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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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Session:         Page of 617

never really supported me with the exception of Marty Begun, who's the Democratic district leader there, and while he always supports me, he has no strength within the club. He couldn't even carry that club for me when I was running for mayor, and the forces against me in that club run it. I don't really like them.

Then in the Puerto-Rican area, when you had Umberte Aponte, his club of course would be radical, and it's now been taken over... That is, Aponte lost to Arturo Santiago, and his club is called the Jibaro Club, and that of course is very radical. They haven't even invited me to come and talk to the club, although the district leaders like me.

Q:

Incidentally, is that the same club that Carlos, Rios used to be councilman from?

Koch:

No, no. Carlos Ríos comes from east Harlem, so it's the other end of the area, and Carlos Ríos is not in my district in any event. He's north of me. So I suppose when I say my clubs are mostly radical, I'm overstating it; but the two largest clubs -- and the ones that really throw their weight around -- are those two. And then there's one that I don't even like or go to and that's the New Chelsea Club, and that's because they have very few election districts in my district -- somewhere between six and ten -- and they really don't like me. They don't even endorse me... I could be running against a jerk and they wouldn't endorse me. We can go into what





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