Ruben Diaz Sr. (Photo: nysenate.gov)

State Senator Ruben Diaz sent a special New Year's-themed edition of his regular "What You Should Know" email newsletters this morning. In his year-end missive, Mr. Diaz took a series of shots at the State Senate with backhanded "political wishes" for the new IDC/GOP leadership coalition, "Uncle Tom" State Senator Malcolm Smith and State Senator Adriano Espaillat. 

Most of Mr. Diaz's "wishes" for next year involve the new leadership in the State Senate. He expressed his hope State Senator John Sampson, who just lost his position as leader of the Democrats in the chamber, will "find better and more faithful friends." Mr. Diaz also wished for the new Democratic leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to "buy a back-stabbing-proof vest."

The leadership coalition between the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference and the State Senate Republicans has been sharply criticized for lacking any minority members besides IDC State Senator Malcolm Smith. In his New Year's list, Mr. Diaz echoed this criticism when he wished for Mr. Smith "to find another minority to join him in order for him not to be the only Uncle Tom in the house." He also predicted the IDC's expectation the Senate Republicans will back a "progressive agenda" will prove wrong and wished for the dissident Democrats to have "a parachute to allow them to make their landing easy and soft" when the GOP pulls back their support.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has argued it is his job to remain above the fray in the various State Senate leadership disputes. However, Mr. Diaz, like some other Democrats, clearly thinks the Democratic governor should have done more to fight the coalition and support a Democratic majority in the Senate. One of his New Year's wishes was for Gov. Cuomo "to be honest enough to admit that he has been the creator of the mess in the New York State Senate."

As usual, Mr. Diaz's missive also included a reference to his closest former colleagues in the State Senate: Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada. Mr. Diaz is the last remaining member of these "Four Amigos" still in the Senate. Mr. Kruger received a seven-year prison sentence after a bribery case in April. Mr. Monserrate was expelled from the State Senate in 2010 after being convicted of slashing his girlfriend with broken glass and was sentenced to two years in prison on an unrelated corruption charge earlier this month. Mr. Espada pleaded guilty to corruption charges in October and is now facing up to a decade in prison. After this tough year for the "Amigos," Mr. Diaz said he hopes they can "get together in 2013 while they are away and write a book" giving the IDC instructions on how to deal with the Senate Republicans.

Along with weighing in on the Senate leadership situation, Mr. Diaz's list included a slam directed at State Senator Adriano Espaillat, who unsuccessfully ran for Congressman Charlie Rangel's seat in the House of Representatives this year. Mr. Diaz said Mr. Espaillat should "get a big handkerchief to wipe away his saliva" in 2013 because Mr. Rangel "will be there for many years more" and former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV is "warming up in the bullpen."

Read Mr. Diaz's full year-end top ten list below.

This year on December 31st, when I bend my knees in church and make my New Year's resolutions, you should know that I will be making the following political wishes for some people:

1. For Senator John Sampson, to find better and more faithful friends.

2. For reporters Bob Kappstatter, from the Bronx Times and Jim Odato from the Times Union, to learn how to be impartial and objective journalists.

3. For Senator Jeff Klein and his Gang of Four, to find a parachute to allow them to make their landing easy and soft when Senator Dean Skelos and the Republicans - fearing the Conservative Party - reject their support for a progressive agenda, leaving the Gang of Four out in the cold.

4. For Senator Malcolm Smith, to find another minority to join him in order for him not to be the only Uncle Tom in the house.

5. For Assemblyman-Elect Luis Sepulveda, to take it a little bit easier with a little more patience and wait for his time, because it will come.

6. For my three friends, Carl Kruger, Pedro Espada, and Hiram Monserrate, to try to get together in 2013 while they are away and write a book instructing Jeff Klein and the Gang of Four how to deal with Dean Skelos and what to expect from him.

7. To Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to buy a back-stabbing proof vest.

8.  For Senator Adriano Espaillat, to get a big handkerchief to wipe away his saliva because Charlie Rangel will be there for many years more - and aside from that, Adam Clayton Powell is warming up in the bullpen.

