Isac “Erno” Weinberger, a Hasidic Jew who carved out a unique position as a pre-Internet nexus for political gossip, died yesterday morning at New York Presbyterian hospital. He was 66.
Friends said he collapsed on the street near his apartment in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn about four months ago and never regained consciousness.
Dressed in traditional black Hasidic garb, Weinberger was a distinct and constant fixture at City Hall and political events, where he developed a network of sources over the years willing to share information that he rapidly disseminated around the city.
“He knew everyone and everyone knew him,” said longtime friend Isaac Abraham, who said politics was Weinberger’s “life and blood.”
Abraham recalled how Hillary Rodham Clinton once greeted Weinberger at a parade. For religious reasons, he couldn’t shake her hand — so he removed his hat as a sign of respect.
“A Secret Service agent took it and threw it half a block away,” Abraham said. “He didn’t know what he had in the hat.” Clinton ordered it recovered.
Weinberger was laid to rest at the Satmar cemetery in upstate Kiryas Joel. He is survived by his wife and 12 grown children and grandchildren. The family is sitting Shiva in Williamsburg.