Frank Morano
Frank Morano | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York City Council from the 51st district | |
| Assumed office May 13, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Borelli |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1984 or 1985 (age 40–41) Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Independence Reform Serve America Movement |
| Residence | Eltingville, Staten Island |
| Website | Council website Campaign website |
Frank Morano (born 1984/1985) is an American radio host and politician serving as a member of the New York City Council for the 51st district. He was elected in a 2025 special election to succeed Joe Borelli, who resigned to join the private sector. A Republican, his district includes the South Shore of Staten Island.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Morano was born on Staten Island to parents who moved there from Brooklyn.[3]
Career
[edit]Radio broadcasting
[edit]One of Morano's first radio broadcast shows was "Moranovision", which he started hosting at 17 years old in 2001, focused on politics including interviews with local politicians and vigilante Bernhard Goetz.[2] Morano hosted "The Answer" on AM 970, where he was called “the people’s talk show host” and hosted a weekly show on Sunday mornings.[3] He went on to host the overnight show “The Other Side of Midnight” for 770 WABC.[4][5][6]
Political activism
[edit]Described as a longtime political operative within Staten Island politics, Morano has been affiliated with numerous conservative and populist minor political parties, including: as a executive committee member in the Independence Party, a committee member of the Reform Party of New York, and the Serve America Movement. [3] After being elected a committee member of the Reform Party in 2016, Morano drew ire from the party establishment for forcing extremely low-turnout primaries instead of endorsing other candidates through Wilson-Pakula laws and for holding a clandestine vote to instill Curtis Sliwa as the state's party chair as well as himself as the party secretary.[7] The former state chair sued to invalidate this takeover, alleging a violation of national guidelines and trademark infringement, but lost due to technical grounds.[8] The original decision from Albany-based Supreme Court Justice Christina Ryba dismissed this suit.[8]
He also worked in the office of Councilmember Joe Borelli.[1]
New York City Council
[edit]In 2025, Morano was elected to the New York City Council for the 51st district in a special election to replace Joe Borelli, who resigned to join the private sector. Morano amassed endorsements from Borelli, U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis, Councilmember David Carr, The New York Post, and the Staten Island Republican Party among others.[9] He was declared the winner on election night, defeating Democrat Cliff Hagen and Griffin Fossella, son of Borough President Vito Fossella, with 59% of the vote according to unofficial results.[1] He will serve the remainder of Borelli's term and run in the June primary for a full term.[2] He was sworn in on May 13, 2025 by City Clerk Michael McSweeney.[10]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SI Patriotism | Frank Morano | 5,649 | 58.9 | |
| Common Ground | Cliff Hagen | 2,011 | 21.0 | |
| We The People | Griffin Fossella | 1,897 | 19.8 | |
| Write-in | 33 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 9,590 | 100.0 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Krichevsky, Sophie; McDonough, Annie (April 29, 2025). "Frank Morano prevails in Staten Island special election for NYC Council". City and State. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c Bascome, Erik; Axelrod, Scott (April 29, 2025). "Frank Morano wins Staten Island City Council special election in landslide". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c Coltin, Jeff (November 13, 2015). "A Q&A with AM 970's Frank Morano". City and State. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Frank Morano joins WABC New York starting Sunday, July 12". Radio-Online.com. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ "Frank Morano To Host Overnights At WABC". RadioInsight. July 8, 2020. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "WABC Brings Frank Morano To The Other Side Of Midnight". RadioInsight. October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Mahoney, Bill (October 28, 2016). "The Reform Party's long, winding road takes another turn". Politico. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ a b Mahoney, Bill (October 31, 2016). "Upstart group wins legal battle over control of the Reform Party". Politico. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ Editorial Board (April 24, 2025). "The Post endorses Frank Morano for City Council in Staten Island's special election Tuesday". The New York Post. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ Liotta, Paul (May 14, 2025). "New Staten Island councilmember sworn in at City Hall". Staten Island Advance.
- ^ "Council Member 51st Council District".
