Tuesday, April 5, 2016

City Council campaign themes emerging from Bob Capano’s series of E-mails, Tweets and press releases


A campaign for a 2017 race for the City Council is brewing in Southwest Brooklyn  —  It ain’t just talk anymore  —  Capano is now also reaching out for his “team”




Maybe, you have seen or heard some of this  ---  maybe, you haven’t.  No matter, here’s what’s been happening in the week-and-a-half since I last posted an article about the emerging Capano Campaign for the City Council seat now held by Vinny Gentile

First, Bob Capano has kept up his media blitz (something that’s been going on for months, Now). Second, Capano is reaching out to certain GOP insiders to be part of his “inner-circle,” both as part of his formal election committee -- and also as part of an informal “kitchen cabinet” of private operators of various descriptions and political PARTIES.

CAPANO’S MEDIA BLITZ GOES ON, AND ON, AND ON

Right now, the most visible aspect of Bob Capano’s effort is what is clearly a media campaign of some sort. That media push has included both regular press releases and occasional paid print advertising.  Clearly, an unstated theme of Capano's PR strategy is that of the "Energizer Bunny"  ---  he just keeps going, and going and going.

Since Bob’s ad buy in the Brooklyn Courier, he has followed up with a direct challenge to any Brooklyn office holder or Democratic leader to “... Publicly Stand Up to City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito....” and instead stand-up for the police and their fellow Brooklynites, who are feeling “... Less Safe...” because of the environment created by Speaker Mark-Viverito’s so-called “Reforms.”   Pulling no punches Bob’s last bullet-point was that  “...  Enough is Enough With [Melissa Mark-Viverito’s] Criminal Justice ‘Reforms’....”

In support of his position, Capano took special note of two recent surveys: one of NYC Police Officers; and the other of NY City residents showing that the policies and proposals of the City Council Speaker and the de Blasio administration were “... having a negative impact on our quality of life and police morale.”

Here it is in Capano’s own words: “.... Throughout my long history of public and community service in Brooklyn, I have always taken great pride in working for and with Democrats and Republicans. I have taken on some of the extreme views of my own Republican Party, and now I hope there are some Democratic leaders in our community who will do the same here, and stand up to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and say enough is enough with the far-left criminal justice 'reforms' that are having a dangerous impact on our cops and neighborhoods. Whether it is the countless monitors looking over the shoulders of our cops, de-criminalizing quality of life crimes, erasing open warrants for offenders, closing Rikers Island, or not giving officers a raise despite the City Council giving themselves one for over 30%, it seems there is no common sense left in the City Council, or should I say the 'silly' council. Will one democratic leader show the courage and put our cops and communities over blind party loyalty to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito? ”    Then Capano added this: “As the nephew of two former Brooklyn cops, I can not remain silent. I know that the vast majority of residents of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Brooklyn support our NYPD, and do not want to go backwards when it comes to public safety. ”

As I stated in  comment to one of the articles below, “....  According to Steve Witt writing in his Kings County Politics Blog, ‘The war of words between Bay Ridge Democrats and Republicans –  [in] the borough’s only neighborhood with a healthy two-party system – continued today with Bob Capano, a longtime GOP operative calling out local Dems for not questioning City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito‘s proposed criminal justice reforms.... Capano, who was born and raised in Bay Ridge, but now lives in Staten Island, is strongly considering moving back to his home turf to run for City Council Member Vincent Gentile‘s 43rd District seat next year when he is term limited out of office....’ (See "Bay Ridge Showdown Part 2: Republicans Call Out Dems On Criminal Justice Reforms" by Stephen Witt, 3/29/16, Kings County Politics [http://www.kingscountypolitics.com/bay-ridge-showdown-part-2-republicans/])....”  Also, Witt’s article and my comment both noted this:   “Bay Ridge Democrats spokesperson Chris McCreight responded that Republicans should be the last people to complain about criminal justice reforms.... 'Whether it’s assaulting a female reporter, tax evasion, or bribery, it speaks volumes that Bob and other Staten Island Republicans say nothing when their own party is involved in criminal activity.’...”

ADDITIONAL CAPANO PRESS RELEASES POINT OUT A DOWNTURN WHEN IT COMES TO “QUALITY OF LIFE” ISSUES  — AND —  CONDEMNS CONTINUED FUNDING FOR RADICAL ISLAMIC GROUP

Since Bob Capano challenged office holders and Democrat leaders to speak-out against City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s “criminal justice reforms,” he issued releases about the following matters, which showed a worsening of the “Quality of Life”: 1) criticizing the NYC DOT’s announced decision not to remove graffiti from public places;  and 2) noting that the “Guardian Angels” were resuming subway patrols in an attempt to stave off increases in subway crime.

