Glimpses of a lost Cuomo party video
Cuomo and Ferrer and Rivera. Jose Rivera via youtube.com
9:44 am Feb. 7, 2012
Assemblyman Jose Rivera shot several minutes' worth of video from inside Governor Andrew Cuomo's invite-only Super Bowl party in Manhattan this past Sunday. Rivera posted it on YouTube and on Monday afternoon, Celeste Katz at the Daily News linked to it.
A few minutes later: "removed by the user."
Before that happened, I watched it and grabbed a few screen shots. There's nothing terribly revealing in it but it did offer a rare look at an unscripted Cuomo.
Here are a few highlights:
Rivera asked about making Puerto Rico independent once Cuomo is president. Cuomo, looking straight at the camera smiled and said, "I'm the governor. I'm the governor. I can't see past today."
John Catsimatidis, a billionaire who has allowed Cuomo to make use of his private plane, attended the party. Catsimatidis put his face next to Rivera's, smiled and asked him to take a picture. Rivera said the camera was taking footage, not photographs. Both men laughed.
Fernando Ferrer, the former Bronx Borough President and Democratic nominee for mayor in 2005 whom Cuomo recently appointed to the M.T.A. board, was in attendance. The footage showed him drinking a beer and, later, cheering on the Giants.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver sat at a table wearing a beige turtleneck shirt and a Giants baseball hat.
And one of Cuomo's daughters wore a blue t-shirt that said "All In NY" on the front and "Team Cuomo" on the back.
Here are some screen shots I got before the video was removed:
