Doorman's SUV set on fire

From WPIX:

Former New York City Councilman, Eric Gioia, held his 10-month-old baby son in his arms and told PIX11 he’s grateful his wife and three small children escaped an arson fire early Sunday morning.

“We heard a big boom and I opened up his door,” Gioia said, referring to the baby’s second floor bedroom. “And I just saw this huge, orange ball of fire. So I jumped on top of his crib, called my wife, and told her to get the girls.”

Gioia’s family vehicle, a 2007 Mercury Mariner, was enveloped in flames in the driveway on 49th Street, near 39th Avenue. Police say an arsonist deliberately set it on fire, before starting four trash fires within two blocks of the Gioia home.

Two Sunnyside pols hit in less than 2 weeks...

This one was caught.

Not the last we've heard of Eric Gioia

From Sunnyside Post:

As investigations cloud John Liu’s political future, some insiders have suggested Eric Gioia—once a rising star in city politics—could be a formidable comptroller candidate in 2013.

Since finishing behind Bill de Blasio and Mark Green in the 2009 public advocate’s race, the former Queens councilman has not hidden his interest in a political comeback.

Council explains why Willets Point condemnation is wrong, part 2

Where are they all now? Monserrate, Gioia and Sears are no longer in office, but Leroy Comrie, James Sanders and Diana Reyna can do something about this.

The concerns expressed by Council members at the time about this were not incidental, but quite grave. The late Tom White referred to this as an "institutional issue" with implications for the Council's future retention of its power. We excerpt a few of these other prescient comments:

(1) Council Member Thomas White, Chairperson, Economic Development Committee – City Council Economic Development Committee and Land Use Committee Joint Hearing, November 29, 2007:

"After the ULURP procedure is completed, the plan is to issue a Request for Proposal to developers. … This process differs from the usual process in that the City will issue the Request for Proposal only after the ULURP procedure has been completed, as opposed to prior to the ULURP process. This can be seen by some as an encroachment of the Council Land Use authority granted as a result of the 1989 Charter Revision …"

"I think that it would be important for our colleagues, as well as the City, to understand that this is an institutional issue and not a specific issue related to who is for and who is against. The history and the Charter revision section on Land Use states in 1989 that the Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Estimate violated the one person one vote mandate. In response, the new Charter abolished the Board of Estimate and provided for the redrawing of the City Council district lines to increase minority participation on the Council. It also increased the number of members from 35 to 51. The Council was then granted full power over the municipal budget, as well as authority over zoning and Land Use and franchises. Under the 1990 Charter revision, the Council acquired the power to review Land Use issues and approve zoning changes, housing and urban renewal plans, and community development plans, and the disposition of City-owned property. This power gives the Council the most significant voice in the growth and development of the City."

(2) Council Member Melinda Katz, Chairperson, Land Use Committee – City Council Economic Development Committee and Land Use Committee Joint Hearing, November 29, 2007:

"Well, just so it's clear, my issue in the last hearing and this one is clearly that if we do the ULURP process first, it takes the New York City Council out of the process as we move forward. It historically is not done that way. Historically we do the RFP first, the developer is chosen, then you do the ULURP process, and the reason that the community and the Council and the community boards are normally involved in the process, is because we have to vote on it. And, so, what's happening now, and the fear that I have, is that as we move forward and we do the ULURP first, I'm not sure what mechanism will be in place to assure community involvement. And to assure that the project goes forward in a way that makes everyone satisfied."

(3) Council Member Helen Sears – News conference statement, April 9, 2008:

"What we are being asked to do, is to bypass a very key part of the process; allow the certification of what they wish to do, and not do what we have to do to make that certification viable; to have it comply with the law; and move on to another step in the process. Now I ask you: Can any one of you give us a reason why the City Council should give up that major prerogative, which has a major effect on anything future in the development of the City? To give that up, which is a key part of the checks and balances of the government of the City of New York? Any one of you – Can you give me a reason, why? And none of you can, so as a result, you know why we are standing here today. Because when you begin to chip away at what those pieces are that weigh the scales of justice, you begin to chip away at what the rights are of everyone in the City of New York."

...the EDC end around Phase I gives the council the opportunity to undo the damage that was done in 2008. It should treat this de novo- from the beginning, as it were. But first an oversight hearing that brings in EDC to explain itself-its thinking and its plans. From there, a demand for a new SEQR review that sees this new phase of EDC's-along with the entire plan-with new eyes. It's not the same world in 2011 as it was when the council wrote the mayor that ill fated check, and there's no reason why it can't cancel it now-legitimately so-for insufficient funds. - Neighborhood Retail Alliance

Wake me up when he stops hallucinating!!!

