They eat lamb and they bust chops; its part of the appeal at the annual Crocodile Club dinner.
The dinner, which is really a lunch in the ballroom at Lake Compounce, just celebrated it's 133rd year. The event began when the founder of Lake Compounce, Gad Norton, gathered together various political figures in hopes of swaying them to into re-drawing property lines between Bristol and Southington. It worked.
The dinner has continued over the years as a way to get politicians and their supporters from all parties together for an afternoon of eating and drinking and having fun. Ray Dunaway, the WTIC Radio host and also president of the Crocodile Club said, "they're killing each other out there but at least in here you can be friends for a while."
Taking a brief respite from the Gubernatorial race, Gov. Dan Malloy said, "election season is tough on everybody. You've got to get together and break bread." Malloy, Rep. John Larson and Lt. Gov. candidate Heather Somers were among the political heavyweights who took the podium. Gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley did not attend the event.
"Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences, eat together, laugh together," said State Sen. John McKinney, who lost to Foley in the recent primary. "It's important for elected officials from both parties to get along," McKinney added.
The Crocodile Club dinner benefits the New England Carousel Museum and the ballroom space is donated by Lake Compounce.