NEW YORK - The head of a little-known city commission that granted an early jail release to an influential state senator has resigned under fire.
Raul Russi, chairman of the Local Conditional Release Commission, submitted his resignation to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday. The mayor had been expected to oust him.
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Russi had said he'd received tearful calls from the former lawmaker. "He sounded very depressed, very remorseful, a broken man," Russi said. "He's punished, he's down, he's out."
Velella was released last month after serving just three months of a one-year jail term for his role in a lucrative public works bribery scheme.
The former lawmaker had been among the state's most powerful Republicans for many of his 18 years as a senator representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester County. As leader of the Bronx Republican Party, he counted among his key allies Gov. George Pataki and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (news - web sites).
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