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He claims he’s a man of no means — but insiders say he has hidden his wealth by laundering it through friends.
Disgraced ex-state Sen. Carl Kruger will have to forfeit up to $450,000 to the feds after pleading guilty to bribery charges, even though his lawyer claims Kruger is pretty much broke.
“Despite all of the stories to the contrary, Sen. Kruger personally has always maintained a very modest lifestyle,” attorney Ben Brafman said yesterday. “Other than his state salary and state pension, he has no other assets whatsoever.”
But Democratic operatives in Brooklyn claimed yesterday that Kruger excelled in hiding his assets through the person he trusted most — his co-defendant and lover, Michael Turano.
“It’s no secret the house, the Bentley and most of the other things were his. He laid the money out and everyone knows it. Anyone could put assets under the names of others,” said one operative. “The question is: How did he fool everyone by putting everything in other people’s names?”
Another source added that Kruger has a long history of driving fancy leased cars, patronizing pricey restaurants and taking lavish trips with Turano.
“He was never afraid to spend money, but he was not a stupid man,” the second source said. “He knew how to hide things, and it paid off. The day has arrived and he’s gotten caught, but he doesn’t have to give up his assets because they are registered under someone else.”
Public records show that Kruger, 62, owns no real estate.
But he lives with Turano, 50, a gynecologist, in a garish, $1.8 million waterfront mansion in Mill Basin that the doctor owns with his physician-brother, Gerard Turano.
The Turanos’ assets include a 39-foot yacht, a $200,000 2000 Bentley leased by Gerard, and a $75,000 2010 Mercedes S550 registered in Michael’s name.
The Bentley would be off limits to feds looking to seize assets — even though Kruger and Michael Turano were known to use the luxury sedan — because it’s leased in Gerard Turano’s name, sources said.
The crooked Brooklyn pol had been pulling down a $79,500 Senate salary sweetened until this year by a stipend — known as a lulu — of up to $34,000 a year for being chairman of the Finance Committee. That ended when the GOP won control of the Senate.
He remains eligible for a state pension of about $60,000 a year because the state Constitution prohibits cutting benefits to anyone who paid into the retirement system.
Kruger also rented apartments in Brooklyn and Albany, records show, and owns a 2008 Cadillac DTS.
Brafman said final financial arrangements will be worked out with prosecutors before Kruger is sentenced in April.
Brafman stressed that the amount Kruger has to repay “could be considerably less.”
Michael Turano, who also pleaded guilty Tuesday, faces up to $450,000 in forfeitures plus a possible $125,000 fine.
Kruger and Turano blubbered uncontrollably when entering their guilty pleas to taking nearly a half-million dollars in bribes.
Kruger faces at least nine years behind bars, while Turano faces up to five years.
Meanwhile, Turano’s mother, Dorothy, was notably absent at last night’s meeting of Brooklyn Community Board 18, where she is a district manager.
The chairman said she was on vacation and would return after New Year’s Day.
Additional reporting by Bruce Golding and Kevin Fasick