Curtis Sliwa quits radio gig in on-air shouting match after boss Catsimatidis told him to drop NYC mayoral bid

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa angrily quit his radio gig at 77 WABC on Wednesday in a fiery on-air argument after its owner and one of the station’s most recognizable hosts called on him to drop his Big Apple mayoral bid.

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 that the station was giving preferable treatment to independent candidate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Let me just say should I am directing my comments at everybody at WABC,” Sliwa told host Sid Rosenberg, who is nudging Sliwa to move aside so Cuomo has the best shot at upsetting Democratic nominee 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 issued a plea for the defiant Sliwa to raise the white flag as pressure intensifies for him to drop the longshot bid.

The billionaire businessman, who owns the Gristedes supermarket chain, said this week while Sliwa would make the best mayor, he should pull out because he has no shot at overtaking Mamdani.

But the 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.

“I know there are people there at WABC who are personally attacking me, saying I’m running a lazy campaign…. I feel personal, personally offended by what my friends and colleagues, many of whom I trained this ABC, many of whom wouldn’t have a job at ABC without me, have done,” Sliwa fumed.

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.

“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.”

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa angrily quit his radio gig at 77 WABC on Wednesday in a fiery on-air argument after its owner and one of the station’s most recognizable hosts called on him to drop his Big Apple mayoral bid.

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 that the station was giving preferable treatment to independent candidate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Let me just say should I am directing my comments at everybody at WABC,” Sliwa told host Sid Rosenberg, who is nudging Sliwa to move aside so Cuomo has the best shot at upsetting Democratic nominee 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 issued a plea for the defiant Sliwa to raise the white flag as pressure intensifies for him to drop the longshot bid.

The billionaire businessman, who owns the Gristedes supermarket chain, said this week while Sliwa would make the best mayor, he should pull out because he has no shot at overtaking Mamdani.

But the 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.

“I know there are people there at WABC who are personally attacking me, saying I’m running a lazy campaign…. I feel personal, personally offended by what my friends and colleagues, many of whom I trained this ABC, many of whom wouldn’t have a job at ABC without me, have done,” Sliwa fumed.

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.

“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.”