The former janitor who pleaded guilty to turning a parking garage storage area into a makeshift drug-fueled rec room has been sentenced to a year in prison. Gary Pivoda, who was employed by the state up in Albany, admitted in November to sleeping, watching TV, and dealing drugs in his DIY lounge (video!).The drug charges were dropped as part of the plea deal, and Pivoda was sentenced to two one-year sentences (to be served at the same time) for defrauding the public and grand larceny. He must also pay more than $2,000 in restitution; his supervisor Louis Marciano also pleaded guilty to man caving, but had his sentencing postponed. more ›

The two state workers busted for turning a parking garage storage area into a makeshift drug-fueled rec room pleaded guilty yesterday. Gary Pivoda, 40, a former custodian for the state’s Office of General Service, and his supervisor, Louis Marciano, 50, both admitted to defrauding the government, and Pivoda also pleaded guilty to grand larceny. He'll do a year in prison for dealing drugs out of the so-called man cave, while Marciano got five years’ probation and has to perform 250 hours of community service. Both men must pay thousands of dollars restitution to the state for the time spent sleeping, playing board games, watching TV, and doing drugs while on the clock. more ›

To man cave or not to man cave —that's the question Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will face. His office is investigating the use of a workspace off the State Capitol's parking garage as a lounge/drug den, complete with board games, rolling papers and drug scales—allegedly created by two state employees. Cuomo is reportedly showing evidence to a grand jury. more ›

It takes a lot of work to build the ultimate man cave, especially one housed off a parking garage at Albany's State Capitol by employees of NY State's Office of Government Services. There's upkeep on your card pyramids and the frequent updates to the message on your Lite Brite... it's no wonder that the two state employees who were busted last week for their drug den of board games and pot scales needed so much time to work on their lair that they've racked up a combined $28,400 in overtime over the last five years. more ›

Howe Caverns may no longer hold the title as top spot for cavernous upstate recreation. That's because yesterday it was revealed that while state senators spent a good portion of the last couple of months showing up for work and bickering about legal semantics over a quagmire they themselves had created, a state janitor and his supervisor have been arriving at their Capitol jobs every day and wasting time in style. Louis Marciano and Gary Pivoda of the State Office of General Services have been busted for taking their workspace inside a Capitol garage and turned it into a drug-dealing "man cave." more ›