Manhattan’s top civil judge secretly sealed an X-rated, $1 million fraud case involving Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and her boyfriend, Guardian Angels founder and radio personality Curtis Sliwa without providing public information about the hush-hush order.
The Post has learned that Chief Administrative Judge Sherry Klein Heitler moved the case to a colleague who handles post-divorce disputes claiming that the issue “arises out of a matrimonial matter” according to sources who saw copies of the sealed document dated May 14.
“It’s highly unusual and I’ve never come across anything like this in 40 years of practicing law,” said Paul Siegert, who brought the case last year on behalf of Curtis’ ex-wife Mary Sliwa.
One of the city’s top matrimonial attorneys agreed that the order was “very unusual.”
In the seamy suit Mary claims that Curtis conspired with Melinda to siphon off nearly $500,000 in matrimonial assets before their 2012 divorce.
She calls Katz a “money-loving homewrecker who relentlessly plotted for years to destroy my marriage, my family and me,” in court papers.
Mary has released highly embarrassing and salacious evidence of the affair including voicemails of allegedly capturing the Queens democrat cooing to her lover about his bedroom prowess and her sexual stamina.
“Last night was about the fact that you are capable of making love to me twice,” Katz said in a July 2010 message left on Curtis’ cell phone, according to court papers.
Siegert said he’s contemplating appealing the sealing order.
“These are public figures. We’re not going to allow this. The public has a right to know what’s going on with their elected leaders,” Siegert said.
Unlike regular civil cases, only the parties have access to documents involving matrimonial disputes.
Court spokesman David Bookstaver said, “The intent here was not to keep this case from the public, but rather to handle it appropriately as a matrimonial case.”
Katz’s attorney, Steven Mintz applauded Heitler’s decision.
“We are pleased that the court decided on its own to send this dispute to a matrimonial judge for resolution,” Mintz said.
“Melinda Katz has been an unwilling spectator to Mary Sliwa’s efforts to publicly re-litigate her disputes with her former husband,” Mintz said.
Curtis now lives with Katz and their two children in Forest Hills.
His attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.