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WARREN -- A relative of a candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for city law director resigned from his job with the city seven days after backing into a pole at 521 Main Ave. SW.
Nunzio DiVieste, 56, was backing a city-owned Ford F-250 truck inside the facility, hitting a pole and causing what was described as light damage to the rear right panel, according to an incident report signed by DiVieste. The accident happened at 1:15 p.m. April 10, according to the report.
Warren Safety Service Director Enzo Cantalamessa, who is running for the Democratic nomination for law director against current law director Greg Hicks, signed the report as DiVieste's department head on April 12. The report is in DiVieste's personnel file.
DiVieste submitted a letter of resignation as a supervisor in the city's operations department on April 17. Its effective date was April 26. He worked for the city since March 1994, according to his personnel file.
"I am ready to pursue new challenges," DiVieste wrote in the letter to the city.
DiVieste is listed as a relative of Cantalamessa on the candidate's campaign form submitted to the Tribune Chronicle.
Cantalamessa said there is no connection between the accident and DiVieste's retirement.
"He told me a year ago he intended to retire when he hit 25 (years)," Cantalamessa said. "He hit 25 years and he retired."
Cantalamessa said he is aware of the accident, but that is all he knows.
There was no report of the April 10 accident filed with the Warren City Police Department. No one would confirm whether DiVieste took either a drug or alcohol test after the accident.
Efforts to reach Frank Tempesta, operations department superintendent, and DiVieste were not successful.
City rules require members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to have drug and alcohol tests after any accident that causes $500 or more in damage. A preliminary estimate given to the cost of repairing the vehicle was $2,127.15, according to a document given the city by Ed's Auto Works LLC on April 18.
A department head or his or her designee may order a drug screening or alcohol breathalyzer test when there is reasonable suspicion that drug or alcohol use may present a risk to their safety and that of fellow employees or to the public, according to a June 19, 2018 administrative order signed by Cantalamessa. If an employee refuses to take a drug and / or alcohol test, the test will be considered positive, according to city rules.
rsmith@tribtoday.com