NYC Councilwoman Criticizes Mayor Mamdani's Italian Heritage Month Post

<p>Mayor Zohran Mamdani's tribute for Italian Heritage Month, which referenced left-wing congressman Vito Marcantonio, has faced criticism on social media, particularly from Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino.</p><p>Mamdani posted on X, "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 served East Harlem in Congress for seven terms, initially as a Republican and later as a member of the American Labor Party. His opposition to U.S. involvement in the Korean War and his legal work for the Communist Party attracted FBI scrutiny during the Cold War.</p><p>Paladino described Marcantonio as an "obscure Italian-American communist" and accused Mamdani of promoting "communist propaganda." She stated, "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," in her post on X.</p><p>Paladino urged Mamdani to refrain from invoking his Italian heritage, stating he was "physically incapable of being anything other than a loathsome propagandist for communism." She also shared her family's history, noting her father's service in World War II against Italian forces under Benito Mussolini, and her mother's efforts to raise five children while working in a button factory.</p><p>"We wanted to become Americans, and our people were proud to learn the language and wave the American flag," she wrote. "That’s what being an Italian-American in New York means, not the communist propaganda Zohran is pushing here." Mamdani’s office did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.</p>