The Columbus Citizens Foundation, which organizes Manhattan’s annual Columbus Day Parade, has invited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to attend the event on Monday, Oct. 12, according to the New York Post. The invitation has drawn sharp criticism from some Italian-American leaders who point to Mamdani’s past remarks about Christopher Columbus.
Foundation president Christopher Loiacono told the New York Post the decision was aimed at building a working relationship with City Hall. “We feel cooperating is always the better path . . . and we hope to create a good relationship with his office,” Loiacono said. “We hope he will be more open to [working] with the Italian community.”
It remains unclear whether Mamdani has accepted the invitation.
The backlash centers partly on a 2020 social media post in which Mamdani photographed himself giving the middle finger to a statue of Columbus, captioned “take it down.” Columbus is widely regarded within Italian-American communities as a historic link between their heritage and the founding of the United States.
Italian American Civil Rights League president Mike Crispi condemned the invitation on X. “Are you kidding me? This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers,” he wrote. “Zohran has showed contempt for our people and kissing a** won’t change his true feelings. Italian Americans need to wake up and get tough. It’s the only way to preserve our culture.” Crispi has threatened to organize a rival Columbus Day parade next year if the foundation does not withdraw the invitation.
New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Queens Republican, also objected. “This is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t respect Christopher Columbus, and he doesn’t even think us enough of a group to put on his immigrant enclave map,” Ariola wrote. “Why would he want to be there? To get pictures and pretend he’s a paisan now? He should sit this one out.”
Ariola’s reference was to a city map of ethnic enclaves, published earlier this year, that initially excluded Little Italy — a decision that drew its own round of criticism. The map originated under the previous administration in 2023, and Mamdani has said his administration added several neighborhoods before releasing the 2026 version. The mayor has since moved to add Little Italy to the map.
Political commentator Roger Stone weighed in as well, writing on X, “Just as Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 Ceremony was inappropriate, we Italian/Americans don’t want him on Columbus Day either.” Mamdani’s attendance at the Sept. 11 memorial at Ground Zero had already prompted some victims’ family members to circulate a petition asking him to stay away.
Radio host Sid Rosenberg, who said he is not Italian but has served as an honorary dignitary at the parade for five years, said he would boycott the event if Mamdani attends. “The organizers of the parade invited [Mamdani] to attend? What? This Radical Islam mother f*cker gave the finger to a Columbus statue and left Little Italy/Arthur Avenue OFF his bullsh*t immigrant map … When did my Italian brothers and sisters become so soft!” Rosenberg wrote, adding, “The Italians need to step up and stop this!”
Neither the mayor’s office nor the Columbus Citizens Foundation responded to a request for comment.
