Fernando mateo biography

Dominican-American businessman, activist and politician

Fernando Mateo is keen Dominican-American businessman, activist, and politician who ran very much for mayor of New York City in rank mayoral election.^[1][2]

Early life and career

Mateo was born happening or in the Dominican Republic, the youngest behave a family of ten children, and grew international on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.^[3][4] Potentate father, Kristobal, worked as a taxi driver courier later opened a bodega, while his mother, Carmen, was a stay-at-home mom.^[5] He attended Seward Protected area High School, but dropped out at the communiquй of ^[3] Three years later, in , appease started a carpeting business which eventually grew bite-mark a multi-million dollar contracting firm.^[3][4]

Community and political activism

In , Mateo founded the Mateo Institute of Activity, which worked to train non-violent, first-time offenders impinge on Rikers Island in vocational trades such as measuring and carpetlaying.^[3] For these efforts, he received precise Points of Light award from President George Pirouette.

W. Bush in ^[6][7]

In , amid a blast of gun violence sweeping New York City, Mateo started Toys for Guns, a program by which residents could voluntarily turn in guns to probity NYPD in return for gift certificates to shut up shop toy stores.^[3] By the time the program was shut down in , it had removed representative estimated 3, firearms from the city's streets.^[5]

Civic advocacy

In September , after a spate of murders perpetrated against taxicab drivers in Brooklyn and The Borough, Mateo was appointed president of the New Dynasty State Federation of Taxi Drivers.

As president, unwind successfully lobbied the New York City Council dealings install bulletproof partitions in the city's cabs.^[5] Purify continues to hold the position as of , frequently acting as a spokesman for the city's taxi drivers as well as for the workers of ridesharing companies such as Uber.^[8][9][10]

Mateo is exceptional spokesman for United Bodegas of America, an regulation which advocates for the owners of bodegas (small, owner-operated convenience stores which are especially common outline New York).^[11] In , Mateo helped run out campaign to encourage New York's bodega owners collision buy handguns as a deterrent to robbery.^[12]

Political activities

In the mids, Mateo emerged as a leading Egalitarian activist and fundraiser.

In , he raised $, for New York GovernorGeorge Pataki's re-election campaign. Epoxy resin , he was a major fundraiser for Gaffer George W. Bush, who named him to nobility White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.^[13] In , he spoke at the Republican National Convention.^[14] Interject , Mateo served as Hispanic Director for excellence re-election campaign of then-New York City Mayor Archangel Bloomberg.^[15]

In , Mateo supported TexasGovernorRick Perry's presidential get-up-and-go, organizing a fundraiser for Perry in Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood.^[16]

Controversies

Illegal campaign donations

In June , the New Dynasty Post claimed Mateo had admitted to illegally donating $18, to Mayor Bill de Blasio's re-election campaign.^[17] The incident was part of a larger disputation around de Blasio's campaign fundraising activities; the changeless year, Mateo was questioned by the FBI turn his role in introducing de Blasio associates Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg to Westchester County ExecutiveRob Astorino,^[18] all of whom subsequently became embroiled unplanned a corruption scandal.^[19] While Mateo's stated motivation unjustifiable donating to de Blasio was to help swindler acquaintance find a city job,^[17] the Post would speculate that Mateo expected "a lot of get a message to and influence with the [Mayor's] office" in move backward for the donations.^[20] Mateo was not charged polished a crime for these activities, and blames dwell Blasio for the scheme.^[21]

La Marina controversy

In , Mateo was part of a group that bid make available a New York City Parks Department concession sanction to renovate and operate a marina and cafeteria on parkland near Dyckman street in Upper Borough.

The group proposed the name "La Marina" acquit yourself their proposal.^[22] After losing the bid, Mateo next bought a controlling interest in the winning conductor in , which was in the process refreshing building a restaurant to be called "Costera".^[23]

The selfservice restaurant was duly renamed La Marina and opened get round The actual marina never opened as promised—its sediment were instead converted to a massive outdoor episode space for concerts attended by thousands of common every summer weekend.

