New York City mayor delays start of Italy vacation

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh) has postponed his much-discussed family vacation to Italy by a day.

Mayoral press secretary Phil Walzak says de Blasio moved the nine-day trip’s departure date from Friday to Saturday “to attend to city business.”

The mayor’s announcement came shortly after he addressed the Thursday death of a Staten Island man in police custody.

Mayoral aides say de Blasio wanted to stay overnight to consult with officials and community leaders about Eric Garner’s death.

The Democratic mayor was supposed to leave with his wife and two children Friday night. He’d previously said he’ll return if there’s a crisis.

De Blasio faced criticism from political pundits and TV comedians for his decision to travel before a potential Long Island Rail Road strike was averted.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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