From the Queens Tribune:

...allow me the privilege of dreaming and predicting for the New Year and future.

• Queens DA Richard Brown will announce that he will not seek a fifth term and retire after 20-plus years as DA and a 50-plus year career of public service. Brown will be saluted by the entire community, for his exemplary service with recognition from the Mayor, the Governor, Congress and more.

Contrary to speculation, Brown will not step down early to permit the appointment of an insider to replace him. Instead September 2011 will witness an exciting political mad scramble for this coveted position.

The speculation will include: Peter Vallone Jr, Mark Weprin, Mike Gianaris, Melinda Katz, Eric Gioia, and Grace Meng; on the Republican side, Dan Halloran will be the GOP’s clear choice.

The Dem Primary will be between Vallone Jr., Katz, and Gioia.

Vallone, campaigning as “The People’s Lawyer,” will win and go on to beat an energized effort by Dan Halloran to be elected as Queens DA.

Funny he should focus on this. Check out part of a recent chat between an insider and yours truly:

me: I wonder if that tire theft was a "message" to Vallone since it happened on his block. Maybe next time it will be his car.

insider: no way, the one thing about vallone is he's a gym rat...dude is a fucking ninja, and you know he probably has a gun instead of a pillow...fires off a warning shot every night before bed so every criminal within a 4 block radius knows what's up

me: so what happened last night?

insider: was probably at a fundraiser, or too busy begging dick brown to retire when his council term is up

me: HA HA HA

(Rest of conversation is classified for now.)

Now let's get back to Schenkler:

A heroic Andrew Cuomo will be mentioned as a possible 2012 Obama running mate.

Good lord, this is sounding less like a dream and more like a nightmare!

US Reps Maloney, Crowley and the Crumbling Seawall

Normandeau Newswire – Queensbridge Park on the East River at the Queensboro Bridge is a beautiful park with a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.

Until about ten years ago people would relax at the water's edge. Then the seawall started crumbling. There were holes in the seawall the width of milk crates. People could no longer get to the water.

In Summer 2002, a press conference was held in Queensbridge Park where City Councilman Eric Gioia, US Rep Crowley and US Rep Maloney spoke about Federal money being obtained to repair the seawall. This was happily witnessed by Queensbridge Houses Park Warden Elizabeth McQueen and then Queensbridge Tenants Association President Nina Adams.

Congressional representation switched from Crowley to Maloney due to redistricting.

Nothing further was heard from Maloney. The Queensnbridge website cropped Maloney from the group photo shot leaving McQueen, Gioia, Crowley and Adams.

It is now 2010, the milk crate sized holes are now big enough for a Volkswagen. But it is election time, and Maloney is now showing interest in the seawall again. In a letter that she sent to Mayor Bloomberg, Maloney is now requesting action on the seawall.

Tenants are suspicious of the timing of the letter as some of the co-signors are running for office with opponents. Could this be simply a ruse to publicize candidates?

Nina Adams who is now CEO of Queensbridge Outreach is disappointed that the names of Eric Gioia and US Rep Crowley were not mentioned. Although those politician no longer represent Queensbridge Park they had shown a sincere dedication to its needs.

Maloney is now back in the picture. We will see if substantive seawall progress is made.

Gioia a parking ticket scofflaw

From the NY Post:

The city's lengthy list of parking scofflaws stretches all the way to City Hall, where at least nine current and former members of the City Council had been sitting on unpaid summonses totaling more than $6,000.

Last week, after getting calls from The Post, a couple paid up.

Former Queens Councilman Eric Gioia expressed surprise when informed that he owed $615.70 on five summonses and was on the verge of being declared a scofflaw.

Gioia said he coincidentally checked his summons record last week and it was clean.

But after being contacted by The Post, Gioia said he looked again and found some overdue summonses written on his old City Council plate. He paid them in full on Thursday.

