Nick Savastano, R.I.P.

[George W. Maschke]

Nick Savastono, who through his many television appearances became one of the best known polygraph operators in America, has died:

http://www.instantriverside.com/riverside-ca-news/nicholas-savastano-corona-california-obituary/2008/12/04/

Nicholas Savastano of Corona, California died suddenly while on a business trip in India, November 22, 2008.

Nicholas was the son of the late Louis and Katherine (Campisi) Savastano. He was 63 years of age at the time of his death. Nicholas lived in California for the past 30 years. He was the President and CEO of a very successful private investigative service, The Amherst Group.

Nicholas was a Certified Polygraph Examiner, graduate of the National Academy of Lie Detection in 1982 and has conducted more than 4,000 polygraph examinations throughout the United States and Europe. He has performed a wide range of examinations for a variety of clients including multi-national companies, Fortune 500 corporations, entrepreneurs, and private individuals.

Nicholas achieved substantial notoriety in the entertainment industry as the selected polygraph examiner for several major television networks in the United States and throughout Europe and Asia. He appeared as himself in several network series, including the American and several international versions of "The Moment Of Truth", "Meet My Folks", "The Brady Bunch 25 Year Reunion", "Who Wants To Marry My Dad", "Temptation Island", "Celebrity Fit Club", "Nothing But The Truth" and "General Hospital".

He also made many guest appearances on such shows as "The Jimmy Kimmel Show", "The Tyra Banks Show", "The Mike & Juliet Show" and numerous other television and radio talk shows. He also appears in an expert interview on the DVD of the Robert De Niro movie "Meet The Parents". He was a member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

Nicholas is survived by three sons, Michael Savastano, of Marion, Ohio, William Savastano, of Concord, NH and Nicholas Brandon Savastano, of Riverside, CA; step-mother Mary (Kalil) Savastano of Derry, NH; two brothers, Richard Savastano, of Palm Bay, FL and Michael Savastano, of Salem, New Hampshire, and a sister, Kathleen (Savastano) Tearno, of Vienna, VA

Memorial contributions may be given to Future Scholar Advisor Plan for the benefit of Nicholas Brandon Savastano, c/o Kathleen A. Tearno, 8024 Kidwell Hill Court, Vienna, VA 22182.

Arrangements: Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend memorial visiting hours on Saturday, December 6, 2008 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Cataudella Funeral Home, 126 Pleasant Valley Street, Methuen, MA 01844, 978-685-5379.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 12:15 PM in the funeral home chapel. For directions and condolences, please visit our online website at www.cataudellafh.com.

Savastano did not respond to a 2003 public challenge to demonstrate his claimed ability to detect countermeasures by accepting Dr. Richardson's polygraph countermeasure challenge (which has now gone more than six years without a taker).

[Lethe]

R.I.P.?  I hope the worms make short work of him.  And hopefully someone pees on his grave.

And to think, I used to be a nice guy.  Really, I did.

[G Scalabr]

R.I.P.?  I hope the worms make short work of him.  And hopefully someone pees on his grave.

And to think, I used to be a nice guy.  Really, I did.

Lethe,

Such posts are not appropriate on this forum. Hateful speech like the celebration of a person's death is in violation of AntiPolygraph.org's Posting Policy.

As much as I detest polygraphy, I do not feel that a vast majority of those who engage in it are evil people.

As I have stated numerous times, I feel that most polygraph operators entered the field with good intentions. Many simply just lack enough understanding of science to realize the destructive value of what they are doing. Those who do understand often appear to settle into a "the ends justify the means" mentality.

Regardless of the [false] justification, polygraphy needs to be abolished.

Nonetheless, in working toward that goal, our strategy does not involve celebrating the death of any polygraph examiner.

If you are going to continue to post on this forum, please do not make further classless, non-substantive posts like the one above.

[pailryder]

Mr Scalabrini

I don't understand the destructive value of what I am doing and I don't understand why my chosen profession should be abolished.  Are we a misguided psuedoscience, like astrology, or are we a moral evil, like slavery?  

Best Holiday wishes to All.  I am praying for you Lethe.

[G Scalabr]

Mr Scalabrini

I don't understand the destructive value of what I am doing and I don't understand why my chosen profession should be abolished.  Are we a misguided psuedoscience, like astrology, or are we a moral evil, like slavery?  

The destructive value to society of the existence of a "test" that purports to detect deception but in reality is no more than an interrogation in disguise should be abundantly clear.

It was certainly lucid to the 100th United States Congress, the members of which did indeed abolish polygraphy in the United States. We are simply trying to close the loophole exemption for government entities in order to fully abolish it.

With regard to the latter part of your question, yes, polygraphy is a pseudoscience just like astrology. And while not on the level of slavery, using a pseudoscientific process to render an opinion that someone is deceptive (thus damaging his/her reputation) is certainly a moral wrong.

