ALBANY - Santa Claus may stop on the roof, but “Sandy Claus” goes no farther than the fifth floor.
For 20 years, Sandy Raus has been ferrying passengers on her elevator from the depths to the heights of New York's grandly Gothic state Capitol. And, in a place full of characters, she may be the most colorful.
The color is red right now. It's the annual appearance of “Sandy Claus” running elevator No. 4 that exits just outside the state Senate chamber on the third floor. The elevator is decorated with a wooden tree, Christmas lights and a Hanukkah menorah.
“Ho, ho, ho, Sandy Claus is here,” comes the greeting as the heavy metal door opens.
Around April 1, when governors and lawmakers are generally fretting over yet another late state budget, a life-size Easter Bunny does bring a smile. If she likes you, the Easter Bunny will even let you pet her real live bunny that rides up and down, and up again with her.
Memorial Day brings out the red, white and blue, and an Uncle Sam top hat.
But things can get scary around Halloween. Very scary when the gorilla charges out of the elevator at the unsuspecting. Queen Kong? Nope. Just Raus dressed up yet again.
“People enjoy it. It makes them happy,” she explained, the accent still thick from the native Italy she left 41 years ago at age 17.
Raus, or “Sandy the elevator operator” as she is known to almost everyone at the state Capitol, has become so famous she now portrays herself in the Legislative Correspondents Association show, the nation's oldest political gridiron satire staged annually by reporters.
She has also become the source of all sorts of insider information for generations of reporters and politicians who ride with her.
“I know everything,” the mother of three boasts. “People just come to me and tell me everything.”
She and Mario Cuomo used to converse in Italian when he was governor. While the Democrat has a special place in her heart, Raus also enjoys regular chats with Republican Gov. George Pataki.
“He's a nice guy,” she said of the current governor.
Despite having friends in high and low places, Raus' days of running the elevator are numbered.
She is one of a dwindling number of operators as the old elevators are switched over to automated versions. Only two of the original eight are still operating and No. 3 and No. 4 are due to be shut down for conversion around the end of March, according to Christine Burling, spokeswoman for the state Office of General Services.
Raus said she and her friends will still be around.
“I'm still going to come back to the Capitol with the Easter Bunny, with Santa Claus and with the gorilla,” she promised.
And while OGS may have a new job for her, she has an idea of her own.
“I think I'm going to run for governor,” Raus laughed.
The color is red right now. It's the annual appearance of “Sandy Claus” running elevator No. 4 that exits just outside the state Senate chamber on the third floor. The elevator is decorated with a wooden tree, Christmas lights and a Hanukkah menorah.
“Ho, ho, ho, Sandy Claus is here,” comes the greeting as the heavy metal door opens.
Around April 1, when governors and lawmakers are generally fretting over yet another late state budget, a life-size Easter Bunny does bring a smile. If she likes you, the Easter Bunny will even let you pet her real live bunny that rides up and down, and up again with her.
Memorial Day brings out the red, white and blue, and an Uncle Sam top hat.
But things can get scary around Halloween. Very scary when the gorilla charges out of the elevator at the unsuspecting. Queen Kong? Nope. Just Raus dressed up yet again.
“People enjoy it. It makes them happy,” she explained, the accent still thick from the native Italy she left 41 years ago at age 17.
Raus, or “Sandy the elevator operator” as she is known to almost everyone at the state Capitol, has become so famous she now portrays herself in the Legislative Correspondents Association show, the nation's oldest political gridiron satire staged annually by reporters.
She has also become the source of all sorts of insider information for generations of reporters and politicians who ride with her.
“I know everything,” the mother of three boasts. “People just come to me and tell me everything.”
She and Mario Cuomo used to converse in Italian when he was governor. While the Democrat has a special place in her heart, Raus also enjoys regular chats with Republican Gov. George Pataki.
“He's a nice guy,” she said of the current governor.
Despite having friends in high and low places, Raus' days of running the elevator are numbered.
She is one of a dwindling number of operators as the old elevators are switched over to automated versions. Only two of the original eight are still operating and No. 3 and No. 4 are due to be shut down for conversion around the end of March, according to Christine Burling, spokeswoman for the state Office of General Services.
Raus said she and her friends will still be around.
“I'm still going to come back to the Capitol with the Easter Bunny, with Santa Claus and with the gorilla,” she promised.
And while OGS may have a new job for her, she has an idea of her own.
“I think I'm going to run for governor,” Raus laughed.