NYC Radio: No Beret For Curtis Sliwa, The Candidate

Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder, colorful News/Talk 77WABC radio host, and Republican mayoral candidate, has been a prominent figure in New York City for decades.

Recently, when he entered the Lower Manhattan offices of the Partnership for New York City, its CEO, Kathryn S. Wylde, was stunned. Sliwa had traded his iconic red Guardian Angels sateen jacket and beret for a dark suit, revealing a balding head marked by a cap-shaped tan line. “I didn’t recognize you,” Wylde exclaimed.

Sliwa, The Candidate

Sliwa’s red beret has long been a symbol in a city of distinctive styles, defining his Guardian Angels subway patrols in the 1970s, his media career, and his 2021 mayoral campaign, which fell short.
Now, at 71, as he mounts a more promising second run for mayor, Sliwa is selectively ditching the beret, especially for meetings with business leaders and union officials he considers “serious.”

 
He’s vowed to retire it permanently if elected in November.

In an interview with the NY Times, Sliwa explained his strategy. Unlike 2021, he sees a path to victory in a fractured race, with Democratic votes potentially splitting among nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent Mayor Eric Adams, and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

 
To win, Sliwa knows he must persuade New Yorkers, including skeptical Republicans, to view him as a credible candidate. Step one: lose the hat.