Lizza Paving Company Banned From Bidding On Nassau Contracts

Nassau County recently announced that they it not be awarding contracts to Carlo Lizza and Sons Paving Inc. following the indictment of the company and the Lizza family on corruption charges last month.

"The county has determined that Carlo Lizza and Sons Paving, Inc. will not be eligible to bid on any future county contracts unless they are acquitted of the pending charges or the charges are dropped," county public works spokeswoman Mary Studdert said.

According to the Nassau County District Attorney, the owners of the Old Bethpage-based company, Elia “Aly” Lizza, 69, and his wife, Marisa Lizza, 61, along with Former Town Supervisor John Venditto, 72, of Massapequa, were all charged with bribing a town commissioner to help facilitate the construction of the Cantiague Commons senior housing development.

The couple, both of Oyster Bay Cove, were both charged with 14 counts of second degree bribery, five counts of third degree bribery, 18 counts of second degree rewarding official misconduct, two counts of defrauding the government and fifth degree conspiracy.

The firm is charged with five counts of second degree bribery, third degree bribery, four counts of second degree rewarding official misconduct, two counts of defrauding the government and fifth degree conspiracy, the DA said.

All plead not guilty to the charges.

The paving company has a total of six open contracts with the county and has received $7.2 million in payments this year, according to a report in Newsday.

In addition, just after the indictments were released a committee from the Nassau County Legislature's office ruled to skip the discussion of whether or not Carlo Lizza and Sons would receive two new contracts totaling $4.2 million from the county during a recent meeting, Newsday reports.

“The company has contractual rights that do not disappear because criminal charges are filed," John Carman, Lizza’s lawyer based in Garden City, told Newsday. "As to future bidding, apparently in Nassau County the presumption of innocence does not apply.”

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