Is Michael J. Albano, the disgraced ex-mayor of Springfield, getting ready to make a comeback?
On July 12, Albano, who left office amid a federal corruption probe that sent dozens of his staffers and political allies to jail, filed a newly organized political committee with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). According to the filing, Albano has his eyes on the position of Hampden County Register of Probate, a position currently held by Thomas Moriarty, Jr., 67, who won his fourth six-year term in 2008. The job pays $110,000.
Since leaving office, the man who once seemed to revel in even unflattering media has kept a relatively low profile, apparently running a political consulting firm, Albano and Associates, from a location on North Street in East Longmeadow. The firm’s website is located at the same address, mayormike.com, that Albano once used to promote his signature spaghetti sauce, a private-label product that featured Albano’s likeness in a pose reminiscent of actor Paul Newman’s image on the Newman’s Own product line.
A call to Albano at his office was not immediately returned.
Moriarty said Albano’s decision to throw his hat in the ring “won’t put me off my game.” Although he isn’t sure if he’ll seek another term in 2014, Moriarty said he is “not the least bit concerned or offended” by Albano’s apparent interest. Based on his experience, he said, “this is not a job for a professional politician.” Moriarty said that the issues that arise in his office are best handled by career professionals. “I’m not putting down professional politicians,” Moriarty said, “but their lives have little in common with the lives of the people who work in or manage an office like this.”
