July 22, 2009

Taxpayer funded ‘man cave’ at N.Y. Capitol

Authorities said a pair of New York state employees are accused of creating a man cave at the Capitol Building complete with a TV and marijuana scales.

A spokesman for the state Inspector General Joseph Fisch said Louis Marciano, 50, a supervisor with the state Office of General Services, and Gary Pivoda, a cleaner who works under him, allegedly used taxpayer dollars to transform a maintenance area in a Capitol garage facility into a man cave with a TV, board games, DVDs, couches, rolling papers and marijuana scales, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

The spokesman said the investigation was sparked by the cumulative overtime payouts of $28,400 the two men have collected during the past five years.

The two men are suspended without pay and Pivoda is charged with marijuana possession and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Pivoda allegedly used his OGS truck to make marijuana deliveries to other state employees, the newspaper said.