Police Shut Down the First Attempt, but the Mamdani Look-Alike Contest Moved to the Sidewalk To Settle Who Really Wears the Mayor’s Face Best
The crowd favorite walked away with the prize.
The Mamdani look-alike contest moved to the sidewalk on Sunday, August 30, 2026, after police shut down the initial gathering at Washington Square Park due to a lack of a permit, according to the Associated Press. The hurdle didn’t stop the crowd of hundreds from finding a new spot to crown the city’s best impersonator of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The energy was high as the event, sponsored by the social media app Sonder, continued just outside the park boundaries to settle the question of who really wears the mayor’s face best. The winner of the day was Amadeo Fusca, a 40-year-old actor and comedian who walked away with a $100 prize. Fusca really leaned into the aesthetic, appearing in a suit with a New York Knicks jersey underneath.
Fusca’s outfit was a direct homage to the look the mayor wore after the Knicks secured their NBA championship win. The actor’s commitment to the bit went beyond just the clothes, as he also sported a haircut and facial hair styled to match the mayor.
The comparisons first began during Mamdani’s mayoral campaign
Fusca mentioned that his journey into becoming a professional Mamdani look-alike started when his friends kept sending him photos during the mayoral campaign. According to the New York Post, he noted, “It was kind of the perfect storm of people constantly hitting me up.”
Fusca, who has appeared in the film The Alto Knights and episodes of the TV show NCIS, eventually embraced the resemblance by visiting his barber to get the mayor’s signature cut. He explained, “I went to the barber that morning and said, ‘Here, cut my hair, and make me look like this now.’ And like, I have to look like this all the time now!”
The actor has been posting skits on social media that parody the mayor, which has helped him build a following. He even mentioned that he lives just a few blocks away from Gracie Mansion. His appearances at Knicks watch parties have turned him into a bit of a local celebrity, where he says people react with genuine excitement.
“People were reacting like crazy, beyond what I even thought,” Fusca said. “We just kept going to watch parties, and I kept inhabiting this field of people. It’s crazy how happy people get.”
The competition itself was a sight to behold
It featured nine participants who all tried their best to capture the mayor’s unique style. The contestants showed up in a variety of outfits that referenced different moments from the mayor’s career.
Some wore dark blue and black suits with red and black patterned ties, while others donned the brown suit the mayor wore during his 2025 campaign. One participant even went shirtless with an apron, which was a specific reference to a rap music video the mayor filmed in 2019 under the stage name Mr. Cardamom.
Adding a bit of current events to the mix, some of the bearded contestants arrived wearing the mayor’s signature suit-and-tie look paired with a bike helmet. This was a nod to the fact that the mayor began wearing a helmet while cycling earlier this month following public scrutiny. To decide the winner, the participants were asked a single question about their favorite pizza, and the final decision was left to the crowd, who cheered for their favorite.
This event is part of a growing trend of look-alike contests held in Washington Square Park. Sonder, the app that sponsored the event, is designed to help Gen-Zers connect and form friendships.
This was not the first time such an event took place in the city
A similar contest was held back in Brooklyn in 2025 while the mayor was still on the campaign trail. The park also hosted a Jalen Brunson look-alike contest in June, where the winner took home a $5,000 prize and even received a surprise FaceTime call from the NBA Finals MVP.
Mayor Mamdani, who is a democratic socialist and took office in January 2026, has built a significant following among younger residents and on social media. His political agenda focuses heavily on shifting government power to support the city’s working class. The enthusiasm displayed by the crowd, despite the initial police intervention, shows just how much of a cultural presence the mayor has become.
Whether it is through his policy initiatives or his past career as a rapper, the mayor has clearly made a mark on the city’s younger demographic, turning his likeness into the subject of these lighthearted, community-driven competitions. It is an interesting intersection of local politics and internet culture, and it seems like these sorts of gatherings are becoming a staple of the city’s social scene.
(Featured image: Zzfringe)
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