[pailryder]

Mr Scalabrini

You statement is incorrect, maybe wishful thinking on your part.  Polygraph was not abolished by congress.  I have conducted many tests since 1988 sanctioned by the labor law the 100th congress passed.  And that, sir, is a FACT.

[T.M. Cullen]

.....Polygraph was not abolished by congress.....

The following is from the DOL website:

— The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) generally prevents employers from using lie detector tests, either for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment, with certain exemptions.

Employees can not be required to take a polygraph, except LEO or certain government employees holding security clearances at certain levels (typically TS).

If I read it correctly, even if there is "reasonable suspicion" that an employee has stolen, taken drugs on the job...etc. he/she can not be forced by the employer to take a polygraph.  And no adverse action can be taken by the employer if the employee refuses to be subject to a polygraph interrogation.  This makes sense as no citizen suspected of a crime can be FORCED to take a polygraph.

TC

[pailryder]

Mr Cullen

Generally restricted with exemptions is not the same as abolished.  I do these tests all the time.  They have not been abolished.

Nice try Mr Cullen, but next time read the entire law.  All branches of government are exempt from EPPA.  Depending on state law, a cook at a county run nursing facility (hardly requiring TS clearence) can still be forced to take the poly or face termination.  I am not saying this is right or good, just that is the law for now.

[T.M. Cullen]

Like Gino said

We are simply trying to close the loophole exemption for government entities in order to fully abolish it.

Would you agree that the polygraph has been abolished for non-government employees?

Of course, many still volunteer to take it when asked by police to "eliminate" themselves as "suspects", which is of course another charade.

TC

[pailryder]

Mr Cullen

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 restricted private workplace polygraph, but did not end polygraph in the private workplace, even mandatory preemployment screening exams are allowed under certain conditions.

Would you care to guess how many test are conducted in compliance with this law each year?  How about the number of complaints filed with the Dept. of Labor?  How many posters to this site since 1988 have claimed to be false positive on an EPPA sanctioned test?

In spite of EPPA, or maybe because of EPPA, twenty years have passed and private workplace polygraph testing in the US is alive and well.

 Maybe its just me, but that doesn't fit my definition of abolished.

[G Scalabr]

Would you care to guess how many test are conducted in compliance with this law each year?

I'm not exactly sure, but I'm willing to bet that it's a small fraction of the number of "tests" that were being done annually prior to the enactment of this legislation. If you have these numbers, I would be interested in seeing them.

How many posters to this site since 1988 have claimed to be false positive on an EPPA sanctioned test?

None, that I can remember--probably because so few of these "tests" are now occurring in the private sector.

With regard to an apparently unsanctioned "test," we had a poster report polygraph abuse in the private sector less than two weeks ago.

Bottom line is that outside of government, the EPPA has reduced polygraphy to a nearly non-existent level compared to how it existed before this legislation was enacted.

Preemployment screening is now limited to just a handful of private industries (pharmaceutical, armored car, etc) that would be lucky to comprise one percent of total private sector jobs.

More importantly, "specific issue tests" are now VOLUNTARY. No action can be taken against an employee who refuses one.

Anyone who submits to such testing is a fool, as viewers of the 1986 60 Minutes segment described on page 21 ofThe Lie Behind the Lie Detector quickly became aware.


 

[pailryder]

Mr Scalabrini

Employees who submit to EPPA "tests" are not fools.  They are good employees who understand their employers legitimate need to investigate and resolve an important situation, ie a workplace theft.  Even if they fail, no job related action can be taken against them without additional evidence.  I agree that is a good thing and I would not be opposed to extension of that protection to governmental use, if proper exemptions are provided.  

I am unable to find anyone who tracks the number of EPPA tests.  I have personally conducted more than one thousand and I am one lone examiner.  The fact that your site sees so few complaints of false positive under EPPA is striking to me, and your explanation is not entirely satisfactory.  

Do you have something more recent than a preEPPA 60 Minutes segment from the 1980's?  That is more than twenty years old and well before the advent of computerized collection and scoring systems.

Thank you for the thoughtful and respectful exchange of ideas on this topic.  

[T.M. Cullen]

They are good employees who understand their employers legitimate need to investigate and resolve an important situation, ie a workplace theft.  Even if they fail, no job related action can be taken against them without additional evidence.  I agree that is a good thing and I would not be opposed to extension of that protection to governmental use, if proper exemptions are provided.  

But they probably gullible like most of the public, and believe the polygraph is a valid and reliable test, and that all they have to do is just in there and "tell the truth" and all will be fine.  Most are unaware they can tell the truth and be labeled a liar, and have eyebrows raised against them.

Who wants to be employed someplace where they are "that guy/gal who failed the polygraph!".



TC

[pailryder]

Mr Cullen

How would you account for this site's lack of false positive complaints under EPPA?  Those employees receive 48 hour written notice, so we can assume they have time to search and become aware of this site and others.

[pailryder]

Mr Cullen

Perhaps, but most employees tell me they they are aware of the risk but choose to cooperate because the alternative is to continue working with a thief and a liar.