Conspirituality Podcast — Brief: The Man Who Lives With 16 Cats

Hosts: Derek Beres & Julian Walker
Date: October 25, 2025

Overview:

This Conspirituality Brief dissects the unique, controversial, and colorful character of Curtis Sliwa—recent Republican mayoral nominee in New York City, founder of the Guardian Angels, relentless self-promoter, and, yes… the man who lives with 16 rescued cats in a 320-square-foot apartment. Derek Beres and Julian Walker use Sliwa’s bombastic persona and the current NYC mayoral race (against Cuomo and Mamdani) to explore authenticity, populism, and the paradoxes of coalition-building in the current political and media landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who is Curtis Sliwa?

[06:31–09:18]

• Origin Story:

  • Sliwa began as a McDonald’s manager in the Bronx in the '70s, founded the "Magnificent 13," which evolved into the Guardian Angels—an anti-crime vigilante group.
  • Became a local folk hero (and sometimes a media hound), both controversial and celebrated.
  • Despite some fabrications about vigilante exploits, Sliwa has real street credibility—he was attacked with a bat and then shot in a cab by Gotti mobsters after exposing the family on his radio show.

• Comparison to Trump:

  • Both men are native New Yorkers, masters of media provocation, and larger-than-life personalities with a deeply ingrained tendency to "say the quiet part loud."
  • "Like Trump, Sliwa is a born and bred New Yorker and eight years younger than the current dictator in charge." — Derek, [05:27]

2. Sliwa’s Persona: The Good, The Bad, The Hilarious

[04:16–07:12]; [09:18-11:44]

• Problematic Track Record:

  • Known for racist, offensive, and contradictory remarks; deeply embedded in New York's tough, brash vernacular.
  • “Sliwa has said some racist shit... anti-Semitic shit... misogynistic shit... everyone from the tri-state area knows this already.” — Derek, [04:16–05:23]

• The Parade Example:

  • Sliwa has marched (and grand marshaled) in practically every NYC parade, demonstrating his appeal to a wide range of groups but also how such “showing up” can supersede ideological alignment in NY’s rough-and-tumble political context.
  • “This dude loves parades. It should actually be what his platform is. You see him at a trans parade… with a bunch of Asian women… he is there and in the mix.” — Derek, [15:53]

• Cat Daddy Persona:

  • Lives with his wife and 16 rescued cats in tiny quarters—turning animal advocacy into a quirky (and meme-able) part of his platform.
  • “He lives in a 320-square-foot apartment with his wife and 16 cats, all rescued from the streets of New York.” — Derek, [10:01]
  • New York Times confirmed: “It didn’t smell in there. And Sliwa’s like ‘Oh, we change the litter three times a day.’ Which is a Herculean task…” — Derek, [11:19]

3. Political Analysis: Authenticity vs. Orthodoxy

[11:46–17:28]; [23:47–33:30]

• Sliwa’s Unfiltered Style:

  • “At heart, Sliwa is an old-school New Yorker… it means he does not have a filter.” — Derek, [11:46]
  • His unscripted, brash style is described as “authentic” and seems to resonate more than the robotic, manicured affect of establishment politicians like Cuomo or Adams.
  • “You see Zohran laughing at questions, you see Sliwa shaking his head and jumping in… Cuomo trained to be very, very poker face… that’s not how people actually interact." — Derek, [25:11]

• Democratic Dilemmas:

  • The party’s fear of populism/socialism is contrasted with the appeal of authentic, coalition-building candidates like Mamdani and Platner.
  • “It blows my mind that the Democrats… all their messaging is about affordability. Then you have Mamdani: ‘Here’s some ways we can make it affordable.’ And they’re like, ‘Can’t touch you.’” — Derek, [27:33]
  • Julian: “The Democratic brand has become toxic in terms of that cautiousness… we need Democratic candidates who have that authenticity…” [29:22]

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sliwa on Bill Ackman (billionaire influence):

  • "[Ackman] lives in Chappa, the whitest suburb of America, where even the lawn jockeys are white. He may know Wall Street, he may know hedge funds. He has been wrong every step of the way with the billionaires." — Curtis Sliwa, [21:32]
  • Derek: "That is pure gold." [22:01]

• On Democracy and Party Loyalty:

  • “I have people running under me. Council people, judges. They put their heart and soul into it. I have more donations than Andrew Cuomo does… this is called voting. Since when do we not let people vote? Billionaires determine the next mayor?” — Curtis Sliwa, [32:14]

• Sliwa’s relationship with authenticity/populism:

  • “He would be very comfortable sitting in a lounge chair next to Archie Bunker… and then Meathead would come in and Sliwa would agree with him sometimes… that is how he would react.” — Derek, [17:50]

• On representation and parades:

  • “I would not boycott any parade… responsibility to be available to all racial, religious… no, I wouldn’t, unless they discriminated.” — Curtis Sliwa, [14:11]

Timestamps: Important Segments

• [06:31–09:18] – Sliwa’s origin story; Guardian Angels and Gotti shooting
• [10:01–11:44] – Curtis Sliwa’s home life with 16 cats
• [13:52–15:18] – The “parade” debate excerpt; Sliwa’s platform of showing up
• [21:32–22:00] – Sliwa roasts Bill Ackman
• [23:47–27:03] – Sliwa vs. Cuomo; style, authenticity, and the New York affect
• [32:14–33:09] – Sliwa on democracy, party loyalty, and electoral assumptions

Takeaways and Themes

The Paradox of Authenticity

Sliwa’s appeal comes not from policy depth, but from a gritty, unfiltered “authenticity” that matches the energies of both the Trump era and old New York. While Sliwa is deeply problematic, even fans and critics admit that "being real" often trumps message discipline in today’s political environment.

Social Media vs. Lived Reality

The hosts discuss how online “gotcha” moments fail to capture the complexity of real-world coalition-building—especially in diverse, working-class cities. “Tolerance and acceptance don’t always have to require understanding or companionship—and those qualities are still way better than outright hatred.” — Derek, [15:53–17:28]

Democratic Party at a Crossroads

The episode closes with reflections on how the left can reclaim authenticity and appeal to blue-collar and marginalized communities by moving beyond caution and embracing real, practical solutions—while grappling with the messy personalities who make up the broad tent of city politics.

Notable Quotes

• Derek Beres: “When you're in a situation where if someone says the wrong word and then a mob comes after them online... it doesn't surprise me that it turns people away from causes. We talk about coalition building all the time...” [17:50]
• Julian Walker: “Populists come across as more authentic even when they're full of shit, even when they're spreading conspiracy theories and pseudoscience...” [29:22]
• Curtis Sliwa: "Billionaires determine the next mayor? If they don't like it, they can leave. Blue-collar, working-class people don't. Those are the people I'm representing." [32:14]

Tone & Style

The tone is casual, brash, and unapologetically “New York,” with repeated emphasis by both hosts on the carnivalesque absurdity of Sliwa’s campaign—and the larger implications it has for American populism and politics.

If you haven’t listened, this episode is a wild primer on why today’s urban politics are as much about performance as policy—featuring one of the city’s most peculiar and persistent performers. And, of course, his cats.