Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) on Tuesday used the N-word during a radio interview in which he quoted a New York Times op-ed on discrimination against Italian-Americans.
“The Times also said in an article the other day, apropos of nothing, they were talking about it,” Cuomo told WAMC in reference to the newspaper’s op-ed titled “How Italians Became White.”
“Going back to the Italian Americans because now you have me. They used an expression that southern Italians were called quote-unquote, and pardon my language, but I’m just quoting The Times, n**ger wops. N-word wops as a derogatory comment,” added the Democrat governor.
On Monday, Cuomo announced his “full support” for a statue of Saint Frances Cabrini, who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an institute that famously supported Italian immigrants to the U.S.
“As Italian Americans, we must also remember that we ourselves are not immune from attack. The ugliness of Italian American stereotyping is still alive and well. Our battle is not over,” Cuomo said Saturday at the Columbus Citizens Foundation Gala.
He also expressed support for the Brooklyn Diocese’s plans to erect its own memorial of Cabrini.
“They are right. We should applaud their courage and their activism,” he stated.
Cuomo’s younger brother, CNN host Christopher Cuomo, was recently the subject of much mockery for claiming that him being called “Fredo” — a character from the “Godfather” film series — is like “the N-word to Italians.”