Vinny Gentile

Councilman and all-but-announced city comptroller candidate Simcha Felder of Brooklyn hired another staffer: Eric Kuo, who will be the new new press person.

Kuo previously did press for Councilman Vincent Gentile, a Democrat in the conservative-leaning Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn (the same area that produced Democratic operatives George Fontas, Scott Gastel and Sam Cooper). He also worked for Councilman Oliver Koppell in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. (There are probably some notable operatives from there too, but I'll need some help on that one.)

More on Kuo after the jump.  read more »

Here is a one-minute interview with Assemblyman-elect Micah Kellner circa 11 p.m. last night after giving his victory speech to supporters at a bar on Second Avenue. He says it’s great to be a 28-year-old heading into public office, hopes to vote for a gay marriage bill, and wants to block development of a waste transfer station on East 91st Street.

Among the people celebrating Kellner's victory last night were his old boss, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council members Dan Gardonick, Jessica Lappin, and Vinny Gentile, to name a few. Not there was one of his key consultants, Evan Stavisky, who spent most of his day overseeing the election of several candidates in local New Jersey primaries.

Politicker Intern David Greenhouse writes in:

Seems that while Freddy and Mike can't campaign in public schools, Catholic schools are fair game. Pat Russo was stone-faced as Pataki spoke at the Our Lady of Angels School, and then he offered an appraisal of his own role "working for the Pataki administration in the welfare IG's office where we have really shown with the Governor's leadership how accountability, personal responsibility belongs in government and starts here."

This is not (ed.-shock!) drawing much press, with only a few other reporters there - one from Sing Tao, another from the Brooklyn Skyline, and a freelance photographer.

On the street afterwards, Brooklyn Conservative Party chairman Gerry Kassar said he'd seen Vinny Gentile peeking into the room, but the Politicker couldn't confirm this.  read more »

"Don't stop until 8:58 election night," Pataki told Russo as he left.

Politicker Intern David Greenhouse rode out to Bay Ridge last night for a debate between City Councilman Vinnie Gentile and his challenger, Pat Russo.

He writes:

If there's one thing Vinny Gentile and Pat Russo can agree on, it's that New York's cross-endorsement system opens up great lines of attack. Russo took a beating for being on the Republican/Liberal, Conservative, and Independence lines simultaneously.

"It makes no sense how [Russo] is running," Gentile said. "A militant activist, a hardcore conservative, and a Republican liberal. ... [He] will say anything or do anything to get his name on the ballot as many times as possible."

But when the very next question asked Gentile about his own cross-endorsement by the Working Families Party, his tone changed abruptly.

"I don't agree with every position, and I will stand up when I don't agree with a position.... I don't have a problem taking the WFP's designation."  read more »

Russo said essentially the same thing, that he had "agree[d] to disagree" with Mike on taxes and senior services, among other issues, and he equated Gentile's WFP support with illegal immigration and non-citizen voting, neither of which plays well in southwest Brooklyn.