Frank Quigley, who oversaw high-profile Long Island corruption cases for Nassau district attorney's office, dies at 79

Francis "Frank" D. Quigley Jr. spent more than 30 years in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, rising to chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, where he oversaw high-profile public corruption investigations.

Quigley, who died Thursday at his Rockville Centre home after a long-term illness, was 79. Family and former colleagues said he viewed public service as more than just a job — it was a privilege.

Timothy S. Driscoll, a Nassau County Supreme Court justice, recalled telling him about a government official who kept a clock on his desk counting down to retirement. Quigley shook his head in disgust, unable to understand why anyone would be so eager to leave public service.

"Every day serving the public is a great day," Quigley told him, Driscoll recalled.

Born July 8, 1947, in Rockville Centre, Quigley drew that sense of duty in part from his father, a World War II radio operator who later became an NYPD officer. His Quigley's wife, Mary, said she believed her father-in-law’s stories shaped  her husband's view of law enforcement as a force for good.

Following every lead

One of the bureau’s most prominent cases involved former Roslyn schools Superintendent Frank Tassone, who admitted stealing more than $2 million from the district in 2004. The scandal inspired the HBO film "Bad Education," starring Hugh Jackman.

Quigley, who worked under Nassau District Attorney Denis Dillon, also helped oversee a joint state-federal corruption investigation involving Benefit Plan Administrators, a company that administered Nassau County’s employee health benefits. Its former CEO pleaded guilty in 2004 to conspiring to bribe a county official and money laundering in a scheme federal prosecutors said cost Nassau more than $70 million.

Driscoll, who worked on the investigation, said Quigley took a thorough approach to cases, routinely asking prosecutors whether they had considered additional interviews, witnesses or subpoenas.

"There was no stone to be left unturned before a decision was made about how to move forward with the case," Driscoll said.

Quigley also encouraged young prosecutors and advocated for their work before senior officials, Driscoll said. He "inspired loyalty, not because he demanded it, but because he deserved it."

Service close to home

After leaving the district attorney’s office in 2005, Quigley served as deputy inspector general of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He became Rockville Centre village administrator in 2008, serving until 2011, and later entered private practice as a criminal defense attorney before retiring in 2018.

Former Mayor Mary W. Bossart, who appointed him after his selection by the village board, said his legal knowledge and integrity made him well-suited for the job.

"I really trusted his judgment," Bossart said. "He had a great understanding of the law, what was correct, what we needed to do in the village."

During his tenure, Quigley helped Rockville Centre navigate years of litigation over the Avalon Bay apartment development. Bossart said he guided officials toward realistic solutions as the 2008 economic downturn strained municipal finances.

He also advised the village board on a 2008 agreement with North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System to provide weekday emergency ambulance coverage, easing pressure on volunteer firefighters and improving emergency services for residents.

Bossart said his leadership balanced "the toughness that is necessary to run a community" with "the compassion and the personality to listen well."

Quigley met the woman who would become his wife of 56 years, Mary, at Fordham College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1969. He went on to attend Fordham Law School, finishing his studies in 1972.

A devout Catholic and avid reader of history, Quigley read to their three children every night. He enjoyed classics such as "Treasure Island" and passed his love of reading on to his children, who became voracious readers themselves, Mary Quigley said.

He rarely missed their sporting events, despite long workdays. "He was a big believer in being there to support your kids," she said.

Besides his wife, survivors include his sons, Brendan Quigley, of Rockville Centre, and Sean Quigley, of Garden City; daughter, Colleen Macintosh, of Raleigh, North Carolina; brothers, Thomas Quigley, of Rockville Centre, and Mark Quigley, of Spokane, Washington; and nine grandchildren.

Visitation was held Sunday at Macken Mortuary in Rockville Centre. A funeral Mass was Monday at St. Agnes Cathedral, followed by burial at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.