John Catsimatidis | The New York Observer

Catsimatidis: Blame Pelosi

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:35:03 -0400

John Catsimatidis, the Clinton donor and Gristedes founder who is now planning to run for mayor as a Republican, blames Democrats, naturally, for the failure of the federal bailout legislation.

"Nancy Pelosi should have known about it before she brought it for a vote," Catsimatidis told me in an...

Mayoral Campaign Ad From Blakeman, Already

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:06:09 -0400

And the first TV ad of the 2009 mayoral race is from...Bruce Blakeman?

He's the Republican candidate who just announced, and, it seems, will go up against John Catsimatidis for the G.O.P. nomination.

But there's another figure looming. Michael Bloomberg's mayoral plans could torpedo Blakeman's candidacy, as well as the plans of many others, if he manages to extend term limits and run again.

In a brief interview yesterday, I asked Blakeman if he'd run against...

Catsimatidis Turns 60, Parties at Rainbow Room

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:26:59 -0400

Possible mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis threw himself a 60th birthday party last night at the famous Rainbow Room.

My invitation must have been lost in the mail, but one attendee I spoke to said about 300 people showed up, and they included Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Representative Carolyn Maloney, and Republican county leaders Jay Savino of the Bronx, Craig Eaton of Brooklyn and Phil Ragusa of Queens. Republican State Senator Serf Maltese also...

Catsimatidis' Money Is Here, At Least

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:08:23 -0400

NYS Republican Chairman Joe Mondello just began speaking at a luncheon here at the Marriott Hotel that will feature speeches from Rudy Giuliani and Goerge Pataki.

From the podium, Mondello announced that the lunch is being sponsored by John Catsimatidis, who Mondello said is "a great potential candidate for the City of New York."

Catsimatidis already used his airplane to fly Giuliani and others to the convention.

Mondello said that Catsimatidis was not planning to attend the...

In The Bronx, Silver Explains Rivera's Career

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:12:24 -0400

Here’s Sheldon Silver playfully introducing Democratic County Leader Jose Rivera, also an assemblyman, at the Bronx Democratic County Dinner last night.

Silver told the crowd that Rivera was “in the Assembly for five years and he went to Albany Medical Center and the doctor told him to go on light duty. So, he went to the City Council for 13 years. And then he was all cured and he came back. Now...

In New York You Come to the Party; In Russia the Party Comes to You!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:46:34 -0400

The first thing you noticed Wednesday night when you walked into Hugh Hefner's old Playboy suite on the 23rd floor of 730 5th Avenue were the dozens of fur coats hanging from hooks like racks of lamb and the blasting Russian rap music.

Between this and the elaborate pastries imported from the jungles of Brighton Beach and the severe blonde woman dressed like an alien (slicked-back hair, reptilian Armani sunglasses) smoking a cigarette right...

Billionaire Candidate A No-Show On Javits Board

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:50:56 -0400

The grocery king who wants to be New York City’s next billionaire mayor has a rather poor attendance record when it comes to a state board that oversees the Javits Center renovation and expansion.

Gristedes supermarket chain owner John Catsimatidis was put on the Convention Center Development Corporation board in March, but has not attended any of the four meetings since.

Catsimatidis Ditches Glasses for Mayoral Race

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:23:21 -0400

Here's supermarket magnate and mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis hanging out with former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge at last night's Lincoln Dinner, organized by the King's County Republican Committee and held at Grand Prospect Hall.

Note the absence of Catsimatidis' distinctive eyeglasses.

The Gristedes owner underwent cataract surgery a month ago to enable him to put his glasses away when he's working a room or reading off a teleprompter. There have been some complications,...

Molinari on Giuliani for Governor (Yes), Mayor (No)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:58:19 -0400

The speculation that Rudy Giuliani might try to run for governor in 2010 has one of his earliest supporters pretty excited.

“He’s going to be around again, hopefully as governor," said former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari. "It would be a good spot for him.”

While we were on the topic of Giuliani-based fantasy scenarios , I asked Molinari what he thought of the idea of the former mayor running for his old job...

Weiner Releases Tax Summary

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:53:28 -0400

Likely mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner released a summary of his tax returns just now. From his spokesman:

Weiner earned $152,996 of income in the year 2007. He made payments of $13,900 in New York City/State taxes and $24,300 in Federal taxes.

Catsimatidis: Trump Supports My Run for Mayor

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:01:10 -0400

Gristedes grocery store billionaire John Catsimatidis apparently has the support of Donald Trump in his race for mayor.

