Mayor Adams tapped Giuliani administration alum Randy Mastro on Thursday to become his new top deputy at City Hall, an appointment that’s expected to spark controversy amid the mayor’s ongoing political struggles.
Mastro, a prominent attorney with a record of championing conservative causes in court, has for weeks been rumored for the first deputy mayor post, which is the second-in-command role in city government.
As first reported by the Daily News, he was initially expected to be appointed as early as at the beginning of March, when Adams named four other new deputy mayors to replace top aides who had submitted their resignations out of concern about the circumstances surrounding the Trump administration’s efforts to dismiss Adams’ corruption case.
“Randy Mastro joins the team as we work to double down on all we have delivered for New Yorkers,” Adams said in a statement. “Randy is a storied and impressive New Yorker with a track record of success in the face of some of the city and nation’s most challenging times. I, and the whole team, welcome Randy to our administration and look forward to working side-by-side with him as we continue to lead the city forward and make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family.”
According to a source close to Mastro, the delay in his appointment had to do with a personal matter he needed to resolve before taking on the high-profile role at City Hall. The source called it “no big deal.”
Mastro, who’s a partner at a prominent Manhattan law firm and served as Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s chief of staff and deputy mayor for operations, is returning to City Hall at a tumultuous time.
Randy Mastro. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News)
First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and three of her fellow DMs — Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom and Chauncey Parker — submitted their resignations Feb. 17 after privately telling Adams they’re concerned about his ability to govern the city independently amid developments in his federal corruption indictment.
President Trump’s Department of Justice filed a motion in court to dismiss Adams’ criminal case with the understanding it could be resurrected for a new prosecution as early as November. In the interim, the DOJ wrote in a dismissal motion that’s pending approval from a judge that Trump expects quashing Adams’ case will enable the mayor to help facilitate Trump’s “mass deportation” agenda in New York, an unusual caveat that both allies and critics of the mayor say makes him a “hostage” to Trump.
The court developments have led to renewed calls for Adams to resign or be removed from office, but the mayor maintains he will stay put. He has said there was no quid pro quo with Trump and has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Mastro first emerged as a contender in Adams’ administration when the mayor nominated him last year to become the city government’s corporation counsel. But the nomination collapsed when Mastro withdrew himself from consideration as City Council Democrats made clear they would vote to block his hire due to concerns about his work for Giuliani and his conservative litigation record.
Rudy Giuliani and Randy Mastro in 1995. (Andrew Savulich / New York Daily News)
Unlike the corp counsel role, Mastro can serve as first deputy mayor without Council approval. Mastro became a serious candidate for the first deputy mayor after Frank Carone, Adams’ first chief of staff who remains one of his most trusted political advisers, mounted a behind-the-scenes push for the Giuliani administration alum.
As first deputy, Mastro will oversee the work of most of the other DMs and report directly to the mayor. According to City Hall’s organizational chart, Mastro will also directly oversee key agencies like the New York City Housing Authority, the Department of City Planning and the city Economic Development Corporation.