By Tom Deignan

The McManus family from the West Side of Manhattan, of course, is the quintessential New York Irish political dynasty.

But the McManus's from Greenwich Village, Brooklyn and now the Bronx — a tri-borough McMani if you will — are setting out to create their own political dynasty of sorts.

Joseph McManus, a steamfitter and shop steward with local 638, is running for City Council in the north Bronx district that includes neighbourhoods such as Throgs Neck, which still have a substantial Irish American presence.

In a recent interview with the Irish Voice, McManus, 56, recalled that his grandparents were employed by two of New York’s Irish political legends.

“My great-grandmother worked for Jimmy Walker,” said McManus, who has amassed lots of union support in his bid to win the Democratic council primary on September 13.

Jimmy Walker is best remembered as the club-hopping, crooning mayor who epitomized jazz age New York City, before he left town following a corruption scandal.

Another of McManus’ grandparents, meanwhile, worked for Al Smith, a homegrown boy from the Village who went on to become governor and the first Irish Catholic to run for president.

“I guess you could say politics is in our blood,” said McManus, who was born in Brooklyn, where he attended St. Bridget’s Catholic school as well as Brooklyn Technical High School. McManus has lived in the Bronx for three decades now.

So, after a life of union work and politics, McManus, who has raised three kids with his schoolteacher wife, is aiming for elected office.

“It’s a lot more work than I thought. I never worked harder in my life, but I’m enjoying it,” said McManus.

The race for McManus’ diverse district, previously represented by Madeleine Provenzano, who cannot run because of term limits, is particularly tight.

Also running are former state Assemblyman Steve Kaufman, Community Board leaders James Vacca and Irene Rukaj and businessman Ismael Betancourt.

Running for office is just the latest challenge McManus has shouldered. Just a few years ago he went back to school and graduated summa cum laude from Lehman College with a degree in political science.

McManus is positioning himself as the candidate for the working and middle classes which he said make up the bulk of the district’s residents.

“I’m the working guy,” he said. “All I’ve done my whole life is be a steamfitter. I’m not a bureaucrat, I’m not a politician. People ask me, ‘Do you know the issues?’ I say I live them.”

McManus is banking on heavy union support to help him win. He is backed by many labour organizations including the Building and Construction Trades, Local 32BJ/SEIU, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, District Council 9, UFCW Local 1500 and his own Local 638.

Recently, New York State AFL/CIO President Dennis Hughes and New York Central Labour Council leader (and Queens Assemblyman) Brian McLaughlin wrote a letter to Central Labour Council members in strong support of McManus.

“Helping to elect Joe is one way that the labour movement in New York can come together and lead the public discourse on policies that affect our members and families,” the letter said.

With such strong union backing, McManus is not afraid to say that he is among the leaders in the race. Such support will come in handy as the race enters its final stretch and McManus and his supporters knock on doors and greet commuters at train stations.

This could all prove critical because McManus and others expect voter turnout in the Bronx to be heavy. After all, native son Freddy Ferrer is running in the Democratic primary for mayor, which is expected to boost numbers.

Will those voters also look down the line and pull the lever for McManus? We’ll see on September 13.

(Contact Sidewalks at tomdeignan@earthlink.net.)