New York City’s far-left Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani delivered a fresh slap in the face to the city's proud Italian American community this past Saturday, brazenly snubbing the annual Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade and outright ghosting organizers of a similar event in Queens.
In a move that underscores the radical left's relentless assault on American heritage, it was confirmed Thursday that Mamdani had declined the invitation to the Brooklyn parade along 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst – an event dedicated to honoring the famed explorer and celebrating Italian American culture. Weeks of outreach from the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn were met with a definitive 'no' from what organizers stated was the Assemblyman's office.
But for Queens, the insult was even more profound. Organizers of the annual Queens Columbus Day Parade in Astoria revealed the Assemblyman never bothered to respond to their invitation at all. The snub left them hanging as their celebration concluded near the very Columbus statue Mamdani famously flipped the bird to in 2020, declaring 'Take it down.'
Sources also indicate that the woke Assemblyman is highly unlikely to grace the much larger Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan on Monday, completing his hat-trick of disrespect against one of the city's foundational communities.
Even the Columbus Citizens Foundation, which organizes the Fifth Avenue parade, faced a backlash from other Italian American groups for extending an "olive branch" to Mamdani, despite his well-documented animosity toward Italian American heritage.
Angie Markham, executive director of the FAIO of Queens, captured the sentiment perfectly: "People wanna change history. It is what it is. This is the day we chose to [honor] Italian heritage. The Spanish have a whole month. The blacks have a whole month. We have one day. Leave us alone!"
Criminal court judge and parade chairman Jerry Iannece echoed the frustration, calling Mamdani and his far-left allies’ disdain for Columbus “misguided,” noting that “there’s a lot of people who want to rewrite history.”
For many Brooklyn patrons, the Assemblyman's actions were upsetting, yet disturbingly predictable. "It's very disappointing because we elected him, and he is supposed to be representing everybody," stated Albert Esposito, 72, a retired school teacher, highlighting the fundamental betrayal of public trust.
Paul DeSpirito, 53, who runs a local Italian sandwich business, minced no words: "It’s a slap in the face to the Italian American community."
Some were even relieved by his absence. As one anonymous man starkly put it, "F---k you! He wouldn't be welcomed."
Mamdani’s office, predictably, remained silent on the matter.
This isn't Assemblyman Mamdani’s first offense against the Italian American community. In July, his administration deliberately omitted Little Italy — a nationally recognized historic district and beloved ethnic neighborhood — from a newly released city map of immigrant enclaves. Mamdani's weak excuse that the list wasn't “exhaustive” rang hollow, especially given his prior provocations.
The animosity traces back to a resurfaced 2020 social media post where the Ugandan-born socialist brazenly showed himself flipping the bird to the Christopher Columbus statue in Astoria, accompanied by the dismissive caption, “Take it down.” This clear pattern of hostility reveals a politician more interested in dismantling history than uniting his constituents.
While moderate Democrat Council Speaker Julie Menin stepped up as grand marshal for the Brooklyn parade, illustrating a contrast in leadership, Assemblyman Mamdani's actions serve as a stark reminder of the progressive left's ongoing war on traditional American values and the diverse heritage that makes this nation great. It’s a battle not just over statues and holidays, but over the very soul of our history and the respect owed to every community that built America.
