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Italian American Leaders Withdraw Support for Mamdani Over Resurfaced Columbus Tweet

They argue the insult to the city’s 8 percent Italian American electorate could sway the November general election

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Overview

  • A June 2020 tweet showed Mamdani giving the middle finger to a Columbus statue in Astoria with the caption “Take it down,” and it has reemerged this July.
  • Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, and other Italian American figures have formally pledged to withhold backing for Mamdani.
  • Joseph Scelsa of the Italian American Museum warns that the bloc—about 8 percent of New York City voters—feels deeply offended and could shift outcomes in a tight race.
  • Mamdani, a democratic socialist who upset Andrew Cuomo in last month’s Democratic primary, now faces Cuomo’s potential independent bid alongside Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa.
  • The dispute underscores the friction between efforts to reevaluate historical monuments and campaigns to defend ethnic heritage in New York politics.