BREAKING: McMahon asks Lanza to "Sit Down" on Staten Island District Attorney Seat
LUTHMANN SOURCE: "McMahon is begging Andy for another term. It's just sad."
Luthmann has many sources throughout Staten Island. One of them came up with something YUGE today, so much so we had to put out this special BREAKING post.
Loyal “This is Satire?” readers know the source codenamed “Frankie Five Angels.” He’s a Staten Island political insider.
FRANKIE FIVE ANGELS
Frankie Five Angels ran into some exclusive information today. A source close to Attorney and State Senator Andrew Lanza let it slip that Andy received a call from McMahon asking for a “sit down” about the upcoming District Attorney’s race.
“McMahon wants the same kind of deal that was always on the table. He wants Andy’s assurance that he’ll back off on the South Shore,” the source said.
The source continued, “It isn’t 2015 anymore. This Island has some big problems. McMahon is begging Andy for another term. It's just sad."
The Backstory
Michael McMahon has won two straight elections for Staten Island District Attorney, in large part because he’s had deals with Andy Lanza to keep the South Shore relatively quiet.
In 2015, Smiling Jack defeated seasoned professional prosecutor Joan Illuzzi, in large part because there was poor South Shore Republican turnout on Election Day.
“She [Illuzzi] had no pull operation to speak of. McMahon had his GOTV lined up. That was the difference,” said a veteran political consultant. The consultant wouldn’t admit that Andy Lanza “kept his people home” for Illuzzi in 2015, but it was clear that winning votes for the Republicans were left on the sidelines.
“South Shore voters weren’t touched throughout the [Illuzzi] campaign, and they weren’t activated on Election Day. Andy never has that problem. He’s like Santa Claus. Everyone loves him,” the consultant says.
In 2019, McMahon ran unopposed.
McMahon faces re-election later this year. Early polling shows that McMahon is neck and neck with a “generic” Republican but trails substantially to “named” Republicans, including Lanza and former District Attorney and Congressman Daniel Donovan.
Frankie Five Angels’ source says that Lanza is very happy in the N.Y.S. Senate but has not ruled out putting his hand in the Staten Island District Attorney’s race. “Andy loves working for the people up in Albany. He’s not looking to move, but we have a lot of issues here at home, and he’s elbow-deep in every one of them,” the source said.
He continued, “The word on the street is that McMahon is spread too thin. If he can’t do the job, Andy knows the Island deserves a strong District Attorney, one who is up to the job.”
Do Bad Deals Make Lanza, SI Republicans Look Weak?
The question is, why would Andy Lanza make another deal with Mike McMahon? If McMahon is weak, why is Lanza going out of his way to prop him up? McMahon isn’t a Republican. He’s a Nancy Pelosi Democrat. He’s not Conservative. He’s Pro-Abortion, fiscally irresponsible, and soft on crime.
As former Republican Party Leader, Lanza’s Chief of Staff, Anthony Reinhardt, made a terrible deal for Republicans with the judicial nominations in 2022.
“We got Brendan Lantry on the Supreme Court Bench, which was good. But we gave them two seats in return - Judy McMahon and another one. I don’t know why we didn’t just go to the polls. We would have won three Republican judge races in November. When [Reinhardt] cross-endorsed, he probably didn’t realize the Democrats would get 70% of their votes on the Republican line,” said an unnamed Republican County Committee Member.
Some Staten Island Republicans are equally confused about what happened in the Joe Tirone - Jessica Scarcella-Spanton State Senate race. Tirone lost by just over 1,500 votes last November and was substantially out-fundraised by former State Senator Diane Savino’s successor.
“We had the money ready to go from the State Senate Campaign Committee, and other help was lined up, but we never got the green light. Everyone was kicking themselves on Election Night because we were led to believe that race was unwinnable. It was just the opposite,” said an Albany insider who didn’t wish to be identified.
Who was the “traffic cop” that blocked Tirone in 2022, ensuring Jessica Scarcella-Spanton’s victory?
Sources say Tirone is encountering the same resistance as he looks at this year’s North Shore City Council race.
“Sam Pirozzolo won his assembly seat, in large part because of the 2021 City Council Race. He got a chance to touch voters, and they remembered him when he came back around last year,” said the aforementioned political consultant. He continued, “It’s a redistricting year, the North Shore Council District overlaps the State Senate District, and it’s 8 to 1 matching funds. That one’s a no-brainer.”
When asked about Tirone’s actual chances in the City Council Race, the consultant said, “He has a fair shot. That woman in there now has potential campaign finance problems and has turned off a lot of people. Plus, the Democrats are in a civil war. Don’t underestimate Charles Fall and the Working Families line. Tirone could be the right candidate to slip in there.”
But Republican County Committee sources say that there are no internal plans to run Tirone or anyone else for that seat. “I don’t know what [Tannousis] is doing. There’s no plan to actively challenge there. I’m not sure who he’s taking his orders from,” the unnamed Republican County Committee Member said.
But McMahon isn’t begging Tannousis for a “sit down.”
NOVEMBER IS COMING
November is Coming. Who will survive?
Andy Lanza, of course. He’s the Kingmaker. Is it time for new heads to wear the crowns?
Keep Smiling.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Is there more? Of course, there is more.
Remember, Mr. Luthmann is now a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN. He is also a writer, commentator, satirist, investigative journalist, and a proud member of the National Writers Union.
There will be many more Enemies to receive their comeuppance. What new Enemies will show their faces and then be shown the Luthmann Inquisition followed by the legal and political Death Chamber? Which members of the Swamp should be worried? What other persons may become collateral damage in this story? And who exactly is on “THE LIST” Luthmann spent the past four years making?
Stay tuned—much more to come.
We welcome all comments.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. We can shine a light on Pirates and Scallywags, and watch the cockroaches scurry in every direction. Also, drop me a line if you are a victim of The Swamp of corrupt politicians, lawyers, judges, or corrupt courts. We are especially looking for stories about the Staten Island Swamp. Corrupt lawyers, judges, and government officials are all within bounds. Let us know.
"Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.” (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.) ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
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