Race To Replace Perfetto District Leader Ralph Perfetto is all but certain to run in Adele Cohen's 46th Assembly District, touching off a lively race for the male leadership in the 52nd Assembly District, also known as the brownstone district. Under the draft reapportionment plan, the 46th AD would take in much of Bay Ridge, encompassing Perfetto's home. While Cohen could use the organization Perfetto has built in Bay Ridge, he also has ties to other parts of the district, making them a good match.

"My base is in Bay Ridge, but I'm originally from Coney Island, born and raised," said Perfetto, who founded two major neighborhood development organizations in Coney Island. "It would be like Ralphie coming home. And it doesn't hurt that I speak a little Russian. How's that for kicks?"

Without Perfetto, the male leadership would be open in the newly constituted 52nd AD, and several candidates are at least weighing the race. Alan Fleischman, former president of the Lambda Independent Democrats and a veteran political insider, is running. "I'm definitely forming a committee and running," said Fleischman. "It's the kind of job that was made for me to do. I've been an activist in the Democratic Party for 20 years, and if I could have drawn a district for myself, this would have been it."

Chris Owens, the son of Rep. Major Owens and a resident of Prospect Heights, is considering the race. "I'm still testing the waters," said Owens. "It's too soon to say definitely because the lines aren't final."

Greg Atkins, former chief of staff to Assemblymember Joan Millman, is also considering the race. "My first priority is to make sure Joan Millman gets reelected. I will sit down with Joan and talk about it," said Atkins.

Paul Bader, husband of Rep. Nydia Velazquez, is another potential candidate, as is Carl Peek, a member of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats executive board. "People have asked me if I'm interested in running," said Bader. "Some people think I'd be a good district leader. It's not like I'm aggressively going after it al all." He said that his first priority was ensuring his wife's reelection.

Peek could not be reached for comment.

Fleischman appears to be the early favorite, said one source. He is an openly gay, longtime Park Slope resident, making him an attractive candidate since the district is slated to absorb large portions of the Slope. He also has good connections with the three area political clubs: IND, Lambda and the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats. And he has lots of inside political experience with the nitty-gritty district leader functions, such as negotiating for judgeships and running campaign operations. "The guy's a player," said the source.

But others disagreed, saying that Millman will decide the race. Whomever she chooses to compliment the ticket with her and female district Leader Elizabeth Daly will likely carry the election, said sources.

Atkins' long working relationship with Millman could give him an edge. He also has $13,000 in funds left over from his Council bid, and the experience of sitting on the executive board of the State Democratic Committee as president of the New York State Young Democrats. "People have been expressing interest and we're kind of waiting and seeing who's throwing their hat in the ring," said Adam Freed, Millman's chief of staff. "The assemblywoman hasn't endorsed anyone."

"I don't have any preference off the bat," said Daly. "I have not sat and spoken with any of them." Daly said that the ideal candidate would be inclined toward political reform, self-motivated and a team player.

She also said that if the district lines are challenged in court, the race could become even more chaotic. "You may not know your district lines until a week before petitioning is supposed to start," she said.

Pataki Making Inroads In Southern Brooklyn In his latest surprise cross-party endorsement, State Senator Carl Kruger recently announced his support for Republican Governor George Pataki. "At the end of the day, George Pataki gives us the vision and the focus that we need for another four years as we move forward to rebuild," Kruger told the Associated Press.

This is not the first time that Kruger has stepped over party lines to make an endorsement. In 1997, Kruger backed Rudy Giuliani for mayor, and he backed Republican Rick Lazio against Senator Hillary Clinton. The endorsement may also have something to do with Kruger's drastically altered district lines. Under the Senate GOP proposal, Kruger's district would lose entire neighborhoods where he is popular, and the district would shift from more than 80 percent white to about 80 percent black. By aligning himself with Pataki, Kruger may be angling to put top-down pressure on Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno to draw him a more comfortable district.

Kruger, however, said that he had not discussed the issue "in any great detail" with Pataki. "I don't expect any quid pro quo," he told reporters.

And Kruger is not the only prominent southern Brooklyn official to back Pataki. Former Councilmember Herb Berman is enjoying his new gig with the state's top Republican. Berman, a longtime Democratic councilmember, took the job after losing to William Thompson, Jr. in the Democratic primary for comptroller. Berman is now special assistant to Pataki for economic development, city finance and lower Manhattan development. He also serves as a Jewish liaison.

The day after he started, Berman said that his party enrollment was not an issue. "I'm doing government, not politics," he said. "The people who I've met have been extremely cooperative. They have one concern and that is the success of the state." Berman said that he believed that Pataki would be successful in southern Brooklyn. "I believe the governor has a unique opportunity to get a strong vote out of southern Brooklyn, much the same as Mayors Bloomberg and Giuliani," he said.

TJ Club Backs Norman To quelch recurrent rumors that the Thomas Jefferson Democrats were recruiting a candidate to oppose County Leader and Assemblymember Clarence Norman, Jr., District Leader Bernie Catcher recently gave Norman a big vote of confidence. "The Thomas Jefferson Club is 100 percent supportive of Clarence Norman," said Catcher, when asked to comment on the latest whispers. "It has found him to be supportive of our community, of the Democratic Party and of the Thomas Jefferson Democrats."

The rumors began after the most recent elections, when the Kings County Democratic Party backed losing candidates in several elections, and were also fueled by the historic split between the club and the county leadership.

From Bribes To Bags Apparently in Brooklyn the right price not only gets you a court-approved settlement, but a little smoke to boot.

Last week, senior court clerk Dennis Bram was nabbed by cops in a sting operation after the police got word of Bram's alleged marijuana dealing in and around the courthouse. Bram was arrested after an undercover officer bought $60 worth of marijuana in the courthouse and then $2,500 worth of the drug a short time later on Cadman Plaza.

Bram, who has been a clerk since 1982, is facing felony and misdemeanor charges.

One source said that Bram is both well known and well liked by Brooklyn lawyers. "He's quite popular at the courthouse," said the source. "Now we know why." Although Bram is not a judge and his arrest is unconnected to the state probe into judicial conduct, the incident is the latest black eye for the Brooklyn court system.

In January, Judge Victor Barron was arrested for allegedly taking an $18,000 bribe to sign off on a settlement agreement. Since then, eight judges have been referred to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, the latest being Supreme court Justice Randolph Jackson, who failed to record the names of lawyers appointed by the court to act as receivers for financially troubled companies and properties.

Unhand That Bagel Next month Borough President Marty Markowitz will launch "Lighten Up, Brooklyn," a borough-wide diet program with the goal of trimming 2.5 million pounds from the city's biggest borough.

"It's really in its formative stages," said Markowitz. The goal of losing 2.5 million pounds "doesn't mean that everyone loses one pound. Some like me should drop 40 pounds," he said.

Markowitz will try to meet his own goal by taking aerobics classes on public television and staging public weigh-ins. The program will also include local restaurants, businesses and hospitals. "It's all about a better and healthier Brooklyn," he said.

Speaking of Markowitz, the co-chair of the Brooklyn Pride Parade said that Markowitz has been chosen as the honorary grand marshal. Markowitz would have been made the grand marshal, but some Brooklyn Pride members were uncomfortable with a straight grand marshal. "Some people were uncomfortable with having a straight grand marshal, and some people were uncomfortable with having a politician as the grand marshal. But we were all comfortable with having him as the honorary grand marshal, and he'll get to march in front of everyone anyway," said Steve Gradman, co-chair of Brooklyn Pride.

Markowitz will make history in June when he becomes the first Brooklyn borough president to march in the parade.

Borough Politics Archive

2002
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