Billionaire John A. Catsimatidis announced he would seek the Republican nomination for mayor of New York City stating that, alhtough he is so wealthy, he feels the peoples’ pain.
An immigrant from Greece who made much of his fortune in the oil business, Mr. Catsimatidis said he wanted to give back to a city that had served him well.
“I’m a visionary; I’m not a maintenance person,” he declared on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, going on to say he understood the challenges facing small businesses, partly because his grocery trucks often incur thousands of dollars’ worth of ticket fees.
In 2009, Mr. Catsimatidis spent $300,000 exploring a mayoral bid, but opted out after Mr. Bloomberg decided to run again.