9. For Governor Andrew Cuomo, to be honest enough to admit that he has been the creator of the mess in the New York State Senate.

10. As for myself, should these nine other wishes come true, that I will be able to take a break and keep my mouth shut.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

(Photo: Wikimedia)

As expected, former State Senator Pedro Espada, who helped lead New York's government into a unique form of chaos with his wheeling-and-dealing in 2009, plead guilty in federal court today to stealing from a non-profit he controlled. When sentenced, Mr. Espada will face up to 43 years in prison, in addition to "forfeiture, fines, and restitution in excess of $2 million," according to a press release sent out United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York.

“Today’s guilty pleas signal the end of an era,” U.S. Attorney Lorretta Lynch said in the statement. “For years, Pedro Espada Jr. betrayed the trust of the people of the Bronx by taking money designated to provide health services to a struggling community and using those funds to prop up his own lavish lifestyle. Soundview clinics were unable to pay personnel and could not obtain vital medical equipment, because Espada siphoned off funds to pay for luxury cars, spa treatments, sushi dinners and vacations. In keeping with his pattern of fraud and deception, he lied to the federal government as well, filing a false income tax return that failed to declare money he stole from Soundview and money that he made from the sale of real estate."

Gautier Espada, Mr. Espada's son, also plead guilty to stealing from the same nonprofit today. He faces a lesser sentence, up to two years' imprisonment, hoewver.

"Far from the ‘black magic’ Espada previously blamed for his conviction, today’s guilty pleas illustrate that these defendants were brought down by their own greed," Ms. Lynch continued. "Having admitted their betrayal of trust, they will now be held accountable for their actions.

Update: Governor Andrew Cuomo has also weighed in with a statement, and it looks like he found today's plea rather vindicating.

"Nearly three years ago, my Attorney General’s Office brought a case against then Senator Pedro Espada for looting his taxpayer-funded not for profit and abusing his position of public trust," Mr. Cuomo said. "Mr. Espada's reaction was to lash out again and again and to falsely disparage and accuse my Office of engaging in a politically-motivated witch hunt. Today, I give Mr. Espada the last word – when he says, 'guilty.'" 

View the full announcement below:

This verdict was hailed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had battled Mr. Espada since even before he was sworn in as governor.

"As Attorney General, I brought an action against Pedro Espada for siphoning millions of dollars from a taxpayer funded not-for-profit and using the money to support a lavish lifestyle for himself, his family, and his friends, as well as for supporting his political operation," he said. "Mr. Espada was the prime example of government corruption."

Back in 2010,then attorney general Cuomo charged Mr. Espada with looting $14 million from his Soundview Health Clinics.

"It is outrageous," Mr. Cuomo told reporters at the time, referring Mr. Espada's $9 million severance package and the $20,000 he spent on home sushi deliveries.  "I have not seen anything on this scale."

Mr. Espada meanwhile liked to respond (sort of) in kind, calling Mr. Cuomo "the prince of darkness" and accusing the governor of wanting to strip Mr. Espada of his manhood.

"Those who would abuse the public trust have a pointed lesson in the downfall of former Senator Espada," Mr. Cuomo said. "My comments at the time I filed the original charges bear repeating: in New York, we will have no tolerance for government corruption. As Attorney General and as Governor, I have fought to bring performance, integrity and pride back to what was, at one time, the best state government in the nation. We are making progress.Mr. Espada has made many accusations and comments about me since my actions began. Today the jury spoke loud and clear making Mr. Espada a convicted felon."

Outside of Ruben Diaz, one will find few in Albany with warm memories of Mr. Espada, not after he threw state government into chaos by suddenly mounting a Senate coup in 2009 and caucusing with the Republicans for several weeks. The standoff was only settled when Mr. Espada returned to the Democratic fold in return for a leadership post.

The festivities discussed so far at trial aren't the only ones the Espadas threw for the former senator's grandson. On Facebook, Pedro G. Espada posted several albums documenting parties with exotic animals, faux castles, clowns and an inflatable bouncy house.  Check out our slideshow with some of the best pictures, of course, Mr. Espada's grandson's face has been blurred due to his young age.

