A newly formed Italian-American organization is moving ahead with plans to erect a new Christopher Columbus statue in Brooklyn this October, deliberately placing it on private property to avoid potential interference from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration and others who have sought to remove monuments honoring the famed Italian explorer.
The project is being spearheaded by the Preserving Italian Heritage Coalition, an organization organized by New York State Assemblyman Lester Chang (R-Brooklyn). Rather than pursuing a city-owned location, the coalition intends to install the monument at the John Hughes Club in Dyker Heights, ensuring it will remain beyond the reach of municipal officials.
“I’m Chinese, but this is my community, too,” said Chang, who was born on Eldridge Street in Manhattan and today represents Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights.
The coalition has launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of collecting $100,000 to pay for the statue’s installation and future upkeep.
Chang said the idea began taking shape after last November’s election and was further inspired by President Donald Trump’s Columbus Day proclamation, in which Trump pledged to reclaim the explorer’s legacy from “left-wing arsonists.” According to Chang, he personally wrote the coalition’s first donation before the organization even had a bank account.
The assemblyman also reflected on his family’s history, explaining that his father, who immigrated from China in 1924, struggled to find work before eventually being hired by an Italian restaurant in Liberty, New York.
Chang said the coalition intentionally selected private property because members anticipated opposition from the Mamdani administration if the statue were placed on public land.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, drew widespread attention in 2020 after posting a photograph of himself making a profane gesture toward a Christopher Columbus statue in Queens while calling for the monument’s removal during his tenure as a state assemblyman.
Chang initially explored placing the monument in a park along 18th Avenue but concluded the proposal would likely become entangled in an approval process lasting up to two years, only to face probable rejection at the end.
Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club, whose organization has assisted with early fundraising efforts, said the project offers an opportunity to celebrate a figure whose monuments have increasingly come under attack.
“At a time when Italian American history and culture are being erased by Mayor Mamdani, our club is highlighting one of the giants of American and Italian history, Christopher Columbus,” Forte said.
Mamdani’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Coalition treasurer Gregory Lendino said Christopher Columbus had long served as a unifying figure within the Italian-American community, regardless of political affiliation.
“It didn’t matter if you were Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. He was just an icon that we rallied around.”
Committee member Lori Pedone said the effort carries deep personal meaning for her family.
“My grandparents would be ecstatic knowing that we’re trying to preserve history,” she said.
“My son was recently married. Maybe my grandchildren will one day be able to see that statue and be proud of it as well.”
Coalition leaders say this is only the beginning of a broader effort. They hope their organization can become a permanent home for Columbus monuments and other statues that are removed elsewhere in the country, arguing that placing them on private property avoids much of the governmental red tape involved with public installations.
Members have also discussed the possibility that the new monument could become a target for vandalism. To prepare for that possibility, the statue’s base is being designed wide enough to accommodate a protective enclosure if one becomes necessary.
Lendino said the coalition remains committed to moving forward regardless of any opposition.
“They came here and they built things,” Lendino said. “They didn’t tear things down.”
{Matzav.com}
