So how closely allied are Councilman Steve Levin and his mentor Vito Lopez? Here’s our handy guide:
• Lopez engineered the strategy behind Levin’s dramatic Council win last year, Levin has said.
• A month before being sworn in, Levin strongly lobbied councilmembers to back the Lopez-endorsed Broadway Triangle rezoning, which would benefit the nonprofit that Lopez founded.
•Levin volunteered for Maritza Davila’s ill-fated Council campaign against Lopez foe Diana Reyna (D–Bushwick), breaking a Council taboo of campaigning against incumbent colleagues.
• Levin appointed Lopez’s chief of staff to the board of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, even though she does not live in Brooklyn.
• Levin followed Lopez in opposing the Domino redevelopment and the Rose Plaza project, two significant rezonings in Williamsburg.
• Levin attends monthly meetings convened by Lopez and the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council at its Gates Avenue youth center to update Latino leaders about news and upcoming events.
• Levin contributed $64,000 in member items to two Ridgewood Bushwick programs, including $12,000 to transport seniors to two summer picnics co-hosted by Lopez and Ridgewood Bushwick.
• Levin set aside $800,000 of his capital allocations to help Ridgewood Bushwick buy a former nursing home outside his district.
