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November 30, 2024 • 52 mins
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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This hour of programming on seven to ten WAR. He's
sponsored by Toyota City and Mamaranac and Nissan City of
port Chester, proud members of the Integrity Automotive Group. Now
former Westchester County executive Rob Astorina on seven ten Dor.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
All right, good to have you with me. On seven
to ten WR, Rob Astorino. Here you there, boy. I
saw Michigan upset Ohio State. If you're watching college football,
that was crazy. And then they had a huge brawl
on the field. That's what I love about sports. You
never know what's going to happen. And then Georgia Tech
Georgia last night had eight overtimes. The Giants still stink,

(00:47):
the Jets still stink, and my Dolphins stink just as well. Anyway,
it's good to have you with us. We have a
huge guest coming up in just a few minutes, maybe
even sooner than I thought. Eric Adams, the Mayor of
New York City, is to my right about four feet
and he's got He came in with his mets hat.
I got to ask him about that. But he is
with us today and we'll have a fun conversation, you know,

(01:10):
we'll ask him about what's going on here in the city,
what's going on in this country, and and then just
more about him. That's what I want to know. I mean,
you know, everything about like the day to day stuff.
You see it in the Post or the Times or wherever.
So you know, I do want to get his perspective.
And of course I want to know more about him
because obviously he's running for reelection. He is the one

(01:32):
hundred and tenth mayor of this amazing city that I,
you know, being from Westchester, have worked in for many years,
love it. And yet I walk around and I'm frustrated
by some of the things I see, which I know
he's trying to tackle. I mean, Deblasio left an enormous
mess for this guy. I feel I actually feel bad

(01:52):
for him the mess he had to inherit. But that's
the job.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
I had a mess when I had to go in
as Westchester County executive deal with it. That's what an
executive does. And he is the front face of New
York City to the world. And by the way, it's
very crowded now because this is this is Christmas season,
so all the tourists are here. I'm walking into each
one of them as they're on their little stupid tiktoks
making their videos and I'm walking into each one of them.

(02:18):
But it's a magical time to be in New York City,
and I'm glad that the mayor has said that he
would come in and you ready, all right, let's lift
that mic up. He is here today, and it's good
to have you.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
No, great to be on with you, Rob.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
We've chatted, yeah, you know, send messages to each other
and just communicate it. And it's just good to just
have a long handed conversation instead of being viewed through
sound bites, because I think we're far more complex.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Than the way we're covered in the media.

Speaker 4 (02:58):
And you, being a former executive, you know the complexities
of running a city, so you could sort of appreciate
all that we go through.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah, I trained myself to give answers in twenty seconds.
And it's not always easy, you know, when you're asked
all this stuff, you know, you want to get stuff
out in your perspective, and you want to because you're
not going to get a fair shake when it's written
by somebody who may not agree with you, or an
editorial board that hates you, or the unions that are
always you know, biting at your ankles whatever, So it

(03:31):
is important. I think these are I think radio is
great because you get to talk directly to people, and
I thought it would be amazing to have you in
here to just go over a lot that's happening in
New York City. And New York City affects all of us, Yes,
you know. I mean I'm in Westchester all the surrounding
Long Island. Wherever people work in the city, they come

(03:54):
in like tonight to either go to a play or
dinner whatever. So everything that you do affects me. Yes,
affects my wife, my kids, you know, they're always coming
into the city too, So crime is important to me.
And that's your background.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
Yeah, No, And you know, I think you're correct because
we're all in the same ecosystem of what happens in
New York would impact not only west Chester, Long Island,
but also Connecticut. We're all in this region together. And
just to you know, go back for a moment what
you were saying about being reported. Even the industry, the

(04:30):
news industry has changed so.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Much dramatically and not for the right.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
No, and we need to be candid and honest about it.
I remember, you know, I've been in public life for
a long time. And reporters, the particularly print print was
divided into the columnists who would give their opinions and
their thoughts, and then you had the everyday reporters who
will report the facts. Rarely did you see their opinions

(04:58):
in stories. Yea, see, you know what was the fact?

Speaker 3 (05:02):
What happened?

Speaker 4 (05:03):
And you know every elected is going to say, hey,
you could cover me better.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
That's just the nature of the beasts.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
But when you look at what this administration has done
in three years and how we have recovered the city,
and you would scrolled through the print and you were asked,
are we're in the same city where those who have
their own opinions are no longer covering the facts of

(05:32):
what we did with city. Yes, how we had ten
st eight months of decreasing crime. How we turned around
the economy. We have roughly one hundred and eighty three
thousand small businesses, the most we've had in the history
of the city. More businesses are open in small and
normal business in the history of the city. Of twenty
thousand guns, illegal guns. We moved off the street people

(05:54):
back on our subway system, do you know our subway system.
Robberies on our subway system is the lowis and recorded history.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
So let me give you our perspective. When I say
our perspective, somebody coming into the city, and obviously you
hear this, I hear this. There are the facts and reality,
and then there's the perception. Right, So the perception is, uh, oh,
we're kind of back to the bad old days in
New York City. I can't walk through Central Park. I'm

(06:22):
walking down the street and I see I'll use the
word bums or whatever, you know, And it's like my
wife and I are like, if my daughter's going into
the city, we got to worry, and I shouldn't have
to worry. But you're saying it's a different story with
the statistics, which I had to deal with too. I
always said, look, we had a press conference, crime is down. Whatever,
they're going to fight back. But the perception in the

(06:44):
reality isn't always the same.

