BY SAL GRECO
When Jessica Tisch was appointed New York City Police Commissioner, Mayor Eric Adams promoted her as the executive who would restore integrity to an NYPD battered by scandals involving former Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, former adviser Tim Pearson, former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry, former Commissioner Eddie Caban, and other senior officials. The message was clear: Tisch was supposed to clean up City Hall’s public safety apparatus.
However, as additional information continues to emerge, another series of questions deserves public examination.
These questions do not establish wrongdoing. Rather, they focus on whether the appearance of potential conflicts of interest was properly addressed and whether the public has received complete transparency.
The Official NYC Bin Contract
While serving as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, Jessica Tisch oversaw the agency during one of its largest modernization initiatives: mandatory residential trash containerization.
Public procurement records show that DSNY awarded the exclusive contract for the Official NYC Bin to Duramax Holdings LLC, doing business as OTTO Environmental Systems North America. Public notices indicate the agreement provides an initial ten-year term with options extending the relationship for as long as twenty years.
The contract ultimately became one of the most significant sanitation procurement initiatives in recent city history, affecting millions of New Yorkers.
The Otto Family Connection
Publicly available information also indicates that Tenfore Holdings, the investment firm co-founded by Jessica Tisch’s husband, Dan Levine, has publicly described a strategic partnership with the Otto family office, one of Europe’s wealthiest business families and the owners of the Otto Group.
Tenfore has stated publicly that it works alongside the Otto family on strategic investments and capital allocation.
Separately, OTTO Environmental Systems—the company awarded the NYC bin contract—shares the Otto name and corporate heritage within the broader Otto business ecosystem.
At present, publicly available records reviewed by The Sal Greco Show have not established that Tenfore Holdings or Dan Levine held a direct ownership interest in Duramax Holdings LLC or OTTO Environmental Systems North America at the time the NYC contract was awarded.
That distinction is important.
Nevertheless, the publicly acknowledged relationship between Tenfore Holdings and the Otto family raises legitimate questions that deserve clear answers.
Questions That Merit Public Answers
Among the questions that remain include:
- Did Jessica Tisch disclose her husband’s business relationship with the Otto family while serving as Sanitation Commissioner?
- Did the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board review this relationship before or during the procurement?
- Was any ethics opinion requested?
- Did Jessica Tisch recuse herself from any portion of the procurement process?
- Did anyone within City Hall advise that no recusal was necessary?
- Was Mayor Eric Adams informed of any potential appearance issues involving the procurement?
- Did DSNY procurement officials evaluate whether any disclosure obligations existed?
- Did Tenfore Holdings or any affiliated investment vehicle possess any direct or indirect financial interest in Duramax Holdings, OTTO Environmental Systems North America, or entities connected to the contract?
These are factual questions that deserve factual answers.
The RaySecur Questions Continue
This reporting also follows previous questions raised by The Sal Greco Show regarding RaySecur, a company whose technology has reportedly been deployed by the NYPD Bomb Squad.
Public reporting has identified Tenfore Holdings as an investor in RaySecur, while separate reporting has examined grants benefiting the Bomb Squad and relationships involving organizations connected to members of the Tisch family.
Again, these facts alone do not establish wrongdoing. But taken together, they contribute to broader questions about whether sufficient safeguards were in place to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
From Reformer to More Questions?
Jessica Tisch entered the NYPD promising to root out corruption following years of scandals that engulfed the department.
Those scandals included allegations involving Jeffrey Maddrey, Tim Pearson, Kaz Daughtry, Eddie Caban, and numerous other senior officials.
Now, critics are asking whether the commissioner herself should face the same level of scrutiny she has applied to others.
Whether those questions ultimately reveal ethical violations remains unknown.
However, public confidence depends not only on avoiding actual conflicts of interest, but also on avoiding the appearance of conflicts whenever possible.
What Did Mayor Eric Adams Know?
Another question naturally follows.
Mayor Eric Adams appointed Jessica Tisch as Police Commissioner after the DSNY contract for the Official NYC Bin had already been awarded.
If there were any ethics reviews, recusals, or conflict analyses concerning the sanitation procurement, was the Mayor informed before making that appointment?
If City Hall determined there was no conflict, what analysis supported that conclusion?
Conversely, if no review occurred, why not?
These are questions that City Hall, the Department of Investigation, the Conflicts of Interest Board, and other oversight entities may be in the best position to answer.
The Bottom Line
At this time, The Sal Greco Show has not found public evidence establishing that Jessica Tisch violated any law or ethics rule in connection with the Official NYC Bin procurement. Likewise, there is no public evidence that Mayor Eric Adams knew of or ignored any actual conflict of interest.
However, the publicly documented relationships, procurement records, and investment connections raise questions that many members of the public may reasonably ask.
Transparency—not assumptions—is the appropriate response.
As additional records are obtained through public filings, procurement documents, financial disclosures, and potential Freedom of Information Law requests, those answers may become clearer.
Until then, the central question remains:
If Jessica Tisch was appointed to restore public trust and eliminate even the appearance of corruption within New York City government, should the same level of scrutiny be applied to her own actions and relationships?