Kings County Democratic Party boss Frank Seddio last week traveled to the Bronx as an honoree in Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.‘s annual celebration of Italian-American Heritage & Culture Month, “Mese della Cultura Italiana,” at the Schiff Family Great Hall on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo.
Besides Seddio, others honored included City Council Member James Vacca (D-Bronx) Maria Caruso, Director of Tourism at the City Island Chamber of Commerce, and William Mayer, owner of Maestro’s Caterers in Morris Park.
In being introduced, Seddio said to Diaz, “Thank you Mr. Mayor, er wait, I thought it was 2021,” referring to the strong rumors that Diaz is gearing up to run for mayor in four years.
Seddio told KCP he made the statement as a joke, and that four years is an eternity in politics, but he does feel Diaz would make an excellent candidate for mayor.
“He [Diaz] impressed me when we were in the assembly together and he’s been a great borough president,” said Seddio.
Seddio said the next political plum assignment coming down the pike is the race for speaker of the city council. It remains a wide open contest, Seddio said, as current Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is term limited and City Councilmember and Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-Queens) is retiring from politics.
Seddio said thus far in the speaker race he remains highly impressed with City Councilmember and Democratic District Leader Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights).
“With no one clearly leading the race for Speaker, Cornegy has a better shot than ever before,” said Seddio. “I certainly thinks Cornegy is one of the more qualified of the candidates. He understands the practicality of politics, unlike other candidates. He has learned how to balance the reality of life with his own philosophy and the philosophy of our party.”
The Democratic Party chairs of the city’s boroughs have a lot of sway in picking the speaker, and Seddio said it will be interesting to see who Queens County Democratic Boss Joe Crowley will support. Seddio said while he would really like to have a conversation with Crowley about the speaker position, there is a wee bit of a frayed political relationship between the two, and Crowley is not talking to him at this time.
Cornegy went to high school in Queens and played basketball on St. Johns Final Four NCAA team, and is on good terms with Crowley, so there remains a possibility, as KCP reported, he could become the Brooklyn/Queens consensus candidate.
Seddio said he is on good terms with Bronx County Democratic Party Boss Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, but has not had discussions with him as yet in regard to the speaker’s race.
In honoring Seddio, Diaz also paid tribute to Italian-Americans contributions.
“The Italian-American community has had an incredible impact on our borough, our city and our nation. I was proud to once again join so many of my colleagues and my constituents at this wonderful event to both recognize these four individuals for their outstanding achievements and pay tribute to our Italian-American population and its storied heritage and culture,” said Diaz.
