As Bill de Blasio, the city’s new 6-foot-5 public advocate and a rising star in the Democratic party, made his way to the front of Bronx Community College’s Gould Auditorium for new Councilman Fernando Cabrera’s inauguration, he was stopped by Tony Cassino, who lost his primary bid to unseat Oliver Koppell in the 11th Council District.

“Who was the tallest mayor in the history of New York?” Cassino asked.

De Blasio smiled. “I think it was Lindsay,” he said.

It was just one of many little political interactions at Cabrera’s inauguration, which brought out several Democratic heavyweights, including de Blasio, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, new Comptroller John Liu, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and a host of other Council members and state representatives.

All this on a night when the state’s top-ranking official, Gov. David Paterson, was giving his State of the State speech.

Schumer and Quinn spoke and left, but the majority hung around for the entire two-hour-plus ceremony and subsequent handshaking and hugging.

Many gave speeches praising Cabrera and talking up the positive changes in Bronx politics, led by Diaz and Bronx Democratic Party Leader Carl Heastie.

Not surprisingly, the Rivera clan — former party leader Jose Rivera, Councilman Joel Rivera and Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera — were not in attendance.

Assemblyman Nelson Castro (86th District), a Rivera ally, however, did show up toward the end of the ceremony. He is up for re-election this year and is already facing opposition in district leader Hector Ramirez, a favorite of the new, Heastie-led Democratic Party.

Ramirez followed Cabrera as the Councilman made his official entrance and was also mentioned in Cabrera’s speech. ‘