The cat-loving, beret-wearing Republican who wants to be mayor of New York (2024)

Curtis Sliwa has a lot of cats.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, there were 16 felines packed into the Manhattan apartment that Sliwa, the Republican candidate for mayor of New York City, shares with his wife.

One, called Tuna, lounges in the window. Another is lying on the bed, two more are hiding in a corner. As Sliwa discusses his long-shot campaign, one white and brown cat leaps from a tower onto a filing cabinet, before climbing on top of the fridge and settling down for a rest.

There isn’t a lot of space to accommodate the cats – some of whom Sliwa is fostering temporarily – and Sliwa and his wife. At 328 sq ft, (30.66m2), the apartment is about the size of two car parking spaces. (In New York the minimum legal size for a new apartment is 400 sq feet, but apartments built before 1987 can be much smaller.)

Still, Sliwa, who founded the red-bereted Guardian Angels, a neighborhood protection group that has spread around the globe, and who was shot six times during one incident in the 1990s after speaking out against a powerful New York crime family, seems used to the lack of room.

“I end up operating a lot of the time just out of this apartment,” Sliwa says in a thick Brooklyn accent. “And then on the subways, campaigning on the streets. It’s not your conventional campaign. A lot of one-on-one interaction with people.”

The campaign has had to be unconventional, because Sliwa has struggled to raise money, and attention.

He defeated the better-financed Fernando Mateo, a businessman and political activist, in a Republican primary for mayor that mostly slipped by unnoticed as the more vaunted Democratic candidates jostled and jousted through spring. Eric Adams, a former police officer and former member of the New York state senate, won that primary, and will face Sliwa in the November election.

Sliwa, 67, benefits from unparalleled name recognition in New York City, where he has vigorously, and sometimes dishonestly, courted press attention since the 1970s, and has hosted a talk radio show for three decades. But with the majority of New Yorkers leaning Democratic, the politics of the city is against him.

Another problem is Donald Trump. Sliwa did not vote for Trump, who did not officially weigh in on the mayoral race, but the former president’s election lies are causing him problems.

“With Republicans, the biggest problem I have is: ‘What’s the sense in voting? It doesn’t count.’ Because they’re mostly Trumpers,” Slilwa says. “You know: ‘It’s fixed. They’re never gonna let you let win. The machines don’t work.’

The cat-loving, beret-wearing Republican who wants to be mayor of New York (1)

“All during the Republican primary that was my biggest impediment, was convincing people to vote. You could see they were tortured, they’re really starting to believe their votes are not counting.”

Sliwa himself has been vocal in his belief that the 2020 US election was not stolen, a viewpoint that puts him at odds with Trump and his supporters. Some 691,682 New Yorkers, or 23%, voted for Trump in 2020, defying the city’s reputation as a pure bastion of liberal politics.

It was Sliwa’s outspokenness that led to the shooting in June 1992. Sliwa had been critical of John Gotti, the head of the Gambino crime family, who was on trial at the time, and one day he hopped into a cab only to find it already occupied by two members of the mafia. One of them shot Sliwa six times in the abdomen; Sliwa survived after leaping over the gunman and diving through the passenger side window.

Sliwa still has bullet fragments in his body, and related health issues.

“They patched me up, and the surgeon said: ‘You’re gonna have problems in 20 years,’” Sliwa says. “And then I really pushed it. I was involved in competitive eating, I finished third in eating hot dogs at Nathan’s in Coney Island. I was the world pickle-eating champion. I pushed the limit.

“[Roughly] 20 years later, I felt this pain in my left side. I ended up with ileitis, colitis, and full blown Crohn’s disease.”

Mateo may have been the Trumpier candidate in the Republican primary, but Sliwa won the endorsem*nt of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s sometime lawyer and a two-term mayor of New York, who recently had his law licenses suspended in New York and Washington.

Sliwa has known Giuliani for a long time through his Guardian Angels work. He speaks highly of Giuliani’s “zero-tolerance” crime policy in New York in the 1990s, and says he would institute “broken windows” policing – a tactic that led to a disproportionate number of Black and Latino men being arrested for relatively trivial offenses. Sliwa also shares Giuliani’s gift for hyperbole.

