Erik J. Blutinger

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Erik J. Blutinger |Tom Allon

It was a Sunday morning in early February 2020, and the governor of New York had just sent a text message: “When you’ve finished your second coffee, please give me a call.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo, then New York state’s strong and commanding leader, was sending a cryptic message to a media publisher. “Hi Tom, I know we were planning to meet in Albany tomorrow but something big has come up,” Cuomo said on the phone, speaking in hushed tones.