Who is Efrain Gonzalez? NYC Democrat activist slammed for saying ‘Jews are the most corrupt people' in a video
BRONX, NEW YORK CITY: Efrain Gonzalez, a Bronx political activist is being slammed by his party members for making antisemitic comments on social media.
It comes amid an ugly New York City Council race to endorse a GOP candidate.
Efrain Gonzalez is sponsoring a rival candidate from Republican party
Gonzalez crossed his party line and decided to endorse Republican Kristy Marmorato instead of incumbent Democrat Marjorie Velazquez in the Bronx’s 13th District.
“Jews are the most corrupt real estate people in New York,” Gonzalez said in a video which was posted earlier this year on Facebook.
In another clip, he targeted the Bronx Democratic Party, especially Jewish powerhouse attorney, Stanley Schlein.
“It’s going to take a long time to fight to get rid of those weeds in the Bronx Democratic Party. They’re weeds, they’re bad people. You can’t grow a garden with those folks,” he said in the video.
“And they’re black and they’re Latino and the hidden agenda there is the Jewish man who uses them to do his dirty work,” Gonzalez added in an attempt to malign the attorney.
Efrain Gonzalez calls New York Assembly Speaker a 'puppet'
Gonzalez’s father, a former Democratic state senator who was convicted of public corruption, recorded himself in another video where he called New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie a “puppet.”
“Even that puppet, Carl Heastie. I really feel bad because when you’re a black man and you’re being controlled by a Jew, in today’s times, that’s really scary,” he said, adding "But that’s what’s happening, folks.”
A few other videos were deleted from the Facebook page since the New York Post highlighted the comments.
Velazquez’s campaign reacted to Gonzalez’s comment. “Especially when antisemitism is on the rise, the endorsement Marmorato embraced from this vile, hateful individual is disqualifying for public office,” JT Ennis, Velazquez’s campaign manager, said.
“Marmorato’s alignment with this dangerous bigotry goes far beyond politics, it’s morally bankrupt," Ennis added.
The GOP candidate, sister of Bronx Republican Party chairman Michael Rendino, responded to Gonzalez’s endorsement with a heart emoji on FB. “Thank you so much for all of your support Efrain!” she wrote.
However, Marmorato’s campaign was quick to distance itself from Gonzalez’s anti-Jew posts.
Chapin Fay Marmorato's campaign spokesperson said, “Obviously hate has no place anywhere in New York City, but this continued focus on everyone but the candidate, despite her not even sharing their values, is proof positive that Marjorie Velazquez has been missing in action from our community and has literally nothing to run on.”