Westchester Dems got $100K from Cappelli camp before $60K donation in New Ro mayor's race

David McKay Wilson, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Updated ·5 min read

Three days ago, the Westchester County Democratic Committee had no plans to disclose the source of its $60,000 donation to New Rochelle mayoral candidate Yadira Ramos-Herbert before the June 27 primary, even though state law required it.

On Friday, the party relented, disclosing it had raised $133,583 during the reporting period that ended May 26, which included $100,000 from real estate developer Louis Cappelli and five executives from his development companies.

Real estate developer Louis Cappelli and five executives from his companies donated $100,000 to the Westchester County Democratic Committee in mid-May, less than a week before the party gave $60,000 to New Rochelle mayoral candidate Yadira Ramos-Herbert. He's pictured at the Oct. 11, 2022 groundbreaking of his high-rise development on Hamilton Avenue in White Plains.

County Legislator Damon Maher, D-New Rochelle, who demanded full disclosure by the party, will face Ramos-Herbert in the fight for the Democratic nomination. He has a policy of not taking campaign contributions from real estate developers because he does not want to feel compromised when they come before the city administration for approvals.

Maher said the Cappelli donations raise questions about the developer's attempts to curry favor with Ramos-Herbert, the candidate endorsed by the New Rochelle Democratic Committee and county Democrats for mayor.

Cappelli, who is Westchester County’s premier developer, has a long history of development in New Rochelle, beginning with New Roc City at the site of the city's struggling mall in the mid-1990s, and the 40-story Trump Plaza that opened in 2007. He recently completed high-rise projects at 251 North Ave. and 333 Huguenot St., and has two more high-rises under construction at 327 Huguenot St. and 247 North Ave.

“I’m saddened to hear of this perversion of the democratic process, but unfortunately I’m not completely surprised,” Maher said. “The question now is who decides the future of New Rochelle — the people or one mega-millionaire developer.”

Ramos-Herbert said she was unaware that Cappelli had bolstered the Westchester Democrats coffers with such generosity in mid-May. She said his donations to the Democrats would not influence her service.

"I"m beholden to no one," she said. "I'm supporting New Rochelle."

Cappelli did not return a phone message seeking comment.

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Quick donation to party's candidate

On Tuesday, Tax Watch reported that Suzanne Berger, chair of the county Democratic Committee, supported Ramos-Herbert’s historic campaign, which if successful, would see the election of the city’s first woman of color as mayor. Berger said she reached out to individuals “who were excited to support her candidacy.”

Suzanne Berger, who chairs the Westchester County Democratic Committee, authorized its $60,000 donation to the New Rochelle mayoral campaign of Yadira Ramos-Herbert. Berger was all smiles at a get-out-the-vote rally in Yorktown Heights in November, 2022.
Suzanne Berger, who chairs the Westchester County Democratic Committee, authorized its $60,000 donation to the New Rochelle mayoral campaign of Yadira Ramos-Herbert. Berger was all smiles at a get-out-the-vote rally in Yorktown Heights in November, 2022.

The donations totaling $100,000 from Cappelli and his team came on May 11 and 12, according to the party report. The donation to Ramos-Herbert's committee was made on May 18.

Giving to the party from the Cappelli Organization were Louis Cappelli, founder and chairman, $50,000; Michael Cappelli, project manager, $10,000; Bruce Berg, chief executive officer, $10,000; Andrew Attari, executive vice president, $10,000; and Paul Slaney, general counsel, $10,000.

Also donating $10,000 was Peter Pallazzo, president of LRC Construction, Cappelli's construction company.

Cappelli's companies have more than $1 billion in construction projects underway. In addition to his New Rochelle initiatives, his company is constructing the Gateway II project at the White Plains train station and preparing to construct the first phase of the mixed-use high-rise complex at the site of the former White Plains Mall, with four towers surrounding an acre of public space in downtown White Plains.

His company is also a partner in the redevelopment of the former Galleria Mall property in White Plains.

Berger, who declined to be interviewed, sent a written statement.

“Mr. Cappelli is a longtime supporter of WCDC and its efforts to elect qualified Democrats,” she wrote.

Cappelli a major player

Cappelli is a major player in Westchester and state political circles.

In 2020, Cappelli and his companies were the biggest contributors to the Westchester County Democratic Committee, making donations totaling $35,000, records show. With Westchester Democrats in control of county and most municipal governments in Westchester, the party has supplanted Westchester Republicans as the favored recipients of campaign cash from the deep-pocketed real estate industry.

Cappelli contributes to Republicans as well, giving $50,000 in 2022 to former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for governor. Cappelli said he also chipped in $69,000 to Gov. Kathy Hochul's campaign.

New Rochelle Councilwoman Yadira Ramos-Herbert, a Democrat, has announced plans to run for mayor.
New Rochelle Councilwoman Yadira Ramos-Herbert, a Democrat, has announced plans to run for mayor.

Ramos-Herbert, a member of the New Rochelle City Council, earlier this week declined to say whether the party should disclose its donors.

She welcomed the support.

"I am proud of the support we have received from the Democratic Party along with our broad coalition we have built - from community leaders to elected officials to strong labor support," she said.

Ramos-Herbert has the endorsement of the Working Families Party, a left-leaning party that asks candidates on the party’s candidate survey whether they would refuse to accept contributions from real estate developers.

Peter Bernstein, who chairs the party’s Westchester-Putnam chapter, said it’s still uncertain whether Cappelli and his executives targeted their money to Ramos-Herbert through the Westchester County Democrats. He noted that the $100,000 from Cappelli and his executives points to the power of big money in local politics in Westchester.

“He donated to the party but we don’t know if there were specific instructions to pay it to Yadira,” he said. “We don’t know whether he targeted New Rochelle, or just gave it to the party, and Suzanne spent it. But I’m sure the donation was appreciated by the party.”

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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle elections: Westchester Dems disclose developer donation