Speaker 4 (06:46):
Right, And I'm not a believer that the stats should rule.
I believe both perception and reality. And if you go
back to January twenty twenty two, when I became mayor,
I was at a press and when I stated that
we have to deal with the perception of how people
feel on our subway system. I was basically hung out

(07:08):
to drive. People say, oh, what are you talking about?
Perception that doesn't exist. Now everybody's talking about perception in
reality because they go together. And so I knew I
had to put a thousand new cops on our subway
system in January where we saw the uptaking crime and
then we saw a steady decrease in ten months in
the row. So I believe strongly I can't just give

(07:29):
you stats. You must feel safe, and there's no other
way I believe to feel safe. We can't control how
the bad things that happened in the city of eight
point three million people would make the front pages. But
when you see that uniformed police officer on your block,
when you see that uniformed police officer walking through your
subway station, or you see that uniformed police officer outside

(07:53):
that store, there's a comfort that's associated with that. And
that is why we're putting sixteen hundred new cops through
the academy class. And that's why I'm so closely engaged
with the New York City Police Department. People often say
to me, oh, you need to just lect the commissioner
commissioners who no matter who they are, let them do
their job, leave them alone. No commissioner was elected to

(08:13):
be the mayor. I was elected to be the mayor,
and I was the one that went from locale to
locale and promised the constituents that I would bring down crime.
But my ass is on the line, you know, if
I don't do the job that I promised for. And
so I am heavily engaged in all my agencies in general,
but specifically the Department of Education where we educate our children,

(08:36):
in the New York City Police Department, where we make
sure families are safe. I am going to be engaged
and continue to be engaged.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
Mayor Eric Adams with me on seven to ten wor.
But you should be You were a cop, you were
a commanding officer, you were you're retired to captains. So
if anyone knows policing in New York City, it better
be you, and you should be directly involved in the
policies of the police department. And you have a new commissioner.

(09:04):
So Jessica Tish went from making sure the garbage was
picked up, making sure the cops do what they're supposed
to do and implement your policies. Tell us a little
bit about Jessica Tish. I don't know her, I know
her family very well, but tell us about her and
what her job is now.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah, so true.

Speaker 4 (09:23):
And I think, first of all, you write about there
is no other man in the history of this city
probably that understands law enforcement the way I understand law enforcement, and.

Speaker 3 (09:35):
That is why I could.

Speaker 4 (09:37):
Traditionally mayors would tell police commissioners, I don't know anything
about fighting crime.

Speaker 3 (09:42):
You go and do what you want to do.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
And sometimes has been successful, like with a Bill Braddon,
and sometimes it has not been. We have been heavy
handed far too often, and I knew we have to
have a public safety and justice they go together, and
that is something that I thought was crue and that
is why I brought on Jessica Tish. First of all,

(10:06):
the Tish family is one of those great families of
New York City and America. Their contributions, their benevolence, how
they give back in so many ways. Many people are
not aware of what the family has done in the city,
and I was really proud to have on my team
as the commissioner of the Department of Sanitation and I

(10:26):
was communicating with her when I was running for office.
She would sit down and we would have conversations. People
don't know. Prior to being the commission of Department of Sanitation,
she was the doet Commissioner. That is what we did
all of our technology, our build out of technology. She
was leading that and she was an analysis in our

(10:50):
intelligence division.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
She was well known for the role she played.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
Matter of fact, she was part of the team with
the current Commission of counter Intelligence is just Rebecca Waina,
who's currently the first woman to head that position, and
they knew each other back then. Jessica, under Bill Bratton
and others, she built out our technology of the cameras

(11:16):
you see police officers carrying, the using the cell phones,
on how.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
To communicate rapidly.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
She had a brilliant mind on dealing with the technology
and innovation in our police department.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
That's what I need from her right now.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
So the big rap and I saw it. I mean, look,
we all know people who work in the NYPD right that.
The suburbs are full of them. And we talked to
so many cops who say, if they would let us
do our job, and under the previous mayor. They didn't
let them do their job. The cops were more handcuffed
than the criminals unfortunately in this city. And you got
to you know, I'll say it, a nutjob like Alvin

(11:52):
Bragg who is really doing a lot of damage here.
So what have you done to let cops be cops?

Speaker 4 (12:00):
Well, er a couple a couple of things. And you know,
I know, you know, uh da Braggs take a lot
of hit. We do a lot of good things together
around criminal uh criminal justice and how to get back
guys off the streets. But after and I'm proud of
the work we do together, but after cornerstone of public

(12:20):
safety is lynn cops be cops. And you can't respond
to tweets, You can't respond to Instagram posts, you can't
respond to headlines that when a police officer does his
job correctly.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
Of you take a.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
Snap of something that happens and all of a sudden
you make it bel not it doesn't tell the totality
of what happened.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
And I made it declared to offices, I went to
road calls.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
Uh we created the Unity CRT unit that went after
guns on.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Our streets, playing.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Clothes, playing clothes and what we call those who are
wearing a khaki pad. They call them the khaki boys
because they went out and did extremely dangerous assignments. Bad
guys no longer respected criminal justice in this city.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
When we came into office January first, twenty twenty.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
Two, there was a total disregard everything from ghost places
where people were not registering their vehicles, where they were
fleeing from police, they were carrying guns, rotating criminal justice
system and in that low morale, I had to let
police officers know, not only am I in mayor that's
going to have your back, I'm a mayor that walked

(13:32):
that beat like you. I know what it is to
the level of uncertainty going home to your family, and
they know they can do their job. And it has
been reflected in closing cases, arrests, gun removal, almost fifty
thousand illegal ghost cars and mopazz off our streets, transit
system becoming safer. So you're seenior the results of when

(13:54):
someone states you do your job, I'm gonna send you
to the front line to fight the battle, and I'm
not going to a and you on the front line.
And there's something else we did that many people have ignored.
We paid them the dawn salary that they deserved. We
settled the contract that was outstanding. Pat Lynch, who I
knew when I was a police officer, we sat down
at the table and I said, you have my promise.

