Allison Coccia

Now that the new state GOP leadership is in place, the head of the city's largest Republican County organization in the city, Serph Maltese of Queens is hoping for a period of healing.

"I'm hoping those who have differences with me or the new leadership will join in because we need all the help we can get," Maltese told me.

He was refering to the selection of Allison Coccia as the party's executive director over [] Haggerty, the former political director of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, new state chairman Joe Mondello can take "advantage of the experience she has running an urban state." Also, the new person won't have ties to any of the local political fights.

"There's the Pataki wing of the party, a Minarik wing of the party, a Bruno wing of the party, a D'Amato wing," Maltese said.

"There's prior tension in the party. Joe was elected unanimously. That's a good sign that people want us to go ahead. There was criticism by [John] Faso and [John] Spencer that the party was not doing enough. I think there was recognition by everyone that the party did not do enough."

"We need the help. It's very obvious. We were unable to take advantage of the comptroller race. Faso and Spencer did not get the statewide assistance they should have gotten."

-- Azi Paybarah

Here's the formal announcement that the new state GOP executive director is Allison Coccia, the former political director of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. (She's third from the left in a picture from this website.)

The other person up for the job was John Haggerty, an experienced Republican operative who has worked with Mike Bloomberg, George Pataki and Jeanine Pirro.

Haggerty, along with his brother Bart, has waged a war against Queens GOP leader Serph Maltese with jihad-like intensity. So maybe it was just too much of a stretch for a state leader to hire someone intent on ousting an established county leader.

But new party chair Joe Mondello hinted at another possible reason in a statement announcing the hiring of Coccia in which he said he was happy to have someone "who isn't necessarily wedded to the way things have been done in the past."

Party spokesman Tony Santino told me that the line was not, repeat, not a reference to George Pataki or anyone else in the current party establishment, but "simply a recognition that we had some tough times in the Republican Party in New York State and the chairman is looking to do some new and innovative things."

-- Azi Paybarah