Curtis Sliwa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Curtis Sliwa
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Sliwa in 2024
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| Born | March 26, 1954 New York City, U.S.
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| Political party | Republican (2020–present) |
| Spouse(s) |
Koren Drayton
(m. 1976; div. 1977)Lisa Evers
(m. 1981; div. 1994)Mary Galda
(m. 2000; div. 2012)Nancy Regula
(m. 2018) |
| Partner(s) | Melinda Katz (sep. 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
Curtis Sliwa (born March 26, 1954) is an American activist and radio talk show host. He is best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels. This group helps prevent crime in communities. Sliwa was also the Republican candidate for mayor of New York City in 2021.
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Curtis Sliwa's Early Life
Curtis Sliwa was born in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York, on March 26, 1954. He grew up in a family with Polish and Italian roots. He has two sisters. Sliwa went to Brooklyn Prep, a high school, but later left. He then graduated from Canarsie High School.
When he was young, Sliwa worked delivering newspapers for the Daily News. He was even named "Newsboy of the Year." He earned a trip to the White House after he helped save people from a burning building during his paper route. Before starting the Guardian Angels, he managed a McDonald's restaurant in the Bronx.
The Guardian Angels Group
In May 1977, Curtis Sliwa started a group called the "Magnificent 13." Their goal was to fight crime and violence on the New York City Subway. At that time, New York City had a lot of crime. The group grew bigger and was renamed the Guardian Angels in 1979. People had strong feelings about the group, both good and bad.
Most Guardian Angels members were Black or Hispanic. They did not carry weapons. Members had to train in karate and learn about citizens' arrest laws. This training was required before they could go out on patrol. Sliwa's red beret is a famous part of the Guardian Angels' uniform.
In 1981, the mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, had an investigation done on the Guardian Angels. The investigation showed good results. It even suggested the group might get official recognition. Lieutenant Governor Mario Cuomo was one of the few early supporters of the group. He said they showed great community spirit.
Later, Sliwa admitted that some stories about subway rescues were made up for publicity. He also said that a claim about being kidnapped by police officers was not true. The Guardian Angels also started operations in other cities like Buffalo.
Surviving an Attack
On June 19, 1992, Sliwa was attacked in Manhattan. He got into a taxi that had been stolen. A person hiding in the taxi shot him in his legs. Sliwa managed to escape by jumping out of the moving taxi's front window. He had surgery for his injuries.
Federal prosecutors later accused John A. Gotti of trying to murder Sliwa. John A. Gotti is the son of a famous crime leader, John Gotti. Prosecutors said that John A. Gotti was angry about things Sliwa said about his father on his radio show. After three trials, juries could not agree to find Gotti guilty. The charges against him were dropped. Sliwa said he would try to get money for damages in a civil court.
Curtis Sliwa's Media Career
Radio Host
Curtis Sliwa has been a radio host for over 30 years. He started his radio career in 1990 at WABC-AM. In 1994, he moved to WNYC. Some people believe he got this job because he supported Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his election.
Sliwa became a conservative radio talk show host. Since 1996, he has hosted many shows on WABC. In 2000, he started co-hosting Curtis and Kuby in the Morning with lawyer Ron Kuby. This show lasted for eight years. He has also co-hosted shows with Eboni Williams and Juliet Huddy.
His show, Curtis Sliwa LIVE, began to be broadcast nationally in 2008. Sliwa returned to WABC in 2014. When he decided to run for mayor in March 2021, his radio show took a break.
Curtis Sliwa in Politics
In September 2016, Sliwa and Frank Morano took control of the Reform Party of New York State. However, the party later lost its ability to be on the ballot in elections.
In December 2019, Sliwa said in an interview that he did not support then-President Donald Trump. In February 2021, after Trump left office, Sliwa changed from the Reform Party to the Republican Party.
Running for Mayor in 2021
Sliwa announced on March 8, 2020, that he would run for mayor of New York City in 2021. He ran as a Republican.
The primary election race was between Sliwa and Fernando Mateo. They had been friends but became rivals. Sliwa won the Republican primary election.
During his campaign, Sliwa said he was against the idea of reducing police funding. He supported changing property taxes so that working-class people would not pay more than wealthy citizens. He also wanted to keep the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. Sliwa also cares deeply about animals. He wants all animal shelters to be "no-kill" shelters.
Sliwa lost the general election on November 2, 2021. He lost to Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams. Sliwa accepted his defeat and called for everyone to work together for New York City.
Curtis Sliwa's Personal Life
Curtis Sliwa has been married four times. His second wife was Lisa Evers. She was a director for the Guardian Angels and also co-hosted a radio show. She is also a martial arts expert.
In 2000, Sliwa married his third wife, Mary Galda. She also worked for WABC and was a national director for the Guardian Angels. They have one son named Anthony. In 2019, Mary married former New York State governor David Paterson.
Sliwa was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010. He shared this publicly in 2011.
Sliwa was in a relationship with Melinda Katz, who is now the Queens County District Attorney. They separated in 2014. They have two children together.
On July 5, 2018, Sliwa married his current wife, Nancy Regula. She is an animal activist and a lawyer. They got married at the Howe Caverns.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Curtis Sliwa para niños