(14:15):
I'm going to pay the officers what they deserve. We
got a ninety seven percent ratification of when the contract
was settled, and the police officers realize, I respect the
job they do. They run towards danger when others flee away.
If you're doing that, we need to compensate you accordingly.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
And you know, it's funny. When we had the police
academies in Westchester that I would address, I would tell them,
you do your job, you do it right, you follow
the rules and procedures. I and the county will always
have your back. You go rogue, you're on your.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Own without a doubt.

Speaker 4 (14:48):
But that's so important because the profession, the profession of
putting a bulletproof vest on and going out in harm's
way is a noble profession. No matter what people say.
It's this very challenging thing to do. Look at the
officer in Queens on Jamaica Avenue. A person pulled the gun.

(15:09):
He didn't run away. He ran towards it, and he
protected those who were in that area. And I agree
with you, anyone who tarnished the nobility of the profession
should not wear that uniform and should not stay in
the department because you bring down a morale. And officers
would tell you that when they have a rogue officer
among their ranks, it hurts the entire agency and what

(15:31):
they're doing.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
Absolutely, we have to take a quick break. So I
always knew when I was campaigning here, going around to
events and events and events, I had two rules. Eat
when you can, pee when you can. So I don't
know if you have to go to the bathroom, I
could just walk in. But if you do, now's your chance.
Because I got to sell some cars. And by the way,
I know now it's great because you get driven around.

(15:52):
But Deblasio had that, and then when he leaves office,
that's the thing one of the things you miss. You're
now like taking the subways as the former mayor or
or maybe you're buying your own car. And he's like
a total priest guy. I'm sure. So if he goes
to Toyota City in Mamarnick, you'd have to come up
to Westchester but they've got all the different cars that
he would want, great inventory for anybody, all models and

(16:13):
trims in stock and transparent pricing. So what they say
they mean, and you don't go and get shocked when
you sign that contract and they ask for thousands more.
They don't play those games. So you're gonna get the
respect that you deserve. I'm part of the Integrity Automotive
Group family. I hope you are too. Stop over there
at Toyota City in Mamarnick. You tell them that I
sent you. You tell them Mayor sent you. I mean he

(16:36):
didn't authorize this, but you tell them the Mayor sent
You tell them I sent you. This is the real thing,
and you get five hundred dollars off any vehicle in
stock Toyota cityany dot com Toyota City, why dot com
more with Mayor Adams right here on seven to ten
WR in.

Speaker 5 (16:52):
Just a bit, eat breakfast selections like Canoli, French toast
and rolled and you telepancakes, specialty launches like a Kentucky
Berger signature sandwiches, Prespanini's raps and salads, party dinners like
a certified Angus steak, and leave room for scrumptious Housemate
desserts from their bake shop. All meals are crafted in

(17:13):
house and made from scratch. The Pleasantville Diner is open
seven days a week from seven am until eleven pm
for dining, takeout, and delivery. The Pleasantville Diner is the
newest addition to the Thanos restaurant group, featuring The Mirage
and Newerchelle, the Westchester Diner in Peak Skill and in Stamford, Connecticut,
the Royal Green, the Stillery, and Guy Fieri's favorite the

(17:37):
Stamford Diner.

Speaker 1 (17:39):
Rob Astorino on seven gen WOI I.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
Make sure you follow us on Facebook or x Instagram,
all those at rob Asperino. And if you missed any
part of today's show, you're going to want to replay
this entire show. I'm sure there's a lot of people
that are going to want to replay this show, like
Andrew Cuomo LANDERBT. So make sure you download the app,

(18:03):
the iHeart app and just go to the Rob Asprino Show.
You could always listen live, of course on the radio,
but on the app or on seven to ten woor
dot com. I mentioned Toyota City before, Well, they've Integrity
Automotive Group has a lot of different dealerships that have
multiple in New York City. In Jersey. They also have
another one in Westchester, Nissan City, which is pretty close

(18:26):
to Toyota City. Nissan City in Portchester, where again any
kind of Nissan that you want, they'll have it there.
And whether it's pre owned where you don't open the
door and get that new car smell, or the brand
new cars, whatever you want or whatever you can afford,
you stop by Nissan City and they're great. They're they're

(18:47):
just as good as my friends over at Toyota City
because they're all trained by the same company. So go
over there on Route one, exit eleven off two eighty
seven or exit twenty one off I ninety five. Nissan
cityany dot com for transparency, efficiency and respect. So I'm
so happy to have with me here the one hundred
and tenth Mayor of New York City. Of course, Eric

(19:09):
Leroy Adams. I didn't know that was your middle name,
So I want to I definitely want to have some
fun a little later and talk about some other things,
but I want to get to some more things happening
here in New York City. The Daniel Penny trial. This
is a this is one that I think. I think
it's going to the jury next week. This is one
that is kind of emblematic of what's going on in

(19:31):
New York City right now, at least in the minds
of some where people can't understand why this guy who
came to the rescue of others where Jordan Neely was
clearly mentally disturbed and very threatening, he is the guy
now on trial because of Albin Bragg and Jordan Neely.

(19:53):
Obviously it was it was a tragedy, But what's your
thoughts on this as it goes to the jury.

Speaker 4 (20:00):
And you should look at that on a multi faceted
approach of everything that's wrong with the system that we're facing. One,
look at the photo that they used to show the victims.
It seemed like it was a young innocent child who was.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
Brutally murdered, and it gave.

