Sliwa, GOP pols ditch masks at Queens Republican club rally
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GOP candidate for mayor Curtis Sliwa (in beret) went without a mask inside a crowded American Legion hall in Queens during a Republican club rally Wednesday. In the foreground, Charles Vavruska, an aide to Councilmember Robert Holden, (right) talks with Republican Queens Borough President candidate William Kregler (second from right). Photo obtained by the Eagle
By David Brand
New York City’s self described “Guardian” put others at risk Wednesday when he went maskless at a crowded indoor Republican club rally in Queens.
Photos shared by an event attendee show GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group, without a mask inside a crowded American Legion post during an event hosted by the Whitestone Republican Club — an organization with a history of flouting COVID restrictions. Republican Queens Borough President candidate William Kregler and Council District 19 candidate Vickie Paladino, the club’s president, are also seen without masks inside the hall.
One photo shows Kregler talking with Charles Vavruska, an aide to Councilmember Robert Holden, while Sliwa stands behind them. None wore masks in the photo. Other pictures show the majority of attendees sans mask inside the crowded wood-paneled room.
“I didn’t feel comfortable with that … it was practically completely maskless,” said the photographer, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. “I’m a Republican. I voted for Donald Trump twice [but] I don’t want to get COVID.”
They said at least 50 people were present at the event.
Current state rules restrict non-essential indoor gatherings to 50 people or less until March 22 and mandate that people wear masks when unable to remain six feet apart from others.
Sliwa said ditching the mask was a mistake, though he said he did cover his face at others parts of the night.
“I probably should have worn the mask more,” he said. “Upon second thought, more masks should have been worn.”
He said he thought indoor gatherings should be subject to the same rules as restaurants, which are allowed to open their dining rooms at 35 percent capacity. Indoor dining can resume at 50 percent capacity on March 19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
“I think the rules should be exactly what they are in restaurants,” he said. “If it was up to me, I’d have the restaurants up to full capacity.”
The scene inside the American Legion Wednesday night. Photo obtained by the Eagle
Sliwa, 67, said he has received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine from his private physician.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges vaccinated people to continue social distancing, wearing a mask and “avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces to protect others.”
“You should still avoid medium or large-sized gatherings,” the CDC cautions.
Similar maskless indoor political gatherings — both Democratic and Republican — have faced scrutiny as New York City attempts to overcome the coronavirus.
It’s not the first time the Whitestone Republican Club has flouted indoor gathering restrictions during the pandemic.
In December 2020, the organization hosted a holiday party at a Little Neck catering hall, where more than a dozen people hit the dance floor for a maskless conga line. At least three people tested positive for COVID-19 following the event, including one man who was hospitalized, the Eagle first reported.
Club spokesperson Robert Hornak said Thursday that he and other members preferred to focus on “real issues” in the run up to the June primaries.
“We had a great club meeting that rallied our supporters for the critical election coming up this year,” Hornak said. “There are urgent issues to confront in NYC, including skyrocketing crime, a failing public education system, homelessness not being addressed, and economic calamity. Those are the issues we should be talking about, not who chooses to wear a mask or not at a political rally.”
“It's a year in and we now have multiple vaccines thanks to Operation Warp Speed, time to move on to dealing with the real issues,” he added.
