Their accounts of working for Mr. Lopez all echoed one another. One said Mr. Lopez invited her to accompany him on overnight trips; two said he asked them not to wear bras; three said he asked them to wear short skirts; all said they feared his temper. And all of them said they had resisted his advances.

“Nobody knew how to react, and when he was gone, everyone would talk about it and say, ‘This is outrageous,’ ” one of the women said. “People would try to ignore it and try to go along a little with it because he was so threatening.”

In addition to the five women, The Times interviewed some former staff members who said they had heard of inappropriate behavior but had not witnessed or experienced it, and a few who were surprised by the allegations.

“I never saw anything of that sort,” said Laiza Garcia, 29, who said she enjoyed her time working for Mr. Lopez in 2010. “To see and to experience the power and respect he has in Brooklyn, in retrospect, it was an amazing experience.”

Several other employees who were contacted refused to speak to reporters.

Like many elected officials, Mr. Lopez required his staff to work long hours and to attend community events at night after full days in the office. One woman who spoke to The Times said she was expected to be “smiley and flirtatious,” and all of the women said they were expected to be available seven days a week — one said she was berated for taking a short vacation.

“People are afraid to leave because his network of allies is so huge,” one of the women said. “If you leave on bad terms, no one will hire you because they are afraid of what Vito will do to them.”

Several of the women interviewed said they felt intimidated by Mr. Lopez, and as a result endured persistent inappropriate remarks, personal questions, and suggestions on how to button their blouses.