elections Scandal
Tax records show Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership took in over $2 million in recent years. Mazzei’s exact financial role remains murky—but the optics are damning.
Michele Sileo, Hanks’ handpicked NYC Board of Elections Commissioner, also sat on the Tappen Park board. That’s raising conflict of interest concerns. Sileo will vote on election matters involving Hanks—while linked to a nonprofit tied to a drug suspect under active prosecution.
“Conflicts of interest are extremely disturbing for public officials, particularly in the electoral arena,” said John Ciampoli, a renowned election lawyer representing Hanks’s opponent, Jozette Carter-Williams.
Ciampoli says he is still gathering information about Hanks, Sileo, Mazzei, and other matters that may create “structural defects” to a fair adjudication at the NYC Board of Elections.
“The petitioning period is open and closes in a few weeks. We expect any requests to address conflicts of interest or other issues to be made in due course,” Ciampoli said.
“How can Sileo ethically rule on Kamillah’s ballot status when she’s part of this mess?” a Democratic insider asked.
Even worse, Spanton and McMahon’s refusal to act is being seen as complicity.
“Is Mike McMahon really going to prosecute Mazzei while supporting the politician he funded?” another source fumed. “Either McMahon gets serious, or this case belongs with the Feds.”
Richard Luthmann, a contributor to this outlet and this story who is currently engaged in litigation with Hanks, has a different take. He thinks an independent NYS prosecutor is the “best of the evils.”
“The FBI NY Field Office and EDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office are corrupt vipers’ nests. Tish James is a political hack, too. However, an independent NYS special prosecutor may be the way to go. But they have to bring in someone that OCA can’t get their hooks into, and that’s tough,” he said.
Luthmann laughed.
“I never thought I’d see the day where we found groups even more corrupt and conflicted than the McMahons. I guess it was a failure of imagination on my part,” Luthmann said.
Coke Corruption and Kamillah: Law Enforcement Outrage and Hanks’ Growing Isolation
The outrage stems from Hanks’ long-running war with Staten Island’s law enforcement community. Her sponsorship of the How Many Stops Act—seen by cops as handcuffing NYPD officers—torpedoed her relationship with police unions.
“Our people have spoken with many current and retired NYPD, including those from 1013 groups,” said Luthmann, who spoke with several law enforcement sources. “Nobody likes her because of the How Many Stops Act and her support for the thugs at True2Life who advocate for Cop Killer parole.”
“She was done with us the second she backed that garbage bill,” one officer said. “Now she’s in bed with a drug kingpin? Good luck explaining that.”
The anger is palpable, especially among law enforcement families.
“Jozette Carter-Williams is the widow of a murdered cop. Hanks is collecting checks from a drug dealer,” a Staten Island cop’s wife told us. “There’s your choice.”
Multiple sources confirm that Mazzei flaunted his political connections for years.
“He said nobody could take him down,” one source said. “He was at every event with Kamillah and Kevin Barry Love.”
Now, those connections are under scrutiny. Love, Hanks’ millionaire husband, is also under fire for allegedly acting as her “bag man” and political enforcer.
The blowback is also hitting the Staten Island District Attorney himself.
“This whole thing stinks,” another law enforcement union source added. “Hanks paid herself $82,000 from a nonprofit where Mazzei sat on the board—and now McMahon expects us to believe he’s serious about cops and law enforcement issues while supporting her? If he doesn’t denounce her as the sitting DA, he’s a political hack.”
Coke Corruption and Kamillah: Calls for Independent Prosecutor Action as June Primary Looms
Sources say many question whether McMahon’s office will cut a deal to protect Hanks from further exposure.
“If Mazzei flips, what’s he going to say about Hanks? About Kevin Barry Love? About the nonprofit money?” a Manhattan Democratic consultant asked.
Attorney Priscilla Marco, the nonprofit’s current principal officer, does not receive a salary, but the group still receives major grants. Insiders now wonder if Historic Tappen Park is Hanks’ “soft landing” if she loses the June primary.
“Does Kamillah plan to crawl back to that nonprofit and live off taxpayer grants after voters throw her out?” another source asked.
Meanwhile, Carter-Williams and Abou Diakhate continue to rack up support—especially from law enforcement and a community furious about the Hanks-Mazzei revelations.