Speaker 4 (20:23):
That impression when you look at the photo that was
being used. It wanted to set up in the minds
of people that we were dealing with a young innocent
child that you know, just a Michael Jackson intimidator that
you know.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
Was just brutally assaulted.

Speaker 4 (20:39):
Then you look at the complete failure of our mental
health system a complete failure from the days of closing
psychiatric wards and having those who needed help just turned
over into the street without giving any safety net to
accept them. Parents reach out to me all the time
and say, I'm watching my child go down on my

(21:01):
love or my family and were going down this serious decline.
What do we do a system where you brought people
into hospitals, gave him medicine for one day, and sent
them back. The young man in this case was going
within our system throughout.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
The revolving door of our system.

Speaker 4 (21:20):
Now we're on the subway where we're hearing someone talking
about hurting people, killing people. You have someone on that
subway who was responding doing what we should have done
as a city in a state of having a bettle
a mental health facility.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
Those passengers were afraid. I've been on the subway system.

Speaker 4 (21:40):
I know what it is as a police officer to
wrestle a fight with with with someone. It is imperative
that we you look at the totality of this problem.
I'm hoping that the juries are the jury will hear
all the facts. Based on all the facts that's laid out,
a jury of his peers would make the right decision,
And I don't want to pre jo I'm just looking

(22:01):
at all the facts that are involved here and what
we did to get to where we are and what
we're seeing it, because that could have easily been a
case where you saw three innocent people murdering on our
street of two weeks ago.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
We have to.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Recognize we have a mental health crisis and we're not
doing enough to solve it.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
So unless you and I are gonna go hit the
nightclubs later, I'm gonna walk after the show back to
Grant Central and I'm gonna pass the Roosevelt Hotel and
I'm gonna see a lot of call them whatever you want, migrants, illegal, aliens, whatever.
But this has been an issue that has perplexed you.
It's clearly an issue that Trump went on. And you

(22:41):
wrote an article where you were interviewed by the Wall
Street Journal, which I thought was spot on, because you
have talked to your own party and said, we're gonna
keep losing if we don't understand that the people of
this country. And you saw the numbers how Trump did
relatively well in New York City and you got forty

(23:01):
four percent in New York State. This is a problem
that is getting worse and worse. And it's not about
I know you were asking for more money to help,
which I understand you're trying to You've got a responsibility,
But this is about stopping them from coming in to
begin with, and have an orderly process for immigration, no.

Speaker 3 (23:19):
Without without without a doubt.

Speaker 4 (23:21):
And you said, perplex me, it angers me, it angers
me six point four billion dollars, it costs our city.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
That is crazy. Really, so where did you come up?
Did you have to bond down.

Speaker 4 (23:33):
To go into things we would have normally done? And
think about what I inherited. I inherited the sunset and
of COVID dollars, outstanding union contracts, of the programs that
were put in place using temporary dollars but long term programs,
and then out of nowhere, I had a six point
four billion dollar price tag only two hundred million dollars

(23:56):
coming from the national government, which just totally ignored how
severe his problem was. Then I had a dangerous small
number who was coming, a dangerous Venezuelan gang that.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
A total disregard for our safety.

Speaker 4 (24:11):
And when I talked about, hey, we need to get
those who are communities crimes out of our city. After
they served their time, I was getting a pushback from
the far left in the city who was stating that
you could come from anywhere on the globe, even if
you do something wrong, you have a right to be
in the city. I don't subscribe to it. I believe

(24:32):
I don't subscribe to those feelings. Listen, we are city
of immigrants. We know that the overwhelming number of people
who come here they want to work. How do you
tell someone to come here, parole them into the country
and say you can't work for six months and in
some cases up to two years. That is just a
broken system. And that's what you heard New Yorkers and

(24:53):
Americans say. Got to fix our immigration system, got to
secure our border, and those who come here should be
here to help our country and not hurt our country.
And that is what I'm hoping this administration would do.
But this is nothing new. Back in twenty twenty one,
I told the party you need to be focusing on
public safety, comment on that exactly, and I got elected.

(25:16):
They ignored me, they pushed back. We lost the races.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
In twenty twenty.

Speaker 4 (25:23):
Twenty twenty two, I started saying, we need to be
dealing with broking class people issues, What are impacted broking
class people? It was ignored, and then coming into twenty
twenty three, I was very clear, migrants, asylum seekers, secure
in our border, public safety, affordability, That's what people were
talking about.

Speaker 3 (25:41):
No response, and we see the results of it.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
So what do you say to your Democratic colleagues. The
mayors of Boston who said that, you know, come hell
or high water, she will make sure that Ice or
the federal government cannot come into Boston and take a resident,
any resident. Now illegal aliens are residents. The city of
Los Angeles, which just made itself a sanctuary city. And Denver,

(26:08):
this guy Denver, the mayor of Johnston and Denver, who
said it's going to be a tannem and Square moment
if they try to come in. I mean, so this
isn't the reality, and it's it's it's setting up a
very dangerous and unnecessary showdown.

Speaker 4 (26:21):
And and and here's what I say to all, I
want to speak with the uh the borders are.

Speaker 3 (26:28):
Let's figure out how we are.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
It's gonna take no crap, right Tom.

