Mary Collins gets help from Balloteer Bovo, Rivera’s ex

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Most of the people on the list of supporters hosting a fundraiser tonight for Miami Lakes Councilwoman Mary Collins are not a surprise: Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi, Vice Mayor Ceasar Mestre, Councilman Nick Perdomo — who I like to call the Bermuda Triangle — and lawyer Javier Vasquez, who also did a fundraiser for Pizzi and that has nothing to do, we are sure, with the issues he brings before the council as an attorney.

But Commissioner Esteban “Stevie el Bobo” Bovo? He’s aligned with State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez — especially in the absentee ballot fraud, er, we mean operations being investigated now — who is the former boss and, one would assume, friend of Collins challengner Manny Cid. Are there no loyalties?

I called Cid and Gonzalez to ask them what this meant. But could not reach either one of them.

In any case, it might not be such a bad thing for Cid that Bovo is helping Collins. I mean, the authorities might look closer at her absentee ballot count. Wouldn’t you?

Bovo was embroiled last month in an absentee ballot fraud probe after his aide in his Hialeah district office got popped with 164 ABs she delivered to the post office. According to emails obtained by the Miami Herald, Anamary Pedrosa — who has inexplicably not been charged with anything despite admitting to collecting ABs from a number of boleteros — also arranged for a visit to a Hialeah Housing complex by State Rep. candidate Manny Diaz, Jr., who was the target beneficiary of the fraudulent and questionable AB tactics. At least one visit. During work hours on the county taxpayers’ dime.

Maybe Cid — who left the state job with Gonzalez shortly after Pizzi reneged on the incumbent protection deal during that infamous meeting with State Rep. Jose Oliva and Hialeah Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez at La Carreta — was never in on the monkey business with the ABs and this is his just desserts.

But maybe Bovo was brought into the fundraiser by Esther Nuhfer, former girlfriend and former manila envelope girl for Congressman David Rivera — everybody knows what a straight shooter he is, right? — and a good buddy of Viviana Bovo, the commissioner’s wife, who, las malas lenguas say, really runs her hubby’s district offices (Yes, both of them). Viviana Bovo — who works for Sen. Marco Rubio — and Nuhfer go way back to when their two machos served in the state house together. Here they are in this Associated Press photo of them whooping it up at the Republican National Convention at the 2008 on the Sulekha.com website (mine’s a save screen).

Bovo couldn’t be reached, either. He hasn’t returned a call from Ladra since we eavesdropped on his conversation with recalled Commissioner Natacha Seijas having breakfast at the Miami Lakes Latin American shortly after his election to her prematurely vacated seat. He was whining about the backstabbers at County Hall and asking for advice from the woman many say he helped get booted from the Stephen P. Clark building to begin with.

Maybe Ladra should just show up at The Billiard Club, 15532 NW 77th Court between 6 and 8 p.m. and see who I can challenge to a game of eight ball. Ladra is not bad on the felt.