Out with the old, in with the new

From the NY Times:

Jimmy Van Bramer, one of 13 new members elected in November to the New York City Council, lives a few blocks away from 47-01 Queens Boulevard in Woodside, where his predecessor, Eric N. Gioia, kept an office for the past eight years. Mr. Van Bramer, 40, a former Queens Borough Public Library official, decided to keep the place, Suite No. 203. Mr. Gioia left Mr. Van Bramer a welcome note in the drawer of the big desk, along with this advice: Lock the windows and doors. The office had been broken into twice (burglars, not political operatives). The first time, the computers were stolen, which was problematic, Mr. Gioia said, because as chairman of the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Committee, he had some sensitive information on those hard drives.

Yes, because he oversaw so many successful investigations while on the Council...

Mr. Gioia, 36, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for public advocate, will now put his political prowess and connections to work as a bank executive.

Rather appropriate that for the last photo of the Doorman in office he was photographed opening/closing a door, dontcha think?

Reactions to deadly Woodside blaze

From the Village Voice:

This house, at 42-40 65th Street in Woodside, had been inspected twice by Buildings Department inspectors -- in 1990 and in 2004 -- in response to complaints that there were "extra rooms" in the basement. Inspectors did not find violations on either occasion...

The public has good reason to be skeptical of the inspectors' findings. From 2002 to the present, the city's Department of Investigations has arrested 37 Buildings Department employees on a variety of corruption charges (including bribe receiving, extortion, fraud, theft of government property, falsifying records and enterprise corruption) and 215 individuals who had fraudulent business dealings with the DOB. Earlier this fall, prosecutors arrested six people and accused the agency of being infiltrated by the mob.

Shhhhh!!!!

From the Queens Gazette:

“All New Yorkers should pause and say a prayer for those who lost their lives in this horrible fire and for a speedy recovery for those injured,” City Councilmember Eric Gioia, in whose 26th Council District the fire occurred, said on November 8. “Once again, New York's lack of affordable housing has led to tragedy with families forced to cram themselves into dangerous illegal conversions and building owners willing to compromise safety for profit. Illegal conversions are dangerous, not only for tenants, but for firefighters who must fight blazes in buildings with unexpected barriers. To prevent tragedies like this from happening again, identifying illegal conversions and holding landlords accountable needs to be a priority for the city.”

Spoken like someone with a history of advocating for upzonings and developer tax breaks that have actually made NYC less affordable for the rest of us.

From the Queens Courier:

Illegal apartments, potential deathtraps like this one, exist all over Queens. Something must be done to discover them, report them and put the greedy landlords out of business before more innocent “tenants” die or firefighters perish fighting blazes in buildings like this one.

Perhaps the postal carriers could report multiple mail recipients at addresses that should only have one or two families. Maybe the water department could report a jump in the use of water at illegally-converted houses. Utility giant Con Edison, which meters gas and electricity use in these homes from year to year, could report sizeable jumps in usage at illegally-converted dwellings.

Neighbors could call in and report numerous “tenants” living next door or down the block.

Other agencies like the Fire Department, Police Department, Post Office and Sanitation Departments could help inspect suspected sites before the Buildings Department is called to issue its summons and close down the building by revoking its Certificate of Occupancy.

Until the city responds to this urgent problem, we urge you to report suspected illegally converted houses to Buildings Commissioner Robert D. LiMandri at Executive Offices, 280 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or call the Building Department at 212-566-5000.

Let us declare war on illegal dwelling in our borough.

How about newspapers that run ads for illegal apartments with "gas and electric included" and houses with "full-finished" basements? Are you in favor of that as well? 'Cause you may want to take a look at the real estate section of your papers website...

From NY1:

Going forward, the borough president says she hopes to combat the number of illegally converted residences in Queens. "I reorganized my illegal conversion task force, that's what I've done. And I bring city agencies in; everybody's got to pitch in and help us with this."

You mean there was such a thing as an illegal conversion task force? What did they ever accomplish?

LIC development nightmare going on for years

August 13, 2009

Dear Queens Crapper,

I have lived in Long Island City all my life and let me tell you it has gotten so bad. I used to have to deal with prostitutes and johns in cars on my block - which was bad, but now I have worse things to deal with. One is the traffic agents who patrol my block like a hawk looking for prey. Then there is the property at 45-64 Pearson Street (across from the storage place), that is a mess. These developers bought this property at the height of the housing boom for $16 million. They claimed that they were going to build a 20+building. They demolished the property years ago and now the property is just sitting there. No people are living there, but there are things living there among the garbage, debris and 10 ft. high weeds - rats, rodents, raccoons - you name it - it lives there. I have complained to the Health Dept., Sanitation Dept., Buildings Dept., Community Board 2, Eric Gioia and George Onorato. These agencies are useless. My community board contacted me months after my initial complaint. George Onorato didn't even respond. The only one who tried was Gioia. I guess unless you are an FOB (friend of Bloomberg) - nothing happens. I guess even if you are a hard working, taxpaying citizen - you need to have lots of $$ to get something done. These developers are shady people and this city lets them get away with leaving neighborhoods in shambles.

