McMahon Visits the Kids, Makes It Rain

Linda McMahon, who’s considering another high-octane run for office, reappeared in the heart of New Haven’s Latino community to meet some kids—and to give back some money that the feds took away.

McMahon, cofounder of the World Wrestling Entertainment empire, made an appearance on drizzly Wednesday afternoon at Centro San Jose, a community center run by Catholic Charities at 290 Grand Ave.

It was a familiar stomping ground for the Greenwich Republican: The center lies along the same stretch of Fair Haven where McMahon found some fans last fall, though not enough to topple her opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Dick Blumenthal.

Back on Grand Avenue without a campaign team, McMahon was asked Wednesday if she plans to run for office again. She’s been publicly toying with a quest for next year’s nomination for Connecticut’s other U.S. Senate, from which Joe Lieberman is retiring.

“I’ve not made a definite decision, but I’m certainly considering it,” McMahon reiterated Wednesday.

When McMahon returned to Grand Avenue, she showed up alone, without any handlers or trackers. She came as a low-key philanthropist and as a children’s storyteller promoting the Week of the Young Child.

McMahon donated $68,000 to Centro San Jose to support a youth program that’s set to suffer from federal cutbacks. The money came from the Linda and Vince McMahon Family Foundation, which was created in 2007. The foundation gave out $1.5 million in grants in 2009, according to the latest tax filing.

The grant will support the center’s after-school program and summer camp, which together serve about 100 teenagers per year, according to staff. Centro San Jose is one of many social service agencies bracing for cuts in federal Community Development Block Grants this year. Aldermen are still waiting on word from the feds before deciding how to divvy up the money. As of now, Centro San Jose expects to lose at least $7,000 from that funding source.

Looming federal cuts would have forced the center to cut back the hours for the teen program, according to Tiffany Murasso, the director of early childhood programs for Catholic Charities. She said McMahon’s foundation came through at just the right time.

“This grant really saved the program,” Murasso said.

In an interview, McMahon said Centro San Jose fits her foundation’s goal of helping “children at risk.” And, she added, the timing was right.

“I do know that it’s very difficult, in these particular times, to get funding,” McMahon said.

McMahon said her foundation usually keeps the donations anonymous. She put out no press release for the event. She confirmed the donation only when asked by a reporter.

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