700 Say ​“Thanks” To DeStefano

Hundreds of politicos from past and present poured into Anthony’s Ocean View to pay tribute New Haven’s longtime mayor — and reflect on his 34-year career in city government.

Check out who showed up, with whom.

The hugs, toasting and roasting took place Wednesday evening at a tribute dinner for Mayor John DeStefano, who’s retiring on Jan. 1 after 20 years in office.

The private event drew 700 people to the Morris Cove banquet hall and restaurant, according to organizer Bill Carbone. It featured a slew of New Haven politicos, some of whom are rising to power with Mayor-elect Toni Harp’s administration, and some of whom are heading out the door with DeStefano.

Rosemarie Lemley (pictured), the mayor’s executive assistant, greeted guests at the door. Lemley has worked at City Hall for 30 years, 18 of them in DeStefano’s office. She said she plans to retire on Jan. 1 along with her boss.

Gina Wells (at left in photo with DeStefano’s older sister, Charlene DeFrancesco), who retired last spring from her longtime post as principal of John Daniels School, checked visitors’ assigned dinner tables. Wells started out in a rundown building, the Welch Annex on Prince Street, and ended up in a brand new building on Congress Ave. She said DeStefano will be known for ​“transforming” city schools.

Guests sat at assigned tables grouped by category, such as HigherOne, the building trades, and the Board of Aldermen.

Mayor-elect Harp sat with fellow state legislators state Rep. Toni Walker and state Rep. Roland Lemar.

Former Building Official Andy Rizzo poured a glass of water for Seila Mosquera, head of the not-for-profit Mutual Housing Association, for whom Rizzo is now consulting.

Bobby Proto, president of Yale’s blue-collar union, Local 35, sat across from Beaver Hills Alderman Brian Wingate, a member of the union executive board. Proto said DeStefano will be known for his ​“great work ethic,” for paying close attention to all city departments, and for his $1.6 billion effort to rebuild all city schools.

The school rebuilding effort topped most people’s list of what DeStefano will be remembered for.

Former Board of Aldermen President Carl Goldfield (at right in photo with former aldermanic colleague Tom Lehtonen) credited DeStefano and former budget director Frank Altieri with finding a way to make the state foot most of the bill for initiative. DeStefano and Altieri discovered there was a lot of state money available for school construction, sold tax liens to get it going, then ​“went ahead and started building like crazy.” ​“By the time all the other cities woke up, we were already” way ahead.

DeStefano found a way to ​“suck the money out of the state” to finance the schools before the state closed the spigot, said Brian McGrath, a former city traffic department head who now runs the Chapel West Special Services District. ​“New Haven taxpayers would have been responsible for all of those schools… That’s a legacy that will pay for itself forever.”

Reflecting on his legacy in a speech, DeStefano said he found the most meaning not in his school construction effort, nor in any single development project, but in relationships with people. Being mayor ​“has been an education about being part of something bigger than myself,” he said. (Earlier Wednesday, DeStefano said he does not want to have any city infrastructure named after him.)

Click here to read his speech.

DeStefano recalled the day in July of 2007 when a line of people — mostly undocumented immigrants — stretched all the way down Church Street to the corner of Elm, and down to Orange, waiting for City Hall to open so they could get municipal ID cards. DeStefano drew national notoriety, and attracted suburban hecklers, for the first-in-the-nation plan. Immigrants ​“waited, as haters screamed at and filmed them, just for the sin of being the hardworking people of New Haven — who just wanted to earn something more for their kids than they themselves had,” DeStefano recalled. ​“You see people taking that, and you learn something wonderful about the human spirit.”

He also credited the strength of the young women on Gary Moore’s track team at Hillhouse High, who inspired him to build a new field house there; and the courage city cops showed in the face of a ​“horrible collision” in 2008 that killed Sgt. Dario ​“Scott” Aponte and left Officer Diane Gonzalez in a coma.

