Howie Carr: Boston Water and Sewer Commission is a family business

Something stinks at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) — beyond the obvious, that is.

The other stench is coming off the sewer department’s payroll — it’s old-style hackerama to the max. If the BWSC had a motto, it might be, “Nationwide Searches R Us.”

Let’s start at the top, with Mr. Big — Henry Vitale, the executive director/treasurer of the agency for $228,466.68 a year.

He is ably assisted by not one, but two of his sisters-in-law.

Muna Vitale, “director of IT support and communications systems,” makes $159,884.42 a year. She’s married to Henry’s twin brother.

The BWSC flack, however, noted on Friday that “Muna Vitale began at the Commission in 1997, four years before her marriage to Executive Director Vitale’s brother (who is not employed by the Commission).”

Next, meet Cynthia Woolcock (for that is indeed her name, Woolcock) who is “manager of communications” for the Commission at $128,750.44 a year.

In October 2021, Henry filed an official public document known as “Disclosure of Appearance of Conflict of Interest.”

He admitted: “My sister-in-law, Cynthia Woolcock, has applied for a position… Ms. Woolcock is the sister of my wife.”

Then there’s Dante Shire, “facilities representative” for $52,000 a year.

Henry Vitale, what did you write in your next “Disclosure of Appearance of Conflict of Interest, from October 2023?

“My wife’s nephew, Dante Shire, has submitted an application for a permanent position….”

Next, meet the Attar clan. I filed repeated public requests asking about them. Apparently, though, they’re distant enough kinsmen from the Vitales that the BWSC feels it can stonewall on the Attars.

“The Commission,” I was informed Friday, “does not possess any records relating to the family relationships described below…”

Okay, but I am reliably informed by multiple sources in the hackerama that Alie Attar, “manager of fleet” for $118,726.68 a year, is the brother of Muna Vitale.

When I first began asking these BWSC hack questions on social media, someone dropped me a dime on one Sean Attar, son of Alie. Sean is on the payroll as “programmer/analyst” for $87,425.52 a year.

Next, meet John P. Sullivan Jr., “chief engineer & operations officer” for $261,565.20 — even more than Henry “Meet My Sister-in-Law!” Vitale.

The Sullivans are all over the BSWC payrolls like stink on… well, you know.

Last August, Sullivan formally wrote Vitale that “Please be advised that my son John F. Sullivan is an employee of the Operations Division and therefore will be in a division which I head.”

Another nationwide search! John F. Sullivan is “deputy superintendent of enforcement and compliance” for $120,220.28 a year.

The Commission handed over that public record, but refused to answer my questions about Anna T. Sullivan, “manager of accounts payable” for $128,750.21 a year. I asked multiple times whether she is the wife of John P., and thus the mother of John F.

When the phone didn’t ring, I knew it was the Commission.

By the way, John Sullivan has two brothers who retired from the Commission. Daniel was on the payroll from 1980 until 2017. Dicky was on from 1998 until 2020. I don’t have what their pensions are because… City Hall.

During his years slurping at the public trough, Dicky was mentioned at least a few times in the papers. Google a story from 2018 headlined, “Suit alleges unchecked racist and sexist behavior at Boston Water and Sewer.”

Peter Hunt is the “chief operating officer” for $225,000.36 a year. He is the husband of Nena Negron, who worked as an attorney at BWSC from 2021 to 2024, making $165,434 a year.

Negron shockingly resigned her hack sinecure last year after another nationwide search resulting in the even sweeter sinecure of general counsel went to former Boston city councilor Michael “Baby Flats” Flaherty.

Flaherty was hired at $224,999 a year. After an unhappy but extremely profitable year, Baby Flats was fired from the Commission last month, pocketing $253,670 in a severance deal.

Flaherty is the son of former Southie rep and judge Michael “Flats” Flaherty. Flats used to cohost the annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast with then-state Senate president William M. Bulger, the younger brother of a cocaine-dealing serial killer named Whitey Bulger.

One of Flaherty’s aides in the BWSC law department was Michelle R. Bulger, “senior assistant general counsel” for $143,221.52 a year. She’s the daughter-in-law of Billy Bulger.

After Billy Bulger, Robert Travaglini was the next state Senate president to come out of the city, from East Boston. Trav also spent time on the Boston City Council, like Baby Flats. Now 72, Trav has become an obscenely wealthy fat cat lobbyist.

And on the BWSC payroll I find Paul A. Travaglini, “special project coordinator to CFO” for $92,184.56 a year.

The Commission did not respond to inquiries about Paul Travaglini’s pedigree.

Speaking of that faint odor from East Boston, I next noticed one James Faretra, “deputy director communications” for $139,345.44 a year.

Does the name Joe Faretra ring a bell? He’s been the clerk of the East Boston District Court since 1974. He was appointed by his patron, then-Gov. Frank Sargent, who stopped coming down for breakfast in 1998.

Now almost 83 years old, Faretra is still pocketing $174,532 a year in a very important if obscure outpost of the hackerama. You see, Faretra’s district encompasses Logan Airport, where bad things sometimes happen to VIH’s — Very Important Hacks.

You know, like a sticky-fingered state judge (is there any other kind?) who gets lugged pocketing somebody else’s $5,000 watch at a security gate. Or a governor’s wayward son gets a bad ice cube and ends up accused of groping the young lady sitting next to him on the flight up from DC.

For such disappointments, you need someone who can… nip it in the bud, shall we say, before the cases go up to Superior Court.

And Clerk Faretra has proven his value many, many times over the past half-century. He’s very handy with a broom.

I asked the Commission if young Jim is related to old man Joe. No response, zero.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few. Let me know if I have. One last thing: this is all on Michelle Wu. She may want to walk away from this bloated mess of patronage run amok, but she owns it.

And it’ll still be a mess after she gets back from her spanking in Washington next week.

It’s the hackerama.