The Actor?
Posted on 04/30/2007 9:14:02 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Manorhaven's Capozzi Had Few Answers When Approached By CBS 2
(CBS) MANORHAVEN, N.Y. -- A small town mayor is in some serious hot water over an apparent racist rant. His comments were all caught on tape.
Nicholas Capozzi is the four-term mayor of Manor Haven, a seaside village on Long Island's north shore with sweeping views of Manhasset Bay. CBS 2 HDTV tried to ask the mayor about racist comments he made which were caught on tape:
First, the mayor complains about the village's growing Hispanic population.
"The Spaniolis are rolling all over the (bleeping) place. They rent out the place and put locks on every door. It's gotta stop."
The conversation was recorded by Danny Aiello, who owns a construction company in the village. Aiello claims once Capozzi learned he was about to support another candidate for mayor, the mayor wanted him to move out.
"I used my cell phone," Aiello said. "I picked it up and it was him and he kept me on for 41 minutes."
Part of the exchange went as follows:
Aiello: "If you're gonna give me hell about it, I'm outta there. In other words, you're forcing me out."
Capozzi: "When that lease is up you have to leave. I'm re-zoning that little area."
But Aiello wasn't the only one the mayor wanted out as he lashed out against minorities in the village.
CBS 2 caught up with Capozzi, and the mayor did his best damage control.
When asked what he would think the village residents of Spanish descent would think about him using derogatory terms, Cappozzi flatly denied making the statements.
"I told you I never used that word, and I get 90 percent of the vote every time they come out," Capozzi said.
The residents are having a hard time believing him. Anna Raigosa is one of a number of Hispanic residents calling for Capozzi to step down
"Honestly, he's just insulting is, that's what it is," Raigosa said. "He doesn't know what he is saying. He doesn't know us obviously."
But not everyone wants the mayor to step down.
"He's a human being," Wendy Herick said. "People make mistakes, say the wrong things all the time."
But listen to what the mayor also had to say to Aiello during that same phone conversation about sections of his own village.
Capozzi: "You've been in the village for 40 years Danny. Do you drive down that (bleeping) block? It looks like (bleeping) Harlem. It looks worse than Harlem. It's a (bleep) hole over there."
When CBS 2 HDTV asked the mayor what he meant when he described sections of his village as Harlem, he again said he had no idea what we were talking about.
"I never said that," Capozzi said. "I don't remember saying that."
During the brief interview with Capozzi he did-not deny having the phone conversation with Aiello, just that his words had been altered. When we asked him to be more specific...
"The interview is over!" he said as he slammed an office door.
As things turned out, that would not be our last interview with Mayor Capozzi. He called CBS 2 back and wanted another chance to explain his racial comments on tape as well as answer allegations he knowingly violated zoning laws to help political friends.
Oh, wait, he's a Democrat. Shockingly, this information was left out of the story.
Lawn Guyland is one of the most racially segregated and racist places in the country. From the redlining of school districts, to the harassment of certain LEGAL hispanic migrants/immigrants in my youth, it looks like it hasn't changed.
I think that we should deport this fat guido fanook to Sicily. Actually, the civilized inhabitants of said island would not want this white trash loser to infest one of their lovely villages.
Vanilla cities are bad.
Mrs VS
LOL, thats what i was thinking to when i heard the name.
That's the first thing I look for. Interestingly, when it's a Rat, party affiliation is rarely mentioned. When it's a Republican, they mention it every other sentence. Very interesting.
I never heard of the term “Spanioli” before -did this guy grow up in 1910 or something?
Nothing I’m reading here from the dialog sounds “racist” to me(?)
I grew up on L.I. and there were “white towns” and “black towns”. Don’t know if it has changed much since I left.
I am familiar with Manorhaven,my father-in-law lives in the adjoining town, and it has changed dramatically.
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