WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. EXCLUSIVE! By John F. Bailey. March 15, 2005; Breaking NEWS UPDATE 12:20 P.M. E.S.T.:  It was a day like all days in the WPCNR News nerve center. I was working the School Board out of bunko division when the call came in from the highly reliable informed source: 

"Scoop of the Day: Mayor Del Vecchio's Portrait is missing,"  the informant said.  This was big news.

The outrage was first noticed last Thursday, our observer said. The photographic portrait of Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio, (who served as Mayor from 1976 to 1993) was missing from his accostumed position in the hallowed City Hall Rotunda. His businesslike countenance viewed all ascending to the Common Council Chambers with his confident, upbeat and businesslike demeanor. The wall was not the same without his benevolent but challenging confidence looking down. It was as if a piece of City Hall was missing.

The Case of the Missing Mayor: Mayor Del Vecchio's Portrait Vanishes. Mystery of the Missing Mayor Solved.  The space formerly occupied by the portrait of former Mayor Del Vecchio stares down blankly at City Hall today. Photo by WPCNR News

Sensing a story behind the story, the CNR News Team mobilized.

Would there be  evidence that the expensive city hall security monitors were not being watched to record comings and goings?  Perhaps a Del Vecchio stalker had purloined the portrait. Was this, perish the thought, a Mayor's Office sensitive to criticism striking back?  

Speculation tore through the nonexistent media press lounge at City Hall, prompting discreet inquiries of the usual sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The CNR news team swung into action. Fox News was notified but did not have their spin team ready.

Confronting David Maloney, City Hall press spokesperson in the second official city Hall media callback of the year, WPCNR grilled "The Maloney" and got to the bottom of "The Missing Del Vecchio."

The Department of Public Safety has not been called in.

Mr. Maloney told The CitizeNetReporter that the disappearance of the Del Vecchio Portraint involved no wrong doing or breach of security.

Mr. Maloney said that in cleaning the former Mayor's photograph last week, the picture clasp used to suspend the portrait had broken. The portrait was sent to the City Clerk's office for repair. Asked when the portrait would resume its right place in the Hall of Mayors, Mr. Maloney could not give a date, but said it was "being worked on."

The Lion's portrait is expected to be returned to its perch shortly. Calls to the City Clerks office on the progress of the repair and when the Del Vecchio image will be back "in the lineup," have been placed.

The City Clerk's office press spokesperson said the portrait is in the possession of Anne McPherson of the City Clerk's office who is personally taking charge of the repair. Asked if Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti had been consulted on the selection, requisition and specifications of the new picture suspending technology selected, or whether the expertise of the Department of Public Works engineers was needed to supervise installation of the new picture suspension mechanism, and the official rehanging of Mayor Del Vecchio, the spokesperson declined comment and referred further questions to Mr. Maloney.