NEW YORK — Frank Carone, chief of staff and longtime friend to Mayor Eric Adams, is stepping down by the end of the year.
Eight people with knowledge of the matter confirmed Carone’s pending departure.
As he left City Hall Monday evening, Adams said of Carone's departure: “We had an agreement. He was going to set the foundation for me. He did that, and I thanked him for his year of commitment.”
Carone has been close to Adams for years, as a personal friend, attorney and campaign fundraiser. He was by his side during the contentious Democratic primary last year, helping Adams secure support from key constituencies, raising funds for his bid for mayor and offering legal advice to both the candidate and the Brooklyn Democratic party that supported him.
So when Adams won the election, he tapped Carone to be his chief of staff — a position that under Mayor Bill de Blasio eventually was occupied by his most trusted aide, Emma Wolfe.
In the somewhat nebulous role, Carone is known to travel the country and globe in search of solutions to some of the city’s most intractable problems, while maintaining and expanding Adams’ private-sector relationships with frequent lunches at The Odeon — a favorite haunt of government officials in Lower Manhattan.
Carone has also spearheaded the administration’s push to bring the 2024 Democratic National Convention to the city.
“I’ve been a marine, started businesses, led campaigns, and, generally, have been so blessed throughout my entire life, but I will never be prouder of anything than what we’ve accomplished in the last 18 months,” Carone said in a statement.
“From helping the mayor build the best group of public servants in the city’s history to playing a role in navigating us through the most difficult first few months any mayor has seen in decades, this time has been more fulfilling than I could possibly imagine.”
Prior to his government work, Carone was a partner at the Downtown Brooklyn law firm Abrams Fensterman. He divested from the firm when he took the city job, and, as POLITICO previously reported, said he recused himself from all matters involving former clients with business before the city.
“I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for asking me to stay on for his first year and look forward to continuing to get stuff done in the months ahead,” Carone's statement concluded.
