By Carl Campanile and Craig McCarthy – New York Post
Mayor Eric Adams and city Police Commissioner Edward Caban were inducted Master Masons in a secret ceremony at Gracie Mansion Saturday that was left off hizzoner’s public schedule.
The Prince Hall Masonic Temple — also known as African American Freemasonry — posted the photos of the event on its Facebook page over the weekend and celebrated Adams’ ascension.
“Brothers and Sisters, today we held an occasional Grand Lodge with the Grand Line officers and Brothers for the first time in history at Gracie Mansion,” the post read.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey was also “raised” as a Master Mason during the ceremony.
The Prince Hall Masonic Lodge has multiple connections to the NYPD.
Kevin Wardally, the head of the NYPD’s office of intergovernmental affairs, is one of the lodge’s officers, a grand junior warden.
The NYPD Square Club also is a recognized Masonic organization. Adams is a retired NYPD captain.
“The result of this special occasion resulted in New York City’s Mayor The Honorable Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Edward Caban, and Chief of the Department Jeffrey Maddrey being raised as Master Masons,” the Facebook post read.
Other “brothers” elevated included Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) and Tony Hebert, who works in the mayor’s office of community affairs.
The Freemasons are the oldest male fraternal organization in the world.
Famous members include US founding fathers including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin; Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Winston Churchill, Irving Berlin, Oscar Wilde, and King Edward VII, among many others.
Some famous Prince Hall Masons include Andrew Young, “Count” Basie, Henry Blair, “Nat King” Cole, W.E.B. DuBois, Edward Kennedy, “Duke” Ellington, Medgar Evers, Alex Haley, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jack Johnson, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, comedian Richard Pryor, retired Congressman Charles Rangel, boxing legend “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Booker T. Washington and former Governor David Paterson.
Known for its secret handshakes and symbols, admission to become a Freemason is quite simple — one must be at least 18 years old and believe in a Supreme Being, though not any religious denomination.
But the Catholic Church forbids freemason membership, saying it would be a “grave sin” for Catholics to join.
There are also two female-only Mason Grand Lodges: The Order of Women Freemasons and HFAF – Freemasonry for Women.
Gothamist.com first reported on the Gracie Mansion Freemason induction ceremony.
City Hall declined comment on the mayor’s induction at the private Gracie Mansion ceremony, and why it was left off his public schedule.
Grand Master Gregory Roberson Smith Jr. did not return a call seeking comment.
And that says it all, folks!
“It’s all one big club and you ain’t in it.” George Carlin