Chad A. Lupinacci is an American politician who has served as the town supervisor of Huntington, New York, and as a former member of the 10th District of the New York Assembly. Throughout his career, Lupinacci has faced both achievements and controversies that have shaped his public image.
Early Life and Education
Lupinacci was born and raised in Huntington Station to a first-generation Italian family. He attended South Huntington Public Schools and graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 1997. Lupinacci was raised and remains Catholic.
After graduating from Walt Whitman High School, Lupinacci attended Hofstra University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government. After earning his bachelor's degree, Lupinacci returned to Hofstra University to attend the Maurice A. Deane School of Law. In 2004, he received his Juris Doctor, with a concentration in real estate.
Early Career
From 2000 to 2001, Lupinacci was awarded an internship in the White House, to work beneath First Lady Hillary Clinton. He then served as the community liaison for the office of Assemblyman James Conte. From 2009 to 2011, Lupinacci served as an adjunct professor of Legal Studies, where he taught courses in Administrative Law, Business Organizations and Real Estate Law. He is currently a full-time instructor in Business Law at Farmingdale State College.
Political Career
Assemblyman James Conte did not seek re-election in 2012, leaving the seat open. Lupinacci was nominated by Republicans to replace him, and won with 55% of the vote. Lupinacci was elected to represent the constituents of the Tenth Assembly District on November 6, 2012. The 10th district which Lupinacci represented includes portions of Suffolk County including Lloyd Harbor, Huntington Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Greenlawn, Huntington Station, Elwood, South Huntington, West Hills, Melville and Dix Hills on Long Island.
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As a member of the Assembly, he prioritized working on the retention and creation of jobs. He put forth proposals to jump-start the local economy, including reducing taxes on new and small businesses and providing incentives to hire new workers, including veterans and the unemployed. He also fought to address the impact of illegal drugs and curb crime, so that parents can raise their children in a safe and secure environment.
Accomplishments as Supervisor
As Supervisor, Lupinacci streamlined government operations, expanded online services and cut red tape to keep the town within the tax cap for four consecutive years, while maintaining a AAA bond rating and the highest ratings from the State Comptroller’s office for fiscal stress. The town's strong fiscal condition helped it weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lupinacci also worked to make changes to the Town’s legal accessory apartments law, allowing homeowners the choice of residing in either the main dwelling or accessory unit, helping to make homeownership more affordable for current residents, while increasing access to affordable housing.
Supervisor Lupinacci increased transparency and openness in town government. He worked to improve our quality of life by empowering Code Enforcement to more efficiently address noise pollution, public safety hazards, and other nuisance violations. He proposed and the Town enacted code changes in 2020 aimed to control the density of mixed-use buildings with apartments in commercially-zoned downtown areas, alleviate burdens on our infrastructure, and address the long-time parking congestion issue plaguing the Huntington’s downtown.
He also worked to protect our local environment and expand open space, preserve farmland and protect our drinking water. Always cognizant that Huntington must have a strong business community to provide jobs and economic opportunity, he worked to make Huntington a place where business could thrive and knew they had a partner in government. He has demonstrated effective leadership in crisis by zealously and consistently advocating on behalf of taxpayers, residents and businesses against the catastrophic threat posed by the LIPA tax certiorari lawsuit.
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Controversies
A former staffer for Chad Lupinacci, now the Huntington Town supervisor, filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging his then-boss sexually harassed him while serving as a state assemblyman and assaulted him in an Albany hotel room last year. Brian Finnegan, who worked for Lupinacci for three years while he represented District 10 in the Assembly, said verbal harassment - in the form of inquiries about his sex life - began almost immediately after he started as a legislative aide and culminated when Lupinacci performed a sex act on him without his consent last December.
"This was a repeated pattern of abuse that ended with sexual assault," Finnegan, 26, of Northport, said at a news conference in Huntington after the lawsuit was filed in state Supreme Court in Suffolk County. "I was forced to forfeit my career in public service, something in which I took much pride in - helping the people of Huntington and the surrounding area. ... At the drop of a hat, all of my hard work was meaningless. All because I was a target of a sexual predator. My life was shattered."
Lupinacci's attorney, Brian J. Griffin, called the allegations "unequivocally false" and said the supervisor would not step down from his elected post. "These claims and the orchestrated press conference that accompanied them are an attempt at an unjust and unwarranted financial payday," Griffin said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages including back pay and benefits, alleging that Lupinacci engaged in "multiple incidents of unprofessional, abusive, sexual and offensive conduct." Finnegan's attorney, Arthur L. Aidala of Manhattan, said his client's claims are corroborated by phone and travel records, as well as witnesses whom Finnegan told about the alleged assault at the time, including his mother.
According to the lawsuit, on Dec. in an Albany hotel room he was sharing with Lupinacci - with whom he traveled to help clean out his office - and saw him "standing and leaning over him." Lupinacci told Finnegan they had to share a hotel room for budgetary reasons, Aidala said.
