We ran this photo a couple of weeks back. It was sent to us by State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., and it is a picture from the day his father, Congressman Joseph Addabbo, Sr., was endorsed for his 1984 reelection campaign by Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts on the steps of Borough Hall.

We asked for some help in identifying some of the people in the photo, and here's one response we received from Jeff Gottlieb, president of the Central Queens Historical Association:

“What a great photograph!

Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo (center left) is standing next to Senator Ted Kennedy. Joe would be having a difficult primary since his opponent Simeon Golar (running a second time against the congressman) was African-American (Mr. Addabbo's district was 80 percent black), had a real estate practice, was a lawyer (he would later become a State Supreme Court Judge) and wealthy enough to put up a good fight for the seat, hence the political outpouring for the Ozone Park resident.

To the left of Kennedy is Queens Borough President Donald Manes, and to the right of Manes was the taller Howard Beach Councilman Walter Ward. Right in back of Manes is Councilman Archie Spigner, the first African American Queens councilman.

In back of Spigner, I believe, is Councilman Morton Povman (Kew Gardens Hills), who was at the time Health Committee chair.

To the right of Donald Manes, in profile, is Councilman Sheldon Leffler, who would in 2001 run for Queens borough president, losing to Helen Marshall.

Behind Congressman Addabbo and Mr. Kennedy is venerable Democratic District Leader Gloria D'Amico and Congressman Gary Ackerman, who won the seat when a special election was called due to the death of Congressman Ben Rosenthal.

Another public figure is to the left of Congressman Addabbo in Manny Behar, a top aide to Donald Manes and his Jewish policy advisor.”

Thanks for responding Jeff! An interesting aside that State Senator Addabbo shared with us when he sent this picture was that the same day this endorsement took place, Walter Mondale announced that Queens native Geraldin Ferraro would be his running mate and the first woman on the political ticket of a major political party.

Mondale would later call Addabbo the next day for pushing his Kennedy endorsement from the front pages of the newspapers.