The special election to replace disgraced City Councilman Dennis Gallagher has yet to officially begin, but some prospective Republican candidates are already going negative.
Six would-be contenders for Gallagher's 30th Council District seat squared off for the first time Thursday, making stump speeches at a meeting of the Glendale Property Owners Association.
Things immediately took a bitter turn when the evening's first speaker, Republican hopeful Joseph Suraci of Middle Village, used the key issue of overdevelopment to attack rival Republican Anthony Como.
Suraci, a 57-year-old lawyer, said Como was unfit to protect the district from the spread of supersized homes because Como himself is renovating a small Middle Village residence into a "huge, out-of-character" house.
"So if he's putting it up himself, how is he going to fight for the people?" Suraci questioned.
Como, 33, a Middle Village lawyer who is commissioner of the Queens Board of Elections, quickly fired back. "I have no qualms about the beautiful house I am building," he said.
Speaking directly to Suraci, Como charged: "If that's what you got to come at me, you are going to need a lot more!"
The spat stems from a 2003 incident in which state Sen. Serphin Maltese, then the Queens GOP leader, allegedly ignored Suraci's request to run for a Civil Court judgeship - leading Suraci to break with party leaders.
Como was a likely target for the spurned Suraci because he serves as counsel to Maltese (R-Glendale) and has recently been endorsed by the Queens County Republican Party - a potential campaign asset in the Republican-leaning district, which includes Middle Village, Glendale and Ridgewood, along with parts of Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Forest Hills.
Suraci, who once ran a failed Assembly bid against Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood), also mentioned that Republican hopeful Thomas Ognibene - who represented the area in the Council in 1991-2001 - was accused of taking bribes in office.
Ognibene - a Middle Village lawyer who has publicly criticized Republican leaders for backing Como - said Queens prosecutors cleared him.
Democratic hopefuls include Ridgewood civic leader Charlie Ober, Mike Mascetti, 23, of Middle Village, and Glendale resident Elizabeth Crowley, who lost to Gallagher in 2001 and is the cousin of U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens).
Gallagher last month pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Middle Village grandmother and agreed to resign April 18.
