Tierney Takes on Sini for Suffolk DA

by Chris O'Neill

Raymond Tierney, former Federal and Suffolk County prosecutor known for prosecuting gang members of MS13 for murder and the trial of former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano for corruption, is the Republican nominee for Suffolk County District Attorney. The Conservative Party also endorsed Tierney, 55, who is not a member of any political party. He will be up against the incumbent Democrat Tom Sini of Babylon.

Sini served as Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s chief criminal justice advisor from 2014 and then as Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department before being elected in November 2017 as DA.

Sini worked closely with former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke and fellow Democrat and former Suffolk County DA Tom Spota (D-St James) – both now convicted felons.

Burke was sentenced in 2016 to 46 months in federal prison for beating up county prisoners, and orchestrating perjury by the top brass of the Suffolk Police to cover-up and block an FBI investigation into the crimes for over 2 years.

Spota, who knew Burke since the latter was involved in a murder in Northport as a teen, participated in the Burke cover up by wiretapping police who were working with the FBI. He was indicted, and in December of 2019 was convicted by a federal jury of obstruction, witness tampering, and conspiracy. Spota will be sentenced soon, and faces up to 20 years in prison.

As an assistant U.S. Attorney, Ray Tierney prosecuted the corruption cases against former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and his wife Linda Mangano.