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Michael Bloomberg Plays Stand-Up Comic, Needles De Blasio At Charity Dinner

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Jokes about New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's habitual lateness and ongoing feud with Gov. Andrew Cuomo took center stage at an annual charity dinner Tuesday night.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg took jabs at de Blasio at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner, named for the former governor and presidential candidate.

The black-tie event is known for its humor, often at the expense of the politicians who attend. It raises money for various charities.

Host Alfred Smith IV joked de Blasio showed up because he thought Cuomo wouldn't be there.

Bloomberg said, despite what people read in the press, Cuomo and de Blasio are incredibly close, "like Cain and Abel." He said, "They finish each other's anonymous quotes."

"It is great to see Mayor de Blasio here, actually in New York City tonight," Bloomberg also joked.

The former mayor also took a shot at Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.

"I'm sure Hillary (Rodham Clinton) can hardly believe her luck," he said. "Her only serious opponent for the nomination is a Jewish socialist who looks like Christopher Lloyd in 'Back to the Future' and sounds like Larry David."

Bloomberg took a whack at most of the Republican hopefuls, but had a special zinger when talking about Ben Carson.

"He's a doctor who doesn't believe in evolution, which is sort of like being a CEO who doesn't believe in profits," he said.

Organizers say the dinner raised $2.6 million.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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