In a Parting Jest: Departing Mayor of Danbury Leaves Whimsical Surprise Gift for Successor

My name is Lou Milano and I am the co-host of a very unique radio show called "The I-95 Morning Show with Ethan, Lou & Large Dave."

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Our show is hyper-local in its approach. We try to push as many buttons as possible to remind our listeners we are their neighbors. One of the things we like to do is speak with local leaders and politicians so the listeners can get to know them on a more personal level.

Leading up to the 2023 Danbury Mayoral Election we spoke with both candidates each week. On Wednesdays we'd talk with Democratic challenger Roberto Alves. Then, on Thursdays it was Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito's turn.

In the end, Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito lost his re-election bid to Roberto Alves. Seeing as we've built personal relationships with both men, this coverage sometimes became uncomfortable for my co-hosts and I. The candidates had to take their shots back and forth and they did.

In the end, we were just happy when the election was over so we could move forward and have new conversations about where the city is going next. We began those talks at a recent I-95 event called "Camping for Cans."

Both men appeared on our show to support this food/fundraiser to benefit a local food pantry called Hillside Food Outreach. It was a big deal that they both agreed to put their full support behind us.

During those interviews we did start to move away from the campaign and onto the next phase, the transition. We were curious about how that process will play out and both Esposito and Alves answered our questions.

But when we were speaking with Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito we found that he had one more shot to take at his former opponent, a lighthearted one. He said he'd be leaving behind his head.

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I thought it was funny but I also didn't think it was a real thing until I got a photo from the Mayor later in the day. It was real and that made it a lot more funny.

That is not the only one.

I like this move a lot, its a harmless dad joke. It's not just a dad joke it's a joke my dad would make. In fact, I've seen him do things like this dozens of times over the years.

Camping for Cans Full Interviews

Roberto Alves

Dean Esposito

P.S. I wasted a lot of time on this article trying to work "a head start" into my headline, it just didn't work out the way I wanted.