(l to r): Marie Esposito, Vinny from BARC, Bernadette and Gerry

I had no idea Gerry was a cat man:

Film and stage star Bernadette Peters announced today that she was endorsing Democrat Gerry Esposito for City Council, because of his phenomenal commitment to helping animals and the extensive work that he has done [on] behalf of the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition (BARC) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn… Esposito, who has six cats and takes care of three strays, said that it was an honor to receive Peters’ endorsement. “Bernadette Peters has been an inspiration to everyone who believes that animals deserve to be treated with dignity and love. I will eagerly seek out her insight when I am in the Council, because animal protection won’t just be on my agenda, it will be a priority for me.”