A man in Manhattan recently claimed the title in a look-alike contest for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, sporting a smirk and an unusual combination of a Knicks jersey under his suit jacket. The event took place on Sunday and attracted about 200 attendees at Washington Square Park.
Amadeo Fusca, who is 40—six years older than the mayor—outshone roughly ten competitors to win the $100 prize amid cheers from the crowd. Fusca, a comedian and actor who has racked up millions of views online mimicking Mamdani, said that friends kept sending him pictures of the mayor during his campaign, pointing out their resemblance.
“It was sort of a perfect storm with people constantly reaching out,” Fusca explained after his win, adding that he has appeared in episodes of “NCIS” and the film “The Alto Knights.” He gradually began to embrace the comparisons to Mamdani, even requesting a haircut like the mayor’s at his barber.
“At first, I was growing my hair and hesitated about cutting it, but once Mamdani won the election, it was wild how many messages I got,” he noted. “So, I went to the barber and said, ‘Make my hair look like this!’ And now I feel like I have to look like this all the time!”
He began creating Instagram videos that parodied the mayor, playing up their similarities. “The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I realized recently that people are asking me to perform at their variety shows,” he added.
Fusca, who lives close to Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence, gained even more attention while attending Knicks watch parties. “The reactions were incredible—beyond what I anticipated. We kept going to these events, and it was amazing to see how happy people were,” he remarked.
With a big smile, Fusca showed off his prize money to the audience while proudly wearing the Knicks jersey, a nod to Mamdani’s outfit following the team’s recent NBA Finals victory. The contest featured a variety of Mamdani impersonators, including participants dressed in his signature suit-and-tie with a bike helmet, which the mayor recently adopted amidst some criticism for not wearing one while biking.
Other contestants got creative, wearing aprons while shirtless, referencing Mamdani’s rap persona as Mr. Cardamom.
The event was hosted by Sonder, a social app aimed at helping Gen-Zers connect. It is part of a series of look-alike contests held in Greenwich Village. Earlier this year, a young Knicks fan made headlines after winning a Jalen Brunson look-alike contest, taking home a $5,000 prize and even scoring a FaceTime call with the NBA Finals MVP.
