[familyop]

I agree from what little I've read over the years. There have been one or two other soft-headed columns lately. We all get older. And one can't help but sympathize with people here who have relatives in Russia during bad times. He probably feels that for some people he knows.

[M. Espinola]

It's very possible the Mayor knows people directly or knows about Russians, or Russian Jews still stuck behind the lines in the land of Putin.

Brighton Beach, in South Brooklyn rather close to Coney Island, is called "Little Odessa" for its large Russian population, including the 'Russian Mafia'.

It's got to be that bad pastrami :)