Attorney and ‘Ask the Lawyer’ radio host Mike Connors and wife Beth hosted a warm and familial dinner party at their home on Saturday, Aug. 10 in support of Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis who has entered the race for the District 11 U.S. Congressional seat currently held by Max Rose.
With the evening’s theme being “drain the swamp,” Beth cooked up a crowd-pleasing dinner of alligator with all the fixins.
Beth explained how she came up with the idea of serving roasted alligator.
“Well, I am from the South, so you always have to have a theme when you have any party,” she told this paper.
“And of course, everybody’s saying if Nicole gets to Washington she will drain the swamp. So I thought, hey, I’m from Louisiana, this is great, drain the swamp. So if we’re draining the swamp then we have to have alligator and frog legs. This was the first time I’ve ever cooked an alligator,” she explained.
Her one regret about the dinner was that she could not get collard greens, a southern staple, and instead had to settle for spinach and kale. “But it was slimy enough looking that it looked like it could have come from the swamp,” she added.
The Connors were delighted to host the dinner. “We enjoyed being with friends who have supported Nicole, our Assemblywoman, for many years,” said Beth.
“She’s done so much to help our community on the state level, especially during hard, hard times after Hurricane Sandy. I believe we need her to express our concerns and values on the national stage. It is so important to have the right people represent you in Congress.”
Malliotakis, the last standing Republican in Brooklyn, whose assembly district includes parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, was grateful for the hospitality and funds raised for her candidacy.
“While the incumbent congressman continues to raise money from outside New York, I’m proud to be receiving great support from within the district and our state,” Malliotakis explained.
“From restoring local and express bus service, to preserving funding for senior programs, to taking on Mayor de Blasio in the fight for fair property taxes, I’ve been a strong advocate for my constituents. That’s why community leaders and residents like the Connors are supporting my candidacy and I look forward to representing our community in Washington,” she said.
Among those attending the dinner were New York State Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar, Brooklyn Conservative Party Chair Fran Vella-Marrone, former state Sen. Marty Golden and attorney Michael Tannousis, who recently announced his candidacy for Malliotakis’s assembly seat.
“I was happy to be in attendance,” Vella-Marrone told this paper. “Momentum for Nicole’s candidacy continues to build with tremendous support from within the congressional district. I am proud to support her,” she added.
Kassar was equally impressed with the evening gathering. “It says great things about the candidate when Beth and Mike Connors, pillars of the Bay Ridge community, open their beautiful home to raise funds for Nicole Malliotakis’s campaign for Congress.”