My friend and comrade Michael Emperor crossed over earlier this week way too soon. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when we met. Mike was the guy in the Aronowitz campaign office for the Green Party Gubernatorial campaign in 2002. 

Mike volunteered for my 2003 City Council campaign and from there he was involved in my campaigns and we worked together on many others. We did it all - petitioning, GOTV, poll closing, voter ID, marches, rallies and those long drives to Albany.

Grumpy to start, it was 6:30 am, Mike perked up and made us laugh all the way there. I was always jazzed when Mike worn one of my campaign tee shirts at meetings or events. Mike and I were co-chairs of the GPNY campaign committee and did some good work together and at some point we became friends.

For Mike, that included a friendly taunting, along with his brother Dom, of our sports rivalry. Mike & Dom: Yankees-Jets- Islanders. Me: Mets-Giants-Rangers. And taunt he did, calling my teams The Mess and The Rags so I learned to give as good as I got. We loved every minute of it. Lots of laughs and a lot of political comradery.

Yes, Mike had his dark periods over the years. All I could do, all any of us could do was to reach out, be there and send love. I am grateful for his friendship and that we could say "love you" in good and bad times.

Here we are with our friend and comrade Michael O'Neil bringing stacks of petitions to the NYS Board of Elections in 2010 to put Howie Hawkins and I on the ballot as the Green Party Gubernatorial ticket that regained the Green Party of New York's ballot status back after 8 years. Mike was a big part of that.

Love you and miss you Mike. Oh, and the Islanders still suck.

Gloria Mattera
October 30, 2022