The Columbus Citizens Foundation has invited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the Manhattan Columbus Day Parade, and Italian-American leaders are not happy about it. The invitation, in the hopes of fostering a better relationship between City Hall and the Italian-American community, has drawn sharp criticism from across the community.
The Invite and the Insult
Mamdani’s history with Columbus is not subtle. In 2020, he posted a photo on social media of himself brandishing his middle finger at a statue of Columbus, captioning it “take it down.” The move was a direct insult to a figure many Italian-Americans see as a founding hero of their community.
Crispi’s Rebuke
Mike Crispi, president of the Italian American Civil Rights League, wrote on X: “Are you kidding me? This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers.” He referenced the 2020 post as proof of exactly what kind of man the organizers have invited.
Christopher Loiacono, president of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, defended the decision. “We feel cooperating is always the better path,” he said. “And we hope to create a good relationship with his office. We hope he will be more open to [working] with the Italian community.”
Ariola’s Counter
New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola responded with a question of her own: “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. Why would he want to be there? To get pictures and pretend he’s a paisan now? He should sit this one out.”
Ariola was referring to a city map of ethnic enclaves that excluded Little Italy. The map was initially created by the previous administration in 2023, but Mamdani’s administration added several neighborhoods before releasing the 2026 version. Mamdani has since moved to update the map to include Little Italy.
Stone and Rosenberg
Right-wing political operative Roger Stone wrote on X that Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 memorial service was “inappropriate” and that Italian-Americans don’t want him on Columbus Day either.
Jewish radio host Sid Rosenberg was blunter. “The organizers of the parade invited [Mamdani] to attend? What? This Radical Islam mother fcker gave the finger to a Columbus statue and left Little Italy/Arthur Avenue OFF his bullsht immigrant map,” he wrote. “The Italians need to step up and stop this!”
Crispi Threatens a Competing Parade
Crispi has threatened to hold a competing Columbus Day parade next year if the Columbus Citizens Foundation does not revoke its invitation to the mayor. That threat makes clear how deeply the community is divided over this decision.
The Schedule
Columbus Day falls on Monday, Oct. 12. The Columbus Day Parade is set for Manhattan that day. It is not yet known if Mamdani has accepted the invitation.
A Pattern of Opposition
The Columbus Day parade would not be the first public event Mamdani attended this year to draw organized opposition. At the annual Sept. 11 memorial service at Ground Zero, some family members of victims circulated a petition demanding he stay home.
Where the Community Stands
The parade is meant to honor Italian-American heritage. By inviting the man who gave the finger to Columbus and excluded Little Italy from his city map, the organizers have made a decision that splits the community in half.
Crispi’s threat of a competing parade shows how serious the opposition is. The Italian-American community has its own answer to the Columbus Citizens Foundation’s invitation, and it will not be quiet about it.
The Columbus Citizens Foundation has a choice to make. It can try to bring Mamdani into the fold and hope the relationship improves, or it can listen to the community and withdraw the invitation before the parade becomes a spectacle of division rather than unity.
The Numbers
- Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 12
- Parade: Manhattan
- Crispi has threatened a competing parade next year if the invitation is not revoked
- The map excluded Little Italy; Mamdani has since moved to update it
The Comparison
| Crispi | Ariola | Stone | Rosenberg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Direct rebuke on X | Question on X | Statement on X | Angry statement on X |
| Focus | 2020 middle-finger post | Exclusion from immigrant map | 9/11 service | Both posts and map |
| Tone | Reasoned | Skeptical | Calm | Angry |
| Demand | Revoke invitation | Sit it out | Don’t want him there | Stop it |
The Reaction
- Crispi wrote: “Are you kidding me? This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers.”
- Ariola wrote: “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.”
- Stone wrote: “Just as Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 Ceremony was inappropriate, we Italian/Americans don’t want him on Columbus Day either.”
- Rosenberg wrote: “The Italians need to step up and stop this!”
The Decision
The Columbus Citizens Foundation and the Mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday. Whether the invitation stands or falls, the community will have its answer by Columbus Day.
Source material: “Fury erupts over Mamdani parade invite as old Columbus insult resurfaces: ‘Are you kidding me?’,” Fox News.
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