Upstate NY Assembly candidate caught-on-camera snatching rivals flyer from mailbox: Bad, bad bad

A candidate running for state Assembly in upstate New York was apparently caught on camera snatching his rival’s campaign flyer from the mailbox of a prospective voter.Footage from the Scotia homeowner’s Ring camera showed Joseph Mastroianni removing a political mailer from the mailbox, putting it in his pocket and then stuffing his own flyer in the box.“Bad, bad, bad,” Mastroianni says as a young woman giggles behind him, according to the video, taken Oct.17.Mastroianni, a Republican and member of the Rotterdam Town Board, is challenging six-term Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara in the 111th district encompassing Schenectady and Montgomery counties.The alleged swipe and accompanying video was first reported by News 6 in Albany.Unfortunately for Mastroianni, the homeowner receives “informed mail delivery” emails each day, where the postal service provides photos and/or videos of the items put in the mailbox.Last Thursday, the homeowner received an email with a photo of Santabarbara’s campaign flyer in the mailbox earlier that day.

Mastroianni is then seen on video snatching it, his accusers said.Stealing mail is a federal crime that could result in prison time.Schenectady County Democratic Committee chairman Frank Salamone filed a complaint with the US Postal Service, the state Board of Elections, the state Police, Schenectady County Sheriff and Scotia Village Police Department about the alleged theft.

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Never miss a story “Salamone notified these agencies of video evidence that current Rotterdam Town Board Member and candidate for NYS Assembly, Joe Mastroianni, stole political mail from a voter’s mailbox.The voter retrieved the shocking video from her Ring Doorbe...