Mr. Capano also resumed his long-term public jousting with the radical Arab/Islamist activist Linda Sarsour.  Capano’s latest release specifically “condemned” the City’s renewal of a $500,000 grant to Sarsour’s Arab-American Association. The organization is based in Bay Ridge and Linda Sarsour is its Executive Director. According to the Capano release, the grant was one of 14 given to community based organizations by The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York, which is led by NYC's First Lady Chirlane McCray.

Perhaps more important than Capano’s persistent, incisive and topical items in his media blitz were his organizational moves.

CAPANO STARTS PUTTING TOGETHER HIS “TEAM”

At a recent meeting with a few of his supporters, Bob Capano is reported to have indicated that he lined-up two of the “formal” members of his election team.  The first is a well-respected “manager-type” that has run successful Brooklyn campaigns in the past, Capano indicated that he was still in the middle of discussions with that “manager” --  as to whether he’d direct the campaign on a day-to-day basis as a paid “campaign manager,” or serve as a paid consultant overseeing some other of his associate operatives. The second is a well-known Brooklyn leader, who would oversee Capano’s campaign finances, a position that he had held in the past for various campaigns and candidates.

Bob also mentioned that three experienced fund raisers, who would each be handling separate fund raising activities, were likely to cover all of that for the 2017 campaign. Capano said that it is most likely that, from those three would emerge a single Capano Campaign fund raising and/or financial chairman.

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

deBlasio will be a drag on the democrat unless deBlasio loses the primary.

Anonymous said...

So john quaglione has endorsed john kasich. Lets see Q's influence and the results in the 11th congressional district on primary day.

Anonymous said...

So New York State is actually in play for the Republican Primary and candidates for president are criss-crossing the state- including Brooklyn- and our county organization have no emails, press releases or events planned?

What the f@ck is going on here?

Boy do I miss Eaton and his stooges.

At least they would have made an effort to look like they were involved in all of this.

Anonymous said...

What about the Kasich klatch at THE MANOR?

That could be HU-UUUGE!

Anonymous said...

Was the shift of the Kasich Town Hall with Kasich & Montel Williams from a hole in the wall in Park Slope to the center of Republican political life in Brooklyn, the Bay Ridge Manor, a bigger coup for the Kasich Campaign or for recently publicized Kasich supporter, John Quaglione.

Paula Katinas' big article in the Brooklyn Eagle, 90% about Quaglione & 10% about Kasich, was a real pushback against the recent PR moves by Capano and McCabe.

Let's see if John Q follows up with a big splash tonight at the Kasich blast.

Anonymous said...

Kasich and Quaglione:

Two Republican candidates with ZERO chance of winning...

Sounds about right.

Anonymous said...

Paula Katinas doesn't write articles or columns. She merely lightly edits glowing press releases given to her by whoever she is writing about so long as they take out ads in her Paper.

Anonymous said...

if I am reading this right Quaglione is with Kasich?? Why would he do that, he is going to come in last in NY..who is advising him?

Anonymous said...

Capano us one of Catsimadtides political guys. And Cats is with Clinton, so Cannit we not assume Capano who s silent about President is probably good with Clinton

Anonymous said...

8:59 where are you getting your facts? I'm not finding where Cats is with Hillary. But even if that's so, how can you conclude anything about Bob from that?

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE: THE "FACE IN THE CROWD" EDITION

THE UP-FRONT FOLKS AT THE KASICH EVENT AT THE BAY RIDGE MANOR WERE NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS & ERIC ULRICH.....

JOHN QUAGLIONE & SIMON SHAMOUN WERE FAR BACK IN THE CROWD & WERE OBVIOUSLY THERE ONLY AS "EXTRAS"

Counting those outside the room, there were about 500 at or in front of Marty Golden's 76th Street hall, the Bay Ridge Manor, to hear Republican "Dark Horse" John Kasich speak, or at least see him in the flesh in Bay Ridge.

Marty Golden was nowhere to be seen at the event; and those of his peeps that were there stayed in the background and shadows. One of my better BSI's reported that John Quaglione and Simon Shamoun were in attendance; but neither of them stood-out from the crowd in any way.

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE "BTW, IF YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED" EDITION

"THE MARTY GOLDEN LAWSUIT" OVER THE 2015 BROOKLYN GOP CONVENTION IS STILL THERE IN THE NYS SUPREME COURT IN BROOKLYN

As you should know by now, Judge Edgar Walker ruled that, even if the Golden proxies that had been thrown out at the convention because they were fraudulently obtained by Golden or his staff were counted by the court, Golden's side would still be over 100 votes short of a majority.

