Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit August 18, 1997, Nos. 779, 1392, Dockets 96-2368(L), 96-2382(XAP) (Varrone v. Bilotti)

FRIEDMAN, Circuit Judge:

I

A. In March 1989, Kings County Assistant District Attorney Eric Seidel, then Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Bureau, telephoned Brian Malone, Inspector General for the New York State Department of Correctional Services (the “Department”) and told him that “he had received information from what he believed to be a reliable source that Anthony Varrone and Claire Varrone