Italian Americans against Mamdani: “The mayor of New York hates us”

“Little Italy is not just a memory or a tourist destination. It is a living center of Italian American culture. The feast of San Gennaro continues to bring generations together. The Italian American Museum preserves the stories of our families. John Viola’s Red Sauce Studio tells Italian American stories through modern media from the heart of Little Italy. Baby John’s cannoli and the family-owned businesses of Mulberry Street are cultural landmarks, proof that Italian-Americanism is still here and continues to fight to preserve its heritage,” the IACRL says.

“Where’s Little Italy?”

That’s the question critics are asking after Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a map of New York City’s immigrant enclaves that includes dozens of communities—from Little Palestine to Little Bangladesh—but leaves out the city’s famous Italian neighborhood.… pic.twitter.com/JfIDPjQ0Rx

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 9, 2026

“Mamdani City Hall manages to find space for every hip progressive group, but somehow fails to find Little Italy,” Crispi says. “Our culture is good enough for their photos, our food is good enough for their fundraisers, and our neighborhoods are good enough for tourism dollars. But when it comes to recognizing Italian Americans, they write us off.” The League asked the mayor to immediately correct the map, publicly apologize to Italian Americans and include Little Italy and other historic Italian American neighborhoods in any official city plan that references immigrant heritage and contributions. “Walk down Mulberry Street and you will see everything that Mamdani’s map has erased,” urges Crispi. “You see the flags, the saints, the food, the families, Baby John’s cannoli, John Viola’s Red Sauce Studio and the old Italian American grit that built this city. Little Italy is not dead. Little Italy is not an option. Little Italy is New York.”

The president of the IACRL does not stop and with a tweet once again points the finger at the mayor. “Zohran’s hatred for Italians is not new. He has always felt this way towards us”, he says, reproposing a post with which Mamdani asked for the demolition of the statue of Christopher Columbus. “And it is completely absurd when they attack Columbus for his ‘behavior’. It was 1492, it was a different world. Erasing our historical symbols is unacceptable. Period”, says Crispi.

The story ends up under the spotlight of the American media. Little Italy isn’t the only ‘enclave’ wiped off the map. Areas inhabited by Irish or Jewish communities also disappear, judging from the list, while – alongside Little Palestine – several Chinatowens, a couple of Little Africa and Little Mexico find space more than once. There is Little Bangladesh or Little Yemen, Little Bhod-Tibet is recognized and there is no shortage of Little Guyana. Little Italy, however, is not there.