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On some of those occasions, the lawsuit said, Finnegan woke to find Lupinacci, who had been "intoxicated" earlier in the night, touching the zipper of the suit pants in which he had fallen asleep. Finnegan, according to the suit, batted his hand at Lupinacci and asked him what he was doing, but then repositioned himself and fell back asleep. When Finnegan tried to confront Lupinacci, he went back to bed, according to the suit. Then on Dec. 13, 2017, the two shared another hotel room while working in Albany. and "noticed that his underwear and body parts were out of place." The suit alleges that Lupinacci performed a sex act on Finnegan.
The suit said Finnegan told Lupinacci, "You've been touching me in my sleep and I'm not going to take it anymore," and fled the hotel room. Finnegan said he quit his job as Lupinacci's chief of staff days after the alleged assault and decided not to take a promised six-figure job as an executive assistant and senior adviser to Lupinacci, who was to begin post as supervisor in January.
Finnegan claims he was reluctant to make a second overnight trip to Albany Dec. in the morning to find Lupinacci kneeling at the side of his bed. Lupinacci allegedly replied something about “checking to see if [Finnegan wanted food] and left,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Finnegan’s boxers had been moved and manipulated to expose his genitals, and said he believes Lupinacci had inappropriate and nonconsensual sexual contact while he was asleep amounting to sexual assault.
“You’ve been touching me in my sleep and I’m not going to take it anymore,” Finnegan said confronting Lupinacci, according to the lawsuit. The ex-staffer said he left Renaissance Albany in the early hours of the night, purchased an Amtrak ticket home and waited as the politician allegedly attempted to repeatedly call his cellphone before driving around the city of Albany in an effort to find him.
The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation from the Huntington town supervisor for economic damages, in addition to pain and suffering, Ansari said. While a specific dollar amount was not cited, the attorney argued his client could have been earning considerably much more working for the town with better benefits.
Huntington Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci
Family Life
Susan J. Lupinacci, 67, a lifelong Huntington Station resident and mother to Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, died on Tuesday, Jan. 15 in her home on 11th Avenue. Born on December 1, 1951, to parents Joseph and Ann Di Spirito and delivered by Dr. Samuel Teich, Susan grew up on 7th Avenue North with her brother and sisters, graduating from Walt Whitman High School with the Class of 1969.
Susan is survived by her husband, as well as son Chad A. Lupinacci, Supervisor of the Town of Huntington; daughter Allison Belfiore; grandchildren Paul Joseph Naclerio, a United States Marine, and Sal Anthony Belfiore, a student at Walt Whitman High School; brother Edward Di Spirito; sister Dolores Kenny and her husband, David Kenny; and sister Connie Di Spirito, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In a statement, Chad Lupinacci said: “I am devastated by the sudden loss of my beloved mother. She was the glue that held our family together. My mother’s life centered on family and friends, she put everyone before herself and she had an enormous amount of love to give. She was a compassionate person who instilled the importance of helping others in me and my entire family and her absence from our lives is an immeasurable loss. I am so fortunate to have had a mother who loved me unconditionally and supported me wholeheartedly in my many endeavors. I will cherish the countless memories that we shared, and never forget the pride she had when I took the oath of office as Huntington Town Supervisor at our alma mater, Walt Whitman High School. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers of support and healing during this painful time.”
Salvatore Lupinacci; Susan J. Lupinacci; Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Judge David Reilly at the January 2018 Inauguration Ceremony.
Electoral History
Lupinacci will run against Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin in November's election. Suffolk County Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia released a statement, saying, “The Suffolk County Republican committee tonight announced its to decision to support Chad Lupinacci’s as the candidate for candidacy for the Suffolk County Legislature 16th District.
Sanin released the following statement, "I am proud of my record as a bipartisan voice for District 16 in the Suffolk County Legislature, delivering results on clean water, open space, public safety, and affordability. Our communities deserve a leader with integrity-someone who shows up, does the work, and puts families, children, seniors, and veterans first.
Garcia responded by saying, “Chad Lupinacci is grounded in public service and a champion for education who has been overwhelmingly elected to both the state assembly and as Huntington town supervisor. Mr. “We look forward to comparing Mr.
The first question Brooke Lupinacci is often asked on the campaign trail is whether she is related to the former Supervisor. Brooke laughs and answers "No, I’m one of many Lupinacci families that settled in Huntington. Brooke grew up in Huntington Bay and graduated from St. Anthony’s High School. She returned after law school and married her husband, Stephen. Brooke was inspired at a young age to serve her community.
“There was nothing more fulfilling to me than combatting quality of life violations and improving the streets I drive down everyday,” said Brooke. “I decided to run for Town Council because I believe I can use my experience and knowledge to improve our quality of life,” said Brooke.
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