On April 6th, this "Special Expedited Election Proceeding" (case) for Golden to prove that he had those 100+ valid votes was again adjourned -- this time until April 28th.

Anonymous said...

What nobody has been told is that the video submitted by Golden's folks contradicts the phony "transcript" of the convention that they gave to the court.

The video shows that the convention was formally being adjourned while somebody sounding like Glenn Nocera is making jokes about Cuba and passing out cigars.

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for john, first he is relegated to the back of the knights of columbus by the bar with Georgea and now the back of the Manor with Simon. Perhaps anothet strategy meeting between them is needed at Pippins.

Anonymous said...

Marty Golden just went after Malliotakis in a thinly disguised post on Facebook.Gonna get interesting around here.

Anonymous said...


5:46 I don't see anything concerning the assemblywoman on Golden's fb page. Explain if you can.



I feel sorry for John's family who financed his last campaign. They must have better things to spend their money on than pouring it down the drain.

Anonymous said...

Does anybody really think that JQ will try to go to the well again after the crater he created with his 2013 race for City Council?

To use a Trump style description of Quaglione, he's a low energy luuuuuuzer.

Anonymous said...

Thats why its time for a new face..Liam Mccabe..i hear the conservative party is already with him so its his

Anonymous said...

Marty Golden waterboy Marcus Kepy went after Malliotakis on a Republican facebook page attacking her for meeting with Ted Cruz and John Kasich and not endorsing Trump. After Trump's New York campaign manager sent a funeral bouquet to her office thats not happingn anytime soon. Malliotakis and Golden had a big argument and he backed Kepi. Half of people in Marty's office shared video.

Anonymous said...

I dont think thats true

Anonymous said...

Anyone take a screenshot of the FB drama? Someone must have it

Anonymous said...

Not only on FB, video going viral!

Galewyn Massey said...

QUERY: THE "DO YOU MEAN >>>THE<<< 'MARKO KEPI' ?" EDITION

There is a "Public Figure" named Marko Kepi.... Don't tell me he had a hand in any of this.....

Now, what IS this facebook business supposed to be all about ???

Anonymous said...


Was this the video?

https://www.facebook.com/marko.kepi.3/posts/10153404329707056?pnref=story


https://www.facebook.com/446600248689671/videos/1302245006458520/

Anonymous said...

Kepi and his friends rubbing it in her face in comments section. Hilarious!

Anonymous said...

What will malliotakis do??

Galewyn Massey said...

BACKFILL: THE "VIDEO SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO HAVE THEIR SAY" EDITION

SOMEBODY'S TOADY HAD TO PUT BROOKLYN & STATEN ISLAND ASSEMBLY MEMBER NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS IN HER PLACE -- I WONDER WHICH MISGUIDED MISOGYNIST WAS REALLY BEHIND THAT ???

Let's not be shy, this is the written material that appeared at the FB site mentioned in the comment above at [https://www.facebook.com/marko.kepi.3/posts/10153404329707056?pnref=story]:
"New York City Republicans... April 7 at 5:47pm... Staten Island Politician Nicole Malliotakis supporting another lost candidate. NYC and Staten Island Stand with Donald J. Trump ‪#‎makeamericagreatagain‬ ‪#‎nyc‬ ‪#‎statenisland‬"

That FB item was followed by these "likes": "Klaudia Vulaj, Teresa Kalaj and 2 others..." and this comment: "Emin Eddie Egriu... I remember Gerald Ford coming to Brooklyn... I got to see him back then, he was on Avenue M and East 15th I was about 13 at the time. Mark a united party works good for the people, it is when they are divided they become dangerous. You keep going with you path you are on the right track... It is okay for us to support two separate candidates as long as we keep respecting each other... As they say 'May the best Man win'.... April 7 at 8:40pm"

The same comment negative to "Staten Island Politician," [Republican Assembly Member] Nicole Malliotakis, appeared at the second FB site mentioned in the comment above at
[https://www.facebook.com/446600248689671/videos/1302245006458520/].

Anonymous said...

Has Malliotakis supported anybody that won?

Anonymous said...

Wheres the video between marty and nicole fighting

Anonymous said...

Like Trunp, Marty Golden has a real problem dealing with strong and independent women.

These recent blatant attacks on Nicole over her support of Kasich show an increasing trend of things that have been happening in Marty's office for a very long time. There has been one frat boy "joke" after another at the offices shared by Marty and Nicole for years.

