Suspended Toms River Public Works Official Regains His Job

A Toms River official who was suspended without pay after he was arrested on gambling charges has been reinstated to his job, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Anthony Benyola, 45, the township’s deputy public works director, entered a pretrial intervention program and made no admission of guilt in the gambling case, his lawyer, William P. Cunningham told the Press. Cunningham said Benyola did not enter a plea before being admitted to PTI. He had been charged with promoting gambling, racketeering and conspiracy following his arrest in late June 2013, but pleaded not guilty.

Benyola was one of 23 people in two states who were arrested in Operation “Shore Bet,” a police sting that uncovered a $1 million-a-week gambling operation, Christopher J. Gramiccioni, the acting Monmouth County prosecutor, said at the time.

Benyola was suspended without pay in July 2013, after a disciplinary hearing.

Township Administrator Paul J. Shives told the Press Ben­yola was reinstated to his position on Nov. 25, 2014. The union representing Benyola, Teamsters Local 97, had filed a grievance on his behalf, asking that he be given his job back. Shives said a state labor arbitrator ruled in Benyola’s favor. He did not receive any back pay, the report said.

Benyola was arrested at his Toms River home and charged with second degree racketeering conspiracy, third degree promoting gambling, third degree possession of gambling records, first degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, and second degree conspiracy to commit the foregoing offenses, according to officials.

A 2009 BMW 750 series and 2011 Lexus LX5 were seized from Benyola’s home, according to authorities.

Because of Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, Benyola recently concentrated on running things at the Department of Public Works headquarters while Director Lou Amoruso was out in the field.

“Lou Amoruso, who does a great job, was so busy with demolitions and things outside of the office that Anthony was the go-to running the place,” Mayor Thomas Kelaher told the Patch at the time.

Township officials have said that it does not appear that any alleged gambling activity occurred while Benyola on the job.