How much do you know about the mayor of new York city and — more recently — the presidential candidate of the USA, bill De Blasio? Less than it seems. Life is a new participant of the election campaign full of twists and turns, a little-known interesting facts and protivorechii details. And yet — his name is not bill.
Of course, it would be unfair to say that on account of the mayor of no merit. Free pre-school education, healthcare, raising minimum wage… But now it’s not about that — and that he’ll remember during the campaign.
Who are you, Mr. De Blasio?
The present name of new York mayor Warren Wilhelm, Jr. At the age of 21, he took his mother’s surname, becoming Warren De Blasio-Wilhelm, then got rid of «William» — and in 2001 finally and officially moved from Warren to bill.
His father, William Sr., was a war veteran, suffered from alcoholism and committed suicide when De Blasio was 18. However, the name of the bill changed, not so, but in deference to his mother, who always called his main role model.
photo: property Maisel Todd (Todd Maisel)He’s a new Yorker, but not quite
De Blasio was born in new York, but grew up primarily in Massachusetts. Perhaps that is why the mayor is a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox, the most hated residents of the Big Apple baseball team. Fight the new York Yankess and the Boston Red Sox lasted for over a hundred years and is deservedly considered one of the fiercest rivalries in the history of American sports.
And he eats pizza with a fork — which in new York is akin to a crime.
He supported the Sandinista national liberation front
photo: property Maisel Todd (Todd Maisel)
Early in his political career, De Blasio went to Nicaragua to support the ruling party in the country — sfno known at the time ultra & views.
During the time spent in power, the Sandinistas came under fire of international criticism for mass repression and human rights violations, and the mayor later stressed that he supported not all of their views and decisions.
He worked on Hillary Clinton…
…and in 2000, headed by her campaign for election to the Senate — led to complete success. Now bill with his former boss in trouble: Clinton held a grudge after not got sufficient support in the elections in 2016.
Formally, his wife is a lesbian
In 1979, the future wife of the mayor of Shirley McCrea made a coming out, published in the edition of Essence loud an essay called «I’m gay». 12 years later she met De Blasio, and in 1994, the year the couple married. Today, answering questions about his sexual orientation, Mccray says that he «hates labels» and refuses to use the words «bisexual».
shutterstockИ by the way, it is believed that De Blasio should not run
When, in January 2019, McCrea asked about the possible involvement of her husband in the election, she said that «now is hardly the time.» Over the next months, Shirley tried to take it back, but it was too late.
«I’m terribly late!»
Among other things, De Blasio is notorious for constant delays to work, meetings and receptions (including those held in Gracie Mansion where the mayor lives). Once he even missed the memorial service dedicated to the victims of the plane crash in Belle Harbor.
He cares about the environment — or not?
The mayor does not tire of repeating that the fight against global warming the inhabitants of the cities must change their way of life, but he is not that in a hurry to follow his advice. Almost every weekend he drives 11 miles with a convoy of not too beneficial to the environment police SUV for workouts near his Brooklyn real estate — although about apartments De Blasio on the Upper East side is also a gym.
shutterstockК the way, on police transport
Recently around him erupted another scandal. Sources say that in 2015, De Blasio, hurrying on the event in the car of the NYPD, had an accident in Harlem — because of the fact that the officer, who was driving, was driving on the wrong side of the road. Allegedly, the incident was hushed up.
What happened to the budget ThriveNYC?
In 2015, Shirley McCrea presented a plan called ThriveNYC, which her husband called «revolutionary.» On a project designed to reform new York’s system of mental health annually allocate $250 million — but, as it turned out during the hearings, representatives of the program cannot give a clear answer as to what to spend the amount. How exactly ThriveNYC helped new Yorkers for 3 years, to say too difficult.
shutterstockОн admits that smoked marijuana…
…but, honestly, it was a very long time, officer.
In 2015, the former NYPD detective Bo Ditl said on Fox News that he saw the mayor and his wife smoke pot in the backyard of his Gracie Mansion. When asked to comment on Ditla during a press conference, De Blasio said that «not used marijuana since his studies at NYU».
Perhaps he killed a Groundhog
Remember this story? De Blasio, who has arrived in Staten Island Zoo in Groundhog Day, was going to pose with the local weather girl Charlotte but dropped the poor thing on the ground. A week later she died from internal injuries. Suspicious coincidence.
In fact, the mayor is very fond of animals. He has allocated $27 million to the animal shelter in Brooklyn tried to ban Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages, so as not to torment the noble horses.