State Senator Golden has allowed or pushed things way beyond the line of acceptability with his and members of his staff's current attacks on Bay Ridge's Republican Member of the Assembly, Nicole Malliotakis.

Golden needs to apologize to Nicole and all women immediately or else GOLDEN MUST RESIGN from the state senate right now.

Anonymous said...

You would think Kassar could teach Malliotakis a thing or two about giving a speech, that sounded like she was reading off a teleprompter. Public speaking is definitely not a Malliotakis strength.

Anonymous said...

Malliotakis not supporting Kasich or Cruz at the moment. Considering the funeral bouquet Trump sent to her Office, I think it's safe to say that Trump is not being considered.

Anonymous said...

7:43 is obviously part of the Golden crowd that hates women in politics -- as long as Golden let's them keep it up, he's participating in their sexism.

In 2016 a sexist, like Golden shows he is comfortable being, can't be allowed to hold a public office of any kind.

GOLDEN MUST RESIGN from the state senate right now.

Anonymous said...

One would think after all of the years Malliotakis has been in office she could at least pass one piece of legislation. Even Starobin passed legislation in his 60 seconds in office. Malliotakis will end up being the most ineffective member of the legislature in it's history.

Anonymous said...

Malliotakis has been one of the most effective members of the state assembly since taking office. The poster above betrays extreme ignorance of the legislative process and dislike of Malliotakis. She is a member of the vastly outnumbered minority in the assembly Storobin was a member of the majority in the Senate. Malliotakis' outspoken advocacy has prevented several insane budget measures from passing not least of which the Dream Act and tax hikes on the middle class. In Brooklyn she fought for the R Train and Express Buses. This "little girl" is a sworn enemy of Shelly Silver, none on Brooklyn or Staten Island Republican or Democrat wouId would dare mess with Boss Shelly l, she publicly called on him to resign two years before anyone else. Let the haters hate we know what it's really all about.

Anonymous said...

My Assemblyperson, Nicole, stands up for lots of things and my State Senator, Marty Golden, stands up for nothing

Anonymous said...

Help me understand this please if Malliotakis is a member of an outnumbered minority as you say? How was she able to prevent insane budget measures? Can you come up with some facts for exactly she did. Also Malliotakis has a reputation for taking credit for someone else's idea and act like she came up with or put her name on someone else's bills, cough, cough. How come she has still as a tenured member of the legislature never sponsored her own piece of legislation not even like a street naming? Even Ferraro got one of those passed 30 years ago.

Anonymous said...

I hear donovan was very upset when he found out how mccabe was publicizing himself so much for his meet and greet at the knights of columbus.

Anonymous said...

Uh-oh! Now there's gonna be trouble.

Anonymous said...

To the Lucretia and Arnaldo cultist commenting at 12:24 if you don't know that street namings come from the City Council that speaks volumes about your ability to impartially and knowledgeably assess elected officials.

Anonymous said...

Why hasn't Malliotakis ever passed one piece of legislation despite being a tenured member of the assembly, and the only Republican from NYC in the assembly? Many of her constituents would like to know this.

Anonymous said...

Wow kepi and golden cronies really going after nicole..when does she strike back and separate herself from marty and kassar???? And how

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter what Golden did she will always be loyal to him. Right now she is fuming at the people who told her to fight back. They stabbed her in the back with the Cats campaign and temporarily kicked her out of the Brooklyn office, then Golden personally stabbed her in the back with the congressional last year, now this. When all is said and done Malliotakis will apologize to Kepi for complaining and not liking and sharing post.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, what you described is yet another abused woman, who is locked into a cycle of abuse, and who can't find her way out.

I know that's what you intended; but I don't believe that about Nicole Malliotakis even for one second.

If anybody should be fuming, it's not Nicole, but it should be Senator Golden.

The State Senator is not being well served by his staff. All that Kepi and the rest have accomplished is creating another case of "female problems" for their boss. In fact, over the last few years Marty has had so many staff created "female problems" that he really should set up an appointment with a gynecologist for some radical therapies or procedures to fix things down there.

Anonymous said...

The above argument may have held sway a few years ago, but not now, this is classic Golden hit piece. No one would concerned about their job would have released that video without Marty backing it. Nothing to do with Malliotakis being a woman or an abused woman but everything to do with the fact that anyone not aboard the Golden train 100% of the time is gonna get run over.

Anonymous said...

Did you notice how fast everybody stopped talking about Capano, Quaglione and McCabe once there was something to say about a real politician like Nicole.

