Radio host vs. Staten Island royalty in battle to rep NYC’s most conservative district

A power talk show big is successful dogfight pinch a baby-faced Staten Island scion 13 years his inferior to correspond NYC’s astir blimpish Council district.

Republican Frank Morano, big of WABC’s “The Other Side of Midnight,”  has already locked up endorsements from nan Staten Island GOP, each of nan borough’s Republican elected officials and cardinal members of President Trump’s soul circle successful his run to service nan South Shore.

But his way to triumph successful nan April 29 nonpartisan typical predetermination is nary judge thing.

His stiffest competition: chap GOPer Griffin Fossella, who comes from a agelong statement of Island powerfulness brokers, from his precocious great-great grandfather, Congressman James O’Leary, to his dad, Borough President and ex-Rep. Vito Fossella.

Morano, 40, said he “never expected nan title to beryllium a cakewalk” but isn’t losing slumber competing against nan 27-year-old Fossella, aliases a family dynasty.

“I deliberation Staten Islanders aren’t going to beryllium fooled by a campaigner pinch nan aforesaid past sanction who uses a akin run motto (“Staten Island First”) and nan aforesaid colour section signs arsenic his father,” said Morano.

He claims Fossella has many times ducked debating him. Fossella insists he’s had scheduling conflicts.

The two, on pinch longshot Democrat Clifford Hagen, are vying to switch erstwhile Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island), who was term-limited and stepped down successful January from nan $148,000-a-year gig to return a occupation arsenic a lobbyist.

The victor would service nan remaining months of Borelli’s term, which expires astatine year’s extremity — and return a immense advantage into nan November wide predetermination for a caller four-year term.

Fossella said it would “humbling” to triumph nan 51st District Council spot erstwhile held by his begetter successful nan mid-1990s.

“I deliberation nationalist work is successful my blood, and to service nan group of Staten Island would beryllium a dream travel true,” he said.

Both Morano and Griffin Fossella are lifelong Staten Islanders who person astir identical run platforms: including opposing congestion pricing and NYC’s sanctuary metropolis policy, advocating for nan NYPD to prosecute thousands of much cops, and pushing for mass-transit affordability.

On a section level, some besides vehemently reason a task to build a edifice astatine nan area of Richmond Valley and Arthur Kill roads because galore residents are concerned it will yet go a bum shelter.

President Trump – who is wildly celebrated connected Staten Island — appears to beryllium staying retired nan race, but Morano has scored cardinal endorsements from erstwhile Trump advisors Roger Stone, Michael Caputo, Corey Lewandowski and Trump’s erstwhile White House main Steve Bannon.

Fossella’s endorsements see erstwhile Long Island Rep. Peter King, erstwhile Brooklyn authorities Sen. Marty Golden and John Catsimatidis, a billionaire who owns WABC-AM. Griffin Fossella sewage his first sensation of authorities moving connected Catsimatidis’ 2013 mayoral campaign.

Morano and nan younger Fossella’s governmental warfare chests are astir identical. Both said they’ve raised complete $50,000 and expect to suffice for different $200,000-plus successful nationalist matching funds.

Fossella boasts he’s “the only lifelong Republican successful nan race” – a excavation astatine Morano being a erstwhile leader of nan state’s now-defunct Independence and Reform parties earlier registering arsenic a Republican.

Vito Fossella couldn’t beryllium happier — and jabbed his son’s opponent, saying he’s “incredibly proud of Griffin’s determination to measurement guardant arsenic nan only existent Republican successful nan title — committed to preserving Staten Island arsenic a awesome spot to unrecorded and raise a family for generations to come.”