‘We want this country back’: Vito Fossella’s campaign kickoff draws political allies, potential voters to New Dorp

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Republican leaders on Staten Island rallied round one in all their very own Sunday at a marketing campaign kickoff occasion for borough presidential candidate Vito Fossella

“Vito has at all times been a passionate, articulate advocate for the group all of us love, Staten Island” mentioned Lou Tobacco, who in 2019 took over as president and CEO of Monsignor Farrell High School. “Some have left [Staten Island], however not us…and Vito’s by no means left us.”

The occasion drew about 70 individuals to the car parking zone of 2300 Richmond Highway, the borough’s Republican Committee headquarters in New Dorp. About two dozen motorists honked and shouted their assist as they handed.

Fossella, a former congressman, instructed his supporters he goals to maintain Republicans from transferring out of the borough after eight years of democrats “pulling the purse strings” for New Yorkers.

“The individuals in energy are making some prodigious promise that no matter they are saying— whether or not it’s in metropolis corridor, state capital or the White Home— is completely proper” Fossella mentioned. “And once in a while they could be, however what I’m saying could be very typically they’re completely unsuitable.”

“We would like this metropolis again, we would like Staten Island again, we would like this nation again.”

Days previous to the occasion, it was reported Fossella had yet to file a complete financial disclosure form to the city’s Conflict of Interest Board. He due to this fact is the one candidate for borough president to not obtain public matching funds from the town’s Marketing campaign Finance Board (CFB).

Fossella joked in regards to the controversy Sunday, whereas making reference to a center schooler in attendance who — in line with his father, Lou Tobacco—is operating for sophistication president.

Mentioned Fossella: “No matching funds Luke. No matching funds.”

Assemblyman Mike Tannousis, a former Richmond County prosecutor, spoke in opposition to bail reforms in Albany that NYPD brass and police unions have cited as a think about rising crime charges.

“After I obtained elected to Albany and I went up there I noticed how dangerous the scenario truly was,” Tannousis mentioned.

Emceeing the occasion was Staten Island protection legal professional and political activist Lou Gelormino, who implored Republicans to vote within the upcoming election, saying it’s by no means been extra vital for the way forward for their households.

“That is the time proper now that we have to come collectively, as Republicans, as Individuals, as Staten Islanders, ” he mentioned. “If we don’t get our buddies and neighbors out to vote, we’re gonna lose america as we all know it and as we grew up. That’s not an exaggeration.”