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Kenneth Flatto Papers

Collection, Ms B151

1990 – 2011
Fairfield Museum
Kenneth A. Flatto was born on June 29, 1952 in New York City. Living in New York City in the Gramercy Park/Stuyvesant district, Flatto was a Democratic district leader from 1985 to 1989. Flatto and his wife, Elizabeth, later moved out of the city to Westchester. In the fall of 1990, they pulled up stakes in Westchester and headed east to Fairfield. Flatto got into politics in the the town of Fairfield in 1991 when he worked on Jim Fox's campaign. In 1995, the controversy by First Selectman Paul Audley, to have a municipal skating rink be built and managed by a private developer on town property behind the Carolton Convalescent Hospital sparked Flatto's motivation to run for First Selectman. He thought it would be a great learning experience, although at the time he was more interested in running for the Board of Finance, but Democrats were having trouble finding a candidate to challenge Audley for the top job, so Flatto got the nod. He did not win the election, but garnered enough votes for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. In 1997, he ran against Jack McCarthy and won. Flatto's tenure in the top job was short-lived. Two years later, he was challenged by veteran State Representative John Metsopoulos -- and lost. He did come back later on and won the rematch with Metsopoulos -- and continued winning fairly easily in three subsequent elections for the town's top job, First Selectman. He would become the second-longest tenured first selectman in Fairfield's recent history. When Flatto left office, it would be after serving 12 years as Fairfield's chief executive.
This collection contains eight folders of assorted speeches, photographs, newspaper clippings, event flyers and programs, viewpoint column articles and planning and zoning plans pertaining to First Selectman, Kenneth A. Flatto.
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