What EVER could he have been thinking? Who whispered into his ear that City Hall was within his reach? Why oh why didn’t he settle on a run for city Comptroller, where he at least stood a chance of pulling some decent numbers for a future voter base?
Well, the morning after, former Bronx Boro Prez Adolfo Carrion Jr. is probably scratching his head and trying to figure out his future after a capital C crushing defeat – he only pulled 0.8 percent or 8,202 votes on the Independence Party line – with his Democratic Party bridges burned just about forever.
“What future?” Baruch College urban politics professor Doug Muzzio responded to our question. “The whole run was almost beyond belief, doomed to fail. He’s toast as far as future electoral politics.”
“There is no coming back for him with less than one percent of the vote,” said a Boro Hall insider, whose boss, BP Ruben Diaz Jr. must REALLY be smiling over AC’s crash-and-burn campaign.
With AC out of the way, Rubencito now has a clear flower-strewn path to potentially becoming the first Latino to hold citywide office.
DIAZ STEPPING
DOWN, AGAIN
Last week, we had Soundview Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. stepping down – as local Dem district leader in the 87th Assembly District in Parkchester/Castle Hill to elevate state Committeeman William (Willie) Rivera.
This week, the 70-year-old Rev told us he’s making plans to step down from his Albany job in four years and run to replace then-term limited Councilwoman Annabel Palma.
Yuh gotta love a guy who spills his plans four years ahead of time.
SUNNY SAN JUAN
We’re expecting a great exodus this week, with a lotta Bronx pols, including Boro Prez Ruben Diaz Jr., Dem Party Boss Carl Heastie and other local electeds packing their swim trunks and flipflops for a post-election jaunt down to sunny San Juan Thursday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 10 for the annual Somos El Futuro confab.
Sponsored by the NYS Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force chaired by Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, the annual affair lays on a bunch of serious workshops, with some attendees actually showing up.
But the real work is done pool, beach and barside, as fences are mended and contracts made by citywide and statewide electeds schmoozing and being schmoozed by fellow pols and a phalanx of lobbyists showing up to work the crowd.
Last year’s Somos, at the cheaper Conrad on the Condado, was cancelled at the last minute as Hurricane Sandy headed for several of the elected’s districts.
And as in previous years, the Bronx contingent and several others will be staying at the upscale San Juan Inter-Continental, with arrangements handled by travel agent and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce head Nick Lugo. Nick got cut out of handling Somos arrangements a few years back, and got revenge by holding his own rival conference at the Inter-Continental, with all of his rooms booked out.
One happy camper NOT going to Somos is Ruben’s spokesman John DeSio. “This is MY vacation!” sayeth El Queso Grande (The Big Cheese).
And while we couldn’t make it this year, we WILL have our spies looking out for us there.
LUNCH GUEST
Add former Gov. Mario Cuomo to among the regulars at the venerable Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue, where he recently lunched with a friend, enjoying the rigatoni rustica, some of owner Joe Migliucci’s famous thin crust pizza appetizer, filet of sole Napolitano, with canoli and expresso for desert.
“He’s quite a guy,” sayeth Joe. “He’s been here before. He said he’ll be back again.”
CONGRATS
Quite a week for Eric Soufer, spokesman for Senator Jeff Klein’s Independent Democratic Conference, who writes “engaged to my wonderful girlfriend of 4.5 years, Melanie Burke, an incredible Irish Catholic girl (and lawyer) from Cincinnati, Ohio.”
Eric emailed that his fiance, who clerks for Manhattan Federal Judge Kevin Duffy, just found out that she passed her NY bar exam, “so it’s been quite a week!”
COP CORNER
BIG congrats to retired NYPD Lt. Ed Day, former squad boss at the 47 and 49 Precincts, elected Rockland County Executive on Tuesday. Way to go, Eddie.
BRONX BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 8 – Albert Einstein College of Medicine public affairs guy Michael Heller
Nov. 9 – Jordan Moss, editor of Bronx Matters for City Limits
Nov. 9 – Retired Bronx Borough Command No-Star Chief John Wohlberg
Nov. 10 – Comedian and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan
Nov. 10 – Christopher Rios – aka “Big Punisher”
Nov. 13 – Garry Kent Masciarelli, otherwise known as director Garry Marshall
Nov. 12 – State Labor Commissioner and former Bronx assemblyman Peter Rivera
