Stern show producer basks in afterglow of parks board approval

Old Greenwich resident Gary Dell'Abate, who is better known by the moniker Baba Booey as the producer of "The Howard Stern Show," during an interview by the Representative Town Meeting's Appointments Committee at Greenwich Town Hall, Feb. 8, 2011. Dell'abate was previously nominated for a seat on the town's Board of Parks and Recreation, and has since been approved by the full RTM. less Old Greenwich resident Gary Dell'Abate, who is better known by the moniker Baba Booey as the producer of "The Howard Stern Show," during an interview by the Representative Town Meeting's Appointments Committee ... more Photo: File Photo Photo: File Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Stern show producer basks in afterglow of parks board approval 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Gratified by the outpouring of support from the youth football coaching fraternity, players, fellow parents and complete strangers who helped him secure an appointment to the local parks board, longtime "Howard Stern Show" producer Gary Dell'Abate said Tuesday he hopes to be judged solely on his contributions to the town.

Despite controversy surrounding his role on the Sirius Satellite Radio show, Dell'Abate, 50, survived the gauntlet of the lengthy approval process for serving on a public board or commission, a two-month saga that ended Monday night with his confirmation by the Representative Town Meeting 119-64 with seven abstentions.

"It became a referendum on morality and old Greenwich versus new Greenwich, and I didn't intend that," Dell'Abate, who is known to the show's listeners as "Baba Booey," told Greenwich Time.

Three-quarters of the speakers who addressed the citizen legislature vouched for Dell'Abate, who is active in the youth athletic coaching ranks and in local charities such as the North Mianus School Pow Wow. Dell'Abate's defenders covered a broad political and social spectrum, including Democrats, Republicans, a local physician and a police sergeant.

Even the lead singer of the rock band Sugar Ray, Mark McGrath, called Dell'Abate the day of the vote to offer words of encouragement.

"What I wanted to the very end was a fair vote," said Selectman Drew Marzullo, a former RTM member who recruited Dell'Abate for the volunteer position and spoke on his behalf. "Once again, the people's body has spoken."

Dogged for weeks by complaints about the treatment of women on the show and Stern's regular diatribes about Greenwich, Dell'Abate endured many of the same criticisms on the night of his confirmation.

"I think we have seen that he lacks judgment," said Lucy Krasnor, a vocal RTM critic of Dell'Abate.

Krasnor expressed concerns that Dell'Abate would become a distraction to the parks board.

"They will be made a mockery," Krasnor said.

A resident of Old Greenwich for the past 16 years who is married with two sons, Dell'Abate was unanimously nominated in January by the selectmen for the parks board. Playing an advisory role in town government, the nine-member board has been a springboard for everything from beach-access policies and playground projects to park fees and a master inventory of available playing fields. Terms run for three years.

Dell'Abate's first meeting as a parks board member will be March 30.

"I'm glad to have him on the board.," said Joseph Siciliano, the town's parks director. "Gary, the last month or so, has made an effort to come in many times to get background on the current parks board activities. He sounds enthusiastic towards his commitment to be on the board."

Dell'Abate acknowledged that the topic of his appointment came up on Stern's show Tuesday morning, in which he said he quipped that the vast majority of other nominees on the RTM's docket were approved unanimously.

"The process is what it is," Dell'Abate told the newspaper. "It's worked fine for everybody. I'm not special. I'm just happy, at the end of the day, that it worked. In an odd way, it was a special night."

Dell'Abate said he has no hard feelings toward those who spoke against his appointment.

"Hearing people that don't know about me didn't really bother me that much," Dell'Abate said.

Staff writer Neil Vigdor can be reached at neil.vigdor@scni.com or 203-625-4436.