He Worked for the Father, Now He's Voting for the Son

Douglas Block has been a die-hard Cuomo supporter for years. He traveled around the state handing out fliers, hoping to convince people to vote for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. He's such a strong supporter, .

Block, a 43-year-old Prospect Heights resident, worked for three-term governor Mario Cuomo, who was unsuccessful in his bid for a fourth term when he ran against George Pataki in 1994. On Tuesday afternoon he came to P.S. 316 to vote for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Mario's son.

"I voted for Cuomo because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Block said. "I worked for his father and I saw firsthand what a good family this is. They're not corrupt like Spitzer. Andrew Cuomo is a stand up guy just like his father."

Block, a National Guard mechanic who has been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, wasn't passionate about politics when he took the campaign job. He said he took the job because he was unemployed. But the time he spent working for Andrew Cuomo's father has left a lifelong impression.

"His father always treated everyone incredibly well on the campaign trail," said Block. "He got to know everyone."

"Working for Cuomo made me get really into politics. I realized how important politics is and how important voting is."

Block isn't worried about his own job but, just as in 1994, joblessness is one of his top concerns. He hopes that, if elected, Andrew Cuomo can lower unemployment in New York, as well as fix the problem of overcrowding in schools.