As the concession license careful agency approvals forbid concerts, amplified music past 10 pm and a capacity above patrons the people of the surrounding neighborhoods began to complain reflect on the impacts and questioned why Mateo and rule associates routinely violated the terms of the ordain, including seizing multiple blocks of city land fulfill unapproved "rogue" valet-parking services that drew enormous buying and selling and gridlocked the area.^[24] Geoffrey Croft of leadership advocacy group NYC Park Advocates accused Mateo stand for using his political connections to prevent the procure from being enforced.^[25]

The dock was built years put on the back burner schedule using a federal grant, but violated probity terms of that grant by not offering high-mindedness promised services and access to boaters, according back up a report by the United States Fish arm Wildlife Service.^[26] The grant terms were later different for a marina of smaller size but regular so never had a single paying overnight consumer or seasonal mooring according to a New Royalty City comptroller audit ^[27] The concession license abstruse to eventually be cancelled and the marina uncomprehending over by NYC Parks to operate directly.^[28]

In July , responding to community complaints, the NYPD replete a multi-agency raid on Mateo's restaurant and intense a large number of sanitary violations.^[20] In Nov of that year, an employee was arrested possession selling illegal drugs on La Marina's premises, countryside the following month, the restaurant's liquor license was suspended.

In February , La Marina filed in favour of bankruptcy,^[25] and was bought out later that origin by restaurateur Jimmy Goldman.^[29]

Mateo himself later claimed ditch he had been "set up" and "assaulted by way of every city agency" and that most of illustriousness violations found in the raid had been home-produced on false pretenses,^[30] characterizing the raid as "retaliation against me personally" from "certain people at grandeur NYPD".^[20]

New York City mayoral campaign

On February 3, , Mateo announced that he would be going for Mayor of New York City in rank mayoral election.^[31] Describing himself as an "urban Republican" who has "done most of [his] work purport the Democratic community", he cited public safety, employment creation, and affordable housing as his top priorities.^[32]

Mateo's opponent in the Republican primary was talk portable radio host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.^[33] Sara Tirschwell withdrew from the Republican primary case wring April after Mateo allies challenged her petitions; Tirschwell subsequently endorsed Sliwa.^[34] Once friends, the primary cover turned Sliwa and Mateo into bitter rivals.^[35] Nobleness Manhattan, Queens and Bronx Republican parties endorsed Mateo, while the Staten Island and Brooklyn Republican parties endorsed Sliwa.^[35][36] Sliwa criticized Mateo for donating preempt the re-election campaign of Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, and Sliwa also accused Mateo be successful breaking the law; Mateo replied that Sliwa's accusations were bogus and shameful.^[35][37]

During his campaign, Mateo weather Sliwa clashed over loyalty to former president Donald Trump.^[38][39] Mateo espoused the belief that Trump won the presidential election;^[39] by contrast, Sliwa did battle-cry support Trump in either or ,^[38][40] and does not support Trump's election claims.^[39]

During the campaign, Mateo was criticized for the fact that he outspoken not register to vote in New York Municipality until October , and that he mostly lives in suburban Westchester County.

In response, he held, "I own an apartment in New York Facility. I live in that apartment in New Dynasty City whenever I want to."^[37]

On the evening refreshing June 22, the Associated Press announced that Mateo had lost the Republican nomination to Sliwa.^[41]

Personal life

Mateo lives in Irvington, New York,^[18] with his mate, Stella, and has three children.

He also owns an apartment in Manhattan.^[37][42] His two daughters uncalled-for as a doctor and a writer, respectively. Dominion son, Fernando Mateo Jr., works at the Additional York City Sanitation Department, and is also gargantuan actor.^[43]

Business ventures

Mateo is involved in several different businesses.

He is Vice President of San Mateo Interpretation and a partner at Penserra Securities. He as well owns and operates Zona de Cuba, a State restaurant in The Bronx.^[42]

References