BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo's mayor said Thursday that Joe Mascia's racial comments, recorded surreptitiously by a friend of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority board member and Common Council candidate, were "unacceptable" and "disturbing" – "particularly disturbing for an elected representative, someone who represents a diverse body of people to express those racist views."
Mascia admitted to using the "n-word" in referring to several African-American elected officials. Mascia said he made the comments while sitting in a truck with a friend.
In addition to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Mascia also uses the word in reference to Common Council President Darius Pridgen and BMHA Executive Dawn Sanders-Garrett.
Mascia says he didn't know he was being recorded, but what he said was wrong.
"I think I can work through it. Like I said, I have to make amends for what I said, apologize for what I said, and yeah, people will not look at me the same again, but I can earn their respect and their trust again, I know I can," Mascia said.
"I don't think those comments are out of character for this individual," said Brown, D-Buffalo, on Thursday afternoon.
"It is quite clear and will be quite clear for the entire citizenry that he is unfit for public office. I think in 2015 it is disturbing for people to issue racist comments, particularly disturbing for an elected representative, someone who represents a diverse body of people to express those racist views that Joe Mascia expressed," said Brown.
Mascia is running against Buffalo Common Council Member David Franczyk in the Fillmore District. Mascia says the comments were made out of frustration and that he was baited into making them by someone he considered a friend.
"What makes it even more disturbing is that he was secretly taped by a friend of his who claimed that he was so disturbed by his past racist comments and his past racist tirades that he felt he should tape him and make his attitudes, and make his views, known to the public," said Brown.
"This is way out of character for me, everybody knows it. I was manipulated into saying something I shouldn't have said, I apologized for it was wrong it was insensitive," said Mascia.
Common Council President Darius Pridgen said he's not heard personally from Mascia since the release of the video.
"I forgive you and I hope that you have learned from this experience a lesson about how you compartmentalize people and how you not only hurt people or individuals in leadership but how you hurt their families, how you hurt community growth and you need to be very careful of what you say," said Pridgen.