Forget Barack’s inauguration, the hottest ticket in these parts is the exclusive post-holiday bash Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa is throwing at his restaurant on Wednesday.
The event is slugged “town committee members only”. That means gourmet food and open bar for an exclusive club of 90. Hey, can I please have someone’s proxy? I wanna go. I can smell linguini fra diavolo from here. If Mario cracks open a bottle of Amarone without me, I’ll be pissed.
One whiff of free food and drink from Mario and it’s like turning bulls loose in Barcelona. Oh, yes, I remember those days running Joe Ganim’s races and ringing the dinner bell for DTC members. Someone hide the shrimp! Or save some for me! A little birdie (no, not Mayor Bill Finch) told me some former town committee members plan on crashing the party.
The mayor’s not a member of the DTC, and it’s intriguing that Mario, whose relationship with Finch is frosty, would limit the event to DTC members. Perhaps a little message to hizzoner? I wonder if Finch will crash. Or maybe he’ll send a town committee member in for take-out.
I want a picture of that and a hand-written card, “Hey, Mario, thanks for the food. Love Bill.”
I expect Mario, center with fingers in his eye, will receive lots of love the night of his DTC party. Or will a bunch of folks crash and create chaos as we see here from a DTC event 20 years ago when Mario brawled with his buds? Just another night in Bridgeport politics.
Lennie, what’s the story behind this picture? Who are the other people? Where were they? What were they fighting about?
Lennie spoke about this picture back in May in this post:
onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/?p=93
Thanks, Booty. I don’t go back too far with DTC politics. Caruso was once party chair? What happened that he has become persona non grata?
And we wonder why Hartford won’t play nice with us …
Tuesday Jan 13 “Bridgeport Now”
Today’s show: 30 min on Bridgeport and 30 min on Bush’s last days with call in.
Who is monitoring City buildings for sale? Mechanics and Farmers building RFP is in CT Post today. Councilman Bob Curwen is on the show to discuss issues.
Then, we will have the public call in to voice their opinion of our president … Bush’s last days, and we will post up your opinion on TV for all to see.
“Bridgeport Now LIVE” is a local-access cable tv show seen on Tuesdays at 8pm on Ch 77 and Net cast: 216.41.34.230/svorg/svtheater.html. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the station.
Seen in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, Woodbridge, Orange, Millford.
Special guest: John Bolton. Host: Rob Foley.
Wednesday night will be interesting. You will have Testa Democrats, Stafstrom Democrats and Robles Democrats aka Finch Democrats all in the same room at the same time. WOW
Oh my. Will there be metal detectors? Police protection? This has more potential for blowing up than negotiations in the Middle East.
Wish I could be there as a fly on the wall, with a bag of popcorn, wearing protective fly armor of course.
Lennie, are you sure the caption on that photo shouldn’t be … “Okay Testa, this is the last time you serve bad fish.”
PS – I am truly a Testa food fan, and I have never had bad fish.
Ah, yes … The Dukin’ Dems! That photo goes back a way to a time when the DTC was the best show in town. It was a time when literally hundreds a people showed up for a DTC meeting and hooted and hollered all night. John Guman and Ray Lyddy were know for their “old time religion” speeches to fire up the get-out-the-vote effort. Deals were done in the corners as a matter of SOP. And the theatrics were the best. Does anyone remember the time the 80+-year-old mother of an unnamed city official was hit with a rubber chicken? How about the darling of a former mayor and another city official pulling guns on a kid one summer night outside a Main Street campaign headquarters? And a real oldie but goodie, the time Bridgeport had three (count them, one, two, three) mayors in a 90-day period. The middle administration is worth a book! As the song goes, Those were the days! But all things come to an end; things change. But look to those days for the political roots of the reigning politicos of today.
Mario: “Minchia, get u finger outuva my eye.”
Rizzy: “Your hand stinks like my cigars.”
Obamanomics, coming January 20, 2009.
Seriously, really. I thought Democrats were all together, and there was like a two-party system, Republicans and Democrats. Following this blog is confusing sometimes because I don’t know who most of the people are and it seems like everyone is fighting with each other. Kinda scary when I think why do I want to get educated when a whole bunch of educated people seem to screw up all the time. At least people who know more than me. Sounds sorta gang-like instead.
Also what is all this swearing in? I get that swearing isn’t like cursing but he won already; what’s the big deal?
Aren’t Finch Democrats Stafstrom Democrats as well? Or is the party that split? If so who is on the Stafstrom side and who is a Finch dem?
*** The Bpt. DTC is divided in about #4 different ways: Those loyal to Testa, those still hanging on with Stafstrom & Finch, those still loyal to Caruso’s group & those that either have not made up their minds or just like to jump around & play the field, depending on what’s @ hand, issues, neg. gossip, personal gain, etc. But basicaly it’s a party that’s in political turmoil & is a mere shell of what it used to be. Mr.Testa will have a tough job trying to control & unite a party with so many egos & wannabes during these bad economic times. As a matter of fact, it’s really a good time for the Bpt. RTC to start focusing on certain weak districts & looking for good quality canidates to back in the fall. Especially after the outcomes of the past Presidential elections in general. ***
Strong Mayor, party is basically united … weak Mayor, party is basically fragmented … any chair can only do so much when the smell of blood is in the water.
I wish I was around “in the good old days.” But a dog’s lifespan does not permit it. Anyway Lennie, any luck on which unions have signed and what the agreements look like?
And I am just pooping all over the place about Gov. Rell’s sacrifice. She can learn a lot from the sacrifices of the hundreds of Bridgeport municipal employees. She should be ashamed to even discuss it.