The New Yorker’s Ben McGrath reports that Mr. Catsimatidis has signed up pledges of support from not only Mr. Trump but also from most of the “at least thirty-five to forty percent of the Congress, and most of the major governors” who, according to Mr. Catsimatidis, “know I’m doing what I have to do.”

...

A Crowded Breakfast on the West Side

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:04:27 -0400

Here’s a shot from the breakfast hosted Sunday morning by the Council of Orthodox Jewish Organizations on the West Side, which, as Grace Rauh noted, attracted nearly every 2009 candidate for citywide office.

Sitting at the same table were, from left to right, state comptroller Tom DiNapoli, mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis, city Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, City Councilwoman Inez Dickens, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, likely mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal...

Catsimatidis Meets and Greets Queens G.O.P.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:56:10 -0400

Republican mayoral hopeful (and Hillraiser) John Catsimatidis is hosting a free breakfast for Republican district leaders in Queens this Saturday. Catsimadis has been courting local operatives and discussing his potential campaign for a good while now.

At a Republican dinner last year, while he was still a Democrat, Catsimatidis told Queens Republicans that he would “do whatever is possible to help build the party.” The Queens County Republican organization reciprocated by giving...

Simcha Felder's Vegetable Conspiracy

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:07:04 -0500

Simcha Felder walked into Press Room 4a this afternoon and floated a conspiracy theory about the real reason Christine Quinn is supporting a bill to expand the number of licenses for vendors who sell vegetables: Doing so will disrupt the cash-flow for supermarket magnate John Catsimatids, who, like Quinn, may run for mayor in 2009.

So crazy, it must be true. Or...

Clinton Bundlers Dispute Donors' Defections, Predict Banner February

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:47:10 -0500

One of the Clinton campaign's finance chairs, Hassan Nemazee, called in to dispute Clinton fund-raiser John Catsimatidis' assertion that the number of Clinton donors moving to Obama were "too numerous to mention."

"We have seen no evidence whatsoever" of a defection, Nemazee said. "If anything we are delighted to still see so much enthusiasm."

Instead of an exodus, Nemazee said, his donors had actually rallied around their...

Hillary Bundler: Others Are Jumping, I'll Stay on the Ship

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:22:14 -0500

One of Hillary Clinton's local "Hillraisers" predicts that the campaign's fund-raisers and donors will begin to defect from Clinton to Obama "sooner than later" if they haven't already.

John Catsimatidis, a New York supermarket magnate and Clinton supporter, said that the number of people who had written checks to Clinton who were now sending money, or bundling checks, for Obama were "too numerous to mention."

Catsimatidis declined to name any of the donors in question.

"Listen, I'm...

Catsimatidis on Barnett Buy: 'Whatever'

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:28:35 -0500

John Catsimatidis told The Observer today that Extell Development chairman Gary Barnett was one of the two buyers of his commercial building at 516 East 14th Street.

A spokesperson for Mr. Barnett, however, said Extell was not involved in the sale or in East 14th Lighthouse LLC, the company listed as the property's buyer in the city deed; the spokesperson confirmed the report published today on The Real Deal's Web site, which claimed...

Molinari Worried About N.Y. Republicans, Catsimatidis

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:41:49 -0400

After hisa press conference on Rudy Giuliani and the presidential race in midtown yesterday, I asked former congressman and Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari about the Republican Party here in New York.

“We are struggling for survival--that’s how serious it is,” he told me.

To save it, it’s going to take “strong leadership, people that have access to money. Money is necessary...

Fred Thompson's Anti-Rudy Talk in NYC

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:21:19 -0400

Here's a clip of Fred Thompson taking a whack at Rudy Giuliani last night during his midtown appearance before an audience of New York Conservatives.

“I was conservative yesterday, I’m a conservative today and I will be a conservative tomorrow,” he said.

In attendance for the event were Al D’Amato, John Faso, John Catsimatidis, congressional candidate Kieran Lalor, financierBruce Bent and firefighter union head and noted Giuliani critic Steve Cassidy.

After...

Catsimatidis: Obama Still Running?

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:13:29 -0400

At the Clinton Global Initiative yesterday, I ran into Hillary Clinton fund-raiser and aspiring Bloomberg successor John Catsimatidis. When I told him I was on my way to an event for Barack Obama, Catsimatidis said, "Is he still running?"

Before leaving, I asked Catsimatidis when he was going to change his party registration from Democrat to Republican, something he said he'd do in order to run for mayor. He told me the deadline to watch...

