Closeted Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger, a Democratic powerhouse, traded political favors for more than $1 million in bribes over the last five years -- which his live-in boyfriend helped launder, the feds charged yesterday. Kruger and his secret longtime companion, Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, were among eight men arrested in a sweeping government "pay-to-play" corruption scandal.
The charges include allegations that Kruger, Brooklyn Assemblyman William Boyland and previously convicted Queens Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio -- who died in prison in January -- received bribes and other largesse to help two competing health-care companies buy hospitals, and direct state funds to those firms. ALL IN THE OPEN: Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger (above), moments before surrendering yesterday on bribery charges, has allegedly been shacking up with his boyfriend at this Mill Basin home.
Kruger's constant companion, Turano, is accused of using bribe money he deposited in two shell companies for Kruger to pay the lease on a Bentley luxury sedan, credit-card bills and the mortgage on the garish, multimillion-dollar Mill Basin home where the two men for years have shacked up with Turano's mom and brother, authorities and neighbors said.
"Sen. Kruger had a close and intimate relationship with the entire Turano family, which includes one of the defendants, Michael Turano, along with his mother and brother," US Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters yesterday.
Neither of the other two Turanos has been accused of any wrongdoing.
A press release from Bharara's office noted, "[Kruger] spent his free time with the Turanos, shared holidays with them, went shopping for them, and managed the affairs of their residence.
"Kruger was closest with Michael Turano. The two men were in nearly daily contact, Kruger picked Turano up from work, and people even called Kruger's cellphone in order to reach Turano," Bharara noted. A source close to the investigation told The Post that Kruger -- who voted against a state gay-marriage bill last year -- was particularly "intimate" with Michael Turano.
And a criminal complaint written by FBI Special Agent Julie Brown said, "Kruger acted -- and was treated in many ways -- like a member of the Turano family, and Kruger effectively functioned as a member of their household.
"Kruger went shopping for the Turano family, for example buying light bulbs for the Turano residence, travel-sized snacks for them when they traveled, and stockings for the Turano mother" -- Dorothy Turano, the district manager of Community Board 18 -- the complaint said.
Neighbors said that Kruger clearly lived in the massive Mill Basin home owned by Michael Turano, while neighbors of Kruger's "official" residence in the Georgetown section of Brooklyn said either that they did not recognize him or that he was rarely, if ever, there. The feds, meanwhile, said Boyland accepted a no-show job that paid him $177,000 over five years from health-care provider MediSys in exchange for trying to secure millions of dollars in grants to its hospitals.
4 comments:
About Time this creep was busted. I knew he was a closet gay. He voted against gay married, wow
Buh Bye Carl Baby
SEN. KRUGER, YOU'RE BUSTED!!!
He is one ugly sucker, surprised he is even getting gay action.
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