NYC prosecutors slam ex-DOB commish Eric Ulrich as a compromised politician whod do anything for cash as trial kicks off

Ex-New York City Buildings Commisher Eric Ulrich was a “compromised politician” so desperate for cash that he accepted bribes — including $10,000 Mets season tickets — so his inner circle could be closer to former Mayor Eric Adams, Manhattan prosecutors said Monday at the start of his trial.“They say politics is the art of the possible, but for these defendants, public office was nothing more than an office for personal gain,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Guy Tardanico charged, pointing at Ulrich, 41, and co-defendant Michael Mazzio, during opening statements of the corruption trial.Ulrich, a former Republican city councilman, and Mazzio, the operator of a Brooklyn towing company, are finally standing trial more than three years after the pair were indicted for allegedly trading political favors for tens of thousands of dollars worth of bribes.Prosecutors said Ulrich, who led the DOB for just six months before disgracefully resigning, “betrayed the public’s trust” when he used the position to allow short cuts for friends, who returned the favor by padding his wallet with “tens of thousands of dollars.”In one instance, Ulrich allegedly used his power to clean up a mouse infestation at Aldo’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, owned by co-defendants Anthony and Joseph Livreri, on Valentine’s Day 2022.The Livreri brothers, who pleaded guilty last month to bribery and conspiracy charges, needed the restaurant back open when a health inspector closed it down after finding hundreds of fresh mice droppings.“The Livreri’s immediately called Eric Ulrich,” Tardanico said, adding that the then-buildings commissioner initially said he he couldn’t get involved because he was afraid he’d “lose his job.”But Ulrich, who’d dump half of his government paychecks at Resorts World Casino, couldn’t say no for long, prosecutors said.“Less than two hours later, you’ll learn he got involved anyway,” said Tardancio, previewing how Ulrich al...