On May 1, Robert Restaino officially announced he was running for New York State Assembly for the 145th district.
 He will likely face Republican John Ceretto.
Mr. Restaino’s kick-off event was held at Antonio’s Banquet Center , on Niagara Falls Blvd. It commenced at 5:30 and, by my watch, ended pretty much around 7:30. 
It was a free event. Our rough crowd estimate was 400 people attended.
Among the crowd were what some might call a galaxy of stars, a “who’s who” of Niagara Falls notables. There was former school superintendent and businessman, Carmen Granto, businessmen Frank Accardo, George Satarian, Bobby Tavano, Steve Reddy of Gross PHC, lawyers Robert Viola, Joseph Leone, David Boneillo, Angelo Massaro and several others who looked like lawyers.
 Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital CEO Joseph Ruffolo was there and Niagara Falls School board members Don King, Nick Vilardo, Russ Petrozzi, Jimmy Cancemi, and Art Jocoy were there too.
 Kyle Andrews, the Niagara Country treasurer, Niagara Falls Council members, Glenn Choolokian Chairman Sam Fruscione, Bob Anderson, Robert Anderson and Kristin Grandinetti, County legislators, Dennis Virtuoso and Jason Zona, Mark Carpenter, a council member from the town of Niagara, Sylvia Virtuoso, the town clerk of Niagara, and Joseph Ohol, the councilmember from Cambria were among elected officials present.
Bruce Battaglia a former publisher of the Reporter and former council member was also seen in the audience.
 There was Niagara Falls city court Judge Angelo Morinello and  Dr. Melvin Dsyter, Mayor Paul Dyster’s father. Former Mayor Vince Anello was also in attendance and was greeted with unusual warmth by dozens in the crowd as if it were a homecoming.
 It was not lost on this observer that there were a fair number of young people who you might not ordinarily see at this kind of event. Not only Alicia Laible, who was there, and who has come to represent locally the ideal of young people taking an interest in government, but also a great many others.
Perhaps they see something in Mr. Restaino, something a little different than the usual politician.
 Perhaps it is their naive hope that government can be a force for good in a positive sense, instead of only as a negative force that restrains and constrains.
 To so many – Albany has an odious reputation for self serving and a mandate to drive every young, intelligent person out of New York State to go to places where government is less of a burden on its people.
 The food served was not unreasonable - for events of this kind. It was almost sumptuous. There was pasta in Alfredo and in Tomoto sauce and roast beef, turkey, Buffalo chicken wings, cheese, veggies and dips, and beer, wine and soda.
 Bill Gallagher, a former council member in the early 1970’s, and a former writer for this publication, was the Master of Ceremonies.
 After a crisp, neat speech, Mr. Gallagher introduced Mayor Paul Dyster to speak. Honestly it was peculiar
 I was unprepared by the solemnity of his demeanor, the monotone of his voice and the clear unimportance of what some might call near-drivel that emerged from his mouth.
 He spoke as if what he had to say was of world importance, but his sentences, of what I could hear, were long, tortuous and hard to follow. Indeed I had to creep closer, to hear him since as his speech rambled on from five to ten to 15 minutes, people were clearly not paying attention. 
They were talking to each other.
 Picture a room of 400 people. The Mayor of the city is speaking and nobody is listening. It was almost as if he were the background music.   
It did not seem to me that the Mayor was cognizant that few were listening to him and the bulk of the people were enjoying the party, discussing the candidate and doing what people do at political events – socializing, making contacts and discussing business.
 I crept a little closer because the din of the audience grew louder and louder. People were laughing and shouting and frankly some spoke louder so that they could be heard over the crowd which prompted others to speak louder… and louder.
 Nobody in the back could hear one word or seemed to care either.
From what I could gather, the mayor did not care to talk much about Mr. Restaino but seemed content to enter into a long soliloquy about himself and things going on in the city and issues that confronted the city, the state and the world.
 As the audience ignored him.
 One of the organizers, was it Tony Restaino, I believe so, tried his best to get the crowd to pay some attention but people were just not interested in Mayor Dyster on himself. 
It was extremely awkward. I was surprised myself when Mayor Dyster spoke of the powerful connections he had.
 He held up his cell phone and said, “I have Governor Cuomo on my speed dial.” He spoke also of having the President’s and US Senator Kristin Gillbrand’s private phone numbers, if I heard him correctly. 
All told, it was a 25 minute speech. When it was finally over – and indeed it was no burden to the audience- since they were not listening anyway - Mr. Gallagher got up, got the audiences’ attention and introduced Mr. Restaino.
 Mr. Restaino, for a Democrat – or as we call them in my neighborhood with our accent – a Demon-rat - is a lot more conservative than the liberals in Albany and when he spoke of his “heart found commitment” to run, to “initiate an effective change…” you could have heard a pin drop. 
There was no one talking now. All eyes were fixed on him.
 “Along with the majority of New Yorkers, I have grown  sick and tired of elected officials who claim they care, yet sit idly by as we continue to lag behind other areas of New York State…” and etc. 
It was not what he said but how he said that commanded attention. 
When the speech was over, Mr. Restaino who said what he had to say in about seven minutes, received a congratulatory applause.
 Who knows? Perhaps 200 of the 400 people came there to see if Mr. Restaino could be the one Democrat who will not sell his soul to the lobbyists, not broker bad deals for the community at the behest of Assembly leader Sheldon Silver. Some clearly seem to believe that Mr. Restaino can make a difference.
But will he, if he is elected?
Isn’t that the billion dollar question?
Curiously the one best argument John Ceretto makes is the fact that he is a Republican among a bunch of tax and spend liberals – and that he does not need or expect anything from Sheldon Silver- so does not have to do his bidding. 
There is no fancy office for him that mr. Silver can take away, no special perks, or appointments to committees with stipends and grand chances at lobbyist money.
What Mr. Restaino may offer is at best the golden mean. A man who can work with the majority, but not sell out to them.
Who knows if that is possible?