Disgraced elsewhere, Vito Lopez embraced in Bushwick stronghold

Posted September 10, 2013 By Sebastien Malo

In Bushwick, Brooklyn, disgraced former state Assemblyman Vito Lopez was everywhere and nowhere to be seen in his stronghold as voters took to the polls, with Lopez on the ballot for City Council.

At his campaign headquarters at the Bushwick Democratic Organization on Wyckoff Ave., a worker sitting alone in the hall said there was no spokesperson to address media questions, no public information about whether Lopez had campaigned during the day and no victory party planned.

Photo: Sebastien Malo

Still, Lopez was omnipresent in the area, where streets are lined with the senior and affordable housing projects sponsored by the nonprofit organization he founded and helped fund with public dollars, Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council.

Joseph Gonzalez, 56, explained that his family owed much of its quality of life to Lopez — his brother not only working for the housing not-for-profit that he has founded, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, but also living in a complex it has set up. His mother, too, still mentions Lopez, even though she now lives in Florida.

“I grew up with his name,” he said, after casting his vote in the Democratic primary election for the 72-year-old candidate. “I voted for Lopez.”

Lopez’s resignation from the Assembly earlier this year and his departure as chair of the Kings County Democratic Party following allegations of sexual harassment didn’t deter him from running for an open seat for City Council, made available by term limits. His rival is Antonio Reynoso, who has served as chief of staff for departing Councilmember Diana Reyna.

Rivals of Lopez have been critical of the decision to install polling places in properties managed by the not-for-profit.

At the Rheingold Gardens on Bushwick Ave., a sign over the apartment complex’s main entrance reads “Thank you Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez.” With the complex doubling as a poll site, Lopez’s main rival, Antonio Reynoso, asked the city’s electoral body to replace it some two weeks ago.

That request was turned down, but scaffolding barred anyone from reading the sign on Tuesday.

Still, 39-year-old Jeanette Gonzalez, a resident of the apartment complex, said Lopez’s housing project weighed heavily in her calculation as she decided whether to vote for him.

“He did something good so I should give him back,” she said.

At another poll site whose construction was also sponsored by Ridgewood Bushwick, the Buena Vida Residence, a commemorative plaque, dated November 2003, hung in the hall leading to the poll site, reminding voters of how the building got there.

“Dedicated in the honor of Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez who dreamed the impossible,” it read.

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<h1>Disgraced elsewhere, Vito Lopez embraced in Bushwick stronghold</h1>In Bushwick, Brooklyn, disgraced former state Assemblyman Vito Lopez was everywhere and nowhere to be seen in his stronghold as voters took to the polls, with Lopez on the ballot for City Council.
At his campaign headquarters at the Bushwick Democratic Organization on Wyckoff Ave., a worker sitting alone in the hall said there was no spokesperson to address media questions, no public information about whether Lopez had campaigned during the day and no victory party planned.
<div id="attachment_12237" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12237" class="size-medium wp-image-12237" alt="Photo: Sebastien Malo" src="http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lopez-300x169.jpg" width="300" height="169" srcset="thenewyorkworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lopez-300x169.jpg 300w, thenewyorkworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lopez-352x198.jpg 352w, thenewyorkworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lopez-500x281.jpg 500w, thenewyorkworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lopez.jpg 568w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Photo: Sebastien Malo</div>
Still, Lopez was omnipresent in the area, where streets are lined with the senior and affordable housing projects sponsored by the nonprofit organization he founded and helped fund with public dollars, Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council.
Joseph Gonzalez, 56, explained that his family owed much of its quality of life to Lopez — his brother not only working for the housing not-for-profit that he has founded, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, but also living in a complex it has set up. His mother, too, still mentions Lopez, even though she now lives in Florida.
“I grew up with his name,” he said, after casting his vote in the Democratic primary election for the 72-year-old candidate. “I voted for Lopez.”
Lopez’s resignation from the Assembly earlier this year and his departure as chair of the Kings County Democratic Party following allegations of sexual harassment didn’t deter him from running for an open seat for City Council, made available by term limits. His rival is Antonio Reynoso, who has served as chief of staff for departing Councilmember Diana Reyna.
Rivals of Lopez <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/nyregion/disgraced-in-albany-and-vying-for-council.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0');" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/nyregion/disgraced-in-albany-and-vying-for-council.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">have been critical</a> of the decision to install polling places in properties managed by the not-for-profit.
At the Rheingold Gardens on Bushwick Ave., a sign over the apartment complex’s main entrance reads “Thank you Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez.” With the complex doubling as a poll site, Lopez’s main rival, Antonio Reynoso, <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/challenger-fights-vito-lopez-poll-site-article-1.1437660');" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/challenger-fights-vito-lopez-poll-site-article-1.1437660">asked</a> the city’s electoral body to replace it some two weeks ago.
That request was turned down, but scaffolding barred anyone from reading the sign on Tuesday.
Still, 39-year-old Jeanette Gonzalez, a resident of the apartment complex, said Lopez’s housing project weighed heavily in her calculation as she decided whether to vote for him.
“He did something good so I should give him back,” she said.
At another poll site whose construction was also sponsored by Ridgewood Bushwick, the Buena Vida Residence, a commemorative plaque, dated November 2003, hung in the hall leading to the poll site, reminding voters of how the building got there.
“Dedicated in the honor of Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez who dreamed the impossible,” it read.

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