Farewell to the Cuomo Pandemic

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The mythology of Andrew Cuomo always struck me as disproportionate with reality. Maybe that’s because I never covered New York politics up close. But in that world, among beat reporters and operatives and legislators and media consiglieres, he was weirdly venerated: He was a brass-balled Italian alpha from another time, swatting away Democratic primary challengers, doling out favors, installing loyalists on committees and boards, cajoling the press with a mix of threats and his odd brand of charm, and emasculating New York Mayor Bill de Blasio whenever he felt like it, just for kicks.