Dennis Cohen to resign as Suffolk County attorney; Dennis Brown to replace him

Suffolk County Attorney Dennis Cohen is leaving to become the top attorney for the City of Long Beach and former Suffolk County Attorney Dennis Brown will be appointed to succeed him, county officials said Thursday.

Cohen is a longtime friend of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, who is term-limited and will leave office at the end of the year.

Cohen's last day will be April 21, but he will continue to work for the county as a consultant through the end of the year at a rate of $125 per hour, county spokeswoman MaryKate Guilfoyle said. Cohen's 2022 base salary was $198,906, according to Newsday payroll records.

Cohen will become the Long Beach corporation counsel on April 24. He will earn a salary of $203,000, which is subject to approval by the city council, according to Acting City Manager Ronald Walsh.

Cohen, of West Babylon, served previously as a District Court judge and as Babylon town attorney during Bellone’s tenure as town supervisor.

Cohen joined Suffolk County in 2012, serving as county attorney before becoming chief deputy county executive. Cohen was appointed again as county attorney in 2020.

In a statement to Newsday, Bellone said Cohen was “an essential figure in every challenge we have overcome including a corrupt former DA, Superstorm Sandy, a financial crisis and a global pandemic. … It is fortunate that the County will continue to benefit from his experience and talent on a contract basis through the remainder of the year.”

Bellone's "DA" reference was to former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota, who is serving a 5-year sentence in federal prison for attempting to conceal the beating of a prisoner in a police precinct and impede a federal probe in order to protect then-Police Chief James Burke.

Walsh said Cohen “has outstanding experience in the municipal field. He is well-seasoned in labor law, in zoning law and handling torts — basically everything the City of Long Beach needs.”

Brown, 68, of Sayville, will oversee about 135 employees in the county attorney’s office and will earn a $201,205 salary, Guilfoyle said.

Brown serves as director of the Suffolk County Real Property Tax Service Agency, with a base salary of $154,015 in 2022. As county attorney, Brown will continue to perform those duties, Guilfoyle said.

 Brown was hired by the county in 2005 and served as county attorney from 2013 until 2020.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.