He talked about meeting a family of five who could not afford to send their eldest son to college — a nod to New Haven Promise program, the Yale-funded college scholarship program DeStefano created. And he talked about art ​“bursting out” in City-Wide Open Studios; scientists working in labs; people renovating homes and graduating from college. ​“It just takes your breath away.”

“You think about these things, and you tell me who got the better deal over these last 20 years? It was me.”

“I know that sometimes I was hard-headed — and played hard,” he conceded. ​“And sometimes was not so patient and nice.”

Rev. Boise Kimber (pictured with his wife, Shevalle) chuckled aloud at that confession.

“For those things I should, and I do regret my behavior,” DeStefano continued.

“But I always felt, what was the point of being mayor of an American city if I wasn’t there to do something; to do it with passion; and with an uncompromising persistence and impatience to do right as best I could see the right?”

Before DeStefano spoke, the crowd enjoyed a flashback video of DeStefano’s first swearing-in as mayor, by his mentor, Leon Medvedow. Click on the play arrow to watch.

In an introductory speech, DeStefano’s wife of 34 years, Kathy, praised his work ethic: Most mornings, she recalled, DeStefano ​“left [for work] when it was dark out, and came home when it was dark out.” She also revealed that DeStefano started playing golf two years ago with East Haven Mayor Joe Maturo.

Mike Milone, a former deputy city controller, was DeStefano’s first boss at City Hall in 1979, when DeStefano launched his career as a city budget analyst. Milone spoke at length of practical jokes DeStefano would play on him, including cutting out 20 to 30 images of nude women and hiding them around Milone’s office while Milone was on vacation.

DeStefano unwound a ream of calculator paper three feet, glued in a picture of a naked woman, then rolled it back up so that Milone would discover it later. He also ​“stapled a full frontal nude of Miss October to my pension” report. DeStefano was ​“divisive, irreverent,” had a ​“perverted sense of humor” — and a talented public servant, Milone opined.

Paraphrasing advice from a past mayor, Milone said DeStefano has something to look forward to: On Jan. 1, 2014, ​“when you walk down Church Street, people will now wave to you with all five fingers.”

In another speech, former schools Superintendent Reggie Mayo (pictured), who served as DeStefano’s political ally and schools chief for the mayor’s entire tenure, revealed a secret for how the two got along so well: ​“When John was going through a tirade, I would turn my hearing aid off.”

He said he would also call Lemley and ask, ​“How’s the temperature in there?” before doing business with DeStefano.

Joking aside, Mayo said he trusted, believed in and supported DeStefano, and the mayor did the same. ​“Thank you for touching my life,” he said.

After the speeches, the crowd broke up to refill at the bar and schmooze with old and new friends.

Sue Weisselberg, the school system’s wraparound services chief, grabbed the hand of the new superintendent, Garth Harries, and guided him to meet Lynn Fusco, CEO of the Fusco Corporation. Weisselberg, who for years oversaw the mayor’s school construction initiative, said she thought the two should get to know each other better.

Weisselberg, whose name was circulated as a potential chief of staff for Mayor-elect Harp, said she plans to stay put in her job at the school system.

John Prokop (pictured) caught up with his former boss, Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts. Prokop, a former director of public works, showed up to the event with a suntan. He retired in February to Hernando, Florida. He said he has already seen John and Kathy DeStefano in Florida, where they have a second home. He was already headed back to Connecticut for the holidays; when he found out about Wednesday’s party, he decided to come back early.

Like many top appointees, Smuts is searching for work. He said he has nothing finalized yet.

DeStefano Chief of Staff Sean Matteson (pictured with former state Rep. Cam Staples) said he’s also looking for work. With three kids at home, he will need to start a new job soon. Fire Chief Mike Grant said he hopes to stay on in his position, but has not yet been contacted by Harp’s transition team.

Meanwhile, friends and associates lined up to hug the mayor, as though at a wedding reception.

Michael Morand made his way through the crowd to reach the mayor towards the end of the night. Morand, a former alderman who now works in communications at Yale, summed up DeStefano’s legacy this way: ​“rebuilt bricks and mortar, restored hope.”