Hollywood’s Bright Lights Shine on a New York Dark Horse

It’s a job few New Yorkers can define, including the candidates running for it. But the public advocate is first in line to succeed the mayor, and among those fighting to capture the post, civil libertarian Norman Siegel would seem least likely to succeed.

So why are some of Hollywood’s biggest stars--Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks and others--forking over nearly $87,000 to Siegel’s campaign? Answer: Because David Geffen asked them to.

“David and I grew up together in Brooklyn and we went to the same high school,” Siegel explained, sounding sheepish about his ties to one of Tinseltown’s most powerful movie moguls. “We’ve managed to keep our friendship intact, we’ve remained close, and when I told him that I was going to be running for this office, he was very happy to assist me.”

It remains to be seen whether Siegel’s Geffen contact can offset his apparent weaknesses in running for office. He doesn’t have long-standing ties to Democratic power brokers, a must in the Big Apple. As a former director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, he’s stirred sharp controversy with his criticism of the New York Police Department’s record in minority communities. Most tellingly, he comes across as a well-meaning novice in a town that eats nice guys for breakfast.

And many question how much effect Hollywood celebrities--no matter how many come out to support Siegel--will have on a New York City race that has been drowned out by the battle to see who will succeed Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

“Frankly, I don’t know what this [Los Angeles-based support] will do for Norman,” said Betsy Gotbaum, a rival candidate and veteran politico who worked for former Mayors Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins. “As a New Yorker, I’d rather have Koch endorse me than a Hollywood movie star.”

Still, the money that Geffen raised has made Siegel a bona fide player, a development that seems to surprise him as much as anybody else in New York.

Siegel said he’s amazed that two kids who grew up six blocks apart would be helping each other 50 years later, then added: “Actually, that’s not quite true. David’s helping me. I’m not sure how much I’m helping him.”

For his part, Geffen contacted an A-list of business and entertainment donors in a Dec. 1 letter touting Siegel’s principles and political promise. “Please give as generously as you can,” he wrote. “It would mean a lot to me.”

The co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, who was unavailable for comment, delivered big time: Four weeks after his letter went out, Siegel’s campaign was depositing checks from Jeffrey Katzenberg; fund-raiser William Wardlaw; Jerrold Perenchio, chairman of Univision Communications, one of the nation’s largest Spanish-language media companies; Peter Morton, founder of the Hard Rock Cafes; Wall Street power broker Herbert Allen; and producers such as Jon Landau, Ray Stark, Steve Tisch and Peg Yorkin. It is “certainly a possibility” that Geffen will raise further campaign funds for his friend, said Andy Spahn, spokesman for DreamWorks.

“Some of our friends called and asked: ‘What’s the job of public advocate?’ ” said Spahn. “But the point was, this is something that matters a lot to David, and the people he wrote to last year were his friends.”

The public advocate, created by a charter amendment in 1989, is charged with monitoring city agencies and sits on a variety of municipal boards. During recent forums, Siegel and four other candidates offered sharply differing views of what the job is supposed to mean in the political life of the city. All agree, however, that it matters hugely.

If the mayor dies or leaves office, the public advocate is first in the line of succession. Not surprisingly, it has become an alluring springboard that has attracted a host of well-funded, experienced candidates. The first person to hold the post, former Ralph Nader advisor Mark Green, gained heavy media exposure and is now leading his three rivals in the race for mayor.

During campaign appearances, Siegel, 57, notes that he has frequently locked horns with Giuliani, challenging the mayor’s crackdown on a controversial exhibit at the Brooklyn Art Museum and blasting police treatment of minorities. These tiffs have made Siegel a familiar figure, but the activist who has run the New York civil liberties office for 15 years has yet to build a solid political organization in the five boroughs.

At times he seems to lack even the most rudimentary grass-roots skills. Siegel’s campaign recently hosted donors at a performance of “The Producers,” the hottest show on Broadway, and the candidate had to be reminded to schmooze with contributors during the intermission. So far, he has raised $187,523, according to city records. Gotbaum and Assemblyman Scott Stringer have each raised more than $650,000, while City Council members Kathryn Freed and Stephen DiBrienza each raised $350,000.

Few expected Siegel to raise anywhere near that. But to hear Siegel tell it, he took a trip to an Enchanted Castle in California last year and came back with a pot of gold. Geffen invited him to his palatial home in Los Angeles after Siegel told him about his campaign plans, and the civil liberties leader still speaks with awe about his trip.

“Our parents back in the old neighborhood always told us to go for it,” Siegel said. “Well, David didn’t just go for it. He got it.”

Siegel got what he wanted, too, including a commitment from Geffen to co-chair his campaign. Yet he was nervous before their West Coast meeting.

“A lot was riding on our talk,” he said. “So I remember practicing what I would say to him that morning, and I did it like I was going to be making an appearance in court. I had in my pocket a list of things I was going to ask him, and if the first thing worked, I’d go to item No. 2. But he made it easy, like we were still friends back in Brooklyn.”

Back in the old days at New Utrecht High School, Siegel and Geffen set out on their career paths. The future lawyer ran for student body president, while Geffen got involved in theater. That their paths have crossed yet again suggests a crucial life lesson:

“Stay close to old friends,” says Siegel. “You never know.”