NYC Councilwoman Slams Mayor Mamdani's Italian Heritage Month Post Praising 'Communist'

New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino has sharply criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his Italian Heritage Month tribute, which honored a congressman with ties to the Communist Party. Paladino accused Mamdani of promoting communist propaganda.

Mamdani posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Happy Italian Heritage Month, New York. Here’s continuing to fight for Vito Marcantonio’s vision of a government that works for all working people." Marcantonio, who represented East Harlem in Congress for seven terms, served first as a Republican and later as a member of the left-wing American Labor Party. His opposition to U.S. involvement in the Korean War and his legal work for the Communist Party reportedly drew FBI attention during the Cold War.

Paladino responded on X, calling Marcantonio an "obscure Italian-American communist." She questioned Mamdani's choice of figure, stating, "Of all the great men and women of Italian descent who've contributed to New York City and the United States, this is the idiot he picks."

She urged Mamdani to refrain from invoking his Italian heritage, asserting he was "physically incapable of being anything other than a loathsome propagandist for communism." Paladino contrasted Mamdani's message with her family's experience, noting her father fought against Italian forces in World War II and her mother worked in a button factory while raising five children alone. "We wanted to become Americans, and our people were proud to learn the language and wave the American flag," Paladino said. "That’s what being an Italian-American in New York means. Not the communist propaganda Zohran is pushing here."

Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.