Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino pays $1,626 tax lien

Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, a former Republican state assemblyman who has criticized his Democratic successor for tens of thousands of dollars in tax liens against her, also had an outstanding tax lien against him — at least until Tuesday.

The New York State tax warrant website showed that Joseph S. Saladino of Massapequa had a $1,625.81 tax lien filed against him on May 5.

The website gave no details about the time period the lien covered or what it involved. State tax liens generally are levied against individuals for not paying state income tax and against employers for not paying worker’s taxes or sales taxes.

Asked about the lien Tuesday, Saladino spokesman Jim Moriarty said the supervisor was never notified about the lien and wasn’t aware of it until Newsday brought it to his attention. Moriarty noted that the street address listed on the state tax warrant for Saladino was missing a digit.

But Moriarty said Saladino went online late Tuesday and paid, as soon as he learned of the lien.

“It has been paid,” Moriarty said. The website, however, has not been updated.

Moriarty said he could offer no details about the lien because Saladino had not known about it.

Saladino, who left the Assembly when he was appointed town supervisor in January, complained on Monday about the tax liens against the Democrat who won his former South Shore seat, although he never mentioned Assemb. Christine Pellegrino by name.

Newsday reported last month that Pellegrino, who won a special election in May in the 9th Assembly District, and her husband have nearly $186,000 in federal tax liens and are fighting foreclosure on their West Islip house.

The foreclosure papers list thousands of dollars more in debts. Public records show that Pellegrino also filed for a personal bankruptcy in 1993 that was subsequently discharged later that year.

Records indicate the Pellegrinos stopped making payments on their $893,000 mortgage in October 2015. Christine Pellegrino filed for divorce in Dec. 2016. Her spokeswoman said, “the issues concerning the foreclosure are all tied in with the divorce and there is a full workout arrangement and payment plan with the IRS.”