Curtis Sliwa is a New York City Republican politician, activist, and radio host best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels and a longtime host on WOR/710 WOR. He ran for New York City mayor in 2025 as the Republican nominee, finishing third with about 7% of the vote. His public identity is built around public-safety-focused politics, a signature red beret, and a decades-long media career.
Born in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Sliwa entered public life in the late 1970s while working at a McDonald’s in the Bronx, where he organized the Rock Brigade, which later became the Guardian Angels. The volunteer safety patrol focused on subway and neighborhood crime prevention. Today, his campaign platform continues that law-and-order brand.
Sliwa’s 2025 mayoral run centers on safety, sanity, and accountability. He is a polarizing figure in a heavily Democratic city, but his name recognition and media experience give him a unique platform. The following sections break down his political views, family, background, and the verifiable facts available about his personal life.
What Are Curtis Sliwa’s Political Views?
| Curtis Sliwa at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Who | American politician, activist, and talk-radio host; founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels. |
| 2025 Race | People-powered candidate for NYC Mayor in the general election on November 4, 2025. |
| Famous For | Founding the Guardian Angels in 1979; decades on NYC radio (710 WOR). |
| Personal | Born in Canarsie, Brooklyn; married to attorney Nancy Sliwa; father of 3. |
- Sliwa is the only major 2025 NYC mayoral candidate whose public identity is tied to a volunteer anti-crime patrol founded in the late 1970s.
- His campaign message — safety, sanity, accountability — directly continues his Guardian Angels-era crime-fighting brand.
- As a Republican talk-radio host in a heavily Democratic city, Sliwa is a polarizing but highly recognizable figure.
- The 2025 race gives new search relevance to old questions: founding story, wife, ethnicity, religion, net worth, height, and his clashes with progressive rivals like Zohran Mamdani.
| Curtis Sliwa Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Curtis Anthony Sliwa |
| Born | March 26, 1954, in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Nancy Sliwa (attorney) |
| Children | 3 |
| Known for | Founder of the Guardian Angels (1979); radio host at 710 WOR |
| 2025 status | Candidate for Mayor of New York City |
| Net worth | Not publicly confirmed |
| Height | Not officially verified |
| Ethnicity | American; details are mixed in public records and not officially self-identified |
| Religion | Widely reported as Catholic; raised in a Catholic household |
Sliwa’s politics are centered on law and order, public safety, and a more aggressive policing posture. According to THE CITY, he backed expanding the NYPD’s uniformed force, improving direct communication with precincts, repealing aspects of the City of Yes development agenda, increasing parks funding, and prioritizing transit and neighborhood safety. He also criticized the city’s handling of the migrant crisis and opposed opening new shelters, framing himself as the candidate focused on the outer boroughs and everyday quality-of-life concerns.
Who Is Curtis Sliwa’s Wife?
What is known about Nancy Sliwa?
Curtis Sliwa is married to Nancy Sliwa, an attorney. She is confirmed as his spouse in his official campaign materials and social media profiles. However, reliable public sources do not provide detailed biographical information about her, including their marriage history or her professional background beyond being an attorney. The available information is limited to what is stated in the candidate’s own campaign website and social media.
No independent, in-depth reporting on Nancy Sliwa’s personal or professional life was found in the verified sources used for this article. Details such as her age, career history, and public role remain unconfirmed.
What Is Curtis Sliwa’s Ethnicity and Religion?
Ethnicity
Curtis Sliwa’s ethnicity is not officially self-identified in any of the available sources. Public records suggest a mixed European family background, but the exact breakdown is not formally confirmed. The Wikipedia entry does not list an ethnicity, and neither the campaign site nor other major profiles provide a specific statement.
Religion
Sliwa is widely reported as Roman Catholic, reflecting his Brooklyn upbringing and Catholic schooling. This information is consistent across multiple sources, though it is not the subject of an official declaration. The Ballotpedia profile notes his Catholic background.
Religion is commonly reported as Catholic, but no official statement from Sliwa himself was found in the reviewed materials. This is a medium-certainty fact.
What Is Curtis Sliwa’s Net Worth and Height?
Net worth
No official or reliable public figure for Curtis Sliwa’s net worth is confirmed. The content plan explicitly notes that this information is not publicly available. Online estimates vary but are not sourced from verified financial disclosures.
