LI restaurateur, Nassau contracts scrutinized

Dec. 30, 2015 9:32 PM

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Newsday reporting and an investigative series examined Long Island restaurateur Harendra Singh’s connections to Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Oyster Bay officials, as well as Nassau County contracting practices.

LI contractor arranged, paid for Nassau exec's trips

Harendra Singh arranged and paid for several vacation trips for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and a top Oyster Bay town official.

Newsday / David L. Pokress; Howard Schnapp

Records: Restaurateur in lawsuits has ties to Mangano

Harendra Singh has financial, political and personal ties to the Nassau County executive, records show. The county paid almost $240,000 to Singh for hot meals for top officials after superstorm Sandy.

Newsday / David L. Pokress

Documents: Town helped get Singh $16M in loans

Town officials helped Harendra Singh secure loans by arranging with lenders to have the town pay in case of defaults — potentially exposing taxpayers to millions of dollars in liabilities.

Newsday / David L. Pokress

Restaurateur gave Mangano free meals, staff say

After Edward Mangano won election as Nassau's top leader in 2009, his longtime friend, Bethpage restaurateur Harendra Singh, crowed to his employees, 'I've just hit Easy Street!'

Whistleblower: DA failed to act on Singh records

Former Oyster Bay Constable Christopher Briggs said he gave the Nassau district attorney's office key documents on Harendra Singh in 2013, but DA investigators never followed up.

Newsday, 2000 / Karen Wiles Stabile

Town extended Singh's contracts despite late bills

The now-indicted restaurateur's companies owed more than $180,000 to Oyster Bay when town board members voted unanimously to extend its contracts with him in 2014.

James Carbone

Lawsuit: Singh Hospitality Group defaulted on loan

A creditor sued the parent company of Oyster Bay's concessionaire at Tobay Beach, alleging it defaulted on a loan for restaurant equipment and furnishings.

Andrew Theodorakis

Mangano's calendar shows little around trips

The Nassau executive's public calendar is redacted on certain days — including when records show he would be vacationing at Harendra Singh's expense.

Jim McIsaac

LI pols attended galas, raised funds for Singh charity

The Raj & Rajeshwari Foundation hosted lavish fundraising galas each year that attracted Long Island politicians, judges, union officials and other local leaders.

Raj & Rajeshwari Foundation Facebook page

Nassau contracting practices

Newsday’s reporting revealed that Nassau County’s specialty contracts often do not go to the lowest bidders, and that the county gave hundreds of no-bid contracts valued just dollars below a key threshold.