Rich man Luigi Boria buys, er, wins Doral election

Rich man Luigi Boria buys, er, wins Doral election
  • Sumo

As expected, Doral Councilman Luigi Boria was promoted to mayor Tuesday in a less-than-heated runoff race against former School Board Member Frank Bolaños — a letdown campaign in which the former spent more than half a million dollars (four fifths of it his own) for a $50,000-a-year job.

Is Ladra the only one who wonders what the return on his investment is going to be?

New Doral Mayor Luigi Boria as a candidate with school kids earlier this month. From his facebook page.

Boria — who paints himself as a humble man who has nothing better to spend his riches on — won decidedly with a near and 11-point lead, 56 to 45 percent, looking like each man took the 30 percent won by Councilman Pete Cabrera in the first round and split it in half.

The Evangelical minister praised God for his win at his victory party in the parking lot at Sedano’s on 58th Street, where his campaign office is. “Now the city will shine all over the world,” he said, and one has to wonder exactly what that means. Doesn’t Doral already shine internationally?

Tuesday’s election also showed similar numbers for Boria’s unofficial slatemates and the two other likelies Ladra had predicted: Christi Fraga beat out former Councilman Robert Van Name 56 to 44 in one seat and former Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz beat Elena Ortega-Tauler 55 to 45 in the other. And is it just Ladra or are there others anxious to see Ruiz and Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilar, her archnemesis from the city administration who a seat in the first round, working together at the dais? These council meetings just got funner.

There are other losers who were not on the ballot. Most notably: founding Mayor JC Bermudez, who banked his political stock on Bolaños. Still to be determined are if City Manager Ivonne Soler McKinley and the police chief — who are rumored to be joining the unemployed if Boria won — lose, too.

And Al Lorenzo, too. The beleaguered campaign dog — fired earlier this year from the campaign for Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez for being involved in the absentee ballot fraud that erupted in Hialeah — lost this fight, which he could have and should have won. Blame this all on bad strategy. Ladra would be surprised if Al gets hired for any of the dozen or so municipal elections next year (more on that later). After all, he lost this race by 432 votes Bolaños (read: Lorenzo) just didn’t work hard enough to get. Votes like my friend Jackie’s, whose daughter takes Zumba lessons next door to Boria’s campaign office and has seen the councilman three or four times. She stares the guy straight in the face waiting for a hello and he just stares through her. She didn’t vote, however, but she could have been motivated to.

Maybe the people of Doral lost, too, if Boria and his new furry friends and his family — who bought property and formed what look like development companies within the last year — have something up their sleeve. I hope the new mayor doesn’t mind if my jaded, well, mind is suspicious. But this town is another one worth watching in the next few months to see what comes up — and what comes up that might be connected to his campaign crew.

Ladra used to like Luigi, despite his creepy smile and his arrogant sense of not caring what anybody thought. Heck, maybe because he didn’t care what anyone thought. He was like a breath of fresh air, with a sexy accent, in a stanky room. But when he surrounded himself with people like Absentee Ballot Queen Sasha Tirador — and I don’t care what anyone says, just because she’s becoming a mom doesn’t make her softer… she was someone’s baby once too — and ethically-lapsed former State Rep. Ralph Arza, I started feeling the heebie jeebies. Those two buddies of former Hialeah Mayor Julio “Need a Loan?” Robaina don’t do anything without a promised pot of gold at the end.

So don’t expect them to leave Doral. Not empty-handed. Not yet. Not now that they got their collective foot in the door.

But don’t worry. Ladra will have to stick around for a longer stroll now.

Btw, Boria is not the first Venezuelan elected to mayor in a U.S. city (now that was something to get excited about). Alas, there was already a Caracas-born mayor Wetbury, Connecticut: Phillip Giordano — who lost a 2000 U.S. Senate race against one-time VP hopeful Joe Lieberman — was born of Italian parents who came to this country when he was 2. He was also a former U.S. Marine an State Rep — and a convicted sex offender three years after he lost the race to Lieberman.

Giordano, 49, is currently serving his 37-year sentence at a high security federal prison in Illinois and is scheduled for release in 2033.

See? Miami’s not the only weird political place.

 

6 Responses to "Rich man Luigi Boria buys, er, wins Doral election"

  1. Ladra blames herself, Gustave. I should have been more involved in that race sooner.

    I feel the same way about Miami Lakes. Ladra will have to make up to you good people of Hialeah West (read: Doral) and Hialeah North (read: Miami Lakes) with more vigilance on the recently elected.

    And that is one of my favorite sayings — con quien andas. Like I said before, I did once like Mayor Luigi Boria. But that was before he surrounded himself with people whose ethical lapses are known.

    Let’s keep an eye on them together. You seem to be in the know. Keep me in the loop.

    Love, Ladra

  2. DEAR LADRA FYI: “Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres” an old Spanish creed. (Tell me who you hang around with, and I WILL tell you who you are”

    Ladra: The SAME day of the election going around with Luigi Boria was Joe Carollo a new “convert” at Alpha y Omega along with other dubious characters.

    That night the rat pack left Hialeah to appear at Boria’s campaing office TO CONGRAT the following rats: “El Alcaldito” Hernandez, “I’ll notarized Vivian” and Roba-ina former “girlfriend” Katherine Cue (Daughter of)’ as well as other Hialean mice such as “Muscles”. Ditto the following day at the sworn-in ceremony.

    By the way our Italo-Venezuelan-American? Pastor? same night requested City Manager Soler-McKinley to resign – already the first lie. YES watch this annex: West Hialeah at Doral as evolves with our Italian Fidel. A true Sicilian, no wonder he was left orphan by gunfire.

    To be continued. P.S. Arza was missing…so was Carollo’s wife Ana Alliegro, maybe she is hiding at Alpha & Omega with Cristina Saralegui and Maurice Ferre et al. May GOD help us AT Doral.

  3. Jose, what did your Messiah spend his $ half million dollars on? From your comments one can only deduct that you also believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Grow up.

  4. I’m sorry for Frank he was my choice, but I do not live in the City of Doral. To the winners congratulations.I told Boria before the November 27. To ” Ladra ” my respect

    Candela.

  5. Luigi did NOT buy the Doral election, bit more voters prefered him over Bolanos.

    I live and vote in Doral and felt he would win.

    In truth both men are good men and to be respected, This are not Hialeah type politicians.

    The out going Mayor is a class act and hope he runs for higher office. I will NEVER vote for (R)Rubio but will for (R)Bermudez.

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