Catsimatidis Advertising

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:16:31 -0400

Here is an ad in this week’s issue of City Hall urging Eliot Spitzer to sign the “Freedom to Report Terrorism Act,” bill in the Assembly, courtesy of John Catsimatidis, the garrulous Hillary Clinton fund-raiser and possible mayoral contender.

Setting himself up as the Giuliani-esque tough-on-terror candidate,...

Rob Ryan Goes to Work for a Hillary Supporter

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:22:11 -0400

In an interesting bit of 2009-related news, The New York Sun noted that John Catismatidis, a fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton who said he wants to run for mayor as a Republican, just hired a Republican advisor, Rob Ryan.

Ryan, you may recall, worked for former Yonkers mayor John Spencer in a no-hope Senate bid against Clinton during the course of which he found himself explaining Spencer's contentions that Hillary had had plastic surgery and...

Congestion Pricing Foes Turn on the Espresso Maker

Wed, 23 May 2007 14:10:02 -0400

Richard Lipsky, the newly hired organizer for congestion pricing foes, was feeling considerable pressure to deliver bodies at a press conference. He got about 25 of them out there, representing, by their count, tens of thousands of others: bar and restaurant employees who have to drive in because of their weird hours; bodega and grocery store owners who get multiple truck deliveries each day; and beer wholesalers who are driving some...

Gallagher Fund-Raising, Aiming Local

Thu, 17 May 2007 12:33:23 -0400

Councilman Dennis Gallagher is having a fund-raiser next week at Russo’s on the Bay featuring billionaire John Catsimatidis on the finance committee.

So, what is Gallagher running for? He’s term-limited and, he told me, he’s not interested in running for Congress.

“Washington isn’t the type of place where I would want to be an elected official," he told me. "In the city and on...

Catsimatidis Sees More Work Ahead For Hillary

Fri, 11 May 2007 13:09:10 -0400

One of Hillary Clinton's top donors says that the campaign's claim to now prefer lower-dollar fund-raising events will mean "more work" for Hillary, but that it is a necessary step in her pursuit of the nomination.

John Catsimatidis, who once suggested that Clinton would crush her rivals in political contributions, now has a much more modest take on the fund-raising challenges facing Clinton since Obama's strong showing.

...

Elsewhere: Spitzer, Powers, Catsimatidis

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:10:40 -0400

Ben wonders why Hillary isn't discussing gay issues more openly. Liz wants to know what Eliot Spitzer will do about the ban on late-term abortions, since he hasn't said anything about it so far. Andrea Batista Schlesinger wants more informative ads from the 2008 candidates. Spitzer announced an agreement on building cell towers along I-87. Peter Powers is heading over to Giuliani Partners. Barack Obama leads Hillary among young voters. Iowans want to see the Democratic candidates a little more. And...

Supermarket Guy Wades Into Local G.O.P.

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400

Supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis thinks he’s figured out how to make himself Mayor in 2009. He’s got money, certainly. And he’s got connections: He’s a key bundler for Hillary Clinton and claims her husband, the former President, as a friend. All he needs now is a political party. He’s a Democrat, but he’s decided that he needs to run, Bloomberg-like, as a Republican. Which explains why he showed up at the annual fund-raising dinner...

Here's Johnny

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:30:00 -0400

In this week's paper, I wrote about the efforts of supermarket magnate and Clinton bundler John Catsimatidis to ingratiate himself with local Republicans in advance of his prospective bid for mayor. The fact that he's a Democrat, he stressed, shouldn't be a big deal.

"I was a Republican in the 1980's--a Ronald Reagan Republican," he said. "I donated to the Republican library. I supported George H.W. Bush. I helped build the chapel at Camp David under...

Catsimatidis on a Bloomberg 2008 Scenario

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:30:00 -0400

According to prospective mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis, running for mayor as a Democrat-turned-Republican (like Mike Bloomberg did) works, but running for President as an independent (like Mike Bloomberg may) probably doesn't. "On a national basis, if Mr. Bloomberg wants to run, the one thing he has to overcome that I don't have to overcome -- lets say he has to spend three, four, five hundred million dollars on his own, he's capable of spending. And...

Catsimatidis Switching Parties

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:38:27 -0400

John Catsimatidis, the Hillary Clinton fund-raiser who said he wants to run for mayor, told me he'll be changing his party registration from Democrat to Republican "maybe in the next week or two." Why? "Because of my future plans," he said when reached by cell phone in Manhattan, back from from a trip to his home in the Hamptons. Crain's has something on Catsimatidis today [looking for link now]. Previously, Catsimatidis said he'd run for mayor as...