Pedro and Connie Espada in better days. (Photo: Facebook)

The wide of embattled former State Senator Pedro Espada is seeking some divine intervention in the trial of her husband and son. Yesterday, as one of Mr. Espada's former employees took the stand and testified against him, his wife, Connie, posted a prayer request on her Facebook page.

"Lord pls pray us & pls keep all my enemies away, let them not be able 2 bring us harm Amen," she wrote.

Mr. Espada and his son, Pedro G. Espada, are currently on trial for allegedly taking more than half-a-million dollars from the taxpayer-funded Soundview Health Clinic network they operated. Their trial began Tuesday. Several of Mr. Espada's family members and associates received jobs with the clinic and the ex-senator allegedly used the cash for personal expenses including a six-figure meal tab.

On the witness stand, Maria Cruz, the former personnel boss at Soundview told jurors of the Espada family's fondness for luxury cars. She also outlined Mr. Espada's scant experience before landing his highly paid health clinic gig.

"I heard he worked in a restaurant — I think he was a cook," Ms. Cruz said.

Soundview Health Clinic is currently engaged in a legal battle to stop the State Health Department from taking its Medicaid licence. In January, Ms. Espada made another Facebook post urging her friends to support Soundview Health Clinic and her family.

"We need to save Soundview Health Center, people outside of our area don't care about Blacks & Latinos. We need united & fight for Soundview that our family & fight for family," she wrote.

Read Ms. Espada's Facebook posts below:

Liu insisted he is still running for mayor.

Bloomberg vs. Cuomo, Round 2. City officials are looking to pull out from Emblem Health, the city's not for-profit insurer, just as Gov. Cuomo is trying to convert it to a for-profit outfit.

The state task force charged with redrawing legislative districts will count prisoners in their home districts and not where their jail is located, a blow to Senate Republicans.

A Bronx judge upheld the Cuomo's administration right to strip Pedro Espada's health clinic its Medicaid funding. The decision could spell the end of the Soundview Health Care Network.

A federal grand jury charged William Boyland with soliciting more than $250,000 in bribes to smooth along development projects and to assist a carnival operator.

Anthony Weiner emailed friends to welcome the "sparkling wonder" of his  new baby.

Civil liberties concerns aside, the NYPD's spying on Muslim groups may not even be that successful.

After taking it to the brink, the House is prepared to take up the payroll tax extension.

Danny Hakim takes a look at who the mentally disabled are often drugged without their families consent.

Melissa Mark Viverito made her acting debut during an East Harlem community theater's group rendition of "A Christmas Carol."

The murder of a Brooklyn cafe owner whose burned body was discovered in Pennsylvania has flummoxed authorities.

The protocol of crying at the defense table, in light of "Crybaby  Senator" Carl Kruger.

If the gypsy cabs don't stop making streetside pickups, it could lessen the value of the new medallions and scuttle the livery deal hatched between Cuomo and Bloomberg.

Nurses at St. Lukes--Roosevelt are planning to go on strike.

The New York City campaign finance rules survived another legal challenge.

In light of the payroll tax showdown, John Boehner can't deliver  his members because, to put it charitably, his 80-odd freshmen are the legislative equivalent of space junk, Thomas Defrank writes.

Weekly jobless claims fell.

Josh Robin profiles a Bronx woman in a tangled legal case who hopes for clemency from Andrew Cuomo.

A New Hampshire newspaper is calling for Mitt and Newt to duke it out on the debate stage.

On the space on the invite where it is usually listed which high rollers are putting it on, Ms. Krueger writes:

"Please do not join: The Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, Pedro Espada, Carl Paladino, Rudy Giuliani, Herman Cain, Eric Cantor, Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Michelle Bachmann, Pat Robertson, Rick Perry, Dean Skelos, Grover Norquist, Rand Paul, Glenn Beck, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, Hiram Monserrate and all members of Rupert Murdoch's family"

If nothing else, this invite shows what low esteem Sen. Krueger has for her former Senate Democratic colleagues Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada; this may be the first time the former Amigos have been included in the same breath as the Koch brothers and Sarah Palin.