New York City Used Contractors With Criminal Histories for Snow Removal This Winter

Yisroel R.

New details show that New York City relied on several contractors with past criminal records to help clear snow during this winter’s prolonged stretch of extreme cold, raising questions about how emergency contracts are awarded.

The Department of Sanitation paid roughly $22 million combined to three companies, Dragonetti Brothers, Cherry Hill Construction, and Cariati Developers, as crews worked to remove large amounts of snow that became frozen in place during record-low temperatures.

Records indicate all three companies had prior legal or financial violations. Dragonetti Brothers’ owners previously pleaded guilty to an insurance fraud scheme, Cherry Hill Construction admitted to federal pension fraud and tax evasion in 2015, and Cariati Developers was criticized for poor performance on a past emergency contract and had ownership tied to an IRS-related offense.

Despite those histories, the companies were among the highest-paid vendors used for snow removal this year, according to city records.

The findings are drawing criticism from some City Council members and labor groups. Councilmember Shekar Krishnan called the situation “lunacy,” arguing the city continues to rely on the same problematic contractors instead of seeking out vendors with clean records.

The issue comes as the City Council pushes for tighter oversight of emergency contracts. Lawmakers recently approved a measure limiting such agreements to 90 days, aiming to prevent repeated use of the same vendors without full review.

Labor representatives also raised concerns, saying the reliance on outside contractors undercuts union workers who could perform the work and that there are other qualified companies available.

Sanitation officials said the severity of the winter storms required an all-hands-on-deck response, with additional equipment and manpower needed to keep streets clear during the historic snowfall and extreme cold, and that the severity of the weather prevented them from making deeper background checks into these companies.

The situation is adding to growing scrutiny over how New York City handles emergency contracting, particularly during major events that require immediate action.