A deep-pocketed taxi kingpin who raised more than $50,000 for Mayor de Blasio’s campaign brokered the ceasefire between City Hall and the head of the NYPD sergeants union — with an assist from the New York Knicks.
Evgeny (Gene) Freidman hosted the mayor and NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins at his ritzy Upper East Side home on Jan. 10, less than a month after the labor leader branded Hizzoner a “total nincompoop,” sources told the Daily News.
Freidman, who is close with both the mayor and Mullins, arranged the meeting between the two foes along with Ronn Torossian, the CEO of the bi-coastal public relations firm 5WPR.
All four men attended the over three-hour long Saturday afternoon meeting, sources said.
But after weeks of Mullins berating de Blasio for his handling of the protests over the grand jury decision not to indict a cop for the death of Eric Garner, the sit-down got off to a bit of an awkward start, sources said.
Luckily, the Knicks game was on and the two — Mullins, a Long Island Republican, and de Blasio, a proud Park Slope progressive — ended up bonding over how terrible the team has been this season, said a source.
Once the ice was broken, they moved onto de Blasio’s opposition to a bill that would make chokeholds illegal and the City Council’s recent $7.3 million proposal for new bullet proof vests — issues City Hall and the NYPD unions both support, the source said. Mullins’ union has been working on expired labor contracts for several years but that issue was not brought up.
A rep for City Hall refused to comment on any details of the meeting, but said earlier that the mayor “believes in an open door at City Hall for leaders who want to talk about constructive ways forward for the city.”
Mullins also declined to comment on the specifics of the meeting, but said that Freidman is a “highly valued friend who loves this city and the NYPD.”
He said on Friday, when news of the thaw with City Hall surfaced, that the meeting was “professional” and called de Blasio a “gentleman.”
The source said that after the meeting, Mullins and the mayor exchanged personal cell phone numbers and promised to keep in touch.
The Knicks had a less successful day. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets 110 to 82.
