Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, has long fought to preserve Columbus Day and the monuments, statues, and landmarks honoring Christopher Columbus. He has successfully resisted efforts to eliminate Columbus Day in New York and to remove the monument and rename Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Yet today he faces his greatest challenge: Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani—still leading in the polls—has made his disdain for Columbus abundantly clear. On his X page, Mamdani even posted a photo giving the middle finger to the Columbus Monument in Queens with the caption: “Take it down.”
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In a September 8 New York Daily News opinion piece titled “Too much rides on this election for a newcomer,” Vivolo expressed alarm:
“I am deeply concerned about the campaign of Zohran Mamdani. His rhetoric may sound inspiring to some, but in reality, it is unrealistic and potentially harmful. At a time when New York faces crises—food insecurity, skyrocketing housing costs, a strained health care system, and above all, concerns about safety—we cannot afford ideas that divide, distract, or overpromise.”
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Mamdani, who proudly identifies as a socialist, has promised free public transit, no-cost child care, and city-run grocery stores. Vivolo is unconvinced:
“Do we really believe Mr. Mamdani’s socialist positions will bring jobs and growth? I believe the opposite is true. His policies would discourage investment, drive away opportunity, and put at risk the very jobs working families rely upon. That is not progress; it is regression.”
Equally troubling to Vivolo are Mamdani’s criminal justice proposals. The candidate has advocated legalizing prostitution, nullifying felonies, and releasing incarcerated offenders.
“Equally troubling is his support for legalizing prostitution,” Vivolo writes. “Is he aware of the human trafficking industry that fuels it? Legalization does not erase exploitation—it risks expanding it.”
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Mamdani is in his thirties, with little government experience beyond a partial term as a state legislator—a fact Vivolo warns voters not to overlook.
“New York is not just any city,” he stresses. “With a budget larger than that of most states, the next mayor must manage public safety, education, housing, transportation, and health care with experience and proven leadership. This is no place for untested ambition.”
Vivolo concludes with a stark warning:
“His ambition without qualification will not serve New York City well. We cannot gamble our city’s future on rhetoric that cannot deliver. This November, we must choose leadership grounded in experience, pragmatism, and the ability to govern. Our city’s future depends on it.”
Editor’s Note: Photographs show the writer, Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, Democratic mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani shouting, Mamdani as a "rap artist," and the X page by the Queens state representative, hating on Columbus. The web site for the Columbus Heritage Coalition: www.columbusheritagecoalition.org