Mayor Eric Adams’ chief aide, Randy Mastro, has handed in his resignation and, in his letter, took a clear stab at the incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
“We may have talked early on that, ‘I will never work for a socialist,’ but the transition crew of the mayor‑elect still added me and you to a pile of 179 people slated for a wipe‑out on January 1, 2026,” the 69‑year‑old deputy wrote on Friday. “No need to have done so.” He added, “We will be leaving city government together.”
Mastro, who had served as deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, was handpicked by Adams in March after a wave of departures linked to the former mayor’s federal corruption probe. He’s a former federal prosecutor who’s never hidden his dislike for Mamdani’s social‑democratic stance and has publicly criticized the mayor‑elect’s anti‑Israel rhetoric.
In his farewell note, Mastro thanked Adams for giving him “a second shot in city government.” He noted that he is the oldest person in modern municipal history to have been deputy mayor and acting mayor in two distinct administrations—a distinction he says will soon be shared with his successor under the new administration.
Mamdani, a few months ago, revealed that 74‑year‑old Dean Fuleihan—once the top aide of ex‑mayor Bill de Blasio—would take over the deputy role when he takes office in January.
Mastro also reflected on the nine months he served under Adams. “The time since [the appointment] has been a period of remarkable productivity, with crime down to record lows, jobs up to record highs, and affordable housing created at an unprecedented rate,” he wrote. “A true team effort, of which we can all be proud.”
Adams echoed that sentiment in a statement released Sunday. “I’m so glad Randy answered my call to return to City Hall after such a distinguished career in and out of government,” the mayor expressed. “His experience, wisdom, common sense and many contributions have been invaluable.”
“As mayor, I often talk about landing the plane,” Adams added, describing Mastro’s tenure as having landed enough planes to fill an airport.
Representatives for Mamdani have yet to reply to inquiries about Mastro’s remarks.
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