The Vallone Empire Branches Out

Can the Vallone Dynasty expand to Bayside?

Paul Vallone confirmed he is planning to run for the City Council in the eastern Queens district that includes Bayside and parts of north Flushing. (He filed his paperwork with the city Campaign Finance Board about two weeks ago.)

“Yeah it is interesting,” Paul told me just now. “It’s going to be the first Vallone not in Astoria. It’s like a fish out of water.”

Paul, 40, a lawyer working in Astoria, added, “I’m not going to be the guy to open up an apartment someplace just so I can run here. My home is there now, so.

“I’m the type where, you’re almost a little hesitant. The Astoria community, I have been embraced by them, as my family has. And it’s surprising to some people, quite a few people, that I’m not running here. And the Bayside, Douglaston, College Point community knows the Vallones, and knows of me, but really wasn’t expecting this. So, it’s kind of a shock on both fronts.”

Astoria has been Vallone Country, for anyone not familiar with the history, for generations. Charles F. Vallone was a judge in the area who started a bunch of civic organizations and was, at the time, a Man to See to get things done.

Next came Peter Vallone, who was elected to the City Council, became speaker, and ran unsuccessfully for governor and mayor. Then came Peter Vallone, Jr., who was elected to the Council in 2002 and is eyeing a run for Borough President.

The Bayside District Paul may run in is currently represented by Democrat Tony Avella, who is term-limited in 2009 and was among the few Democrats to vote against the major property tax increase Michael Bloomberg pushed through in early 2002. That Bayside seat was, prior to Avella, occupied by a Republican.