The appointment of Anthony Shorris as first deputy mayor to Bill de Blasio is sending a strong message about loyalty and the powers behind the throne at City Hall.
De Blasio never would have met his future wife, Chirlane, if Shorris’ wife, Maria Laurino, hadn’t hired her as a speechwriter for David Dinkins some 20 years ago. De Blasio was already working for Mayor Dinkins. Laurino is now an executive assistant to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
As for entities with influence, look at SEIU 1199, the health workers union that controls the Working Families Party and helped elect de Blasio. The union also paid Shorris as a $100,000-a-year consultant while he was working for Mayor Bloomberg as a deputy schools chancellor.
“Shorris is another shill for the union,” one source told me. “It shows how much control the union will have in the de Blasio administration. It’s cronyism at its worst.”
Others praised Shorris for his intelligence and his breadth of experience in housing, education and transportation. And one insider defended Shorris against the charge of indecisiveness, saying, “He may at times be too thoughtful.”