Speaker 4 (26:32):
Let's and and and let's figure out how do we
work together, how do we continue to rich tradition of
allowing immigration and and and it's done correctly because it
was immigrants that built out Brooklyn Bridge, our Manhattan Bridge,
our subway to tunnels. It was immigrants during COVID who
opened small businesses and uh second generation immigrants who worked

(26:53):
in our hospital, our medical facilities. When I walked through,
I saw those from different countries. We have a tradition
that we could live up to and rob This is
what's really interesting. If we have places in this country
that are dealing with population problems, they can't get employees
in our infrastructure, Kentucky can't get backstretched workers in the

(27:15):
racism industry, food service workers. Why not allow those you
parroll in. Don't allow them to go wherever they want.
Say you're going to go to the municipality where we
need you, and you're gonna work for three years, and
after three years then you can move throughout the country
and start your pathway for citizenship.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
We can turn this crisis into an opportunity.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Well, I think the problem with that, though I'll push
back a little bit, is that it's incentivizing people to
come here illegally anyway if they know they're gonna be
rewarded in some respect, right, And I think that's what
Trump and Homeman and everybody else is saying. Wait, I'm
so frustrated. I have to tell you a personal story.
A very good friend of mine for twelve years now,

(27:56):
he's entering the twelfth year to get his sister from
Italy to legally come to this country. They've been dealing
and I've said, I've sat with him and dealt with
the paperwork in all this nonsense. Twelve years he's been
doing it the right way, the legal way, and it's
fifty thousand dollars later and still no resolution. And he's

(28:16):
looking at people literally walking across the border and getting rewarded.
And you can imagine how happy is about that. But
I think that's the biggest issue. Like I don't think
the vast majority of people have anything negative to say
about immigrants or the people who come here. It's how
they came here. And I blame more not them. I

(28:37):
mean they're trying to with most of them trying to
escape poverty. I blame our own government for allowing.

Speaker 4 (28:43):
Whatout doubt and the plan I laid out to you
is not a plan absence of securing our border.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
I want it very clear.

Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yeah, it's not about just letting people into the country.
It's about having a secure border and organized way of
deciding who's going to be parolled into our country.

Speaker 3 (28:59):
But you can't parole people.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
Into the country and then tell them for six months
in your year, six months your year, you must go
unemployed and you must be financed by the local municipalities.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
That is insane.

Speaker 3 (29:12):
That's a six point four billion dollar insanity.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
You're right, I disagree with parolling them, But if you're
going to prole them, if the government is going to say, okay,
we've given you the permission to be here, then you're right.
I agree with that. That.

Speaker 4 (29:26):
When I speak to my business industry, when I speak
to my restaurant industry, when I speak with all of
the industries, they're saying, Eric, we're hurting for people.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
We need workers.

Speaker 4 (29:36):
And when you go into these various businesses and particularly
those municipalities that are dealing with population crises.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
So if we control the.

Speaker 4 (29:45):
Border to make sure who we're parolling in and make
sure they're going where we want them to go, to
help the American people in economy, it turns from.

Speaker 3 (29:54):
A loss to a win.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
Mayor Eric Adams with me Rob Ester Reino here on
seven to ten WR. And so Donald Trump, you know,
I remember, I mean the Trump de arrangement syndrome's already back.
I don't know if you saw this video, but you
got to see it on I don't know if it
was on TikTok or Facebook, whatever, but there's like fifteen
or twenty people in Milwaukee and they go to the

(30:16):
shore of Lake Michigan and they let out primal screams
because they've got trumped arrangement syndrome. And by the way,
there's plenty of them in New York City doing the
same thing somewhere. You have to work with whoever is there.
I mean, you're the mayor of New York City. Just
like I didn't like Andrew Cuomo when I was county executive,
and he and I fought and I ran against him,

(30:37):
he was still the governor. I still had to work
with him. So Donald Trump is going to come in
and it would behoove New York City to work with
the guy who loves this city and is from here,
who can help you do the things like building housing,
which is a big priority for him. He said that,
or stop this illegal immigration which would help your budget

(30:57):
and a lot of other issues.

Speaker 4 (30:59):
No, without a doubt, and I made it clear from
day one that we are not in a position to
be warring with the president. We're working with the president.
He's the incoming president, and it's really about to seal
America is the United States. We're not going to survive
with the divided States. We have enough people outside our

(31:20):
country that want to harm us and hurt us. And
great countries don't explode, they implode like teams rolled. And
I'm not going to spend my energy on the next
four years sitting the quart of Pouding or yelling at
the river in the ocean because we have a president. No,
how do I provide for the city of New York.

(31:43):
One thing's for sure, President Trump was not in office
when we had to spend six point four billion dollars
that went out of my everyday New York is that's
going to have a long term impact on our city
because those six point four billion dollars did not go
to my seniors, did not go to my educational system,
it didn't go to the places that it ought to be.
So I'm looking forward to engaging in a real conversation

(32:07):
and every appointee that he has.

Speaker 3 (32:09):
And I made it clear and I spoke with the President.

Speaker 4 (32:11):
I stated, we need help in the city, and he says, Eric,
that's the city of my home. I want to help
the city and I'm looking forward to figure out how
do we do that.

Speaker 2 (32:19):
And he will, by the way, He's full of surprises,
and he'll help anybody. He really will if you're on
the page with him. And he wants to make New
York great again. I mean, that's him.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
And I believe that.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
You know, I grew up in Queens, born in Brooklyn,
up grew up in Queens and South Jamaica, Queens. He
grew up up on top of Hillside Avenue, not too
far from me. And so look at where we are now.
He's the president of the greatest country on the globe
and I'm the mayor of the greatest city on the globe.
And I think there's some common denominators. Let's stop focusing
on things we disagree on. Republicans and Democrats believe in

(32:55):
lowering taxes on low income, broking class people. So let's
do that. We both agree on our cities needs to
be saved and supporting our law enforcement and those that
are feeded the crime. Let's focus on that. We believe
we need to secure border. Let's focus on that. And
so let's stop looking at the small number of things
we disagree on. Let's find the common denominators that we

(33:17):
agree on, Republicans and Democrats. And when you look at it,
America has spoken. So you know, so if not only
did he win the electorial vote, he won't a popular vote,
So who are we to say we're not going.

