ToquiNotes: Bridgeport Municipal Complex's Dark Side May Not be Known, but No One Trying to Hide It
By Jeff Toquinto on November 02, 2024 from ToquiNotes
A lot of people, or actually most people, are not aware of a very dark side to the City of Bridgeport. I have seen it firsthand and can tell you it is real.
I can also tell you that is new to the city. In fact, it arrived shortly after Bridgeport’s new City Manager Patrick Ford arrived.
Getting to the point, the dark side is with Ford. It was with him prior to coming to the city. And it will likely be with him long after he departs 
his role.
his role.
The scary part? He does not run from it. In fact, he embraces it and will gladly tell you about it.
If you are confused, please do not be. If you are concerned, let your worries go. The “dark side” Ford has embraced and has brought inside the Bridgeport Municipal Complex a collection that he is still unloading in his office and is on display for anyone wishing to see it.
Ford, who I’ve known for decades and has a unique charisma about him, has let that flow into his world of hobbies. His hobby is a pretty substantial collection of Darth Vader memorabilia. Vader, the father of Luke Skywalker and villain of the initial Star Wars movies, is known for his unmitigated evil that only softens in his last moments to save his son – Luke Skywalker.
“My infatuation goes back to the first three movies where I saw this larger-than-life figure. I imagine it was the size, the presence, the voice, the timing, and everything about the character that was consuming,” said Ford. “I never thought about it much until someone got me my first Darth Vader gift. I displayed it, other people noticed, and here we are today.”
That first gift, a figurine, led to two. Eventually jumped to five, and then exploded. His office, earlier this week, already had one section completely covered. There will be more that he will be bringing in as he completes his move from Buffalo. And there will be more added later as he continues to add to his collection.
“Now, I go on the hunt for rare pieces. Whether it was an original poster when the film came out or the Japanese version of what Darth Vader would look like, which someone gifted me, I will look for things, and really love the unique stuff,” Ford said. “When I was in China 
I was gifted that country’s version of Darth Vader.”
I was gifted that country’s version of Darth Vader.”
He has a Darth Vader on a chopper. There is Imperial Marching Band’s sheet music from the movie that is up and framed. There is an autographed photo of Vader with the original actor – David Prowse – signing what is also a framed portrait. There is a Darth Vader lamp that is a clapper version of a lamp.
“I really got some cool stuff,” said Ford.
The display has a purpose beyond just show. In fact, it has a purpose that he noticed when he first began displaying his wares at previous 
professions.
professions.
““I have noticed when people come in and not aware of it, they kind of look around. When you come into an office a lot of times people think you have to act a certain way or think a certain way and it gets I the way of getting business or deals done, or even creating a relationship,” said Ford. “The collection is the first thing you see when you come into my office and it’s really disarming.”
Ford said in the past people he has met in various positions that may have had a complaint or an uncomfortable topic to broach would relax. Sometimes, he said, they would arrive angry and leave in a good mood, and he said it often was the result of the collection that would be witnessed and discussed.
“It’s a conversation started. It makes a lot of people realize that I’m probably not the person you conjured up and that I’m no different than anyone else,” he said. “I like to collect things I find joy in and put it around me.
“It helps me relax too because I want my office to feel like home. I want to arrive and leave it looking like what a room in my house would look like,” said Ford, who said Christmas morning has the added joy of knowing his wife Alecia has scoured the globe trying to find something to add to the collection. “This helps me to love my job. If you love what you do, you’re not really working and having what I consider some really cool stuff around adds to making sure I continue to love what I’m doing.”
Here is what is really cool. Ford is inviting any member of the community who is a Star Wars fan to stop by the Bridgeport Municipal Complex to see the collection and also to meet him.
“If I am in the building and not in the building, I’ll gladly talk to you about the collection. You can knock on my window (it’s the ones with Darth Vader memorabilia on it) and I’ll let you come in. My open-door policy extends to my Darth Vader collection, and I will gladly welcome you in as long as I am not in a meeting,” he said. “I should note that if you come to the office and tell the staff you want to see the collection and have donuts for me, I’ll leave the meeting since donuts are a pass for anything.”
Apparently, the dark side has a sweet tooth. And it appears a bit of a soft side as well.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Patrick Ford with some of his collection, while the next two shows a few more samples of his Darth Vader haul. There is plenty more to see by visiting his office.
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