Though he was first reassigned to administrative duty for the duration of a hit-and-run probe, firefighter Pat Quagliariello has now been suspended without pay for 30 days. Early Sunday morning, Manuel Tzajguachiac was struck and killed by a BMW in Bensonhurst, and four hours later Quagliariello arrived at the 62nd precinct, saying it was his car involved in the accident. He would not say whether he was behind the wheel, and police are now conducting forensic tests to see if he was driving.
Suspensions are usually reserved for firefighters charged with a crime, but Quagliariello's record has already been brought into question. In 1992, he was arrested for second-degree assault and was given one day in jail and five years' probation. In 2005, his certificate as an emergency services technician was suspended for a year because he had not disclosed his prior conviction when applying for the certificate. He was able to get his job at the FDNY in 2004 because the state Board of Parole gave him a certificate of good conduct.