Speaker 3 (33:33):
To respect the will of the people. America spoke. Let's
respond to what America has communicated to us.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
You know, when I was county executive, I had a
Democratic legislature for all eight years, so we had to
figure out ways to get something done. And you'll love
this because the biggest problems I had was from my
own team. It was the Republican legislators that gave me
more odd of than anybody else. And I know with you,
I mean it's clearly it's a very strong democratic council.

(34:01):
They all think they want to be mayor or think
they are mayor, and they don't know their role half
the time. Because you're the executive, your job is to
administer the city and well.

Speaker 4 (34:12):
Said, Well said, And what I've learned is idealism collies
with realism. I receive communications and letters from people asking
that are in office, asking how did a three New
Yorkers get murdered by someone dealing with a severe mental
health issue.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
I said, listen, do you have selective amnesia?

Speaker 4 (34:33):
You're not passing my legislations and allowing me to do
involuntarily removal. We are not of giving Reikis Island to
support they deserve in the correction offices where we had
a critical state, because many of them are no longer
going to be correction office because they're leaving. You can't
simply govern from the sterilized environment from your executive or

(34:54):
legislative chambers. Your decisions are impacting what is happening on
our streets in it over and over the revolving door
justice of too many people not willing to make those
decisions that need to be made.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
And I am a strong believer we.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
Need to be protected innocent New Yorkers and things should
not happen to them like we're seeing. And I'm going
to continue to stand for those broking class people.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
You mentioned Rikers. So my predecessor got scolded by the
Feds and I inherited a consent degree on the Westchester
County jail. The problem is with these consent degrees is
once they're there, they never leave. They never leave, and
they become more and more powerful whoever's overseeing it, and

(35:40):
it's just going to be NonStop. It's like you're never
going to be able to win on that and tax
pase dollars and they don't care. And let's be honest
with ourselves. Have you looked at the Federals? Oh, yeah,
it's crazy.

Speaker 3 (35:52):
So it's not like it's not like they had taken over.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
Yeah, because the clean record, right, they're showing us by
example how to run a jail or prison. No, they
have right in Brooklyn, the Federal Penitentiary in Brooklyn, Federal
Jail in Brooklyn is one of the worst places you
could be. And so now they're gonna take over Rikers. Look,

(36:17):
we've made enormous strides in the two years and ten
months that we have been at Rikers have an amazing
commissioner that us there. We're bringing down violence, we're making changes.
I've been on Rikers Island more than any other mayor
in the history of this city doing firsthand inspections to
make sure we're treating people with the dignity and respect.
But we just passed the law that you can't use

(36:40):
a punitive segregation, of which if someone attacks a correction
officer or other inmates. Eighty percent of the people who
are attacked by inmates are other inmates, and we're told
you have to leave them in the same population. And
so we're making a lot of decisions that are just
not realistic on how you run a jail system. So

(37:01):
if the judge makes a decision that she's going to
put it in the receivership, my job is to follow
the rule and the law.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
I think it's the.

Speaker 4 (37:10):
Wrong decision to make, but I must take the hand
that is dealt to me and carry out the best
of my ability.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, you'll be in your can you know what you
got termlinits in the city right? Yes?

Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Now, Okay, so like six mayors from now, they'll still
be dealing with this. So I want to ask you,
obviously the tough question, the personal stuff you're dealing with
right now with the impending court you know, trial, forget
the merits of the case. I've said on this show,
by the way, I spend ten minutes defending you and

(37:44):
saying that from what I can see, the things that
you're accused of is pretty damn typical of what we
all do. I mean, if you're not an executive moving
junk off of bureaucrat's desk, you ain't doing your job
because it's going to sit there forever. So my question
to you more is personal, Like I know you and

(38:05):
I have kind of talked about this a little bit
in that I went through something very similar where Deblasio,
who was caught up in all this nonsense, the former
US attorney, my favorite, pret Bajara. They threw my name
into his trial thirty days before my election. And I've

(38:27):
had that knock on the door at six am by
two FBI agents a long time ago on a watch
that I had purchased, and I had the receipts, and
I turned over the watch and that was the end
of it. Never did they ever go further than that.
And yet and yet they put my name through mud
and they kept the watch. Had they seized my watch

(38:49):
when I was never charged or any never even questioned,
and they never gave the damn So I know that
these Feds, how they play and they played dirty, and
they're gonna gonna probably lump on more stuff on you, right,
But my question to you is, so everyone sees the
mayor you're eric right, well, you know, and so how

(39:10):
do you how do you deal with this kind of
stress because it was not easy for me, well said,
And you're right.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
There is a professional part of us, and there's a
personal part of us. You know, there is a there's
a dad who has a son who who I have
always told him, you know, do what is right. And
he watched me throughout my career as a police officer,
as a state senator, an the bar president, and I
love him and he loved me. He loves me, And

(39:39):
no Americans should go through what I'm going through, and
not only what I'm going through. As I go through this,
I'm starting to read other cases of people who just
voiced what we have a constitutional right to do. I mean,
how do you put parents on a terrorist watch list
because they're voicing and concern about what they want for

(40:00):
their child?

Speaker 3 (40:02):
And other governmental officials.

Speaker 4 (40:05):
Who stood up for something and all of a sudden
they found themselves being that knocked at their door.

Speaker 3 (40:12):
No Americans should go through this.

