Zohran Mamdani Fever Comes to New York in Lookalike Contest

Amadeo Fusca arrived at a New York lookalike contest in a New York Knicks jersey under a suit, with his hair and facial hair styled to resemble Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The 40-year-old Manhattan actor and comedian went on to win the audience’s favor and a $100 prize.

Hundreds gathered near Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Aug. 30 to watch the competition. The event featured nine contestants, according to the Associated Press, with each using a different reference to Mamdani’s public image. Their outfits included a brown suit associated with his 2025 campaign, red-and-black patterned ties, dark blue and black suits, formal shoes and silver-colored rings.

One contestant appeared shirtless in an apron, a reference to a rap music video Mamdani made in 2019 under the persona Mr. Cardamom. The contest itself was deliberately simple. Participants answered one question about their favorite pizza, and the winner was decided by applause.

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I just put on clothes that I usually wear, showered, kissed my wife, and said I was going to the park to be with people today.

Fusca said he had not planned an elaborate costume. “I just put on clothes that I usually wear, showered, kissed my wife, and said I was going to the park to be with people today,” he said, according to ABC7 New York. He also said dressing like Mamdani made him sweat heavily.

Fusca’s impersonation grew from repeated messages from friends who sent him photographs of Mamdani because they thought the two looked alike. “It was kind of a perfect situation because people kept reaching out to me,” he said, according to the New York Post. He later asked his barber to copy Mamdani’s haircut and performed as the mayor at comedy shows and a New York Knicks watch party. The contest, sponsored by the social app Sonder, portrayed Mamdani as a figure whose appeal now extends beyond New York’s political stage.

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It was kind of a perfect situation because people kept reaching out to me.