Frank Mingo: A trade for Nelson Hernandez? One theory

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Granted, Ladra has been accused of being slightly overly suspicious before. I haven’t met too many conspiracy theories I didn’t like. One of my favorite former senators says that I am way too jaded.

But what some people call paranoid, others might call vigilant. Astute, even.

So, here’s the latest conspiracy theory that occurred to Ladra Tuesday night after former Miami Lakes Councilman Nelson Hernandez — who was widely considered the front runner — not only lost to founding Mayor Wayne Slaton, but lost rather badly (48 to 33 percent) in the race that resulted after former Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi was arrested in August on public corruption charges: Hernandez was the fall guy. And his team, The Flying Monkeys, traded him in for a newer, perhaps more willing player.

I mean Nelson is actually, I think, a good guy inside, where it counts. He might be a little too ambitious too fast and a little arrogant and a little inexperienced, and maybe that is why the established legislative mafia got their hooks in him and gave him some bad advice, like attacking a fellow candidate who is also the town’s beloved founding father, which many think backfired. But, in Ladra’s humble opinion, Hernandez would never go along with and do just about anything for his benevolent godfathers, namely State Reps. Jose “Cigar Czar” Oliva (R-Miami Lakes) and Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez (R-Hialeah) and Sen. Rene Garcia (R- Hialeah).

I still believe there are lines Hernandez would not cross.

Say what you will about him, he is not a secure vote in anyone’s pocket. In fact, Hernandez was criticized quite a bit for voting against former Councilman Nick Perdomo being vice mayor in 2010, despite the fact that Perdomo had helped him get elected, but instead accepted a nomination of himself, after he had just been elected. Part of his blind ambition problem. Or the arrogance thing.

Anyway, it is also no secret that he had aspirations to go to Tallahassee. Others who share Ladra’s conspiracy concept– and that even includes at least one Hernandez supporter — believe that he may have been a challenge to the flying monkeys hand-picked replacement for Gonzalez, who is termed out this year. That would be English professor Bryan Avila, who was elected vice chair of the Miami-Dade Republican Party in May.

So maybe they got rid of Hernandez and replaced him with someone who’s vote they could count on, someone who would sit and wait to run when he was told. Like someone under Oliva’s thumb, maybe?

Frank Mingo, who won the council seat vacated by Hernandez’s resignation to run for mayor, is not only employed by Jose Oliva, working as a supervisor in his cigar company. But so is his wife, Carmenchu Mingo, who is the representative’s district secretary.

Both their paychecks depend on him. That’s what in Spanish you call un hombre en el bolsillo. Quite literally this time. You don’t think that is a potential conflict of interest?

Funny enough, none of the godfathers were there at The Pampered Chef Tuesday night where supporters gathered to await the results of the election and, after they came in, to console Hernandez. Gonzalez and Garcia, as well as Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo, were all there at the Hernandez kickoff fundraiser where Gonzalez called Hernandez “the future of Miami Lakes.” Said Garcia: “Nelson Hernandez has been the guy who has always stood up for Miami Lakes.”

On Tuesday night, I bet they were standing up for Mingo at the newly-elected councilman’s celebration a few blocks away.

Mingo only beat the second council candidate, Lorenzo Cobiella, by 120 votes, despite having more money and PACs and Oliva’s campaign go-to boy David Custin (who didn’t go negative but really didn’t have to) and his aforementioned godfathers. He got 1,337 votes to Cobiella’s 1,217. But Mingo had more money to spend, with more than $22,000 in his piggy bank compared to Cobiella’s $15K. And that is just in his personal campaign account. The PAC advocating for Mingo, Citizens for Ethical and Effective Leadership, reported raising $122,000 and spending at least $34,000 by Sept. 24. The increasing PAC activity in Miami Lakes has become a concern for some residents who question why so much Miami Beach and other outside money is interested in their little town. But Custin could use the PAC for other races and he is working on the Beach mayoral campaign of Philip Levine, too, so there’s that.

Star Rodriguez, a third candidate who I would have voted for because that council could use a little estrogen, finished a not-so-distant third, with a respectable 758 votes. I hope she runs again.

Cobiella beat Mingo in early votes cast on Saturday, with 206 compared to the winner’s 203. But Mingo beat him in absentee ballots — 543 to 390.

In fact, Mingo got more ABs than any other candidate, including Hernandez in the mayor’s race (he got 434), who was supposed to have the same AB machinery working for him. But even founding Mayor Wayne Slaton, who won Tuesday, had more ABs than Hernandez with 479.

Which may lead some very jaded conspiracy theorists to think that maybe Hernandez was thrown under the bus.

  Frank Mingo, Miami Lakes, Michael Pizzi, Nelson Hernandez