Ex-NYC Buildings boss Eric Ulrich’s gambling associate fired from City Council job amid Manhattan DA probe

A gambling associate of former Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich got fired from his City Council job last month — an axing that came as a Manhattan grand jury was in the middle of hearing evidence against Ulrich as part of an illegal gambling investigation, the Daily News has learned.

Joseph Livreri, the co-owner of a Queens pizzeria with a reported history of mob ties, was first hired in 2019 by then-Republican Councilman Ulrich to serve as a constituent services staffer in his office.

After Ulrich left the Council to join Mayor Adams’ administration last year, Livreri stayed on in the same post under Ulrich’s successor, Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola.

But Ariola let Livreri go from her office in July, her spokesman, Van Ray, confirmed Tuesday.

“We’re restructuring the office right now, and his position is being absorbed by other staffers,” Ray said.

Livreri had an annual $22,000 salary in the Council post at the time of his termination, city records show.

Ray said the firing did not have to do with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s probe into allegations that Ulrich was involved in an illegal gambling ring centered around Aldo’s, an Ozone Park pizzeria co-owned by Livreri.

Ray did not provide an exact date for Livreri’s departure, but said it happened in “early to mid July.”

Around the same time, The News first reported that a Manhattan grand jury convened by Bragg is hearing evidence and considering criminal charges against Ulrich as part of the DA probe, which is believed to focus at least in part on illegal gambling and organized crime activity at Aldo’s.

Neither Livreri nor Ulrich have been accused of any wrongdoing by Bragg.

Ulrich’s attorney, Sam Braverman, indicated last month that charges could be forthcoming, though, saying he will “wait for the indictment” before offering any comment on Ulrich’s alleged involvement in any improprieties.

Livreri could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A person who picked up the phone Tuesday morning at Aldo’s said Livreri wasn’t there and that he did not know how to get a hold of him because he’s “always working.”

Bragg’s office declined to comment.

In addition to Aldo’s, Livreri was at one point involved with card games and gambling machines out of the 101 Cafe in Ozone Park, The News first reported last week.

In an interview with Bragg’s investigators in November 2022, Ulrich, a self-admitted prolific gambler, said he told Livreri in 2021 he wouldn’t be coming to 101 Cafe anymore and that Livreri should pull back from the business because it could get him into legal trouble, according to sources familiar with the interview.

Also in that November 2022 interview, Ulrich told Bragg’s investigators that Adams tipped him off to the existence of the DA’s probe before it became publicly known, according to the sources. The sources said Adams specifically warned his then-Buildings Department commissioner in May 2022 to “watch your back and watch your phone.”

Nearly six months later, authorities served a search warrant on Ulrich and seized his phone as part of the gambling inquiry. A few days later, Ulrich resigned as Adams’ Buildings honcho.

On Monday, Adams vehemently denied giving Ulrich any heads-up about Bragg’s probe, saying that he has “no knowledge of this investigation.”

Livreri owns Aldo’s with his brother, Anthony Livreri.

The Livreri brothers each gave Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign $2,000, campaign finance records show.

They also co-hosted a campaign fund-raiser for Adams together with Ulrich and a number of other individuals on Aug. 8, 2021, a poster for the event shows. Among the co-hosts shown in the poster was Tim Pearson, a longtime friend of Adams who now serves as a public safety adviser in his administration.