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We Did Cocaine in our Youth, Admit DA Hopefuls

By Michael P. Ventura | November 1, 2009 4:30pm | Updated on September 3, 2009 2:32pm

Hey, everybody in Manhattan did cocaine in the '70s, right?

That apparently includes two candidates for Manhattan district attorney, an office charged with prosecuting city drug crimes. Richard Aborn and Cy Vance Jr. revealed in a debate on Tuesday night that they experimented with drugs other than marijuana.

"I did try cocaine," Aborn told the Daily News. "It was years and years ago, 30-plus years ago, and that's all there is to say about it."

During the debate, Aborn, 57, said he was a proponent of finding alternatives to tossing nonviolent drug offenders in prison.

How many times had he tried cocaine? "Very, very, very few," he said, according to the News.

"I experimented with cocaine on two or three occasions mire than 30-plus gears ago," Vance said, according to the News. "Haven't used it since."

Leslie Crocker Snyder, a third candidate in the race for DA, said she never tried any drugs.  The candidates who did, however, said they hoped kids didn't follow their example.

Cy Vance Jr., candidate for Manhattan district attorney, admitted during a election debate that he dabbled in drugs in his youth.
Cy Vance Jr., candidate for Manhattan district attorney, admitted during a election debate that he dabbled in drugs in his youth.
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Cy Vance for DA