WRITING ON WALLS, AND LOOKING TO RIGHT WRONGS
By DAVID GONZALEZ, NYT

Zorro is James De La Vega's kind of hero, especially since he shares his name with the masked swordsman, formally known as Don Diego de la Vega. Both of them - in their own ways - defend the poor and outcast from the rich and ruthless, donning disguises and leaving their marks.

So what if Mr. De La Vega hides behind slick shades and a huge, disco-perfect Afro wig and he leaves his mark with a felt-tip marker or spray paint? After all, his realm is Spanish Harlem, not Spain's New World colonies. But like Zorro, he has run afoul of the authorities, most recently in July, when he was convicted on three misdemeanor counts for drawing a fishbowl on a brick wall without permission.

Unbowed (and unsentenced, at least until next Tuesday), he is now urging others to write his name in one very specific place: on a write-in ballot for state senator representing New York's 28th District. Mr. De La Vega, a street artist best known for his murals and sayings on walls and sidewalks in Spanish Harlem and beyond, says he is serious about attracting attention to the political mess that allows professional legislators to play politics while the problems of Spanish Harlem's poorest residents fester and yuppies and other newcomers snap up apartments.

"You the man, baby!" shouted Rodney Rojas when he saw Mr. De La Vega outside his storefront on Lexington Avenue. "You the man!"

Mr. De La Vega, 32, flashed a quick smile and returned to doing the only kind of spray painting that will not get him in trouble these days: stenciling "De La Vega for Senator" on neighbors' shirts and jackets. Down the street, the same phrase adorns the Associated Supermarket's flier featuring sale-priced cow feet, beef tripe and Vienna sausages.

"If you want to translate victory in terms of votes, maybe we don't have a chance this time around," he said. "But without a doubt we have the most interesting campaign. Not having money forces you to be creative."

Just ask the longtime incumbent, Olga A. Mendez, whose larger-than-life portrait recently covered the roll-down gate of Mr. De La Vega's storefront (albeit with a Vote De La Vega campaign button affixed to her shirt). Or check with her Democratic opponent, City Councilman Jose Marco Serrano, son of the congressman. Not that long ago, Mr. De La Vega visited his campaign office bearing cookies and juice.

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