Patch Profile: Bongiorno Seeks Election As Clarkstown Town Justice

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Election season 2023 election is here and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Michael E. Bongiorno was appointed as a town justice in Clarkstown in August. He is running for election to the post, in a field of five candidates for three seats on the bench. The others are David Ascher, Howard Gerber, Kevin F. Hobbs and Aimee Pollak.

A New City resident, Judge Bongiorno was Rockland County District Attorney from 1995-2008. He served after that as senior investigative counsel to the New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force. He also has a private practice. He graduated from Spring Valley High School, Yale and Washington & Lee School of Law. The 64-year-old is married with two children who attended Clarkstown schools.

Campaign Facebook page: Michael Bongiorno for Clarkstown Town Justice

Patch: Why are you seeking this office?

Bongiorno: I was appointed town justice by the Clarkstown Town Board because of my extensive experience and commitment to public service. Being elected town justice allows me to continue to use my knowledge and skill to serve the community and maintain and improve Clarkstown’s quality of life.

Patch: What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

Bongiorno: I have vast, unmatched and unique experience that especially qualifies me for this position.

As an assistant district attorney in Manhattan under Robert Morgenthau I prosecuted or supervised the prosecution of thousands of cases, starting with misdemeanors and working my way up to homicides and white-collar crimes. I tried over 60 cases to verdict before a jury, including numerous murder cases. I was promoted to Director of Legal Training for the entire office and then to Deputy Bureau Chief.

In 1995, Governor George E. Pataki appointed me Rockland County District Attorney to replace my predecessor who resigned. I took an office in chaos and professionalized and updated it, implementing many new programs and approaches to prosecution. This included greatly expanding narcotics enforcement and starting the first alternative to incarceration programs, including the Drug Court that became a model for the rest of the state (I drafted legislation allowing all jurisdictions to send clients to a centralized Drug Court). New programs created included the Computer Crimes Task Force, the Rockland County Intelligence Center, and a Gang Prosecution Unit. I also expanded the use of Spanish-language and other services to better serve the community and deal with crime. I also dedicated resources to the successful prosecution of political corruption cases. During my tenure crime was reduced 45 %.

From 2006 to 2007 I served as President of the New York State District Attorney’s Association where I promoted and lobbied for laws enhancing the prosecution of DWI offenders and of pedophiles who groom child victims over the internet.

From 2008 to 2011 I served as a senior investigative counsel for the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, part of the NY Attorney General’s Office. I conducted sophisticated investigations into, and the prosecution of, organized crime organizations through the use of eavesdropping and other electronic means.

In private practice I continued my public service, being assigned to represent indigent defendants for approximately half my caseload.

Patch: What is the single most pressing issue facing your constituents and what do you intend to do about it?

Bongiorno: The biggest issue facing the Clarkstown Justice Court is the increased volume of cases in a court that is already one of the busiest in the state. This includes an increase in Town Code violations and foreign language litigants. These cases have increased the time it takes to litigate and resolve cases. As a result, it is important for a Town Justice to commit as much time as necessary to efficiently, fairly, and intelligently resolve all the cases that come before the court.

Patch: What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Bongiorno: The importance of treating all attorneys, litigants, witnesses, and court personnel professionally and respectfully. One of the things that really bothered me as a young assistant district attorney and continues to this day is the amount of disrespect and even abuse heaped upon attorneys, litigants, and others by judges with an inappropriate judicial temperament. If I ever start yelling in court, it is time for me to step down.

Patch: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Bongiorno: I have always excelled in a high-volume, high-stress environment. No matter how large the justice court caseload, it is nothing like the caseloads I managed as a Manhattan ADA or as Rockland DA.

Bongiorno: I also enjoy legal research and writing, and I have had a lot of success in my private practice writing motions and memoranda of law that have greatly benefitted my clients.
This will serve me well in researching and writing court decisions.

Patch: What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Bongiorno: Treat others as you would want to be treated.

Patch: Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Bongiorno: I enjoy, and have always enjoyed, serving the public. It is important for people in positions of power to use their influence to improve the quality of life for others. I have been involved in law and government for over 40 years and I do not appreciate political self-promoters who claim to care about the public but only care about enriching and empowering themselves.