The suit portrays Garden City as a wealthy white enclave.
But it has also attracted controversy in the city's white ethnic enclaves.
His campaign has also championed the goal of neighborhood preservation, but gingerly, so it is not perceived as code for preserving white enclaves.
The attacks, officials say, reflect an increase in violence in generally peaceful white enclaves of the city.
It was the first of three race-tinged murders in white ethnic enclaves during the 1980s.
I went to one of the last mostly white enclaves.
A couple of blocks away were a few small white enclaves, mostly old folks and those too poor to move to a higher-class slum.
The Mayor has been careful to maintain support among the city's Hispanic and remaining white ethnic enclaves.
They said they were being used as pawns to protect the organizers from accusations of creating a white enclave.
What appears to be happening is grander than the simple creation of a white enclave.