Speaker 4 (40:13):
Millions of dollars, millions of dollars in legal defense of
having to have all of these leaks constantly coming out,
and you know you're restricted on talking about the case
because any smart attorney would tell you don't go into
the depths of the case. But when you see what

(40:34):
I have gone through of no Americans should go through this.
This is not the country that my uncle Joe gave
his life for in Vietnam. To see what has happened
in this country and just the unfairness of this process,
it's hurtful, it's painful, it's traumatizing, and it's really just

(40:57):
my belief in God that I know I was elected
to do a job. I'm going to do that job,
and I'm doing it.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
Every day.

Speaker 4 (41:04):
We continue to move the city forward from the City
of Yes initiative that we've just passed, and so many
good things we're doing, and I have faith in my
attorneys that are going to represent me accordingly.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
But what is happening in our.

Speaker 4 (41:19):
Country is really shameful, and not only because it's happened
into Eric Adams, but far too many other innocent Americans
are going through similar And even when you look at
you can't use the criminal justice system as a method
of ensuring no one votes for who they want to

(41:41):
represent them.

Speaker 3 (41:42):
That shouldn't never happen.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
You know what bothered me more than anything when I
went through that is the fact that I knew I
did nothing wrong, and I knew there was nothing going
to happen eventually, even if they took it to trial
or some nonsense like that. But my reputation took a hit,
and that people who are stupid, or you know, social media,

(42:06):
or the enemies and you know whomever, that they were
always going to use that, or those who knew you
well were going to look at you differently. That's bothersome
on a personal level, you know, well.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
Said what I am.

Speaker 4 (42:21):
There was a two week period where everyone who hated
my policies, hated what I stood for, hated who I
am as an individual, just came at me. You know,
he needs to resign, he needs to step down.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
By the way they're warming up, they're gonna come out
you again.

Speaker 4 (42:41):
Right And you know what I wanted everyday New York
is to see that.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
If you know who you are, stand firm, stand taught.

Speaker 4 (42:54):
We're resilient country in a resilient city, and so I
know that people are angry at me when I talk
about the level of anti Semitic actions we witnessed and
how we have radicalized our children and celebrating Hermas and terrorists.
They're angry at me when I stand up and fight

(43:15):
against Islamophobia, or if I fight against for the rights.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
Of people to be who they are.

Speaker 4 (43:23):
So I know that there were so many people lurking,
just waiting for an opportunity, and I had to show
New Yorkers that no matter what.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
You go through, just stand firm. You believe in yourself.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
That's why I believe in You know, I was raised
by a single mom who it was tough for her,
and it was hard, you know, rob I used to
walk past her door some mornings and she'll be in there, sovereign, crying,
unsure if she was going to be able to keep
the home we lived in or provide food. But you
know what, that alarm clock went off. She got up.

(43:55):
She got up, never surrendered, never gave up. No matter
how hard it was, she got up. I have a
responsibility for these six children, and because she got up,
I'm able to stand up and be the mayor of
the city. And I got the responsibility to keep moving
the city forward in spite of the loudest who are
not the majority. This is a city of working class

(44:15):
people and I'm going to represent them.

Speaker 2 (44:18):
So you were one of those annoying squeegee men. But
I would come into the city and stop on the
third Avenue bridge. There you would be one of those guys.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
No. I would be at amp.

Speaker 4 (44:29):
And I would stand out front when somebody walked out
and say, miss sir, can I help you with your bags?

Speaker 3 (44:35):
And those six dollars.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
I would make in a day for working those twelve hours,
I'll be able to go home, and Mom would buy
token so she can get to one of her three jobs.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (44:45):
But my story is the story of everyday New Yorkers,
everyday New Yorkers.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
So when did you give Were you ever a meat
eater or were you always like a vegan?

Speaker 3 (44:56):
Yes? No, no, No, I.

Speaker 4 (44:58):
Would eat any of my families from the South Alabama.
You know my dad was a butcher, and you know
they would cut up a cow, cut up anything else
in it.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
Right.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
No, it was a health scare. You know I was
losing my sight. Uh, and I didn't realize it was
because of diabetes. The doctor so I was gonna lose
my vision and some fingers and toes, high blood pressure.
I had an altar of you know, I had the
American package.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
And now I'll scare the crap at it would it?

Speaker 3 (45:25):
You know?

Speaker 4 (45:26):
And that was I think that was about six years ago.
And I met a doctor, doctor Gregor and doctor Esselton,
who told me if I changed my diet, I could
reverse my conditions. And three weeks after going to a
whole food, plant based diet, I was able to revert
first my vision loss and the nerve damage of my

(45:46):
fingers and toes, and the ultar went away.

Speaker 3 (45:49):
Uh. And so it was never my DNA. It was
my dinner, you know.

Speaker 4 (45:54):
And if I but if I feel like eating a
fish or eating a steak, I would I would eat
it now.

Speaker 2 (45:59):
So you like, you'll have a big.

Speaker 4 (46:01):
Yeah, yeah, if I feel it's not what you do
every once in a while.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
It's what you do every day.

Speaker 2 (46:07):
That's good.

Speaker 3 (46:07):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 4 (46:08):
And so I'm not one of those guys that sit
in the room, you pick up a hamburger and them
all of a sudden gonna you know, say, oh my god,
look you're seeing it.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
No, that's not who I am. Two eaches on.

Speaker 4 (46:17):
But I share my journey for people who are in
that horrific state of kidney failure, of losing a limb.
I'd like to share this is what I've done, and
if you want to do the same, at least you
have options. And that's all I try to do.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
See, I was really worried. I'm like, if we go
out to dinner one night, where, I mean, where are
we gonna go? I don't want to eat plants? And
I've got some great places like Angeletto's there. I've been
there on forty seventh and third. It's a great Italian restaurant.
So maybe I'll have you eat a meat. But I
love that Dominic's on Arthur Avenue love Domins Charlie's great.