Somebody tell Marko Kepi, if he wants to stay a "Public Figure" DON'T say that you're running for Gentile's City Council seat. That way you'll stand out from the rest of the staff skels working for Golden or Donovan.

Anonymous said...

If all this is true about marty and nicole and we dont know it is, it could impact the gop council race next year IF there is a primary and IF there is a split between malitakis and golden

Anonymous said...

This all about something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

There has been an uncomfortable history between Marty & Nicole - that's old.

The split between Marty & Nicole over the presidential race is something new.

The borrowed part is that at least one Golden staffer [from guess where] used the current split to play at some 'Animal House" hi-jinx against "Staten Island" Nicole.

The something blue is Vinny Gentile's current Democratic hold on the City Council seat, which Republican State Senator Golden is more than content to let continue past 2017.

Anonymous said...

Marty has never wanted another brooklyn republican.even though he would totally control him i dont even think he wants quaglione

Anonymous said...

If Malliotakis and Grimm had lost in 2014 no one would have been happier than Marty Golden. Anybody who thinks that all of a sudden Marko Kepi would attack MAlliotakis out of the blue without the consent of his boss is kidding himself.

Anonymous said...

Two polls today show john quagliones candidate for prez in ny john kasich way behind cruz..that was a bad endorsement

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to hear Kasich's rationale for continuing his campaign if if Cruz beats him in New York.

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE: THE "QUAGLIONE OPENING GAMBIT IS A BLUNDER" EDITION

JOHN QUAGLIONE THINKS THAT SLAMMING A "FELLOW REPUBLCIAN" IS A GOOD WAY TO START HIS RE-RUN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL -- AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!! GOOD ONE, QUAGS....

HERE'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT:

This appeared in "Courier Life's -- Brooklyn Daily" by Julianne Cuba: "And after Bob Capano made public his desire to run for Vincent Gentile’s (D–Bay Ridge) Council seat next year, a few others have come out of the woodwork — including Golden staffer John Quaglione.... Quaglione slammed Capano for angling to represent a neighborhood he doesn’t even live in.... 'If he lives in Staten Island and he wants to run again, then maybe he should run in Staten Island,' Quaglione said. 'But for our sake, Brooklyn deserves level-headed Republicans in the City Council, and we deserve someone who is in touch with the neighborhood and not someone who has left.'... Quaglione says he knows the area better than carpet-bagger Capano, who would have to move into the district by election day to qualify for office.... The state senate staffer would focus on constituent services if elected, he said.... 'The conversation needs to go back to basics,' Quaglione said. 'If you don’t feel safe, your garbage isn’t getting picked up, you’re getting a flat tire, you’re not happy with city services — that’s where the focus will be.'" (See "Martin Golden says he’s pulling for Trump" by Julianne Cuba, 4/14/16, Courier Life's - Brooklyn Daily/ Party Line by Julianne Cuba [http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2016/16/pl-golden-trump-2016-04-15-bk.html]).

More about this in a later posted article on this blog.....

Anonymous said...

As a Republican in the District I think we can do better than Marty's designated puppets or someone who hasn't lived in Bay Ridge since Mike McMahon was our Congressman.

Anonymous said...

I think john made a bad move by going after capano..

Anonymous said...

John Quaglione made a fair point. Capano has been gone for a long time trying for greener political pastures in Staten Island and forgetting about Bay Ridge and Brooklyn. Since barely qualifying for County Committee on Staten Island, Capano read the writing on the wall and decided he could run through John or Liam easily. Whether or not that is true, it doesn't change the fact that Bob left for a long time and is only coming back in a desperate attempt to win an office some office any office...

Anonymous said...

John Quaglione has either learned nothing while working with Jerry Kassar on State Senator Marty Golden's staff, or he has learned all the wrong lessons.

In politics, unless you're a Donald Trump kind of guy, when you go after an opponent, any knock, which isn't completely disqualifying, is as good as a boost. This is even more true when the opponent is still only a potential opponent.

The arguments that the prior failed Republican City Council candidate JQ brought up about another prior failed Republican City Council candidate BC are absolute fluff, because they mean nothing. If BC doesn't move back into the Brooklyn district before running, he isn't really running. Once BC moves back to Brooklyn JQ loses the issue of residency.

In attacking BC as his potential Republican opponent the way that JQ recently did it, JQ only gave BC's moves, which so far only make it LOOK like he's running in Brooklyn, more heft and credibility.

Anonymous said...

What struck me from the article is they described quaglione as a candidate who "came out of the woodwork" after capano spoke about the race. Perception is reality and the story made it sound like capano is the front runner and Q is searching for ways to attack him.mky hunch is Bob hits back hard.