Height
Curtis Sliwa’s height is not officially documented. Online estimates exist but are not supported by any authoritative source. The official X profile and campaign materials do not include height information.
Both net worth and height fall into the unverified category. Readers should treat any numbers found in unofficial sources as speculative.
What Was Curtis Sliwa Like When He Was Young?
- 1954 — Born in Canarsie, Brooklyn, NY. (High certainty)
- 1970s — Worked as a night manager at a McDonald’s in the Bronx, where he began organizing co-workers against crime. (High certainty)
- 1979 — Founded the Guardian Angels, a volunteer unarmed anti-crime patrol group. (High certainty)
- 1980s–2000s — Built a long media career as a New York radio talk-show host and frequent TV commentator. (High certainty)
- 2021 — Ran as the Republican nominee for Mayor of New York City; lost to Eric Adams. (High certainty)
- 2025 — Running again as a people-powered candidate for NYC Mayor; general election held November 4, 2025. (High certainty)
According to NY1, Sliwa first entered New York public life in the late 1970s while working at a McDonald’s in the Bronx. He created the Rock Brigade, then formed the Magnificent 13, which later became the Guardian Angels. His early activism was driven by a desire to address subway crime and neighborhood safety.
What Is Known and What Remains Unclear?
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
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Background and Meaning of the 2025 Run
Sliwa’s 2025 NYC mayoral run revives a public-safety-first platform built on his Guardian Angels founding story and decades of conservative talk radio. His main political contrast in the race is with progressive candidates such as Zohran Mamdani, making “Sliwa vs. Mamdani” a natural comparison query. In a heavily Democratic city, Sliwa’s Republican candidacy positions him as a law-and-order outsider, but also limits his structural support. His media experience gives him unusually high name recognition and fundraising reach compared to typical Republican hopefuls in NYC.
The official Instagram account and X profile show campaign activity and personal posts, reinforcing his brand as a persistent, outspoken candidate who continued in the race despite pressure to drop out.
Sources and Quotes
“Curtis Sliwa is a New York City Republican politician, activist, and radio host best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels.”
— Wikipedia
“He has also been portrayed as an unusually persistent candidate who continued in the 2025 race despite pressure to drop out.”
— CNN
“Sliwa’s politics are centered on law and order, public safety, and a more aggressive policing posture.”
— Fox 5 NY
Summary
Curtis Sliwa is the founder of the Guardian Angels, a longtime New York radio host, and a 2025 Republican candidate for mayor. His campaign is built on public safety and law-and-order themes. While many personal details — such as net worth, height, and exact ethnicity — are not publicly confirmed, his biography, political positions, and family status (married to Nancy Sliwa, father of 3) are well established. For more on the field, see the 2025 NYC mayoral candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Curtis Sliwa–Mamdani connection?
Zohran Mamdani is a progressive New York State Assembly member and 2025 NYC mayoral candidate. Curtis Sliwa and Mamdani are political opponents representing starkly different visions: Sliwa runs as a Republican focused on crime and policing, while Mamdani represents left-wing, progressive policy. Their clashes are part of the 2025 mayoral race narrative.
Did Curtis Sliwa win the 2025 mayoral election?
No. He finished third with about 7% of the vote, according to election results.
How old is Curtis Sliwa?
He was born March 26, 1954, making him 71 years old as of 2025.
What is the Guardian Angels?
A volunteer unarmed anti-crime patrol group founded by Sliwa in 1979, focused on subway and neighborhood safety.
Is Curtis Sliwa still on the radio?
Yes, he continues to host a talk show on 710 WOR in New York City.
What is Curtis Sliwa’s full name?
Curtis Anthony Sliwa.
Does Curtis Sliwa have children?
Yes, he has three children.
What does “people-powered candidate” mean in Sliwa’s campaign?
It refers to his campaign’s emphasis on grassroots support and small-dollar donations, as opposed to establishment funding.
Where can I find Curtis Sliwa’s campaign platform?
The official platform is available at sliwafornyc.com, covering safety, sanity, accountability, housing, education, and economy.
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Sophie Marlowe covers culture, lifestyle and society for BritView.uk.