Alan Rosenberg was in the middle of a deck project at his West Islip home when something felt off.

The payments to the contractor kept going up, but the work ground to a halt. Rosenberg soon uncovered what had been in plain sight all along: the contractor was on the Suffolk County Wall of Shame, an obscure registry found on the county site.

For more than a decade, the county’s consumer affairs department, which is tasked with licensing and investigating complaints on contractors, has aimed to raise public awareness of home contractors acting nefariously through the Licensed Professions Wall of Shame Registry.

The registry lists the contractor’s name, alias, business names, addresses and reasons for placement on the registry. Registration is required for anyone who has been fined for operating without a license, had a license revoked or was convicted of fraud or theft against a consumer, per county code. A photo of the unlicensed contractor is also placed on the list.

But for many homeowners — some either chasing the lowest price or others simply unaware of how to verify a contractor’s credentials — finding that information on the county website comes only after problems arise.

Rosenberg, 66, sensed nothing amiss with the contractor, Felix Garcia, after their initial meeting last summer. He was friendly, had a "great personality" and told tales of the work he had done on million-dollar homes, Rosenberg said.

But after Garcia, of Garcia Custom Finishes in Bay Shore, ripped up the existing deck, the project stalled, Rosenberg said, leading to a monthslong dispute. Garcia declined to comment and deferred to his attorney Xin Michael Jin of Stony Brook, who did not respond to requests for comment.

When Rosenberg learned of Garcia's placement on the Wall of Shame, it was too late.

"I didn’t know about it," said Rosenberg, who shared with Newsday a proposal sheet he received that said "licensed & insured" under the company name. "I didn’t check anything."

Through mid-May, the registry contained nearly 750 names, including 70 with multiple infractions placed on the wall for never holding or having a valid license, a review by Newsday found. There are just over 16,000 active licenses across the county, according to a recent department report. While the registry can be a deterrent, officials say, repeat offenders can view the "shame" as a minor bump in the road to new jobs.

"They don’t care," said James Andrews, who oversees complaints as administrative director for consumer affairs, a position he's held since 2015.

Mike Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute, an Islandia-based trade association that represents home contractors, said several factors make it a particularly risky time for homeowners to select contractors without due diligence.

Homeowners who locked in low interest rates early in the pandemic are less likely to move and may be eyeing home renovation projects, he said. Soaring inflation also leads to cost-conscious homeowners seeking the best deal, he said.

"No one’s asking, ‘Is this guy licensed?’ " Florio said. "Is he properly insured? Does he have a real business? If something happens, are you going to be able to find him a year from now?"

County officials stressed the onus is on homeowners to verify credentials of any home contractor they hire.

"The county provides all of the tools to ensure that you were hiring a licensed contractor or tradesperson," County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement. "We are always urging residents to take advantage of information through the county's consumer affairs website or to call the department before you pay somebody your hard-earned money to do any work for your business or home."

In December 2011, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a bill to create the registry to motivate unlicensed contractors to pay outstanding fines and serve as a tool for the public, according to Newsday archives.

The legislation, signed into law in January 2012, stated: "The public should have access to information on unscrupulous home improvement contractors so that they can avoid falling prey to such contractors’ illegal actions."

Violators found operating without a license face a $750 fine for a first offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses. Those fines have remained unchanged since the law went into effect.

Andrews said he believes the penalties should increase and that a contractor can make $750 "in the first two minutes you’re at somebody’s house."

Officials say homeowners should always contact consumer affairs first when there's a problem, rather than calling police. Consumer affairs staff investigate to determine if the contractor performed a service that required a license. The contractor is then given the chance at an administrative hearing to obtain a license and can avoid the registry, according to a county spokesperson.

But if the contractor misses the hearing or is found operating without a license, that person must register for the Wall of Shame, where they remain until coming into compliance by obtaining a required license and paying outstanding penalties. Failing to register can result in a misdemeanor charge with up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. It's unclear if anyone has ever faced jail time.

Obtaining a license requires a nominal fee, Andrews said, but the greater expense is insurance.

"Depending on the work that you do, the more higher level the work — roofing, tree work — your insurance is a lot more expensive," he said.

Home improvement contractors are ranked first on the complaints by type of business the consumer affairs department receives, according to an annual report commissioner Wayne Rogers presented in April to the Suffolk Legislature.

In 2024, the department’s complaints unit saved consumers an estimated $147,082 through refunds and the cost of goods and services, according to the report.

