“You have to enforce the law,” he said. “It’s illegal.”
Cuomo said he walked down Roosevelt, talked to store owners and neighbors and saw “prostitutes there at 9 o’clock in the morning.”
Many of Sliwa’s answers throughout the night recalled his time patrolling city streets with his Guardian Angels during high-crime years in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
During one seemingly innocuous question about how the candidates get around the city, Sliwa said he avoided yellow cabs, because, “as you know, I was shot in the back of a yellow cab in 1992 by the Gottis and the Gambinos.”
His answer on Roosevelt and prostitution was not all that different.
“I’ve dealt with this back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, in Hell’s Kitchen, in Chelsea, when they were overrun with open air prostitution,” he said.
However, Sliwa’s response aired closer to Mamdani’s approach than Cuomo’s.
“You don’t go after the women, the women are the victims,” he said. “You lock up the johns, you shame the johns. You let everybody know about the johns. The madams and the pimps need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
He also added that the city needs to go after landlords who allow the illegal brothels to operate in their buildings.
“The Department of Buildings should come in, padlock the building, seize the building, because many of these landlords live in Delray, Florida,” he said. “They did it back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when we did it in Chelsea and Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen, and they’re doing it again.”
The questions also brought up what has become an issue on the campaign trail; Mamdani’s opinions on decriminalizing prostitution.
While not included among his campaign policies, Mamdani has co-signed legislation in his time in Assembly that decriminalizes certain aspects of prostitution.
Mamdani is a co-sponsor on “Cecilia’s Act,” which would pertain to the “decriminalization of certain prostitution offenses,” and was sponsored by Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and Queens-Brooklyn Senator Julia Salazar in the Senate. Both are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, which Mamdani also is a member of.
Cuomo has made Mamdani’s stances on prostitution a major talking point and attempted to hit him on the issue again during the argument over Roosevelt Avenue.
“That is what the bill says, and that’s what he said, if you listen very carefully, that would take Roosevelt Avenue and explode it, because it would make it legal for prostitutes,” Cuomo said.
During the debate, Mamdani clarified he had talked about “decriminalizing” prostitution – which would only change how the crime is prosecuted – not legalizing it.
“I am not and nor have I ever called for the legalization of prostitution,” Mamdani said.
“I do not think that we should be prosecuting women who are struggling, who are currently being thrown in jail and then being offered job opportunities,” he added. “To follow the advice of district attorneys…prosecuting women for prostitution is something that actually leads to less safety. What we need to do is provide an economy.”
Not prosecuting prostitution is the policy of many current and former borough district attorneys, including current Queens DA Melinda Katz.
“DA Katz is focused on prosecuting human traffickers and individuals operating and patronizing illicit brothel establishments,” said Katz’s spokesperson Anna Sokal, clarifying the DA’s position.
“Those arrested for prostitution are arraigned and connected with services if they no longer want to engage in prostitution. Upon completing services, the cases are dismissed. Services offered through our partner providers include safety planning, housing assistance, counseling and workforce development.”
Roosevelt Avenue’s issues have been top of mind for local officials and community members, who had their own thoughts on the candidates’ answers to the avenue’s issues.
Hiram Monserrate, a former State Senator and current district leader who now leads pro-enforcement organizing around Roosevelt, was not fond of Mamdani’s response.
“Mamdani’s support of defunding the police and legislation to decriminalize sex work is inconsistent with the needs of the Roosevelt Avenue corridor and surrounding neighborhoods,” he said in a statement. “He is ill prepared to deal with the daunting task of keeping New Yorkers safe. Simply put, you can’t take on the cartels, gangs and human traffickers with social workers.”
He did not tell the Eagle if he preferred either Cuomo’s or Sliwa’s answers.
Local elected officials have also pitched their own set of plans for Roosevelt, which are more in line with Mamdani’s suggestions.
Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Steven Raga, and City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan together pitched a seven-point plan for improving life on the iconic Queens strip last year.
Local Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and State Senator Jessica Ramos have also said they oppose an enforcement-first response.
“It is equally important that we work with local organizations, anti-trafficking experts, and community leaders to do our part,” González-Rojas said last year. “Several survivors have stated that criminalization does not make them feel safe so we have to be willing to use other tactics to curb human trafficking.”
Raga, Krishnan and González-Rojas have all endorsed Mamdani for mayor. None could be reached for comment on the candidates’ Roosevelt Avenue remarks on Friday.