Stockton's Scarface? Outgoing City Manager Orders 'Hits' and Unleashes Chaos on City Hall
STOCKTON, CA – Stockton’s City Hall has been transformed into a political shootout, as Interim City Manager Steve Colangelo, along with Mayor Christina Fugazi, has reportedly gone full gangster in a final, frenzied week of revenge. With his contract set to expire on August 9th, Colangelo has put his own "contract" out on those responsible for his ousting. Sources close to City Hall are describing Colangelo as channeling Tony Montana in a chaotic "last stand," ordering "hits" on his enemies and leaking documents in what appears to be a scorched-earth campaign to regain his throne.
The drama began last week when the city council, led by Vice Mayor Jason Lee, voted to remove Colangelo from his position. Colangelo immediately requested internal city emails and, in a clear act of vengeance, leaked a bombshell story to the press Monday afternoon.
The $50K Wild 'N Out Hit
The target of the attack was Vice Mayor Jason Lee. The leaked emails detailed how the city subsidized Lee's "Wild 'N Out" comedy event to the tune of $50,000. The emails were sent to Gabriel Porras of ABC10, who many in the city refer to as Fugazi's personal public relations agent due to his history of "puff pieces and softball questions" for the mayor. Leaking the emails to Porras makes it clear who is behind the hit against Lee.
The plot thickened the very next day when Mayor Fugazi appeared on CBS News 13, conveniently backing Colangelo and announcing an outside investigation into the $50,000 expenditure. Critics were quick to point out the timing: the expenditure was from two months ago, but the story was dropped immediatly after Colangelo was ousted. It appears he was holding on to this information, waiting to use it as a political weapon.
A Gangster's Gambit
This coordinated attack is seen as a tactical distraction. According to a press release from the Audit Committee, Vice Mayor Lee had been calling for an independent investigation into what he described as "inappropriate hiring practices, the intentional submission of a falsified budget, and politically motivated retaliation against city staff."
Lee's press release, which outlined "Organizational Disruption and Retaliation," alleges that Colangelo violated the Brown Act and pushed out multiple city leaders by placing them on leave or forcing their resignation. According to Lee, "The integrity of our government is under attack from within... this represents not only a violation of state law but an abuse of power designed to silence staff and mislead our community."
Colangelo and Fugazi’s counter-attack is a desperate, last-ditch effort to stop Lee’s investigation and create enough chaos to get Colangelo rehired as the permanent City Manager. With multiple city leaders being taken out and the investigation into Lee's comedy event running wild, the stage is set for a finale worthy of a Martin Scorsese film.
Colangelo's Last Stand at City Hall
