It finally happened: Someone confused Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Is it the eyebrows?
It must have made L’Ego’s day. He wants to be just like Baby X.
Gables resident Lucia Moran went to the commission meeting on Tuesday to urge the commission to leave the mayor’s advisory council in place. Commissioner Melissa Castro wants to sunset and dissolve the council. She says it’s because the Gables does not have a strong mayor form of government and the commission should act on citywide goals as a whole, which makes sense. But it’s also because Lago tried to sneak his election-in-November date change into a strategic plan that he wanted “ratified” by the commission without their knowledge (more on that later).
Anyway, Moran said she had never been to a commission meeting before and was “driven to do so” because of the mayor’s advisory council item. She likes him that much.
Except she called him Mayor Suarez.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is another Francis Suarez in the making
“On a personal note, any time I ask Mayor Suarez for anything, regardless of what it was, he responds immediately,” Moran said, and nobody corrected her. “I think Johnny On The Spot would be a good nickname for him. As a senior in Coral Gables, he’s very supportive of our adult activities center and has been there on various occasions and for other things as well.”
Surely, she means Lago. But it was painfully obvious that she didn’t know the City Beautiful’s mayor from Fulanito de Tal. Las malas lenguas say the retired teacher was actually prodded to go to City Hall to speak during the commission meeting’s public comments by Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, which is believable because, well, because Moran doesn’t really know Lago.
And Anderson will apparently go to great lengths to defend him.
But the confusion was bound to happen eventually. The two mayors are best pals and Lago is definitely trying to copy the smooth Suarez model. They have many of the same donors. Both share the same fundraiser. And the same, ahem, benefactors.
Even the side gigs that are a conflict of interest to his public service job — which have led to a public corruption investigation on Suarez — are ties that bind. Suarez is being investigated for his monthly $10K consulting payments from developer Rishi Kapoor, who also bought a building on Ponce de Leon using Lago, the real estate agent, and paid a $640,000 commission to his group. Vinnie and other business partners — including Francis’ cousin Esteban Suarez, ’cause it’s a family affair — also got $12,400 in monthly rent for Kapoor for a vacant retail space for about a year. A retail property on Ponce de Leon across from the Kapoor site that Lago and partners had purchased only weeks earlier.
So, it was a $148,800 gift? Oh, wait. Lago only gets 40% of that.
Nobody can tell Ladra that the two mayors didn’t talk about Kapoor. Maybe Lago was even at that “twilight meeting” with Suarez and Kapoor at the Cocoplum Yacht Club that the Miami mayor testified about in his sworn statement under subpoena by the SEC, as detailed in a Miami Herald story this week. City Hall insiders say that Lago has been jittery since the story was published.
Read related: What corruption probe? Mayor Francis Suarez enjoys Egypt wedding, Miami F1
The way-too-cozy relationship with Kapoor and his “rental payments” — which seem like a reward or kickback of sorts — is the reason why Lago’s former ally, activist Maria Cruz, began a recall petition earlier this year. It failed after several signatures were thrown out as invalid. Recall organizers have called foul, saying that Lago had his lackeys stuff the petition box with bogus autographs. But, really, they should have had a larger buffer than 70 petitions. Just sayin’.
Lago claimed victory over the recall last week, but he is thisclose to losing the mayor’s advisory council. Though the item was deferred Tuesday, a discussion at April 16 meeting when it was first brought up indicates that even Anderson and Commissioner Kirk Menendez are open to, at least, redefining the mayor’s little grupito so it’s more inclusive (more on that later).
Meanwhile, a little help for Lucia Moran: Suarez is the one wearing the too-tight shirts.
He also has the better eyebrows.
Coral Gables resident calls Vince Lago ‘Mayor Suarez’ of Miami at meeting added by Ladra on
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To be fair, I agree with Raul V. Fauli being Fidelito & Sleznick as top notch. However, I must add that I knew Jim Cason & he served as the Foreign Service Officer for 38 years, during which time he worked in 12 countries. He also represented the United States as its Ambassador in Paraguay, and the Chief of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, which the US maintains in lieu of a normal embassy. Jim was a very POPULAR Mayor & a real bad ass when it came to dealing with real Commies (particularly Americans working in the embassy targeted >Havana Syndrome). Till this day, they & their families suffer from brain damage & hearing loss. Lago is NO JIM CaSON.
Thank you.
He Could Also Be call Mayor Bovo of The Cities Triangle of Corruption ? Are They Partners in Crime ?
What benefit does the “Mayor’s Advisory Council” give the city and residents? What does the Council do? The article should have answered these questions so residents can decide whether Ms. Castro’s proposal has merit. Instead, the article makes light of a senior citizen’s mistake in calling Lago “Suarez,” given the narrative that they are one in the same. That may be true, but the article misses a chance to educate residents about the need for the Council, which is the entire purpose of journalism.
Dearest Michael. Thanks as always for reading and engaging. A fuller story about the council is coming. That’s what Ladra means by “more on that later.” It has been momentarily delayed. Check back later today.
Love, Ladra
Let’s look at the Coral Gables government objectively:
After Don Sleznick, who was a great mayor and a great person, we had Raul Valdez Fauli who was a Fidel Castro wannabe, imperious and nasty; then we had that other asshole whose only claim to fame was that he had sat on some Cuban-mission desk somewhere. He was a complete “cagalitroso”. As a long time resident of Coral Gables, I think Lago is the best we’ve had since Donald Sleznick. Lago responds emails, is personally involved in almost every aspect of the city and tries to improve it. Contrast it to vice-Mayor Ronda Anderson… what has she actually done? And the 3 new commissioners have been the biggest disappointment ever. They’re just about the power grab. Again, after 17 years in the Gables, I am thoroughly disgusted by our new city commissioners