Thanks for listening!

A Concerned LIC Native
______________________________________________

August 13, 2009

Don't give up yet.

1) Get me a photo.
2) Call a Sanitation Supervisor at 718-326-9803 and tell him the situation.

Also, try contacting Gioia's potential replacements, esp Deirdre Feerick (feerick09@gmail.com), David Rosasco (contact@davidrosasco.com) and Jimmy Van Bramer (jimmyvanbramer@gmail.com).

Keep me posted.

- Crapper

_____________________________________________

August 13, 2009

I sure will get you that photo. Thanks for your encouragement. I love your blog and I am avid reader - I look everyday for new posting. Keep up the great work!

A Concerned LIC Native
_____________________________________________

September 19, 2009

Has this been taken care of yet?

- Crapper
_____________________________________________

November 12, 2009

Sorry that I did not contact you sooner - the answer to your question is no - things have not gotten better. After trying my councilman, the community board, and my state senator I got nowhere. I called 311 - I contacted the department of health via their rodent complaint form and the DOB via their complaint form and nothing happened. I even contacted the dept of sanitation - nothing happened. In July, I wrote a lengthy letter to the commissioner of the dob and after months (September) - I received a letter stating that the property received several violations (I checked the DOB site). I then took the same approach for the department of health and wrote to the commissioner. I then received a letter stating that they will give the property a warning and then eventually a summons if they don't clean up the property, but that is what the DOH health said back in 2008. No one came to clean up the lot and no one came to clean up They were supposed to get a DOH summons over a year ago, but the DOH did not follow-up. In the mean time the rats have taken over. I have secured my garbage cans (I have the big plastic ones), but it does not make a difference. They patrol my block - in front of my house and in my backyard. My husband killed one with a stick and my dog killed another one. Also, now that it gets darker earlier, the rats start their patrol earlier. I guess it doesn't make a difference, my neighbors have said all along that they also have seen the rats during the day.

Bottom line - this city doesn't care about its citizens. These developers came - tore down a perfectly good building and left a piece of unattended crap for the community to deal with. This is disgraceful.

Here are a couple of things I have learned from this experience:
Local government is a joke.
311 is even funnier.
Taxpaying citizens continue to get shafted.
The end.

See attached photos.

A Concerned LIC Native
______________________________________________

Developers give big $$$ to these guys

From Gotham Gazette:

Wielding the city's most lucrative resource -- land -- developers have long used their purse strings to try to influence City Hall. And this year is no different.

The most viable citywide candidates have collected more than $2.5 million from real estate interests for the 2009 election, according to an analysis by Gotham Gazette. None have collected more than comptroller candidate and Land Use Committee Chair Melinda Katz, who took in more than 30 percent of that figure. Thompson and public advocate candidate and Councilmember Eric Gioia have also pulled in considerable sums, at $393,000 and $314,807, respectively.

At the same time, some of the city's most well known or active developers have increased their donations by more than 30 percent since 2001 -- and we haven't even passed the primary.

An endorsement you wouldn't want

From a guest editorial in the Woodside Herald by former Council Member Walter McCaffrey:

...Deirdre Feerick is the best qualified. As a lifelong district resident, she has the best real-life experience of knowing our community. She is the only candidate with legislative experience, which means she will hit the ground running as our council member. She did not cynically shop around for a district to run in. She will serve in the fine tradition upheld by other elected leaders who came from our community. Just like Tom Manton, Eric Gioia and myself.

She's like Tom Manton, Eric Gioia and Walter McCaffrey? Well then you'd better vote for one of the guys instead!

This analogy is interesting considering that Walter McCaffrey, a term-limited councilman who represented Woodside, Sunnyside and part of Maspeth, took part in a desperate and filthy race baiting campaign against Gioia, who originally ran as an outsider.

But now they're all great political pals and Gioia is no longer an outsider, but getting endorsements from Manton's successor, Joe Crowley. So if this Feerick chick is receiving glowing praise from the likes of Walter McCaffrey - now a lobbyist - and the rest of the Queens Machine, then you'd best vote for O'Leary or Van Bramer.

