A South Jersey businessman has been barred from obtaining City of Philadelphia contracts for three years after the City Controller and Inspector General found he misrepresented use of minority- or gender-owned businesses.
Peter Pirozzi, who owns Pirozzi General Contracting, obtained two contracts for construction work on city properties worth more than $2.2 million in 2017 after filing paperwork that claimed he would utilize three subcontractors that are minority- or gender-owned.
His claims were made in order to comply with city regulations that must be met to obtain such work, the two agencies said in a joint statement.
The investigation revealed that: one of the subcontractors is apparently owned by Pirozzi; a second company, Rodriguez Contractor Supply, is owned by Pirozzi's son-in-law, Andrew Rodriguez, but performed "no commercially useful function" through the contract; and a third company backed out of the deal, according to the City Controller and Inspector General.
Pirozzi General Contracting, Material Source Point and Rodriguez Contractor Supply have been barred for three years from seeking any city contracts.
"The City’s minority participation rules ensure that legitimate M/W/DBSE businesses have an opportunity to compete for City work,” city Inspector General Amy Kurland said in a statement. "Our aggressive enforcement of these rules has repeatedly sent a message that the City will not tolerate fraud. And while there is still work left to do to ensure a level playing field for the City, I am very proud of this collaboration and the results that both our office and the Controller’s Office have achieved."
Pirozzi and Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. No phone number could be found for Pirozzi's business.
