(2007-03-27) Gargano Expense Submits

It smells like Charles Gargano was letting NYC pay for lots of his personal Life Style activities. With just two months to go in his job as the state's economic development czar, Charles Gargano hopped on an Alitalia Airlines flight last October 20 and flew to Rome. His ticket included an open return, from Rome's Da Vinci airport to JFK. The cost, $3,579, was billed to Gargano's state-supplied corporate American Express card... Gargano, who was born in Italy and is reportedly building a home there, also isn't saying... And in his last year as chairman of the state's development corporation, Gargano's salary was $160,760. He is also still owed $28,854.42 in unused vacation pay, according to agency officials. But the ambassador shouldn't count on collecting it all. "Before he gets that money, we will deduct whatever he owes in outstanding expenses," says Aj Carter, the agency's spokesman.