It was smiles and jabs as mayoral candidates Bo Dietl and Nicole Malliotakis crossed paths tonight in Middle Village’s Juniper Valley Park. The candidates were there to work the crowd at Italian Night, a concert drawing several hundred people. There’s been some significant long-distance friction between them recently as Republican leaders quashed Dietl’s final effort at getting a Wilson-Pakula and running in the Republican primary.
They smiled for the camera (singular, as I was the only reporter there), with some forced joviality smoothing the light jabs they each tossed toward the other. Dietl sought to claim the turf immediately, declaring “this is Italian, this ain’t Greek, this is my neighborhood” as he walked up to Malliotakis. They didn’t shake hands, much less hug, with Malliotakis’ hand on Dietl’s shoulder the only greeting gesture. “Are you gonna be nice to me now Bo, I heard you’re calling me names on Curtis Sliwa” said Malliotakis. Dietl offered that when he becomes mayor “I want you to help me … cause Staten Island needs a lot of help.” Malliotakis quickly countered that when she becomes mayor “I will not make you my police commissioner.” (Dietl retorted “I’ve been offered that already by your friend Malpass.”)
Their sparring over, Malliotakis introduced herself to a couple of parks workers in a truck as she and Dietl began walking. As Malliotakis continued walking Dietl stopped to talk to those workers, soon calling out to the departing Malliotakis “they’re with me, they’re with me … they love the Bo man.”
Update – Photo Gallery:
Our photo gallery is available here.