Revere DPW head cleared in ethics probe

REVERE – The state Ethics Commission has closed the book on the biggest scandal to hit City Hall in years by fully exonerating water facilities foreman Joseph Maglione.The commission found “not entirely credible” claims by former Public Works employees Randy Adamson and Anthony Giannino that Maglione solicited bribes from them.”We find that the allegations have not been proven by a preponderance of the evidence,” the commission found.The commission ruling is significant because it prompted numerous City Council debates over Public Works operations and triggered a state Auditor’s review of Public Works.Prior to paying fines and resigning last year, Adamson and Giannino admitted to paying $200 bribes to Maglione for each of the 25 private drain line jobs they undertook.Adamson and Giannino were not licensed to perform the work but William Spallina, Maglione’s attorney, implied several times during commission hearings that it was Adamson, Giannino and DPW Superintendent Donald Goodwin, not Adamson, Giannino and Maglione who broke the law.During five days of testimony centering on Maglione, a “who’s who” of City Hall officials faced questioning by commission deputy chief Karen Gray and Spallina, who, at one point, asked city water supervisor David Fiore if he had heard of “GAG, Inc.,” a reference to the initials of Goodwin, Adamson and Giannino.Like other city workers who testified at the Ethics hearings, Fiore acknowledged he had heard the acronym, but told Gray he never saw written proof of any business association between the three.”After careful evaluation of the evidence in this case, the commission did not find credible Adamson’s and Giannino’s claims that Maglione had solicited bribes from them,” said commission Executive Director Karen Nober.