Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams had us worried for a minute there. Trips to Home Depot? Watching too much Fox News? Getting weirdly into crypto? Was the self-proclaimed nightlife mayor settling into a thoroughly predictable, boring retirement? And then, like clockwork, there he was at Casa Cipriani this week, “flocked by women,” per Page Six, and walking away with some of their numbers. (That’s called networking,” Adams’ spokesperson told the tabloid.) It is also probably a lot more fun that what his former First Deputy Mayor Randy Matro was up to this week. 

WINNERS:

Lisa Ohta -

It’s nice to see your union winning. UAW Local 2325 President Lisa Ohta got to experience that this past week when Brooklyn Defender Services workers struck a deal with management after going on strike for six days. Staff got pay hikes, improved sick leave and remote work options as part of the agreement to come back to work. And they even got a congratulatory tweet from Mayor (and comrade) Zohran Mamdani.

Vijay Dandapani -

After early numbers were looking grim and publication after publication said that the World Cup was looking like a bust for New York City hotels, they were actually able to clean up in the last week of the tournament, meeting the original expected goooooooooooal of $300 million dollars. Don’t cry for Hotel Association President and CEO Vijay Dandapani, Argentina. He won, no matter who lost.

James Dolan -

Ahead of what might end up being a solo White House trip, Knicks owner James Dolan is finally having his first good week since the championship fever died down and he was accused of creating his own little surveillance state. An inquiry that MSG Entertainment’s facial recognition systems led to exclusionary practices was dropped this week by the State Liquor Authority, with Dolan getting only a $30,000 slap on the wrist for unrelated charges. Because the data collection that happens in the MSG Exclusion Zone, stays in the MSG Exclusion Zone.

LOSERS:

Zohran Mamdani -

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is walking back his campaign pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he’s in the city for the UN General Assembly. Turns out it was never legally feasible – and Mamdani was misleading in interviews, even after everyone around him said so. And if that weren’t enough, Council Speaker Julie Menin is blaming him, after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Upper East Side has killed five people, and continues to infect dozens of others.

Randy Mastro -

The zombie commission convened by former Mayor Eric Adams appears to be dead. For real this time, despite his consigliere Randy Mastro’s efforts. A Staten Island Supreme Court judge ruled against his lawsuit to advance a ballot proposal that would establish an open primary system. Of course, he could still appeal, but a looming August 3 BOE deadline makes that difficult. At least Mastro has something new to occupy his time: Going to war against the Rent Guidelines Board over the rent freeze.

Jeremy Zellner -