Hasta La Ideas

John Catsimatidis, the man behind the Gristedes grocery stores, has emerged as a frontrunner to buy The New York Daily News. This is interesting considering the fact that in 2001, Catsimatidis boycotted the paper after it declared Gristedes one of the city’s dirtiest supermarkets.

As anyone who has shopped in a Gristedes knows, the stores aren’t exactly beacons of cleanliness. However, Catsimatidis was outraged. He pulled the Daily News from his chain and called for editors to be fired. Catsimatidis put so much pressure on the tabloid that it caved and ran a pro-grocery store advertorial.

Richard Pienciak, the Daily News’ city editor during the boycott — yes, Catsimatidis wanted him fired — is among those worried about what will happen if Catsimatidis ends up buying the paper.

“Given the way Mr. Catsimatidis behaved back in 2001, when we had documented evidence — namely state inspection reports — I am concerned for my former colleagues who remain at the Daily News and all the other journalists there,” Pienciak told The New York Post.

To this day, Catsimatidis stands by his boycott. “We got very upset about a reporter that printed lies about one of our supermarkets,” he explained.

We look forward to the Catsimatidis owned Daily News coverage of Gristedes, the greatest business in New York.