By Daniel Massey
A slew of political dignitaries headlined by former Mayor Ed Koch joined several hundred supporters to salute James Gennaro’s improbable election to the City Council at a ceremonial installation Sunday.
Gennaro (D-Jamaica Estates) accepted the city council reins at Queens College’s Lefrak Concert Hall, the same campus where he has taught political science since 1996. In addition to Koch, the star-studded auditorium included such public officials as U.S Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, Borough President Helen Marshall, City Council Speaker A. Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan) and many of Gennaro’s new Queens council colleagues.
Some of Gennaro’s current and former students were in attendance, including Rabbi Asher Stern, who delivered an invocation, and Valerie Vasquez, who emceed the event.
Schumer called it “a great day” for Gennaro.
The councilman took advantage of the academic setting to frame his remarks to those in attendance. “Good afternoon, class,” he joked to the audience. “Welcome to Political Science 327, a real life political fairy tale.”
Gennaro’s run to succeed longtime councilman Morton Povman, who was forced out of office due to term limits, was indeed the stuff story books are made of.
His unlikely victory over favored Barry Grodenchik, who had the support of former Borough President Claire Shulman and the county Democrats, was the theme of many of the speeches delivered at the ceremony.
Tom Manton, chairman of the Queens County Democratic Organization, praised Gennaro despite supporting Grodenchik in the race.
He recalled meeting Gennaro when the county organization was trying to decide which candidates to back for the 14 Queens council spots vacated because of term limits.
“I don’t know whether the Queens County Democratic Organization will endorse you,” he remembered telling Gennaro. But he recalled passing advice on to Gennaro, words of wisdom that were relayed to him years before when he was running his own campaign.
“Take 50,000 palm cards and give them out yourself,” he told Gennaro. “You have to do it.”
A chorus of “he did” echoed throughout the audience from those who were apparently targets of Gennaro’s yearlong door-to-door blitz.
Other speakers, including Schumer, picked up on the underdog motif.
“He said he wanted to do this,” Schumer said of Gennaro. “Lots said don’t. Others said you can’t win.” Schumer said Gennaro gained victory “the old-fashioned way — he earned it.”
Miller said Gennaro’s run for the Council was what local government is all about. “There’s a factor much more important than money, and that’s shoe leather,” he said. “Shoe leather won this race. It’s going out and listening and talking to people. That’s how you win city council races.”
Koch praised Gennaro’s integrity and then issued the oath of office to his former staffer. Gennaro worked for the Koch administration in various capacities from 1983-1990 before he moved on to a position as environmental policy adviser to the City Council.
Gennaro wasted no time in outlining his main positions. He repeated his campaign pledge, which intensified after the Sept. 11 attacks, to focus his energy on improving public safety.
“The job of public safety in this city has gotten much harder and much bigger,” he said. “We have to give our Bravest and Finest the resources to do their jobs, not cut their budgets.”
Gennaro called on the city to bring back the commuter tax to pay for additional cops on the street. “It’s something that never should have been taken away,” he said.
He also thanked the man who helped him come up with his winning campaign strategy. Facing Manton, Gennaro said, “Tom Manton said if I gave out 50,000 of these little cards, I would get elected.”
He walked toward the county chairman, extending his hand. “Let me give him a souvenir one now,” he said.
Reach reporter Daniel Massey be e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 156.
