Which state Assemblywoman’s spouse rumbled at a “Casino Night” last month at the Fairmont Hotel? If you guessed Neil Struthers, spouse of Nora Campos (D-San Jose), step right up and claim your punch in the face. Naughty Neil has a history of getting into chest-bumping matches with political adversaries at Starbucks, but this time he tussled at the annual Vegas-style hoedown for the Santa Clara and San Benito County Counties Building and Construction Trades Council (SCBTC). As former CEO of the organization, which oversees 25 local unions, Struthers apparently hurled a couple slurs at Enrique Arguello, business manager for laborers union Local 270. Arguello’s outfit has been a rogue political force, at times swimming against the South Bay Labor Council current. Local 270 had a hand in Magdalena Carrasco bouncing Xavier Campos—baby bro of Nora—off the San Jose council, and the group also might have swayed a secret vote leading to Struthers’ resignation from the SCBTC. Back to Casino Night. After some mad dogging, Struthers made some hand gestures suggesting Arguello was gay before calling him a “fucking faggot,” according to multiple sources. Struthers also reportedly made a derogatory comment about Arguello being Mexican, perhaps forgetting about his own wife and brother-in-law. It’s not clear who threw the first punch, but Fly confirmed that Arguello kicked Struthers in the crotch. A scrum ensued as Josue Garcia, CEO of the SCBTC, pleaded for calm. Struthers walked away with a few scratches, perhaps because his backup, Xavier, supposedly ran away. When asked why he didn’t have his brother-in-law’s back, Baby X told folks he was getting a weapon from his car. Yeah, because he’s about that life. In a brief call Xavier jumped off the line, never calling back like he promised. Neither Neil nor Nora responded to requests for comment. The timing is especially poor since Nora is running for state Senate in an uphill battle against incumbent Jim Beall.
UPDATE: The Mercury News has a story on its blog that has been updated to include a police report, which was apparently filed by Neil Struthers. The police report notes that another man identified as “Pablo” kicked Struthers in the groin. The Merc’s report also includes a statement from Struthers blaming state Senate president Kevin De León for the entire mess, adding that he intends to sue Enrique Arguello for slander and libel.
What would you expect from the husband of a crooked woman.
Hey Struthers, it’s too latte to apologize :)
If a Republican had called anyone a “fucking faggot” in public or even in private, it would be on the AP wire with commentary by self-described experts and insiders for days on every outlet imaginable. But Democrats and laboristas get a pass from the liberal press. FLY is the first I’ve heard of it. Thanks, Josh. If a Republican had admitted he had gone to his car to “get a weapon” the same thing would have happened, with more plaintive cries to stop gun violence. It’s a crime to carry a loaded gun in a car, Baby X.
To be fair you have to imagine that Baby X didn’t run for an actual weapon or gun. He meant weapon as in a safe place to hide. Pleading the fifth doesn’t get you out of a brawl and he had no where else to go!
Oh, dear.
Did anyone notify the constabulary?
Were batons, mace, pepper spray, or tasers used?
Please describe the degree of pain experienced, and who experienced it. Don’t leave out any details.
Struthers must be as mentally challenged as his wife… yikes, the two of them put together couldn’t think their way out of a paper bag!
Enrique Arquello needs to resign as business manager of Local 27. The unions do not need people like him who are paid good money to help their members. He sounds like a violent man who perhaps had too much to drink. An investigation into this matter should be conducted and if Enrique contacted the SJ Insider he should step down until this matter is resolved. I urge Jose Garcia and any other top officials there to conduct some type of investigation.
I wonder if this was something planned by Enrique Arquello since Nora Campos is running for office. Please list the names of all people involved in this matter. I worked with Neil several years ago on a community matter and he helped us tremendously and find it hard to believe what Enrique Arquello is saying he said.
Neil is a former affiliate of the union, Hide in Shame Xavier is a bounced council member with no current public standing so why were they there? They should have been tossed out. Arguello is the only one who is a current member of the union. The Campos clan fell apart and all all of the remnants of that political squad who include disgraced Shirakawa & his entire office of cronies, Neil, Nora and Baby X keep trying to reinvent themselves but the public still smells the stench of your failures and corruptness. Try something else fellas you’re really not that good at the public service stuff.
Arguello the rogue. Well he did employ Chris “The Strangler” Stampolis, paying the notorious “Finger Gun” Chris to bully college boards and school boards to get project labor agreements. Roguish Hmm, Jim Beall does get well 10 grand from Arguello’s union. Not much compared to Chris who received over 80 grand over the years for praxing the press. Gosh, does Enrique ever back labor endorsed candidates? Given Arguello’s past history including that one incident five years ago, not hard to imagine Enrique having anger issues. A direct quote from one filing about the incident, Well, it is to be expected given Deleon’s efforts to take over the East Side. Sad what happened tht time he and Emrique had that encounter with that poor fellow that insulted them.
Sounds like a hate crime…racial slurs and towards minorities and the gay community
gosh what a lot of non verified twaddle. beating on a guy for being the spouse of a politician, is that not a civil rights violation. I GET IT, ARGUELLO IS FOLLOWING TRUMPS ADVICE, BEAT THE CROWD
Is that you Mr Struthers? Or maybe its Baby X with his weapon in hand? What a joke you guys are but apparently the Crooked Campos clan hasn’t gotten the message clearly enough San Jose doesn’t like your kind. Lies, cheats, crooks. MACSA scandal, Shirakawa scandal you were all knee deep in it and you’re just not likable or smart enough to get past that. You look like a drunk Mr Struthers you have that alcoholic bloated red face look. Time for an intervention, if only you had a friend that cared enough to do it.
What a idiot
Kicking Struthers in the crotch caused no damage cause he has no balls… Maybe he should have run away like Xavier!
Is this the type of representation the people of Santa Clara deserve?
Maybe the author could post the police report.
Good Heavens!
So typical of Demon-Rat: rude, hypocritical, violent…
Stereotypes are so stupid & judgmental,but they are so much fun ! Since you seem to enjoy them,let me try my hand at it. So typical of the Vietnamese-Rat: Strip malls full of nail salons,massage parlors,illegal gambling,street gangs & dishwashers ! Too bad you’re not Luong gone already,but I’m sure your hero Trump will get around to deporting all of the Vietnamese people he can eventually ! You don’t actually think that his angry white supremacist supporters happen to like Asians anymore than African-Americans,Hispanics,Muslims or Jews do you ? Those people despise you & everyone who looks like you,their sole goal is to drive you out & establish an all white Christian nation ! Trump doesn’t like losers like John McCain & a great number of you Vietnamese-Americans are only here today because their families were on the losing side (our side) in the Vietnam War ! That my friend is a lot of losers !!! You’d better pray to your preferred deity that the Demon-Rats prevail on election day,because if Trump wins the My Lai Massacre will look like a Cub Scout Jamboree in comparison to the millions of foreigners he plans to repatriate !! In the meantime remember to -“Let Saigons,be bygones” – Kinky Friedman
With that smirking, boozy puff face he looks like he would be prone to bar fights… and always losing.
This clan are up to no good, get rid of them. Santake Clara County does not like your type!