Andrews said the department has started putting together public service announcements and is reaching out to legislative offices to help spread the word. 

"At the end of the day, a homeowner wants the best deal," he said.

The department hosts training seminars for contractors that cover the county’s laws and regulations, insurance requirements, contracts and business obligations.

Florio said licensed contractors who do work the right way — paying workers solid wages, are properly insured and using quality materials — naturally charge higher prices than others cutting corners.

A review of complaints and violations assessed to several contractors who have been placed on the Wall of Shame multiple times show patterns of deceptive trade practices, failure to enter written contracts and performing work without a license.

Records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show the types of complaints listed against contractors as well as the number of violations found that remain unpaid.

In one example, Miles Anthony Connors, who the list shows operates under three masonry business names, has been placed on the Wall of Shame five times, most recently in October. Records show 12 complaints, from defective work to failure to perform and working without a license. There have been 13 violations found that are unpaid and in collections, according to the records.

In an interview, Connors said the company, Brookhaven Paving & Masonry, does primarily commercial work that does not require a residential contractor's license. He said the business will sometimes subcontract work out to other companies that are licensed for residential work.

He downplayed the significance of a license, saying anyone can apply regardless of their qualifications.

"They don't check if you're qualified to be a contractor," he said, later adding, "It's harder to get a driver's license."

Connors, who's a third-generation stonemason, said the company "has great reviews" and has been in business 10 years. Asked about outstanding violations, he said, "I'm all settled up."

Florio said it’s not uncommon among the worst actors to see them rebrand under a new business name.

"They get caught, they disappear, and then they come back as something else and continue on the same way until you get caught again," he said. "The problem is enforcement. As much as they try, you’re not going to get everyone."

In another example, Christopher Pirato of Glassland Inc. in Port Jefferson Station has been placed on the wall five times between 2018 and 2023. Records show 28 violations found that are unpaid and in collections. Pirato did not respond to messages left at his business.

One complaint from 2021 says a field visit revealed Pirato had improperly installed a shower door and the consumer was not eligible for the restitution fund because the contractor was unlicensed.

Rogers, the commissioner, told legislators the department maintains a fund that can be used to reimburse homeowners — up to $5,000 — if a contractor performs shoddy work.

But eligibility for that fund is only for homeowners who have hired a licensed contractor.

"If they’re not licensed, there’s nothing we can do," he said.

Records show several instances of cases involving Roy Luppino of Fast Appliance Service in Holtsville referred to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. In one case from 2023, a consumer affairs report notes a consumer was due $1,072.23 and "no goods or services provided."

It's unclear if the district attorney attempted to prosecute Luppino, who’s been placed on the Wall of Shame multiple times.

"There’s two sides to a story," Luppino said when reached by phone.

He said consumer affairs investigations are "pro-consumer and it’s not right."

"They’re supposed to mediate these things and they don’t do it," he said.

In Rosenberg’s case, his trust in the contractor stemmed partly from the work he had been doing on his neighbor’s house.

Anthony Barbieri, 43, connected with Garcia through a community Facebook page when he and his wife couldn't find a painter. Garcia, whose business is also known as L.C.A. Custom Finishes and Garcia Custom Finishes, said he could start immediately and offered a "really good price."

But things unraveled when Garcia offered to powerwash the house, leading to a series of other problems that dragged on several months.

"I should have done due diligence ahead of time," Barbieri said.

Back at Rosenberg's house, Garcia quoted Rosenberg about $4,800 to replace his backyard deck’s wood with modern Trex. The project started smoothly enough. But as Rosenberg’s payments ballooned to $9,600, "everything started slowing down," said Rosenberg, a retired police officer who drives a school bus.

Rosenberg eventually offered a worker who had worked at  Garcia's company a chance to complete the deck independently. He said that worker "did a great job," although it cost an additional $7,000 on top his payments to Garcia.

Rosenberg’s case later landed in Suffolk County Small Claims Court where he was awarded a maximum $5,000 judgment, according to court records. He said he has yet to collect that money.

Kathleen Hernandez, 71, of Uniondale, shared a similar story, having recently paid Garcia $4,800 to build a new porch. She said after Garcia ripped up the existing porch in April, the project stalled, eventually forcing her to hire a second contractor to finish the job for $10,500.

Consumer affairs records show 51 violations against Garcia, that are unpaid and in collections.

"If I could bang people on the head and tell them to hire a licensed contractor, I would," Andrews said.