Sal’s car swiped – as he campaigns!
TAKES SUBWAY HOME
LONGSHOT MAYORAL candidate Sal Albanese had some car trouble Saturday while campaigning in Queens.
The former Brooklyn legislator, who lost three previous bids for mayor, claims his wife’s car was stolen while he met with a police commander at the Queensbridge Houses to talk about low crime numbers.
“It’s just an absolute shock,” Albanese told the Daily News. “I’ve never had a car stolen in the city. Even during the height of the stolen car era, never.”
Albanese was speaking at family day at the Queensbridge Houses when a brazen thief jacked his wife’s 2007 Honda Fit. He said that he borrowed his better half’s vehicle for the trip and that the thieves made off with his jacket and baby seats for the couple’s grandchildren that were in the car.
There have been 42 cars stolen in the 114th Precinct so far this year, compared with 92 stolen over the same period last year.
Citywide, car theft has dropped precipitously, from more than 140,000 thefts in 1990 to less than 8,000 in 2015.
Albanese was troubled by the crime and said it was symbolic of life under Mayor de Blasio. “It’s not a crime wave, but it’s not a good feeling when your car is stolen in the middle of the day,” he said.
He called 311 immediately to see if the compact car was towed, but no information was available. Albanese then tried contacting the 114th Precinct, but said no one answered his calls.
The mayoral contender documented his suffering on Twitter.
“What a day! in Queensbridge Houses campaigning & having discussion with Police Inspector abt low crime # there & my car is Stolen,” he wrote. He then shared a photo of his F train journey back to his sister’s house in Brooklyn. Albanese lives on Staten Island.
“After my wife’s vehicle was stolen l tried 2 call 114 Precinct numerous times, no one answered. Great customer service!” he wrote, taking a jab at the Queens precinct.
Former Queens City Council candidate John Scandalios chided Albanese: “To report stolen vehicles call 911,” he responded to one of Albanese’s tweets.
Albanese told The News that one of the housing cops he spoke to before he began his long trek home told him his wife would have to make a complaint at the Astoria precinct herself.
The 67-year-old announced he was once again running for mayor in December. He has been a vocal critic of de Blasio since coming in eighth in the 2013 Democratic mayoral primary. Albanese refused to endorse de Blasio after the race and has kept up his critiques ever since.
A day before his car troubles, Albanese hammered de Blasio over his trip to Germany to address protesters at the G20 summit. “No doubt in my mind, DEB is biggest a--hole to occupy City Hall,” he tweeted.
Last month, he slammed de Blasio as a “quintessential limousine liberal” who can’t understand straphangers’ woes. Albanese, who regularly uses the subway, said at the time that he hopes to become the “mass transit mayor.”