“I’m dealing with neighborhoods now in which there’s lawlessness and disorder that I’ve never seen before, because it’s learned behavior. You know, it’s like people realise you can get away with it, there’s no consequences for your actions,” he says.

Sliwa mentions issues like young people “blasting boomboxes” as examples of unacceptable behavior, in a troubling discussion about how to flatten a rising crime wave in New York.

“Everybody just feels that they can do whatever they want, when they want, how they want. And there’s no consequences for their actions and you’re beginning to see it in all different neighborhoods,” he says.

“Behavioral modification will help in teaching young men especially and some young women, that they have to, you know, respect other people’s rights, because it’s not coming from the house.”

Part of Sliwa’s belief that he can overcome the odds and defeat Adams in November is his theory that Adams has already been “anointed”, in his words, as the next mayor.

Sliwa thinks that means a lower turnout. He also thinks some Democrats will be turned off from Adams after a gruelling Democratic primary.

But Adams, who is notably pro-police, is probably the most difficult of the Democratic candidates Sliwa could have faced. And Sliwa’s promises to return law enforcement to a 1990s standard that is now widely loathed are anathema to most Democrats.

Younger voters, in particular, seem likely to run from a candidate whose promises of “behavioral modification” seem from a different time.

That is going to be disappointing for Sliwa, who believes he has some hip millennial bona fides. He has a growing presence on TikTok and is a passionate, if improbable, lover of electronic dance music. His main thrust for restoring New York post-Covid centers on bringing back the city’s bars, restaurants and nightlife, even if his ideas on how to do so return to policing: “You gotta have safe streets, safe subways.”

“Because let’s face it, that’s the way people are going to get around. And especially women, women are terrified because of the pervs in the subways, the violence, the emotionally disturbed, the homeless, sometimes it’s just frightening,” Sliwa says.

“But if women are not going out and enjoying themselves, there’s a very good chance that a lot of nightlife is just not going to be able to recover. Women out-populate men. Women in many instances have more income now to spend than men.”

As might be expected from a talk radio host, Sliwa can talk effortlessly, and at length. He is undeniably charismatic, with a practiced turn of phrase.

“I go into neighborhoods where the only Republican they’ve ever seen is Abraham Lincoln on a $5 bill,” he says, more than once, as he describes his campaign strategy of essentially just turning up somewhere and letting people talk to him.

The cat-loving, beret-wearing Republican who wants to be mayor of New York (2)

It’s a strategy that is partly borne out of necessity – he has raised a fraction of Adams’ total cash, and the Democrat has benefitted from millions of dollars spent in his favor by secretive Super Pac groups – but also, given Sliwa’s fame in the city, it sort of makes sense.

On the streets near his apartment, Sliwa, wearing his distinctive red beret, is stopped every few strides by people saying hello or wanting to talk to him. He hands out business cards to each one, directing them to his website. Not everyone says they will vote for him, but plenty do.

“I appreciate your work,” one man tells Sliwa. “I hope you make it.” A woman says she’ll vote for him. Another man, Danny, is standing outside Sliwa’s local bodega, and flags him down. Danny wants to adopt one of his cats.

When it’s suggested that this must be a grueling way to campaign, and live, Sliwa says he is used to it. To relax, he turns to his EDM music, which he first came across when setting up a chapter of the Guardian Angels in London.

“I can’t wait to hear what’s coming out of Europe, because Europe is the place where it all generates,” he says, adding: “I used to be quite the dancer.”

Sliwa still dances, but these days his foot-tapping mostly takes place in his apartment.

“My wife will look at me and say: ‘Oh my god, you’re 67, Curtis’. I say: ‘Yeah, but it’s in me.’

“Some people take ecstasy, some people take other drugs, but for me, electronic dance music is a natural mood elevator.”

If Sliwa can defy the odds, the gap in fundraising and the statistics that show New York is an overwhelmingly Democratic city by winning the mayoral election, he likely won’t need electronic dance music to elevate his mood.

The cat-loving, beret-wearing Republican who wants to be mayor of New York (2024)

FAQs

The cat-loving, beret-wearing Republican who wants to be mayor of New York? ›

Sliwa announced on March 8, 2020, that he would be running for mayor of New York City in 2021 as a Republican, seeking to become the 110th mayor of New York City. Once friends, the primary race turned Sliwa and Fernando Mateo into bitter rivals. The Manhattan, Queens, and Bronx Republican parties endorsed Mateo.