Unless you like the changes that have happened in Woodside...

Woodside triangle may be doomed

From the Times Ledger:

An odd island at the convergence of three streets known as the Woodside Triangle may soon end five decades as a de facto park and become another home unless activists in the neighborhood can raise the cash to buy it from the developer.

The 1,265-square-foot lot at the junction of 34th Avenue and 59th and 60th streets has been used by residents as a park since 1959, when Mayor Robert Wagner planted a tree there. Now the owner is poised to begin construction.

At the time the land was owned by a Carvel’s establishment across the street. But when the Carvel’s went under, the triangle changed hands a number of times before ending up with Sano Construction, which first applied to build a two-story home there in 2004.

About two dozen protesters and City Council candidates Brent O’Leary, David Rosasco and Jimmy Van Bramer booed a Sano dump truck as it rattled past the corner Tuesday afternoon. The driver briefly looked down at the crowd and shook his head.

“All of a sudden they put up a chain link fence and we got nervous,” said resident Marion Molno, who has led the effort to stop the development of the triangle starting with an appearance at Community Board 2 in March 2008.

She said neighbors contested the property owner’s application at the city Board of Standards and Appeals, but the agency ultimately granted the variance to make a home on the irregular lot.

The Village Voice pointed out that there is another three-sided property nearby that is actually a city park. But according to commenter Kate: The other three sided property you refer to is full of homeless men who sometime do not wear clothes. It is not a suitable place for children to play and it hasn't been for years.

Crowley making calls for Doorman

From the Daily Politics:

A Queens-dwelling reader called the other night to say he had just returned home to find a message from Rep. Joe Crowley asking him to vote for Councilman Eric Gioia for public advocate next Tuesday.

In the call, which the Gioia campaign provided, Crowley touts the councilman as someone who is "independent" and "gets results."

The reader mused that perhaps the chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, which is known for its discipline when it comes to candidate selection and members who vote in blocs (particularly on the Council), is perhaps not the best messenger when one wants to demonstrate one's "independence".

Watch the public advocate debate

From NY1:

Watch the 2009 Democratic Public Advocate debate between Mark Green, Bill de Blasio, Eric Gioia, and Norman Siegel, held September 9th in Manhattan. [1 hour]

On August 28th, the candidates debated on ABC. You can watch that debate here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

All in the family

POL GAVE 160G TO WIFE'S FIRM
By MAGGIE HABERMAN, NY Post

City Councilman Eric Gioia's campaign has paid more than $160,000 to the fund-raising firm run by his wife for his current run for public advocate, records show.

His campaign has paid the Esler Group, run by his wife, fund-raiser Lisa Hernandez Gioia, $162,812, campaign-finance board filings reviewed by The Post show.

The campaign said the payments are in line with a CFB advisory opinion the campaign sought out at the beginning of the race. The opinion said the Gioia campaign "specifically asks for guidance regarding the proper treatment of Ms. Hernandez Gioia's volunteered personal services," as well as the campaign's use of the company's facilities, equipment, supplies, and employee services," according to the opinion.

Nice racket.

Photo from City Hall News

Doorman: Let's bring Ratner to Sunnyside!

From YourNabe.com:

Gioia claimed Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner sold a “bill of goods” to the people to move ahead with the project and he was against it receiving more subsidies. He also suggested the NBA’s Nets move to Sunnyside, Queens.

Say what?

3 out of 4 public advocate candidates support eminent domain abuse

From the Times Ledger:

The most heated rhetoric came when the candidates differed on the issue of the massive Willets Point redevelopment and the use of eminent domain, the process by which a government can seize privately owned land for the public good.

De Blasio said he supported eminent domain in “very certain circumstances,” including the Queens project.

“I think it is valid if it creates a substantial number of new jobs and affordable housing, and I think Willets Point does that,” he said.

Gioia called the practice “absolutely wrong.”

“The very presence of it changes the terms of the bargain,” he said, comparing a municipality with eminent domain power to a gun-wielding Al Capone.

Green openly supported the Willets Point redevelopment.

“If it comes to eminent domain, the city should go out of its way to relocate those small businesses within the community, to the extent it can,” he said.

Siegel decried eminent domain abuse and called Willets Point “unconstitutional.”

“The city did not provide services to the businesses out there,” he said.

