Corrupt Judge Anthony Scarpino Starts Barking in Westchester

Show me the money!
The New York Post by Laurel Babcock and Dan Mangan  -  January 5, 2012
Get out your calculator, creep!

An angry judge yesterday demanded that an Upper West Sider suspected of murdering his estranged wife account for the $1.6 million insurance payout to their kids over her death, and repeated his order that the man keep his hands off the loot.  “You say everything is there and fine,” snapped Westchester County Surrogate’s Court Judge Anthony Scarpino to murder suspect Rod Covlin’s lawyers. “I need an accounting of that.”  Hours later, Covlin’s new criminal-defense lawyer proclaimed the unemployed backgammon whiz innocent of the New Year’s Eve 2009 strangulation of his wife, Shele Danishefsky, in her West 68th Street apartment. The beautiful blond money manager was killed a day before she was due to meet with an attorney about cutting out Covlin from her will.  “He was not involved in any way whatsoever with the tragic death of his wife,” said lawyer Robert Gottlieb. “He will defend himself and is confident that the DA will not charge him with any crimes for one simple reason — he did not commit any crimes.”  The Manhattan DA’s Office is investigating Covlin in Danishefsky’s murder. She was originally buried without an autopsy because of her Orthodox Jewish faith, but after friends told the victim’s family members that Covlin had threatened to kill her, they agreed to an exhumation and autopsy that determined that she had been strangled.  Last week, the New York County Public Administrator’s Office sued Covlin for allegedly causing Danishefsky’s wrongful death by strangling her.  Then The Post revealed that last year, Covlin apparently conned his way into controlling the $1.6 million left to his and Shele’s two kids by failing to tell Scarpino in a Surrogate’s Court guardianship petition that Danishefsky had been murdered, and that he is the suspect.  Scarpino then suspended Covlin’s control of the cash and ordered yesterday’s hearing.  But the judge’s efforts to learn whether he’d been duped were stymied by the absence of Covlin lawyer Phillip Shapiro, who was being treated for a pinched nerve.  Scarpino told the other lawyers to make sure Shapiro is in court on March 6 “to explain exactly what went on here.”  Scarpino also barked, “Nobody gives me conditions” when lawyers said Covlin would agree to continued suspension of his guardianship only if his parents were appointed guardians.  Gina Alberta, one of the lawyers, said, “There is no fraud perpetuated on this court.”  She also said Covlin’s petition had been “truthful by statute,” and that the money was invested with “appropriate financial institutions” and had “not been spent.”  dan.mangan@nypost.com