When Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone sent a motorcycle police officer to the paper’s parade float Sunday with the threat to either take down the sign reading: “This is not Frankie’s boat” or the officer would remove us from the parade, he was sending a message.

It was not enough that the paper endorsed him.

It was not enough that the paper’s editorial page supported his towing of more than 200 cars before a phantom snow storm.

It was not enough that the paper has regularly publicized his ribbon cuttings, handshakes and commissioning commissions on commission-ness.

It was not enough when the paper’s editor did not press charges when one of his department head, Frankie Santangelo, said in an alcohol-fuel tirade that he would kill him if the paper ever printed his name again.

The message is: Unless you are the “Curtatone Newsletter” you cannot do business in the city.

There are many businesses in Somerville, but the only ones protected by the Constitution are gun shops, abortion clinics and the press.

Years from now we can all wonder what happened to such a nice kid as Joe, who we hoped so much for.

Today, we are asking: How long it will take the professionals in his administration to realize the wheels have come off the wagon to which they are hitched.

We hope they figure it before all the boats are gone.