Mayor Zohran Mamdani acted like a bozo mobster from the “Godfather” by protesting outside billionaire Ken Griffin’s luxury Manhattan pad in a “dangerous’’ stunt, according to ex-Gov. David Paterson.
“Mamdani had a press conference talking about how we’re taxing the rich. … [He] went to [Griffin’s] home, as they would say in ‘The Godfather’ which is a very dangerous thing to be doing right now with all of the attempts on peoples’ lives,” Paterson said in an interview that aired Sunday — pre-taped before a madman opened fire Saturday on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which President Trump attended.
Paterson said Mamdani — who posted a now-viral online video of his staged publicity event outside Griffin’s apartment April 15 — needs to be more mature now that he’s mayor, instead of acting like a lefty street activist.
“If this was a student protest, I’d understand it and see [Mamdani] as puerile and callow,’’ Paterson said of Hizzoner’s attention grab, designed to support Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes worth more than $5 million.
“But apparently, even at his age, he’s still that way,’’ Paterson told host John Catsimatidis on 77 WABC radio’s “Cats Roundtable” program.
“There was no reason to attack anyone in that respect,” the former gov said of the mayor’s actions.
“Of all the donors in the world, the one who’s given the most to causes is Ken Griffin. I guess [Mamdani] left that out of his commentary,” Paterson said.
The former gov’s comments were made fewer than two years after prep boy-turned-accused assassin Luigi Mangione allegedly killed healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan street in broad daylight.
Paterson’s warning also followed two previous assassination attempts on Trump.
The Trump administration is believed to have been the target of the gunman who tried to blast his way into the famed DC dinner Saturday before being taken down by law enforcement.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, told reporters Friday that he had no regrets when asked about targeting Griffin’s residence while plugging the proposed massive new tax on largely unoccupied luxury homes.
Citadel hedge fund founder Griffin bought the 24,000-square-foot property on Central Park South for $238 million in 2019.
“That home, when it was purchased, was the most expensive home in the United States of America, publicly reported, and it was described as such,” Mamdani said.
“And in a political environment where there is always an attempt to describe any increase in taxes as if it would be one that would apply to all, we wanted to make very clear that this [proposal] applies to a very select group of properties,” the mayor said.
But Paterson, a fellow Dem, also said the plan will only encourage developers “to start thinking about developing any place else but New York City.”
Griffin and his Citadel team are fuming over Mamdani’s stunt.
A top executive at his fund blasted the mayor’s comments in a searing, company-wide email last week — and signaled that the firm may pull a $6 billion development project in Midtown.
“From his comments, it is apparent that the Mayor’s view is that these individuals do not contribute enough to the greater good,” Citadel COO Gerald Beeson seethed in the missive, which was obtained by The Post.
“It is shameful that he used Ken’s name as the example of those who supposedly aren’t carrying their fair share of the burdens associated with New York City’s often costly and wasteful spending,” he wrote.
Beeson suggested that Citadel may potentially not move forward with its redevelopment project of 350 Park Ave., which he said would bring 6,000 construction jobs and more than 15,000 permanent gigs in Midtown.
“The project — if we move forward — will entail more than $6 billion dollars of spending,” he wrote.
A budget watchdog has meanwhile questioned whether the pied-à-terre tax will raise the $500 million a year that backers anticipate — and if it’s needed at all.
“So far, we haven’t seen any analysis,’’ said Andrew Rein, executive director of the Citizens Budget Commission, on “Cats’’ in a separate interview.
“Sure, we have a goal of $500 million in revenue. But we don’t know what it will do to the housing market,” Rein said.
He noted that the city of Vancouver didn’t raise the revenues anticipated on its pied-à-terre tax on unoccupied luxury homes because many owners converted them to rentals, thus excluding the properties from the additional levy.
Rein said New York City government has a spending problem that needs to be address to shore up its budget, rather than hiking taxes.
The pied-à-terre taxes is “not needed,” he said.
