From my mother,

Tony Seminerio, the Assemblyman I interned with for the first half of 1996, was sentenced Friday to six years in jail after pleading guilty to a bribery and extortion scheme.

Basically he neglected to leave office before becoming a consultant.

Too bad he did what he did, because Tony’s a nice guy. He provided a safe haven for all of Albany’s smokers (the 10-square-feet surrounding to my desk), treated his staff to weekly Italian feasts and was always happy to bet on the horses.

He didn’t even get offended when I made an ill-advised fat joke about him after he handed me the mic at his annual fundraiser in Queens. I said something to the extent of me not being able to fill his shoes or his pants. It bombed on many levels. I blame the open bar.

When I decided to leave Albany to work in Israel, not long after a spate of bus bombings, he kept telling me it was too dangerous.  But Israel was fine, and so were Egypt and Jordan. I can’t say I hope prison will be fine for Tony; I’m sure it won’t be. But I hope the time passes quickly, and they let him listen to lots of Dean Martin.