SSA Part 2: Angelastri & The Chamber of Abuse
Ok, so Alderman Gardiner took over the Six Corners SSA with a plan to replace the Six Corners Association with the Six Corners Chamber of Commerce, founded by City Newsstand owner Joe Angelastri. So what? Why is that a problem? In summary, Angelastri has a former history with the SSA and their Sole Service Provider, the Six Corners Association (6CA), which includes abuse, harassment, changing passwords on email and accounting systems, installing cameras without disclosure, and a general inability to work well with others.
Former SSA Chairman, Joe Angelastri
Joe Angelastri, owner of City Newsstand, once notoriously hacked by Russians, compromising his customer information after setting the master password on his point-of-sale system to “pos”, was one of the original founders of the SSA and Chairman. Back in 2015, Joe Angelastri was King of the Hill, Commissioner & Chairman of the SSA. He had people on the 6CA Board to support his agenda. He was in a position to pull all of the levers. Ultimately though, Angelastri managed to piss off nearly all of his colleagues, undermining them at every opportunity while bullying and verbally abusing 6CA staff.
There are a lot of emails that detail Angelastri’s abusive behavior. To keep this page manageable, we’ll share representative examples. These are emails from Six Corners Association staff circa 2015:
Joe Angelastri, changing passwords to 6CA’s email, website, and accounting software, locking out staff.
6CA staff discuss concerns about how to keep records safe from Joe Angelastri’s manipulation.
Joe Angelastri inappropriately uses SSA funds without authorization to purchase cameras, which he secretly installed to spy on 6CA staff without any notification.
6CA staff discuss concerns about questionable, unauthorized spending at the direction of Joe Angelastri
The Interim Executive Director of 6CA writes to the DPD Commissioner asking that Angelastri be removed from the SSA, citing retaliation, threats, intimidation, and verbal abuse.
The dysfunction and abusive behavior were so concerning, including Angelastri also contracting directly for services with vendors without any discussion or approval, several of the other SSA Commissioners also co-signed a letter to DPD asking that Joe Angelastri be removed.
Ultimately he was not removed, but his term was not renewed, given this history of abusive and highly questionable behavior, and lack of support from his colleagues, DPD, or the Alderman. Angelastri’s been plotting since then on how to regain influence in the area, and Alderman Gardiner was clearly his ticket, joining his campaign early, consulting on messaging, and having his Six Corners Chamber of Commerce host an event for Alderman Gardiner the day after his inauguration.
Joe Angelastri was so tight with Gardiner from the beginning, when he attended the April 2019 SSA meeting, before Alderman Gardiner even took office, he presented himself as the Alderman-elect’s representative.