[5] His father was a custodian (and union member) in Livonia Public schools and his grandfather worked in the Ford Rouge factory.

In October 2011, Ficano was served with subpoenas by the FBI for records related to "pay to play" allegations, where constituents felt forced to contribute to designated "charities", which employed friends of his, and also his office's authorization of a $200,000 severance payment to Turkia Awada Mullin, an employee who resigned.

Shortly after Mullin's termination, Thomas Naughton was selected by the Airport Board as Interim CEO until a permanent replacement is announced.

Naughton's history with the Wayne County Airport Authority extends back to 2002, where he's served as both Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

[6] In May 2012, Laura Cox, a Republican on the County Commission, called for the immediate resignation of Ficano due to corruption charges against his former aide, David Edwards.