Former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi — who was suspended in August after he was arrested on federal bribery and extortion charges — seems to think he’s still the town’s fearless leader.
He’s been sending emails to his virtual constituents for months — one this week included a link to a fairly positive Miami Herald story last weekend that seems like a media plus for Team Pizzi — and now he’s having a community BBQ to celebrate the opening of Northwest 87th Avenue. , He even convinced the street workers to allow him to hold the new street sign for a party.
“After decades of waiting, NW 87th Avenue is finally opening up,” starts the email invite that some folks got on Thursday to a “free lechon lunch” at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“A fair part of my adult life has been spent working with so many of you to make this day a reality. It is through your tireless efforts and our prayers that we can celebrate together this victory for the Town,” Pizzi writes.
And he felt the need to add bold, italics and underline to this one sentence: “This is not a ceremony or town event, but a community BBQ paid for by me to give thanks to God and to you, the residents, for all of your work to open up the road! “
Paid for by him? But with what? He lost his job as city attorney in the Town of Medley shortly after his arrest — and maybe since he brought that city into the bogus grant scheme, too — and I don’t think he’s getting much legal work to offset the costs of his own attorneys on his public corruption trial, set for May.
Ah, wait! The party is on developer Lowell Dunn‘s property and Ladra is willing to bet Dunn — widely considered Pizzi’s sugar daddy — is paying for this pork, too. Stands to reason: Dunn’s real estate development is expected to benefit from the opening of the street and the word on that street is that he got Pizzi the job in Medley in exchange for that.
“He’s not going to be there and he’s not paying for shit,” Pizzi told me Friday night. “I can’t afford too much. It’s just a little pork, a little rice and soda.”
He said he was not grandstanding. “There won’t be any microphones, or any speeches. I’m not going to say ‘a few words.’ This is just kind of for the neighbors to celebrate something we did together. Just to have a sandwich and talk with friends.”
But could this be part of some PR strategy in the court of public opinion before his trial starts? He’s been real chatty lately, talking to the Herald at length, calling up this watchdog blogger — even though he knows Ladra has been on to him for years — and offering to buy me coffee and to save me a front row seat at his trial. This is not what people in his situation normally do.
He’s been keeping his fans, er, friends in the loop, too. The last update was sent Monday, a day after the Jay Weaver story in the Miami Herald in which he vows to fight the charges. Did his media people suggest the headline, too? Obviously, Pizzi was pretty pleased with it, if he’s distributing the link to his reportedly huge email list:
Dear Friends:By way of update, I will be starting my trial on May 5th and it should be over by June 1st. By that date, this whole ordeal will be behind us.I appreciate the strong support from everyone!! Below is an article that ran in today’s Herald which provides an excellent analyses and which I believe explains certain facts which demonstrate my innocence and why I will be exonerated. I look forward to all of us working together to continue improving our Town, street by street and neighborhood by neighborhood.You are all in my thoughts and prayers every day.God Bless,Michael Pizzi
Pizzi says he has no political agenda. There is no way he was going to let the street opening happen without marking it, he insists. In fact, he sent his email list an update on the completion of the project earlier this month after driving on the brand new asphalt himself, community leader that he is, and taking a photo.
Dear Friends:I want to thank everyone for the support and kind blessings over the Holidays. I am pleased to announce the obvious – AFTER DECADES OF WAITING, NW 87TH AVENUE IS FINALLY OPENING UP!! A fair part of my adult life has been spent working with so many of you to make this day a reality. With the opening of 87th avenue and expansion of NW 154th street to four lanes on the West side of Town, our City will be united like never before. People will have quicker access to police and emergency services, the traffic jams on surrounding roads will be improved and the new development will expand our economy.While I’m sure many will enjoy the opening ceremonial parties, please never forget the years of Special Call and Town Hall meetings, and the never ending efforts of naysayers and critics who thought this would never become a reality. My very special Holiday present this year was getting to take the first ride down 87th avenue as construction neared completion. I cannot wait until all residents in Northwest Dade get to drive down the road and see what a wonderful accomplishment this was for all.A special thanks must go to the residents of Miami Lakes who kept this issue alive when many thought it was dead and never stopped pushing to make this a reality.God Bless you all! We got it done!!!
“This is something you can’t take away from me,” Pizzi told Ladra. “I did work really hard on the 87th Avenue opening. There were a lot of people who opposed it. I actually took a few hits on this.
“Now they’re falling all over themselves to get a photo opp at the ribbon cutting,” he added.
That’s right. There is an official city event on Tuesday. Wait… what was that? You think this is a classic Pizzi move to preempt that event and take the wind out of his archnemesis Mayor Wayne Slaton‘s sails?
Oh, don’t be so jaded! Pizzi just wants an event he can attend. I think he still has to stay away from council members until after the trial.
You know, in case they get called in as witnesses.
Michael Pizzi thinks he is still mayor, throws town party added by Ladra on
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