Sparks flew as the candidates spent some time squabbling over the finer points of the Supreme Court decision that enabled public-private redevelopments via eminent domain.

DeBlasio: How is this a "certain circumstance"? The entire project is uncertain - no developer, no plan, no approval for the highway ramps, the number of jobs keeps shrinking and the affordable housing certainly will too (it always does) and the city is broke.

Gioia: If it is so wrong, why did you vote in favor of it? Not only did the mayor put the gun on the table, but you loaded it for him. Asshole.

Green: "To the extent that it can?" What the hell does that mean? The city can just say, "Well, we tried, I guess we'll just have to send you packing now... As a consolation prize, here's 1/4 of what your property's worth, now get out."

These three want to advocate for us with attitudes like this? Doesn't sound like they'll stand up for private citizens if they stand in the way of despotic development plans.

Looks like there's only one choice.

VOTE FOR NORMAN SIEGEL.

Public advocate jokers

Bill DeBlasio


Eric Gioia


Mark Green


Norman Siegel

(If the videos don't work, click each link.)

Blast from the past

August 10, 2006

Dennis Hughes
President
New York State AFL-CIO
50 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

Dear Dennis,
I am writing to you to express my deep concern about the events that transpired during the recent blackout in Northwest Queens. Many of my members were held up to ridicule and scorn by the New York tabloids the Daily News and Post. My staff spoke to the editorial writers of the Daily News who later printed what was tantamount to a retraction, but as you know the N.Y. Post is a virulently anti-worker anti-union paper and the less said about them the better. What was particularly galling was the response of the Democratic Legislators (with the exception of Cathy Nolan (D-NY)) to the crisis in Queens. In their zeal to attack the performance of Con Edison while pandering to the legitimate anger of their affected constituents, they indiscriminately attacked Con Edison and any and all associated with it. They made no distinction whatever between the managerial corps at Con Edison (the decision makers) and the everyday rank and file Con Edison unionized worker. They stoked the anger of the community to the boiling point. As a result of their actions our members were subjected to an unparalleled vicious verbal assault by members of the community along with being pelted by rocks, eggs, tomatoes etc. along with being spit at while doing live electrical work. Amazingly during the restoration we only had one worker severely burnt, two others overcome with smoke inhalation and one heat stroke victim while working 16 hr shifts for 14 consecutive days to restore electrical service to the community. In speaking to some of my members they felt large segments of the affected community were on the verge of riot. What these politicians did was tantamount to yelling fire in a crowded movie house. As you know our Union has had wall-to-wall coverage at Con Edison since the 40’s. To have a highly trained, highly skilled unionized workforce subjected to the scorn and ridicule of Democratic Officials is hard to take. To this day Assemblyman Gianaris, City Council members Vallone and Gioia, have yet to make a distinction between the hardworking union men and women of Con Edison and the managerials who make the decisions on investments in upgrading the infrastructure. They take our money, our phone banks and our endorsements and when the chips are down often abandon us. I know at the upcoming C.O.P.E. Convention some of these same politicians will be receiving the endorsement of the N.Y. State AFL-CIO. I am asking at the very least for you to read this letter to your Executive Council before your endorsements.

Fraternally,
Harry J. Farrell
President

It's getting late early for the Doorman

From PolitickerNY:

Certainly, things haven’t gone precisely as planned for the ambitious, relentlessly upbeat councilman from Queens this year. The entry of the well-known former public advocate, Mark Green, into the race earlier this year wobbled whatever plans Mr. Gioia had of gradually introducing himself to voters in the five boroughs who live outside of northwest Queens. And Bill de Blasio, a councilman from Brooklyn who is, like Mr. Gioia, an above-average political operator, made off with the lion’s share of early institutional endorsements, including that of the crucial Working Families Party.

With six weeks until the primary, polling—for what it’s worth—shows Mr. Gioia running last among the competing Democrats, behind Mr. Green, Mr. de Blasio and civil-liberties lawyer Normal Siegel.

Meanwhile, there has been at least one personnel change within the campaign: Michael Oliva, a consultant who specializes in field operations, has left after a three-month, $15,500 engagement, citing the campaign’s unwillingness to spend more money to increase its profile.

“Being able to run your field operation for free rests upon two conditions: appeal and fame,” Mr. Oliva told The Observer in an interview shortly after his departure. “Even if you’re as appealing as you think you are, which you usually aren’t, without the fame, you won’t draw in enough people to have any real effect on your campaign.”