ROCKLAND, Mass. — An employee with Rockland’s Highway Department suddenly retired Tuesday, amid new questions about his conduct on the job uncovered by FOX25 Investigates days earlier.
The Town of Rockland had suspended 57 year-old Albert Giannini, with pay, a day before he announced his retirement. Attorneys for the Town may have been looking into whether Giannini violated a “last chance agreement” in which he promised to not make “inappropriate remarks… toward members of the public.”
FOX25 Investigates found a profanity-filled comment on Facebook, aimed at another user, from an account linked to Giannini, after Rockland Highway Superintendent, Bob Corvi, failed to win a re-election bid earlier this month. Corvi acknowledged a "family relationship" with Giannini in a Town e-mail obtained by FOX25.
The controversy was only the latest for Giannini, who came under fire from many Rockland residents in February after surveillance cameras recorded him nearly running over the owner of B1 Auto with a large front-end loader. The video also showed Giannini dumping snow from the street on the business owner's property.
FOX25 Investigates obtained documents that indicate the Town "intended to terminate" Giannini for the incident in February, but ultimately suspended him without pay for two weeks.
“There is no way this person should be working for the town of Rockland,” said longtime Rockland resident Susan Joyce in an interview on Friday. “It’s a bad reflection on our town.”
“I do a good job. They don’t like it, too bad,” said Giannini when FOX25’s Eric Rasmussen approached him at the Rockland Highway Department on Friday. Giannini declined to comment about his sudden decision to retire less than a week later.
By retiring, Giannini avoids possibly getting fired and keeps some benefits from the Town, including 75 percent coverage of health care costs. Giannini will also be paid for one unused vacation day. The Town could not comment on possible pension benefits for Giannini and referred FOX25 to Plymouth County Retirement.
When contacted by FOX25 about Giannini’s retirement, the owners of B1 Auto in Rockland described the outcome as “fair.”
“It was unfortunate that this whole thing had to happen, but we are all accountable for our actions and this town worker needed to be held accountable for his actions as well,” said Chere Succar.
Cox Media Group
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