Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano said yesterday that he welcomes an FBI investigation into his legal work for the Town of West Warwick, and that he has nothing to hide.

Montalbano, a North Providence Democrat, made his remarks in a State House interview that follows disclosures that the FBI has subpoenaed records regarding his title work in West Warwick, including two parcels of land near the site of the proposed Harrah’s-Narragansett Indian casino.

And it came amid signs that a State House corruption probe that began with another North Providence senator, John A. Celona, is widening.

Earlier yesterday, Jeanne-Marie DiMasi, a West Warwick councilwoman, told The Journal that she was questioned recently by the FBI about how Montalbano came to be hired in West Warwick.

She said that she told the FBI that Montalbano was recommended by another powerful senator, Finance Committee Chairman Stephen D. Alves of West Warwick.

Montalbano acknowledged that the FBI has also questioned him, members of his Senate staff and other senators in conjunction with the Celona influence-peddling probe, but he declined to elaborate.

“I’ve been an attorney since 1979 and a senator for 18 years, and I stand by my reputation for honesty and integrity and the good, honest work I’ve done for my constituents,” said Montalbano.

Montalbano said that he was questioned by the FBI early in the summer, shortly after the citizens group Operation Clean Government filed a complaint against him with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. The complaint, in reaction to a Journal story, accused Montalbano of violating the state ethics code by failing to disclose his legal work for West Warwick while he was supporting legislation putting the casino question on the November ballot.

“[The FBI] questioned several senators, members of my staff and they questioned me,” said Montalbano.

What about?

“I’m not going there with you,” replied Montalbano. “I’m not a target of an FBI investigation that I’m aware of. I was told that. If that’s changed, I’m not aware of it.”

Montalbano said that he wasn’t sure it would be appropriate to discuss the FBI’s questions because of the existence of a federal grand jury, which operates in secret.

“I’m not going to discuss what they may or may not be looking into,” he said. “They didn’t ask me about my legal work for West Warwick, specifically.”

But Montalbano was eager to clear up what he described as “rumor and innuendo” swirling about his legal work for West Warwick. “There’s no connection between the legal work that I did for the town and the casino,” said Montalbano.

Montalbano was hired by the town in 2003 to do real-estate work, helping the town clear title to properties that the town had claimed from delinquent owners in tax sales. In the fall, he was also hired as the lawyer for the town planning and zoning review boards, a post he relinquished a few months later when he assumed the Senate presidency in 2004, citing time constraints.

Later in 2004, the Town Council approved Montalbano’s hiring to help the town clear title to 14 properties, including two near the present site of the proposed casino in the town’s industrial park.

DiMasi, who was president of the Town Council at the time, said that Montalbano was qualified, and that he is one of the leading title lawyers in Rhode Island. She said that Alves recommended Montalbano.

“Stephen mentioned that Joe would be interested,” said DiMasi. “[The FBI] asked me if I thought there was anything suspicious about that, but I said, ‘No, that’s the way we do things.’ ”

Alves could not be reached for comment.

Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer said that he asked around among lawyers about a good title lawyer, and was told of Montalbano. Montalbano said that he responded to an ad and that the council voted to hire him, and that he doesn’t recall talking to Alves.

“My reputation is the reason I got the legal work,” said Montalbano. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if Stephen would have recommended me.”

Montalbano said that his work was technical — ordering a title search of the property, then going to court to help the town obtain permanent possession. He was unaware, he said, that two of the lots were near the casino site.

Land records indicate wetlands restrictions on the property. Bauer and officials for Harrah’s say that the land is of no use for a casino.

Louis Giuliano Jr., a North Providence businessman who speculates in property, obtained the tax title to the two lots near the casino site last December.

In an interview, Giuliano said that he initially was interested in the smaller, 1-acre lot as a potential site for a house for his wife and three young children. That led him to pursue the second lot, which is about 7 acres, to provide access to the smaller lot.

Montalbano went to court on behalf of the town earlier this year to take permanent possession of the larger lot, and is now in court to take control of the second lot, which will happen by mid-November unless Giuliano pays $22,000 in back taxes, interest and legal costs.

Giuliano said that he believes the larger parcel could have some value if the casino is approved — but that he and his wife probably won’t try to build a house there if it does.

West Warwick Town Council President John J. Flynn said yesterday that the FBI delivered a subpoena to Town Hall on Oct. 12, and that Bauer delivered the Montalbano records to the FBI last Tuesday.

Montalbano’s law firm has been paid $86,329, including expenses, since 2003 — money that he says he inadvertently omitted from his financial disclosure reports to the Ethics Commission, and which he amended after the initial Journal story in June.

“There is an Ethics Commission investigation that seems to follow what the FBI is looking at,” said Montalbano.

While he welcomes an investigation, Montalbano said that he is troubled by the “rumors and innuendo flying around.”

“I’m the Senate president, the election is in two weeks and there’s a referendum on the casino,” he noted. “I welcome any agency that wants to shine the light on the facts.

“I will defend my reputation and integrity to the bitter end. I have nothing to hide.”