LONG ISLAND, NY – As prices of Long Island Rail Road fares go up, so do the yearly paychecks of its employees.

The number of LIRR employees who made more than $250,000 increased by nearly 50 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to payroll data found on the Empire Center for Public Policy’s transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.

The number of employees who made more than $300,000 also increased this year. Twenty LIRR employees topped a $300,000 paycheck in 2018 compared to 12 in 2017, data shows. In 2016, just eight employees made that amount and in 2015 only four employees did. In 2014, no employees made more than $300,000.

Former LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski moved up to No. 2 on the 2018 list compared to No. 7 in 2017 but his pay rate stayed the same at $137 per hour. The only one who made more than him in total pay was Chief Measurement Operator Thomas Caputo, who had a pay rate of $54, according to the data. Caputo racked up $344,147 in overtime in addition to his $117,499 salary.

LIRR President Philip Eng came in at No. 24 on the list.

On Wednesday, MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said he was ordering an investigation into dramatically increased overtime payments.

“It is important that we are doing everything we can to carry out the work of the MTA efficiently and cost effectively,” Foye said. “We have strict procedures and regulations in place regarding scheduling and payment of overtime. Those procedures either must be followed or we need to implement stronger rules on day to day procedures.”

Check out the full list of LIRR employees who were paid over $250,000 last year:

1. Thomas Caputo, Chief Measurement Operator – $461,646
2. Patrick A. Nowakowski, President – $454,288
3. Dallas Bazemore III, Foreman-Surfacing- $395,397
4. Joseph M. Ruzzo, Foreman-Track – $380,407
5. Christopher M. Kroll, Foreman-Track – $354,168
6. Christopher J. Jerome, Foreman-Track – $352,935
7. Ricardo G. Ruiz, MW Repairman Technician – $350,575
8. John E. Nugent, Foreman-Track – $350,056
9. Joseph Balestra, Foreman-Track – $348,522
10. Patrick N. Damboise, Foreman-Track – $339,320
11. Terence M. Glum, Foreman-Track – $327,628
12. Carlos Romano, Engineer – $323,468
13. Claude F. Birong, Foreman-Track – $320,130
14. Robert A. Friscia, Foreman MW Mechanic – $313,355
15. Sanjay Kowlessar, Foreman -Track – $312,674
16. Marco V. Pazmino, Track Worker (A) – $311,162
17. Devnish A. Baird, Foreman-Surfacing – $308,023
18. Frank D. Pizzoria, Track Worker (A) – $305,477
19. Peter C. Parker, Foreman-Signal – $304,037
20. Donald R. Corona, MW Utility Worker – $302,155
21. James E. Szegfu, Foreman-Track – $298,327
22. Kendell T. Ward, Assistant Stationmaster – $295,986
23. Lee S. Levine, Machine Operator – $295,345
24. Phillip Eng, President – $294,243
25. Omar A. Valle, Foreman-Track – $294,041
26. Bienvenido E. Cedeno – Assistant Foreman-Signal – $294,035
27. Joseph L. Fuoco, Foreman-Signal – $293,791
28. Mark A. Speruta, Foreman-Surfacing – $292,116
29. Salvador A. Avelar, Assistant Foreman-Signal – $289,578
30. Joseph Fragale, Foreman-Track – $289,033
31. Cary G. Realbuto, Gang Foreman-ME – $287,988
32. Edward P. Popolizio, Foreman-Track – $287,794
33. Matthew M. Cleary, Chief Train Dispatcher – $285,386
34. Robert A. Schnier, Assistant Foreman T&T – $284,784
35. Stephen M. Otto – B&B Foreman – $284,474
36. Carl F. Schmitt, Signal Inspector – $283,405
37. Anthony Brescia, Foreman-Track – $283,072
38. Ronald Bestafka, Foreman-Track – $282,633
39. Gregory A. Wood, B&B Foreman – $282,516
40. Leonardo F. Espinosa, Gang Foreman-ME – $281,547
41. Raymond A. Murphy, B&B Foreman – $280,950
42. Joseph F. Pennachio, Foreman-Track – $277,971
43. Thomas E. O’Brien, Conductor – $277,591
44. Michael W. Greene, Conductor – $275,855
45. Joseph Debenedetto Jr., Conductor – $275,705
46. George W. Hutchinson, Gang Foreman-ME – $275,528
47. Nelson Sabella, Engineer Work Equipment – $275,484
48. Leonard F. Spero, Foreman-Signal – $275,113
49. Jimmy Perez, Track Worker (A) – $274,838
50. John F. Dunne, B&B Foreman – $272,616
51. Steve Garcia, Gang Foreman-ME – $271,811
52. Joseph Duryea, Foreman-Track – $271,239
53. John Neglia, B&B Foreman – $269,937
54. Michael H. Licata, Machine Operator – $269,234
55. Mohamed A. Twahir, Signal Inspector – $269,046
56. Marc A. Stoia, MW Repairman Technician – $268,264
57. Luis R. Almonte, Signal Inspector – $266,591
58. David G. Hayle, Third Railman – $266,203
59. William J. Corley, Engineer – $264,025
60. Robert C. Ennis, B&B Foreman – $263,158
61. Brendan W. Higgins, Engineer Work Equipment – $262,247
62. Marc T. Fason, Signal Inspector – $261,046
63. John F. Swaby, Gang Foreman-ME -$260,971
64. Richard M. Trepiccione, Foreman-Surfacing – $260,702
65. Afshin Hezarkhani, Chief Engineer-Special Project/ESA – $260,380
66. Jonathan W. Quinlivan, Assistant Foreman-Signal – $259,941
67. Dean Cange, Engineer Work Equipment – $258,221
68. John Joseph Bergin Jr., Foreman-Track – $255,680
69. Nicholas R. Genter, Gang Foreman-ME – $255,497
70. Robert M. Genovese, Foreman-Track – $255,147
71. Kevin T. Webb, B&B Foreman – $252,225
72. John A. Kolosvary, Lead Train Director-JCC – $252,106
73. Darren D. Barrows – Foreman-Track – $252,095
74. Michael R. Woodhouse, Chief Train Dispatcher – $250,958
75. Wayne D. Rogers, Signal Inspector – $250,468
76. Henry S. Walker, Conductor – $250,419
77. Steven R. Riekert, Machinist Federal Inspector – $250,181

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