“She’s done,” said the Democratic consultant. “The minute voters realize this woman’s tied to a drug kingpin, it’s game over.”
With McMahon and Spanton still backing Hanks, pressure is mounting for federal authorities to step in.
“McMahon can’t have it both ways,” the consultant added. “He’s either serious about crime, or he’s just another political hack covering for Kamillah.”
“This case screams for a special prosecutor,” said one source close to the investigation. “McMahon can’t keep looking the other way.”
As June’s primary nears, voters have a clear choice: the cop-killer sympathizer tied to a drug cartel—or a clean break from corruption.
Hanks, Spanton, McMahon, and Sileo did not return requests for comment. We will publish a follow-up if they do.
Here is what we asked DA Mike McMahon and his office, currently prosecuting Ettore Mazzei:
From: Modern Thomas Nast <[email protected]>
Date: On Wednesday, March 19th, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Subject: Press Inquiry Regarding NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks, Ettore Mazzei, and conflicts of interest
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>
CC: Rick LaRivière <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>Dear District Attorney Michael E. McMahon,
We are investigative reporters with NYNewsPress.com.
We are about to go to press with an article regarding the fact that Ettore Mazzei, currently under prosecution by your office, was a long-time board member of Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc., a non-profit founded and run by Councilmember Kamillah Hanks up until her election in the NYC Council. I’ve attached a copy of the publicly available 2019 Tax Return.
We wanted to get your comments. Here are our questions:
Questions Regarding Ettore Mazzei’s Prosecution and Hanks’ Ties
1. When did your office first learn that Ettore Mazzei was a board member of Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc., founded and run by Councilmember Kamillah Hanks?
2. Did Hanks disclose her political connections, including her financial ties to Mazzei, during your office’s investigation?
3. Does your office view Mazzei’s campaign contributions to Hanks as “drug money”?
4. Have you asked Councilmember Hanks to return Mazzei’s campaign contributions? If not, why?
5. Given these financial ties, can you honestly claim there is no conflict of interest in prosecuting Mazzei?
6. Is your office seeking a special prosecutor or outside agency (e.g., the Feds) to handle the Mazzei case due to these connections?Questions Regarding Political Support and Petitions
7. Why are your political operatives reportedly assisting Kamillah Hanks’ campaign and collecting petition signatures during the ongoing Mazzei prosecution?
8. How do you justify supporting a candidate financially connected to the defendant in one of Staten Island’s largest drug cases?
9. Do you believe your involvement in Hanks’ re-election campaign creates an appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest?
10. Did you inform NYPD unions, law enforcement supporters, or your constituents about Hanks’ ties to Mazzei before deciding to back her re-election?
11. Have you discussed Mazzei’s political connections or his nonprofit role with the Staten Island Democratic Party leadership or State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton?
12. Has your office interviewed Hanks, Kevin Barry Love, or Michele Sileo regarding Mazzei’s financial role at Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership Inc.?Questions Regarding Michele Sileo and Election Integrity
13. Are you concerned that Michele Sileo, NYC Board of Elections Commissioner and Tappen Park board member, will rule on Hanks’ ballot challenges while entangled in this scandal?
14. Do you believe Sileo should recuse herself from any Hanks-related rulings due to her conflict of interest?
15. Has your office reviewed Sileo’s relationship with Mazzei or her potential role in covering up Hanks’ financial dealings with him?Broader Ethical and Law Enforcement Questions
16. How do you respond to claims from law enforcement families that you are enabling Hanks—whom they view as anti-cop—despite her sponsorship of the How Many Stops Act?
17. What message do you think your continued support for Hanks sends to NYPD officers and the families of fallen officers like Gerard Carter?
18. Will you commit to full transparency on the Mazzei case—including campaign finance records, nonprofit financial disclosures, and political connections?
19. Do you believe it is ethical for Hanks to funnel taxpayer money to groups supporting parole for convicted cop killers?
20. Are you confident you can continue prosecuting Mazzei without bias, given your political ties to Hanks and her campaign?Again, we intend to go to press shortly. Please respond so we can provide our readership with a fair and balanced perspective. If we receive your responses after press time, we will include them in a follow-up.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Regards,
Modern Thomas Nast
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