East Hampton Homeowner Makes Bid for NYC Mayor

A man who owns a house in the Town of East Hampton is hoping to see his name on the ballot for New York City Mayor come November.

And, no, we're not talking about Alec Baldwin.

Sal F. Albanese, who resides in Brooklyn, but has owned a place in East Hampton since 2004, is vying for the position held by Michael Bloomberg for three terms.

Albanese, 63, is a former five-term New York City councilman. He filed official paperwork with the Campaign Finance Board earlier this month, and will campaign as a Democrat, and compete in the September 2013 primary.

"The world's greatest city - New York City - deserves a government that works for all New Yorkers. That starts with a Mayor who is independent from party bosses and special interests, who isn't afraid to be honest with the people, and who is focused on the issues New Yorkers care about most," Albanese said in a statement.

He promises to run "a transparent campaign rather than make backroom deals with party bosses or special interest groups," he said. "As an immigrant raised in Brooklyn, I will never, ever forget where I come from and what makes this city great: the millions who work hard every day for a fair shot at a good life for themselves."

Albanese was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1949. He moved to Park Slope at 8 years old, and went onto earn a bachelor's degree in Education from the City University of New York at York College in 1972. He earned an M.A. in Health from New York University in 1976, and his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1990. He is a member of the New York State Bar and holds Series 7 and 63 financial services licenses.

A resident of Bay Ridge, he and his wife of 40 years, Lorraine, have two daughters.

He worked as a New York public school teacher for 11 years before running for City Council in 1982, when he defeated a 21-year incumbent and went on to win re-election in the 43rd District four times.

In his statement, Albanese noted his support of gay rights and term limits while he was a councilman. According to The Staten Island Advance, "he was considered a maverick and one of its most liberal members" on the council.

The Advance noted that he was a Staten Island congressional candidate in 1992, five years before he made his first attempt running for the mayoral position against Rudolph Giuliani, falling short as an Independent candidate.

For the past 15 years, he has worked in the private sector in the legal and financial field. He worked for Mesirow Financial for the past 9 years, and has held the title of Managing Director.

Do you know Sal Albanese from East Hampton? What do you think of his decision to run for Mayor of New York City again? Tell us in the comments below.