Long Island Man with Same Name as Former Mayor Has Fun with Reporter Mix-Up

Mistaken Identity with London Reporter

• 📰 A London newspaper reporter mistakenly contacted Bill Deblasio, a wine importer from Long Island, believing him to be former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
• 📧 The reporter reached out via email, and the wine importer decided to play along with the mix-up.
• ✍️ He light-heartedly shared criticisms of a political figure (Zoran Mdani) with the reporter, using the assumed identity.

The "Political Incident" and Retraction

• 📰 The newspaper, The Times of London, published the story based on the interview.
• ⚠️ The paper later retracted the story after discovering they had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former mayor.
• 🧐 The wine importer expressed surprise that the reporter did not verify his identity, noting they did not address him as "Mayor."

Past Experiences with the Name

• 🎭 Bill Deblasio has had the name longer than the former mayor and has previously used the situation for humor and entertainment.
• 🏌️ He recalled being booed at a charity golf outing when announced as "Bill Deblasio" by mistaken organizers.

Meeting the Former Mayor

• 🤝 The two Bill de Blasios actually met at a Mets game.
• 🗣️ The former mayor asked the wine importer how bad it was to have the same name, to which the importer replied, "Dude, you're killing me."
• 🙏 The former mayor then apologized, saying, "I'm so sorry."

Perks and Quirks of the Name

• 📞 Confusion over the name has had its perks, such as making restaurant reservations where staff sometimes asked if the call was from the mayor's office.
• 🆔 In some instances, the wine importer had to show his driver's license to prove his identity.
• 📜 The wine importer points out he had the name first, noting the former mayor changed his name from Warren Wilhelm Jr.