Former spoiler candidate for the 60th state senate seat, Al Coppola (who was paid back for his faithful service to Grassroots with a cush City job), is extraordinarily angry that his friend’s request to add an awning to a Delaware Avenue restaurant was denied.
In response, Mr. Coppola has decided that he’s going to threaten to tear down that little Pan-Am house further up Delaware in retaliation. That in and of itself is ridiculous enough, but it did permit us to start the 2007 Irony Award nominations. This week:
“It’s particularly pathetic and outrageous that a former elected official should grandstand in this manner and attempt to hold the city and the public interest hostage to an individual whim or gripe,” Tielman said.
The Buffalo Record 
How is it that a former state senator and councilman is referred to as a “spoiler candidate”? Marginalizing his legitimacy is so cynical and typical. As to holding “public interest” hostage, I take issue with that assertion as well. How is it in the public interest to not have balanced decision making by the preservation board? Why is the canopy some 2 doors down from Stillwater worthy of existence, yet the elegant design of the proposed canopy somehow degenerates the historical significance of Delaware Ave. Coppola is merely showcasing the lunacy and hypocritical decisions this “blue ribbon” board makes every day to the detriment of this fine city. What is ironic, and where the award should be delivered to is the preservation board. If they cared so much for preservation of historically significant buildings in Buffalo, why not offer Mr Coppola a buy out of this wonderful piece of historical property Mr Coppola has lovingly and painstakingly preserved? Hmmmmm? Better still, why did they allow him to purchase it in the first place some 25 years ago? I submit to you that this preservation board speaks with forked tongue.
When I read the quote by Tielman my irony meter went off the chart.
Geez I dunno why anyone would ever call this D-bag a spoiler?
Maybe because all of his campaign materials (the few that his “campaign”) did put out were all paid for by his opponants supporters? This guy is a clown and was paid back for his great job of being a spoiler. He didnt take a lot of votes but he sure did confuse and make people not want to choose sides in a family fight.
He lost all credibility years ago to many of his supporters from other questionable activities and deserves the D-BAG award for his role as a spoiler candidate against his own cousin!
Sorry his materials were put out by the third candidate in this race’s supporters!
79justducky, the Preservation Board does not have the authority to block the sale of private property and you’d scream bloody murder if they did.
The Preservation Board is also not permitted to buy and sell property any more than the Zoning Board is.
It is bizarre that people who accuse an entity of having too much power then turn around and blame it for not having more.
I am chuckling at the irony of one Al Coppola and how HE is now trying so hard to fight those mean and autocratic preservationists.
Rewind to the mid 80s… Coppola was on the Common Council back then and was the leading obstructionist trying to prevent the development and construction of the new downtown ballpark. This fool was pulling every trick out the book to prevail in his battle, even trying to have a couple derelict buildings on the otherwise windswept site declared historical landmarks, thus preventing their demolition and blocking the stadium.
Of course Dunn Tire Park (nee Pilot Field) did get built, received national recognition as an architectural jewel that has been emulated in cities everywhere, and solidified the future of AAA baseball here in Buffalo. Coppola’s obstinance and obstructionism was almost universally repudiated. He ended up looking very foolish.
Today he revises that bit of history…he was never against the project, so he says, he was just battling for the little guy against those mean Riches who were getting themselves a sweetheart lease.
Just dismiss this guy for the looney tune he really is. He and the Tielmans of the world deserve each other.
it’s the senator’s house, he can do whatever he wants with it.
Heritage belongs to the people. He’s the guardian of the house (and a part of history), a role he has publicly embraced up until now. He needs to admit that it was a publicity stunt and get on with his life.
“It’s the senator’s house, …” The SENATOR”S house, Mike? Al C. was a state senator for, what, 20 minutes? I was VP of my middle school student council longer than he was state senator. Do I get to be called Mr. Vice President for the rest of my life?
He can do what he pleases with the house, I suppose, but it appears what he was trying to do was a form of extortion. “Give my buddy the awning, or the house gets it.”
I know some in NF liked him because he actually found his way across the GI bridges from time to time, but Mr. Senator has to be one of the least effective public servants ever in WNY, and that’s saying something.
I believe I read that the owner of the Stillwater is trying to distance himself from this fiasco as much as possible…
now that’s interesting, steve. no, i don’t think you get to be called mr. vice president for the rest of your life, but nelson rockefeller sure did, and he wasn’t in office much longer than the senator. as for you becky, lovely name, becky, i don’t know what country you’re posting from but over here in america when a guy (or a woman!) buys a house, he becomes what we call the “owner” of the house. here, the word “guardian” generally refers to someone other than the parents who has custody of a child.
Mike, having now read both your posts on this subject, and the most recent edition of The Reporter, I’m guessing you’ve doubled up on your cynical pills. But, please, tell me your not defending THE SENATOR’S actions here. Al is one of the bigger tools to ever hold elective office in WNY, ranking up there wil the recent gallery of all-stars that have been mayor of NF.
The only thing that would make this more laughable is if he threatened to tear down a house he didn’t own.
Mike, you almost understood it. Yes, those who own historical treasures are in fact acting as guardians of history for the rest of the populace , now and for future generations.
Also, even if one owns only a rag-tag house, one may not do whatever one pleases with it, but has to ask permission of the city or town it is located in. Obviously this goes double for historical buildings.
Sorry that what I said went over your head.
Historical Treasure? Why is it that everything in the U.S. that is over 300 years old is a historical treasure? Is it anything that is older than a 100 years or is it 300 years.
Perhaps in the states 100 plus years is a big deal. However, have you been to Europe? Where you aware that in Europe there are things that are older than 1000 years?
Not everything that is older than 100 years needs the protection of some group of people who think it is their duty to tell the owner what he or she can do with the property.
Pay no attention to the D-bag from niagara falls, hack is too nice of a word.
steve…i didn’t defend anyone’s actions, merely stated the obvious. becky, obtaining a permit to demolish a house is a far cry from asking for permission from a group of people dedicated to not tearing things down what you can or cannot do on your own property. the senator’s house was built in 1901 and, in fact, was never intended to be a permanent structure, as witnessed by the fact that none of the many other structures associated with the pan american exposition are still standing on the grounds. it is not located in any sort of “historic district” and therefore not subject to the whims of tim tielman or yourself. there are quite literally thousands of cheaply made frame structures dating from the time period in question scattered throughout buffalo and the rest of western new york, hundreds are demolished every year. it is i, my dear, who am saddened by your stunning lack of comprehension when it comes to the concept of private property, and would wager that very few people would purchase anything valuable knowing that they were buying into some fabulist notion of reponsibility and debt to people they’ve never met and, indeed, future generations of people they’ve never met.
People who have no respect for history shouldn’t buy anything of historic significance. They can always pick up a new build, or an old “nothing” to renovate to their heart’s content.
Old doesn’t make significant. People and events associated with it, or architecture, does. It is you who have a stunning lack of comprehension of things of value to society as a whole – a civic responsibility perhaps. Europe (which I’ve never visited) with it’s treasures seems to have grasped that concept. Of course, everything there is much older so they’ve had more practice.
I don’t believe Coppola would actually go through with the demolition. It was a foolish statement meant to get attention to a below the radar permit issue.
I’m not a die-hard on preservation. I would like to see the Insane Asylum demolished. Olmsted designed the grounds there; extend them and dedicate the park to the demise of the Snake Pit.