NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill's mother was tardy to the St. Patrick's Day party, presenting the perfect opportunity for Cardinal Timothy Dolan to take a lighthearted dig at Mayor Bill de Blasio's chronic lateness.
Following the festivities, Dolan stopped to chat with De Blasio and O'Neill in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"Happy St. Patrick's Day!" he exclaimed as he shook the commissioner's hand. "Is your mom here?"
"Running late, she'll be here in a bit," O'Neill said.
"I didn't know you were related to the mayor!" Dolan exclaimed, followed by a roar of laughter from the surrounding crowd of paradegoers.
De Blasio wasn't miffed about the joke and took it in stride, posing for pictures with the cardinal in front of the church before the crowd. He and Dolan quickly commiserated about the difficulties of getting through the crowd before going their separate ways.
The mayor isn't the best with punctuality. He was 30 minutes late to the 2015 Rockaway St. Patrick's Day parade; less than two weeks later, he was 15 minutes late to the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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The mayor's staff blamed his lateness on the St. Patrick's Day breakfast at Gracie Mansion, which began "a little later than expected," according to a City Hall spokesperson.
A spokesperson from the mayor's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