A Hillary Bundler Who Wants to Save the NY GOP

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:00:00 -0400

That's John Catsimatidis, Hillary Clinton fund-raiser and possible Republican mayoral candidate, getting chummy with Queens County Republican chairman Phil Ragusa and state GOP chair Joe Mondello. Catsimatidis, a registered Democrat, was there to receive the Abraham Lincoln Award, while Mondello received the Teddy Roosevelt Award. During his acceptance speech, Catsimatidis said that he had spoke with local Republican leaders and "told them I will help them do whatever is possible to help build the party." --...

Bill Clinton's Other Weekend Gig

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:55:59 -0500

While the coverage of the Clintons this weekend centered around the symbolically crucial visit to Selma, their money machine was busily -- and quietly -- pumping away close to home. On Saturday evening, Bill Clinton donned his best-supporting husband hat and headlined a Hillary fund-raiser at the Fifth Avenue home of super market magnate John Catsimatidis. Tickets cost $4600 a person (in other words, it required donors to max out their contributions for both the...

Elsewhere: Comptroller, Budgets, Nassau

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0500

John Catsimitidis raises expectations for Hillary Clinton's fund-raising operation. Chuck Bennett notes that Rep. Carolyn Maloney is praising the president's budget for including lots of money for the Second Avenue subway. Eliot Spitzer sent a letter today saying it would be a huge mistake for legislators to elect a legislator as comptroller. The legislature is set to vote on this comptroller stuff tomorrow. And by the way, Republican Majority Leader Joe Bruno likes Tom DiNapoli. Amy Traub of DMIblog...

The Catsimatidis Agenda

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:40:36 -0500

Granted, John Catsimatidis has made noises about running for mayor before. More than once. But there's still something refreshing about a person so willing to talk about every aspect of his theoretical campaign before so much as hiring a press secretary. Yesterday, we chatted about some of the specifics of the Catsimatidis '09 agenda. The price for the campaign? $30 million. "If it's going well and I want to spend 40, I'll spend 40. It doesn't...

If a 2009 Candidate Flirts, And No One Notices

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:16:15 -0500

Not sure how I missed this the other day, but much rumored 2009 mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis is throwing his hat in the ring...according to the Daily News gossip page. Here's the piece [second item]:

John Catsimatidis, a longtime supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, knows he wants to run for mayor but hasn't decided whether to run as a Democrat or Republican. "I was a Republican in the 1980s, but I love...

The Morning Read: September 15, 2006

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:00:00 -0400

Hillary Clinton's people wasted no time engaging their Republican opponent, John Spencer. "Given John Spencer's history he probably doesn't consider a campaign negative until he threatens to murder his opponent," Hillary spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said. One of the corporate leaders backing Eliot Spitzer for governor, John Catsimatidis, was investigated by the attorney general for underpaying deliver workers. Mayor Bloomberg acknowledged a link between working at Ground Zero and health problems faced by rescue workers. Complaints about police...

The Bond Street Boys

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 19:00:00 -0500

Last November, Ian Schrager and Aby Rosen invited about 25 of Manhattan’s top luxury real-estate brokers to dinner at the Tribeca restaurant, Bouley.

The evening was arranged to celebrate the completion of a luxurious and much-anticipated apartment at 50 Gramercy Park North, the 23-unit co-op the duo had developed together alongside their gut renovation of the historic Gramercy Park Hotel. But the gossip over dinner and drinks eventually reached as far south as 40 Bond...

Mehiel's Return

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 11:49:00 -0500

The Politicker is told that Dennis Mehiel, the Westchester business man who was Carl McCall's running mate in 2002, is taking another shot at Lieutenant Governor. I wasn't able immediately to reach Mehiel, but ran the story past his friend, the supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis, who confirmed it. "He's got money in the bank, he's bored, and he thinks he can do some good things for the world," Catsimatidis...

Gristedes Boss is at Check-Out on Mayoral Run

Sun, 08 Jun 2003 20:00:00 -0400

With Democrats gleefully making noise about taking on Michael Bloomberg in the 2005 Mayoral election, one potential challenger who is rich enough to finance his own campaign is about to unleash a series of television ads attacking the Mayor and promoting his own ideas for the city's future.

John Catsimatidis, a 53-year-old grocery-store mogul who is considering a run for Mayor, is planning to spend $250,000 on the new ad campaign, which will introduce him...