Vinny Ignizio

In his first appearance since being arrested in Virginia for drunk driving, Republican Congressman Vito Fossella said he’s not resigning and he hopes the residents of his Staten Island-Brooklyn district forgive him for what he said was a one-time mistake.

“It was a big mistake and I made it and I’m here to apologize to the people I represent,” he said, speaking at the Hilton hotel on Staten Island. “I was brought up man enough to know it’s time to admit mistakes and apologize.”

Fossella spoke for about six minutes, and walked away when I tried asking if he would enter rehab. An aide said later there was no need for it.  read more »

In a bit of role reversal, Simcha Felder interviews this City Hall reporter, with his fellow Council member Vinny Ignizio as the cameraman.

Here's Republican City Councilman Vinny Ignizio of Staten Island praising Rudy Giuliani and saying that “those who are having a good time dancing on his grave” don't "have the likability factor themselves.”

If these unnamed people were more likable, Ignizio says, “they’d have offices somewhere in this building."  read more »

Michael Bloomberg (whose company has been accused of discriminating against pregnant women) offered some childcare advice yesterday when visiting Vinny Ignizio and Ignizio's newborn daughter.

"Take changing rather than feeding. It's quick. I don't care how dirty it is. It's quick."

The story was written by Sally Goldenberg who, despite the byline here, does not work for the Associated Press.

Today was a good day for both for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Republican Minority Leader James Oddo.

Oddo's bill to ban metal bats from high school baseball games passed (with Quinn's blessing).

And Quinn scored a victory on a domestic partnership bill requiring that any benefit given to "a spouse" by the city also be given to "a domestic partner." 43 members voted in favor of the bill.

Three members voted no: Simcha Fedler, Dennis Gallagher and Vinny Ignizio. Two abstained: Darlene Mealy and... James Oddo.

-- Azi Paybarah

Here's a political alliance you won't see every day.

On his Curtis and Kuby radio show this morning, liberal attorney Ron Kuby said the lawsuit filed against City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to force her to swear in Republican Councilman-elect Vinny Ignizio "seems like a meritorious case."  read more »

The lawsuit from outspoken political activist Frank Morano, who works at Kuby's radio show, claims that residents in Ignizio's districts are unjustly unrepresented now because of issues surrounding the results of a different City Council election held in Brooklyn on the same day, Feb. 20. (That other election was won by Mathieu Eugene, who has been dealing with a residency issue.)

Here's a view of the City Council, where Speaker Christine Quinn is discussing a package of legislation aimed at improving safety at night clubs.

Note the empty desk behind her. That's where Yvette Clarke used to sit and, presumably, where Mathieu Eugene would have been sitting if he had been sworn in. He and Vinny Ignizio, who also won a Council Seat during the February 20 special election, have yet to take the oath of office.

For whatever reason, the results of their elections still haven't been certified by the city's Board of Elections.

-- Azi Paybarah