PARSIPPANY — Retired Police Sergeant Eugene Natoli was rehired by Parsippany-Troy Hills Township on December 19, 2016 at an annual salary of $50,000. The “Request for Personnel Action” report indicates he works in the “Administration Department” as a “Keyboarding Clerk 1.” The position is a full time, permanent position.
The Personnel Action form was signed by Business Administrator Ellen Sandman.
Parsippany Focus questioned several Council Members and was told they knew nothing about the appointment, and he must have been hired by Mayor James Barberio.
Upon retirement from the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department in October 2015 Natoli accumulated $221,295.00 in unused sick and vacation time. Natoli received $115,475.00 in 2016 and is owed another $105,820.00.
In December 2013 a vacant lieutenant’s spot in the Police Department opened up and Sergeant Eugene Natoli was assigned the role as “acting lieutenant” with a permanent lieutenant’s salary, according to a lawsuit filed by Daniel Bendas. According to the records, Natoli didn’t take the required examination. But Bendas had taken the exam for lieutenant in October 2011 and placed third, but he was first on the list after the sergeants in the first and second spots were promoted. Bendas is a Navy Veteran, and according to Civil Service guidelines, you can’t skip over a Veteran.
Since December 3, 2013, Bendas has continuously complained to the department that he should be promoted because he is first on the lieutenant’s promotional list, has veteran’s preference and there is a vacancy in the rank of lieutenant being filled improperly with an acting lieutenant for the purpose of denying Bendas the promotion to lieutenant.
Sergeant Daniel Bendas was promoted to Lieutenant on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.
Eugene J. Natoli was born in 1966 and retired from Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Police Department on October 2015 after being employed for 25 years. Natoli collects an annual pension of $91,560.00, based off a salary of $139,642.00, that is funded by the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. Natoli’s monthly pension payment is $7,630.00.
Natoli’s annual pension payment is 3.4 times greater than the average pension for retirees from Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and 3.5 times greater than the average pension in New Jersey ($25,983).
Pensioners from Parsippany Troy Hills Township have retired, on average, with a salary of $53,988 and annual pension of $27,079 after 25 years of service.
Email request for comments to Business Administrator Ellen Sandman, CFO Ann Cucci, Council President Louis Valori, Councilman Michael dePierro, Council Vice President Robert Peluso, Paul Carifi and Councilwoman Loretta Gragnani went unanswered.