(46:53):
That's a great place. I went to Sergio's in If
you're allowed to go out of the city, I know
you are, I will take you to Sergio's in Pelham
right over the line there, or you can get back
quick if you have to.

Speaker 3 (47:06):
Very we went. I have eaten the good food, great food.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
You've yes, yes, Oh it's a great place. Yeah it
My wife and I went this past week with another
couple and uh, it's such a beautiful place for the
holidays and like an old house and really good good food.
So all right, good, now we got options. All right,
I know you're gonna make me eat like I don't know, Lettuce.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
Tell me, do you miss the business? Do you miss
the game? Would you get back in?

Speaker 2 (47:31):
So I think it's like shingles, it's in there somewhere,
but right now it's under control. And I kind of
hope it says that way because I do love TV.
I do my show on news Max. I got to
get your news Max one day, you'd be good on that.

Speaker 3 (47:45):
Let's do it.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
And of course I love this on seven to t
en w R. I do some business stuff, so it
keeps you busy. The quick answer is, you know, in
the last race when I ran for governor two years
ago and I'm in a primary and I'm driving around
this state, which when I was doing that in fourteen
against Cuomo, I enjoyed every minute of it, even though
if I was in God's no, you know, God knows

(48:07):
where New York. The last time I'm on like I
ninety and you're like near Syracuse, and I'm all like,
I just want to go home, you know, And after
a while, it kind of and you get beaten up.
The swelling just went down after all of those races
and fights. Like you're still black and blue, and you
will be for a while. But what would you do?

(48:28):
What would you do if if not? Because you've been
the Bronxboro president, you've been the state senator right in Albany,
which is a lovely place, and now mayor, what.

Speaker 3 (48:36):
Would you do Brooklyn? Brooklyn president?

Speaker 2 (48:40):
But I'm sorry, I say, bronxs No, It's all good.

Speaker 3 (48:42):
It's all good.

Speaker 4 (48:43):
The as I told folks when I was a police officer,
there was life after policing. Yeah, and leaving policing was
you know, was a great weight off my shoulder. And
my son said he saw the difference in me after
I left, and the same here. It's life after politics.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
You just don't wanted to be at next November, right.

Speaker 4 (49:03):
No, No, we're running. We're running against uh the odds.
We're running and I'm excited about that because I love campaigning.
I lost loved talking to people. I enjoy uh the
the race and you know, I have a record to
run on that everything for the most part that I

(49:24):
ran on. When you look at my documents and you
know what I said. I want to accomplish We have
accomplished them, and there's still more to do. But uh,
I think that when it is over, when the sunset,
I'm not like the boxer that stays in the ring,
you know, far too long.

Speaker 2 (49:40):
Did you see that fight? It's a pillow. It was
a horrible thing. It was it was It was an
insult to Mike Tyson's and I know, I know you
were with Mike Tyson.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
Yes, that's where Mike Tyson. I walked him. I walked
him out of jail when he got out of jail. Yeah. Yes,
I was a police officer at the time. And so
I look forward to what the future. Uh. You know,
at the end of every prayer, I say that will
be done.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
That's such such a good outlook, yep, God will will
be done.

Speaker 4 (50:08):
I turn on my GPS, my guard position the satellite,
and he is in charge of my life. And he
never said they won't be potholes, there won't be breakdowns,
there won't be difficult.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
Roles you will have to be on.

Speaker 4 (50:22):
But he's always said I will get you to your destination.
And that's what I feel, and I know it's the
footprints so you know, says not great. So I was
going to put just to see your reaction, I was
going to put a fake rat. So you really, I mean,
I hate spiders, there's no question about that. I can

(50:42):
deal with everything else, but you really hate.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
Rats, all the rats.

Speaker 4 (50:46):
And you know what, I don't think there is an
animal or rodent or whatever that could traumatize the life
of a person more than the rat, you know. And
so we've done a great job with former Department Sanitation
Commissioner Jessica Tish.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
People said we couldn't do it.

Speaker 4 (51:04):
We were containeriz a seventy percent of our garbage in
less than three years. That's an amazing accomplishment. We want
to get these plaster bags off the streets. We want
to have a cleaner New York. And so it's not
only about a clean street from criminal behavior, but it's
a clean street that people can walk and see the

(51:24):
beauty of this city. This is this is not only
this is an amazing city, this is an amazing, amazing country.
Rob There's no other country that has dream attached.

Speaker 3 (51:32):
To his name.

Speaker 4 (51:33):
There's no German dream, French stream, Polar stream, but damn it,
that's an American dream. And the dream comes alive and
I meet people every day. That said, I came here
with three dollars in my pocket. I think about Jennifer
roz Kamar, who's running for Controller. She was born, her
mother was born in a mud hut. Wow, you know,
and now she's the first Indian to be elected to

(51:54):
state office.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
Get rid of congestion, pricing, and thankfully those restaurant sheds
are coming down. I can't thank you enough for coming in,
spending really the entire show, and I really appreciate it.
Hope New Yorker's got to know you a little bit better,
and I wish you well in all the personal stuff
you're going through, and of course politically, I wish you
well and we'll.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
Have you back.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
I look forward to it. Thanks so much, all right, Mayor,
Thank you, Mayor Eric Adams. What a pleasure that was.

Speaker 3 (52:19):
All Right.

Speaker 2 (52:20):
I'm back here next Saturday at four like I always am,
So make sure you tune in to the rob Astrino Show.
Follow me on social media x, Facebook, Instagram, all of
them at rob astor Reno. Download this on the iHeart
app and send it to your friends. Okay, have a
great weekend, everybody, hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (52:40):
This hour of programming on seven to ten wor he's
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

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