What is the Guardian Angels controversy? ›

The Guardian Angels have been a fixture in New York City since 1979, when Sliwa founded the group to patrol the streets and subways during the city's high-crime days. Members have drawn criticism, including allegations of targeting people of color.

Was Curtis Sliwa shot? ›

In 1992, New York vigilante Curtis Sliwa was shot multiple times in an assumed mob hit, thought to be the work of the notorious Gambino family's John Gotti. Miraculously, he survived — but 20 years later, his wounds came back to haunt him.

Who are the Guardian Angels in New York? ›

The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization with the goal of unarmed crime prevention. The Guardian Angels organization was founded on February 13, 1979, in New York City by Curtis Sliwa. Since then, it has expanded to more than 130 cities and 13 countries worldwide.

What nationality is Curtis Sliwa? ›

Why shouldn't you name your guardian angel? ›

We shouldn't name our guardian angels because naming another implies authority over the other. In Scripture, God gave a new name to Abraham, Israel, and Peter, for example, because he indeed had authority over them, and they were to act as his ministers in carrying out his plan of salvation.

Does the Bible believe in guardian angels? ›

While the idea of personal guardian angels is not explicitly defined by the Church or in Scripture, there are passages in Scripture that may suggest their existence.

Are the Guardian Angels still active? ›

The Guardian Angels Today

These days the Guardian Angels have Chapters in Thirteen Countries and over one hundred cities.

Why did Curtis Sliwa start the Guardian Angels? ›

Guardian Angels

In May 1977, Sliwa created the "Magnificent 13", a civilian group dedicated to combating violence and crime on the New York City Subway. At the time, the city was experiencing a crime wave. The Magnificent 13 grew and was renamed the Guardian Angels in 1979.

Was Curtis Sliwa married to Melinda Katz? ›

Personal life. Katz was in a relationship with Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and separated from him in 2014; they have two children together, conceived in vitro over the previous five years.

What do the police think of guardian angels? ›

The angels have been criticized by the New York Police Department Patrolman's Benevolent Association because they come close to taking the law into their own hands and because they seek publicity. In addition, the association disputes the angels being credited with having interceded in 104 crimes or potential crimes.

Is there a difference between an angel and a guardian angel? ›

Whereas archangels work with everyone, your guardian angel works exclusively with you. They have unconditional love for you and are always by your side.

Do guardian angels carry weapons? ›

Since Guardian Angels do not carry weapons, each member is searched before going on patrol for drugs, drug paraphernalia, and weapons. Possession of any of these items means immediate dismissal.

What religion is the Guardian Angels? ›

Roman Catholic Church. According to Saint Jerome, the concept of guardian angels is in the "mind of the Church". He stated: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it".

Where does guardian angel live? ›

With his hard-earned fortune, he is determined to embrace a different lifestyle, even if it means showcasing it on social media. In a recent interview, Guardian Angel proudly proclaimed himself as the sole gospel artiste living in Karen, one of Nairobi's upscale suburbs.

What is Guardian Angels real name? ›

Celebrated gospel singer Peter Omwaka, alias Guardian Angel.

Does the Catholic Church still believe in guardian angels? ›

Our belief in guardian angels is rooted in Scripture, the writings of the saints, and Church teaching. In the Psalms we read, “For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11–12).

What did guardian angels do? ›

The GUARDIAN ANGELS were an organization of volunteers who patrolled areas of the city in an attempt to deter CRIME. Originally they were organized by Curtis Sliwa in New York City in 1979 as a citizens' group to reduce the high levels of crime in the New York subway system.

What is the belief of the guardian angels? ›

Some say they interject themselves into our lives in the form of a thought that spurs us into action, or appear as a real human being to lend us a hand when we need it. Oftentimes, guardian angels can be a neighbor or supervisor, who for a short time, enter our lives to share their experiences with us.

What religion is guardian angels from? ›

The belief that everyone has a guardian angel is a dogma of the Christian faith, dating even back to the belief of the Jews during the Old and New Testaments. Matthew 18:10 (NIV), in particular, gives us evidence of guardian angels: See that you do not despise one of these little ones.

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