According to “The Sopranos” star Lorraine Bracco, New York City mayoral candidate Christine Quinn has what it takes to be the boss of a fictional mafia family.
Bracco campaigned with Quinn on Tuesday morning in Manhattan, and TPM asked her which of the characters on the mob show reminded her most of the candidate. With a laugh, Bracco said Quinn was clearly reminiscent of the leader of “The Sopranos'” mafia clan.
“I’m going to give her a Tony Soprano for sure,” Bracco said of Quinn. “She’s a Tony. Are you kidding?”
Quinn’s wife, Kim Catullo, who was standing with Bracco, thought Quinn would be flattered by the comparison.
“She’d be honored by that,” Catullo said.
Bracco went on to explain which of Quinn’s qualities reminded her of the television don.
“Listen, you have the same laugh, which is very funny, makes me laugh,” said Bracco. “No, she’s everything we want in a mayor. The truth of the matter is, she reminds me more of Ed Koch, OK? … She’s honest, she’s truthful, she’s loud, she knows what she wants. … I do feel it’s Koch really she reminds me of, but in the cast of ‘The Sopranos,’ she takes Tony. Oh yeah.”
Quinn also talked with reporters and was asked about Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s perceived support for her campaign and the possibility it had actually hurt more than it helped. Quinn, who currently serves as speaker in the City Council, replied that she was proud of the work she’d done both with and against Bloomberg.
“Look, I’m very proud of my time as speaker. I’m proud of the things that I’ve been able to accomplish for this city, working with my colleagues and working with the mayor. And I’m also as proud of the times that I’ve stood up to the mayor, whether it was to prevent the layoff of 4,100 school teachers, to pass independent monitoring of the police department, to stop a cruel homeless policy,” Quinn said. “And I’m proud that in my New York Times endorsement they noted what a strong counterbalance I was to Mayor Bloomberg.”
In an interview with New York Magazine this weekend, Bloomberg seemed to concur with the Times’ endorsement of Quinn. TPM asked whether she appreciated that expression of support from the mayor. Quinn didn’t exactly answer the question.
“You know, look, I appreciate the New York Times endorsement, let me be clear about that,” said Quinn.
