The Guardian Angel is going radio silent.
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa angrily quit his radio gig at 77 WABC on Wednesday in a fiery on-air showdown after its owner and one of the station’s most recognizable hosts called on him to drop out of the race.
He raged on the station’s airwaves “you will never see me at the studios of WABC again” as he accused colleagues of betraying him and complained to host Sid Rosenberg that the station was giving preferable treatment to independent candidate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Sliwa was a regular feature on WABC, a station owned by grocery tycoon John Catsimatidis Robert Miller
“Let me just say Sid, I am directing my comments to everybody at WABC,” Sliwa told Rosenberg, who is nudging Sliwa to move aside so Cuomo has the best shot at upsetting Democratic nominee and front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
“They have said I’m selfish. Selfish? Are you out of your mind?” Sliwa continued. “… But that’s why you will never see me at the studios of WABC again, never, no matter how this election turns out.”
Station owner, Republican John Catsimatidis, also urged a defiant Sliwa to raise the white flag this week, but appeared to back off his plea in an interview with The Post following the on-air blowup.
“Regardless of all the news going around, I’ve always said great things about Curtis Sliwa, about how well he knows the city. But in a places like New York City where 70% of New York City are Democrats, the real Democrat is Andrew Cuomo, not Zohran Mamdani and Democrats should vote for Cuomo,” the billionaire businessman said.
“I’ve never asked that he leave the race but recommended that a lot of other people have said he should,” he added in reference to chatter around Sliwa.
Station owner, Republican John Catsimatidis, issued a plea for the defiant Sliwa to raise the white flag as pressure intensifies for him to drop the longshot bid. Youtube/77 WABC Radio
The Post’s cover on calls for Curtis Sliwa to bow out of the New York City mayoral race.
Just two days ago, Catsimatidis issued a press release calling for Sliwa to drop out for the good of New York City after saying just as much on his radio station.
Catsimatidis, who owns the Gristedes supermarket chain, also implied Wednesday he doesn’t believe Sliwa’s time at the station has ended after his emotional vow.
“I’ve supported Curtis for the last 30 years, his organizations and him,” he said. “Me and Curtis have a handshake deal and he has a 30-year contract. When he calms down, I believe Curtis has always been reasonable.”
Follow The Post’s coverage of the NYC mayoral race
Despite the growing pressure, GOP chairs across the five boroughs, including Catsimatidis daughter, Manhattan chair Andrea Catsimatidis, have said they are standing by Sliwa.
Sliwa’s show, which bears his name, has been off air during the Guardian Angels founder’s longshot campaign to capture City Hall.
But Sliwa provided some fireworks for listeners Wednesday morning as he and Rosenberg clashed over the state of the campaign.
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“I know there are people there at WABC who are personally attacking me, saying I’m running a lazy campaign…. I feel personally, personally offended by what my friends and colleagues, many of whom I trained at WABC, many of whom wouldn’t have a job at WABC without me, have done,” Sliwa fumed on Sid & Friends In The Morning.
He said the station’s abbreviations now stand for the “Always Broadcast Cuomo” network.
Rosenberg punched back at Sliwa, accusing the embattled Republican nominee of fixating on Cuomo instead of setting his sights on Mamdani, the frontrunner in the race to replace incumbent Eric Adams.
Sliwa accused WABC of giving preferential treatment of independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. Kevin C Downs for The New York Post
“This obsession with Cuomo has to stop,” Rosenberg said, adding “You can beat Cuomo and still lose the election.”
Sliwa shot back — claiming he has been forced to hire armed security because of threats made against him and his wife, Nancy, which he blamed on the firestorm of influential people calling on him to leave the race. He also repeated claims that he’d been bribed by wealthy New Yorkers to quit.
“If anything happens to me or anything happens to my wife, because of this frenzy that I hear constantly coming from some of your colleagues there at WABC, it’s on you guys and you gals,” he said. “My life is on the line here.”
Polling has consistently shown Mamdani leading in the three-way race with Cuomo trailing in second and Sliwa in dead last. But if Sliwa exits the race, the former governor is in a better position to overtake the socialist Queens state assemblyman, fueling Republicans and moderates to dump Sliwa.
“You’re gonna lose and you’re gonna lose badly, embarrassingly,” Rosenberg told Sliwa as the two continued to bicker and raise their voices.
“You’re talking about WABC and Cuomo,” a frustrated Rosenberg said. “That’s not gonna win you this goddamn race.”