Cairo and Boyle are winning big on LI

Daily Point

OTB heads see big paydays with Suffolk, Nassau gaming

Suffolk and Nassau counties each have New York State-authorized off-track betting operations, run separately from county government, that bring money into the counties from each entity' gaming activity. These gambling operations have evolved from freestanding buildings used to bet on horses to video lottery terminals to electronic gaming tables.

But the two OTBs have gone in different directions in the last several years — and that's resulted in very different salary and staffing mechanisms within each OTB, according to The Point's analysis of state Gaming Commission records.

That starts at the top. Nassau OTB President and CEO Joseph Cairo, who also chairs the Nassau County Republican Party as well as the Town of Hempstead's GOP, earns annual compensation of $230,000 just for his OTB work. But Phil Boyle, who holds the same OTB title in Suffolk County, earns $275,000.

Some of that disparity is likely due to the significant shifts in Suffolk OTB's work over the last several years. In 2017, Suffolk OTB opened Jake's 58, a video lottery terminal casino in Islandia which is now being expanded. After Nassau was unable to find a site for its VLTs, Nassau OTB made a deal with Resorts World in Queens, which housed Nassau's slot machines and provided a slice of revenue to Nassau OTB in exchange.

Jake's has allowed the Suffolk OTB to funnel more money into the county. In 2022, Suffolk OTB gave the county $35,226,032. That amount was lower in the years that followed, as the OTB paid down debt and established a repairs fund for the casino. In 2025, the OTB paid the county $28,385,597. But sources told The Point that the number is expected to rise in the coming years after the newly expanded facility opens.

Cairo, meanwhile, wears several hats. In addition to his OTB salary, Cairo also earns $6,453.85 a month from his state pension earned during his time as a Hempstead Town official, according to the state comptroller. And he is compensated by the Nassau County Republican Committee as party head, earning another $3,185 a week from the Nassau County GOP, according to a Transparency USA analysis of campaign filings. In 2025, Cairo was paid $163,925 by the local party, Transparency USA data showed.

According to the state gaming data, Nassau OTB has six people who qualify as officers and managers. Among them: John Tufarelli, OTB's executive director of operations, who earns $148,000 from that gig. Tufarelli is also Valley Stream's deputy mayor, and last year was the top ballot harvester in a controversial effort to collect absentee ballots for GOP county legislator candidate Sheharyar Ali, who lost to Democrat Cynthia Nuñez. While picking up absentee ballots is legal, New York State Attorney General Letitia James had said last year that she was going to review complaints regarding potential fraud.

Also among Nassau OTB's executives is John Conroy, its vice president of operations, who earns $187,000 for his OTB job. Conroy previously served as Town of Hempstead sanitation commissioner and is a current member of the South Nassau Water Authority board.

In a statement, Cairo told The Point that he has "made it a priority to ensure that the [Off-Track Betting] Corporation operates with the highest standards of fiscal responsibility, accountability and sound management."

"Through strong management oversight, rigorous budgetary controls and a disciplined approach to controlling costs, Nassau OTB has reduced its payroll from 2021 through the present while continuing to deliver quality service to our patrons," Cairo said. "At the same time, we have successfully reduced operating expenses through careful review of expenditures, improved operational efficiencies, and prudent financial management."

Sources told The Point that OTB's payroll has fallen from approximately $6.2 million in 2021 to about $5.4 million this year, while operating expenses have fallen from about $18 million in 2021 to between $15 million and $16 million projected for this year.

"By emphasizing fiscal discipline, operational efficiency, and sound management practices, we have strengthened the Corporation's financial position while continuing to serve our customers and stakeholders effectively," Cairo said in the statement. "At the same time, we have provided substantial revenues to the County of Nassau, assisting the Administration in its diligent and successful efforts to freeze property taxes."

Suffolk's OTB, meanwhile, lists 15 people in its officers and managers category in the state gaming documentation. It includes James LaCarrubba, the former OTB chief who earns $249,000 as OTB's vice president and chief operating officer, and Thomas McNally, OTB's general counsel at a $179,000 salary, who is also the Town of Huntington GOP's chairman. But it also includes Douglas Pearsall, OTB's director of franchise operations, a Democrat who ran for the Assembly against Jarett Gandolfo and who earns $126,000 in annual compensation, according to state Gaming Commission records.

In addition to the officers and managers, Nassau OTB has 66 individuals on its payroll listed in the state's pension system even though most of the gambling operation is handled by Resorts World. Compensation ranges from $672 to $112,965, while Suffolk OTB has 416 individuals enrolled in the state pension system with earnings ranging from $270 to $250,000.

— Karthika Namboothiri karthika.namboothiri@newsday.com and Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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