Republican candidate for Nassau Legislature seat made derogatory Facebook posts in high school

A Republican candidate for Nassau County Legislature has deleted a string of posts on a campaign Facebook page that included derogatory comments about Black people and a photo of a female friend with a dog leash around her neck.

Anthony Capone, 31, made the comments in three separate posts that appeared on his official campaign page until Tuesday, when he deleted the account after Newsday’s inquiries. Capone was 17 when he made those posts. 

In at least three other posts, Capone referred to women as "sluts." In another, he posted a photo of a female friend with a dog leash around her neck. The caption read, "Keep my girls on a leash hahahahaha."

In an interview with Newsday, Capone, who owns a chain of car repair shops and served as the Valley Stream fire chief for two years, called the posts “meaningless.”

“None of this is meant in a derogatory way,” he said. 

Hours after the interview, Capone in a statement apologized for his comments.

“I made a Facebook post that included a derogatory and offensive term referring to African Americans. I am deeply sorry for using that language. It was wrong then, and it is wrong today,” he wrote. Capone added he was proud to raise his son in a diverse community and, “Every day, I strive to be a better person, and I remain committed to listening, learning, and growing.”

He is running to represent Nassau’s 14th Legislative District, which covers Valley Stream and Lynbrook. It was redrawn last year to include a higher proportion of minority voters, and is now composed of 23% Black voters, 22% Latino voters and 14% Asian voters.

The seat is currently held by Democrat Cynthia Nuñez, who in a statement said, “There is absolutely no place for racism or any form of hate speech in our community. My commitment remains focused on serving Valley Stream, Lynbrook and Elmont, and on keeping our communities strong, inclusive, and united.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who endorsed Capone, said the offensive language was "unacceptable" and called Capone's posts "repugnant." He went on to say that Capone had "matured, grown and learned from his youthful mistakes."

Conservative Party Chair Daniel Donovan, who also endorsed Capone, did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.

Nassau GOP Chair Joe Cairo condemned the language as "patently offensive" and said he conveyed his feelings on the matter directly to Capone.

Cairo wrote in a statement, "I believe in second chances, and I expect that [he] will demonstrate the sensitivity, judgement and conduct that come with genuine respect for all members of our society."