Most of the work I did when I lived in the Washington, DC area centered on politics where clients would sent me to the White House, Congress or the Senate and now and then it would be an inspiring moment specially when I would photograph someone admirable.

So when TIME magazine sent me to photograph Andrew Cuomo I was all for it. At the time he was making his mark in politics and when your father was the late GREAT Mario Cuomo-well that is a mighty road to climb.

This was my first photo session with him. And having an Italian background, 4th of July or not, it all felt like a Saturday walk in the park. My crew and I arrived at his office three hours before the photo schedule time so we could set it all up, adjust the lights, do some polaroid samples and tweak the strobes a bit more and do some tests. That is the way it usually works. Then if we're ready to roll and did have extra time left, I would take my crew to a quick lunch. And when a photo gig was at the Hill, the crowd where we would chow was filled with the Who is Who in politics. It was easy to see top brass military officials or personnel or the reporters covering politics in DC, it also included the senators or congress men and women, from opposites teams, would laugh or talk to each other and act quite cordial-then an hour later they would be arguing for a new bill to pass.

During the set up, I decided not to use his office and instead had my crew set up in and adjacent narrow and long board room with a large window all the way at the back which let in a large amount of daylight in. I wanted to make him bigger than the room… I wanted to make him a leader and a man in control… I wanted him to be the Chairmen of the Board.

We knew that our shoot with Mr. Cuomo was right at 11am and it was going to be brief-in fact ten minutes-and I was ok with that since often with other subjects it can be less than five. At the time, the present governor of New York was the Assistant US Secretary of Housing, or HUD as is known, during the first term of President Bill Clinton. During Clinton’s 2nd term he took over the mantle and became the US Secretary of Housing.

That very first time while my crew was setting up at the meeting room I waited at his office looking around, checking books that he read or planned to read from his library, saw some mementos and a few photographs spread it around. On his desk there was a photo with his parents, sister and his younger brother Chris who was still in college.

Before the day of our photo session I knew that we had a few things in common such as Messina (Italy), our birthday are less than a month apart and both of our mums shared the same first name Matilda (Matilde). So I was ready to roll.

Shoot time arrived and Cuomo was brought in into the conference room, spotted my guys and me and walked over with his secretary and a PR person who did the introduction and addressed us as if to make sure everybody in the room heard it and understood that he was doing his job quite well and to the dot.

 “Now Paganelli remember Just five minutes as we agree with your magazine for Mr. Cuomo is very busy today” with a loud nervous tone the lanky PR person demanded.

I wasn’t going to argue with that, I got busy fast and did a couple more Polaroids test, which before the digital age that was a way to make sure everything was working and looking the way I envisioned it. I tossed a few Italian words and he replied in a fairly good Italian. By the time we did the Polaroids and fixed the lights properly a great chunk of the time was gone and that was when the PR nervous guys sounded the horn, “OK only five minutes… sorry but Mr. Cuomo is a very busy man.” I was so focus that I didn’t even heard him then one of my assistants said, “Pag did you hear that?”

I continued snapping more images when for a few seconds Andrew stretched his arms, took a big breath and with a warm smile, soft words came out  “Is great to have one of my own people photograph me… and just called me Andrew” There was integrity in his brown eyes and I took it as a great sign and if I was a gambler in Las Vegas I would had played cards with high confidence all night long.  But just when we’re sailing smooth and I was concentrated and didnt want to be disruted by anyone, but knew it was coming,  the nervous PR man cleared his throat and was about to launch his vocals when he was cut off by the Assistant US Secretary at HUD telling him that all was fine and that he could be late for his next appointment. Although I felt that I had what the magazine needed I wasn’t going to say no to that gift for long ago I learned from my father that when the meal is free don’t even ask, “what’s for lunch?”

Those ten minutes turned into an hour. Our conversation went to our parents, our background, part of his duty and his service he was providing to so many citizens.  I tried one more set up and he was warming up.

A couple years later Cuomo became head of HUD and I was able to photographed him a few more times. During one of our shoots together I discovered, from his lips, that he enjoyed working with me and whenever possible his assistant would mention my name to a magazine. 

In 1951 a fearful emotional movie, based on a short story by Harry Bates, was presented on the large Hollywood screen. The powerful film title had five words which back then nobody would had dreamed it could ever become reality at all. And today it isn’t a dream and in a  Biblical way it is indeed The Day the Earth Stood Still

A few days ago I was telling my wife that if the destiny of our planet could be decided with a single tennis match against an alien from another galaxy the man to save us would be Rafael Nadal for nobody plays and puts his heart into a match the way he does. 

Folks during this Corona Virus occasion is great to see, even if partially, a beacon of true shining and making our path & tribulation easier. I am really proud to have Andrew Cuomo, a brilliant & humble human being, on my corner. Sadly today we are facing a blinding darkness, with partial truths and hopes full of holes while politicians without morals or empathy play with us without the right to do so and then wash their hands without anybody at the top saying, “The Buck Stops Here” With confidence,  I can really place my  trust and the well-being of my family, my friends and the rest of our nation in the hands of Governor Andrew Cuomo.