Six supervisors at problem-plagued Metro-North were caught trekking out to Pennsylvania on the railroad’s time to stock up on illegal fireworks and cheap cigarettes, sources told The Post.
The mechanical foremen, supervisors of workers who fix maintenance equipment, were suspended without pay the day after Christmas, authorities said.
The foremen were caught through GPS by the MTA Inspector General’s Office on the out-of-state trips on company time, sources said.
They were identified as: Samuel Giordano, Daniel DiLorenzo, Kevin Eich, Mark Magnani, Richard Delgado and David Macaluso.
“It’s very clear nobody has been running the show at the Metro-North the past couple of years,” fumed Jim Cameron, founder of the riders’ advocacy group Commuter Action Group.
Cameron cited December’s Metro-North derailment in The Bronx, which killed four passengers and injured 63, and the death in May of a track worker in Connecticut.
A Metro-North spokeswoman said disciplinary proceedings for all six men have been scheduled.
Only one of the accused, Giordano, could be reached by The Post.
He said he did not take a trip to Pennsylvania, but declined to make any further comment.
Fireworks in Pennsylvania can be bought by non-residents without a permit, unlike in New York. Cigarettes there are cheaper.
The suspensions also come after an MTA Inspector General probe found that Metro-North machinists last year visited Home Depot and fast-food eateries on their shifts and fudged their overtime.
Update:
Macaluso’s lawyer denies that he was suspended for going to Pennsylvania or elsewhere out of state on company time, including to buy illegal fireworks or cheap cigarettes. He says Macaluso has not yet had a hearing and does not believe the charges will be sustained. Disciplinary charges against Macaluso remain active, and his hearing is scheduled for mid-March, according to Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders.