Latest news with #Catsimatidis
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire John Catsimatidis threatens to close Gristedes chain if socialist Zohran Mamdani elected NYC mayor
Billionaire John Catsimatidis threatened to close or sell his Manhattan-based grocery chain Gristedes if Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is elected the next mayor of New York City. 'We can't compete with Mamdani opening city run supermarkets for free,' Catsimatidis told The Post on Wednesday, referring to the mayoral hopeful's plans to open grocery stores owned and operated by the government in the five boroughs. 3 John Catsimatidis threatened to close or sell his Manhattan-based grocery chain Gristedes if Zohran Mamdani is elected the next mayor of New York City. Stefan Jeremiah for New York Post Advertisement 3 'Will Mamdani run the supermarkets with union help? When people start shoplifting, will he even have cops arrest them,' Catsimatidis pondered. Robert Miller 3 Catsimatidis, 76, has run the mainstay supermarket for decades on top of his slew of other businesses. Robert Miller 'Will Mamdani run the supermarkets with union help? When people start shoplifting, will he even have cops arrest them,' Catsimatidis pondered. Advertisement The 76-year-old supermarket mogul also suggested that if corporate taxes are hiked in the Big Apple – another lofty ambition included in Mamdani's campaign's progressive agenda – that he would need to relocate his company's headquarters. 'We'd probably move our corporate headquarters to New Jersey,' Catsimatidis said. Catsimatidis, 76, has run the mainstay supermarket for decades on top of his slew of other businesses. A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. teams up to ‘save the ostriches' with NYC's own animal-loving billionaire John Catsimatidis
Birds of a feather … Animal-loving New York City supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis has joined forces with emu-owning federal health Commissioner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in urging Canadian officials to take their heads out of the sand to save ostriches at a north-of-the-border bird farm. Catsimatidis told The Post on Sunday he is grateful the head of Health and Human Services is also now sticking his neck out for the cause, which he has been pushing since last month, as first reported by The Post's Page Six. 'Let's save the ostriches! They have a right to live if they are healthy,' said the Gristedes supermarket founder, who also owns 770 WABC radio. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said it needs to kill nearly 400 of the birds at the Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia to curb the spread of the avian flu. Catsimatidis, who also owns oil and bio-fuel businesses, said he raised the alarm after animal-rights activists alerted him to the situation. 'I love animals. Let's save the whales, too,' he said — noting his next project is protect whales from being imperiled by offshore wind-power set-ups. The mogul also has been known to love pandas, once trying to convince the Chinese government to loan out the bears to the Big Apple's Central Park Zoo. As for the ostriches, Kennedy, along with the heads of the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, sent a May 23 letter to the Canadian agency urging it to reconsider its plan. The birds don't need to be killed to thwart the flu, wrote RFK Jr., who famously owns a pet emu, in the letter first reported by Rebel News. The ostriches should be preserved for long-term scientific study instead of culling or killing them, he said, echoing Catsimatidis' stance. 'Ostriches can live up to 50 years, providing the opportunity for future insights into immune longevity associated with the H5N1 virus,' Kennedy said in the letter co-signed by NIH Director Jay Bhattachary and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. 'The indiscriminate destruction of entire flocks without up-to-date testing and evaluation can have significant consequences, including the loss of valuable genetic stock that may help explain risk factors for H5N1 mortality,' the letter said. 'This may be important for future agricultural resilience.' The missive added that avian influenza has been endemic in birds for thousands of years and that culling birds would be 'fruitless unless we are willing to exterminate every wild bird in North America.' 'We're dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats in Canada. They're mean-spirited,' Catstimatidis said. 'Test the ostriches. They are not sick!' He added that the ostriches may have 'herd immunity' whose antibodies can be studied to save human lives.
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
RFK Jr. teams up to ‘save the ostriches' with NYC's own animal-loving billionaire John Catsimatidis
Birds of a feather … Animal-loving New York City supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis has joined forces with emu-owning federal health Commissioner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in urging Canadian officials to take their heads out of the sand to save ostriches at a north-of-the-border bird farm. Catsimatidis told The Post on Sunday he is grateful the head of Health and Human Services is also now sticking his neck out for the cause, which he has been pushing since last month, as first reported by The Post's Page Six. 'Let's save the ostriches! They have a right to live if they are healthy,' said the Gristedes supermarket founder, who also owns 770 WABC radio. 4 New York City supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis is working with federal health Commissioner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to urge Canadian officials to save ostriches at a north-of-the-border bird farm. LP Media 4 'Let's save the ostriches! They have a right to live if they are healthy,' Catsimatidis, the Gristedes supermarket founder, said. í¡íµíâ¬í³íµí¹ í¡íâíµí»íÅíâ¡íµí½í°í¾ – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said it needs to kill nearly 400 of the birds at the Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia to curb the spread of the avian flu. Catsimatidis, who also owns oil and bio-fuel businesses, said he raised the alarm after animal-rights activists alerted him to the situation. 'I love animals. Let's save the whales, too,' he said — noting his next project is protect whales from being imperiled by offshore wind-power set-ups. The mogul also has been known to love pandas, once trying to convince the Chinese government to loan out the bears to the Big Apple's Central Park Zoo. As for the ostriches, Kennedy, along with the heads of the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, sent a May 23 letter to the Canadian agency urging it to reconsider its plan. The birds don't need to be killed to thwart the flu, wrote RFK Jr., who famously owns a pet emu, in the letter first reported by Rebel News. 4 Kennedy sent a May 23 letter to the Canadian agency urging it to reconsider its plan to kill nearly 400 of the birds at the Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia to curb the spread of the avian flu. Getty Images The ostriches should be preserved for long-term scientific study instead of culling or killing them, he said, echoing Catsimatidis' stance. 'Ostriches can live up to 50 years, providing the opportunity for future insights into immune longevity associated with the H5N1 virus,' Kennedy said in the letter co-signed by NIH Director Jay Bhattachary and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. 'The indiscriminate destruction of entire flocks without up-to-date testing and evaluation can have significant consequences, including the loss of valuable genetic stock that may help explain risk factors for H5N1 mortality,' the letter said. 'This may be important for future agricultural resilience.' 4 The ostriches should be preserved for long-term scientific study instead of culling or killing them, Kennedy said in the letter, co-signed by NIH Director Jay Bhattachary and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. Maik Boenig – The missive added that avian influenza has been endemic in birds for thousands of years and that culling birds would be 'fruitless unless we are willing to exterminate every wild bird in North America.' 'We're dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats in Canada. They're mean-spirited,' Catstimatidis said. 'Test the ostriches. They are not sick!' He added that the ostriches may have 'herd immunity' whose antibodies can be studied to save human lives.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gristedes owner offers to test socialist NYC candidate's ‘Soviet' style plan for city-run grocery stores — but there's a catch
The owner of Gristedes said he'd lend a supermarket to City Hall to test one liberal candidate's 'Soviet'-style plan for government-run grocery stores – if he'll pay for shoplifting losses. John Catsimatidis, the billionaire mogul behind the Gristedes and D'Agostino food chains, pledged he would be 'helpful' after Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani unveiled a plan to create a network of city-run supermarkets. 'If they want to try an experiment, I will be helpful — as long as the city makes up the shortfall for shoplifting,' Catsimatidis told The Post. 'Will they allow people to shoplift? What will the policy on shoplifting be? I just want to know,' said Catsimatidis, who has previously grabbed headlines for encouraging his in-store staff to tackle shoplifters to hold them until police arrive. Mamdani, who is currently polling second behind frontrunner Andrew Cuomo ahead of the June Democratic Party primary, has said he'd launch city-owned grocery stores to drive down grocery prices for New Yorkers. 'These stores will operate without profit motive, or having to pay property taxes or rent, and will pass those savings onto you,' Mamdani, who is now serving in the state Assembly, said in a TikTok video. His plan, which calls for one store in each borough, would cost an estimated $60 million. It has drawn condemnation from local grocery owners such as Jason Ferraira, a board member of the National Supermarket Association, who said it would create 'Soviet' markets where customers would have limited selection for items like bread and milk. Catsimatidis, an ally and insider of President Trump, was open to the idea of negotiating with the unabashedly liberal candidate if he were to end up in City Hall. 'It could help the city feed the hungry. There's a deal to be made. We'll help make it happen,' Catsimatidis said, though he will not be voting for Mamdani for mayor. Mamdani's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who's the owner behind Residences at 400 Central, the tallest residential building on Florida's Gulf Coast?
The Brief A luxurious new high-rise called Residences at 400 Central stretches 47 stories high in St. Pete. The new condo building is owned by a 76-year-old self-made billionaire who started with a bodega in Harlem. He first came to St. Pete more than 40 years ago. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Stretching 47 stories toward the sky in St. Petersburg, a luxurious new high-rise called Residences at 400 Central has quite the view from the top of the condo building. The owner of what will be the tallest residential building on Florida's Gulf Coast has plenty of his own views. RELATED: St. Pete condo building soars above city skyline, becomes tallest residential building on Florida's west coast "People want to hear, people want to know what's going on, and I enjoy being on the air every day," said the owner, John Catsimatidis. Dig deeper He bought his own radio station, the iconic 77 WABC in New York City. He said he's neither left wing nor right wing. "I am the middle," he said. "I was a Bill Clinton Democrat. What is Donald Trump? I don't think he's a Republican Republican, but I think he's a common-sense businessman." What if his support of Trump loses the sale of one of his condos that starts at $1 million dollars? Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "I couldn't give a damn," he said. The backstory At 76 years old, Catsimatidis is a self-made billionaire who started with a bodega in Harlem and then diversified into other businesses early. He first came to St. Pete more than 40 years ago, and his wife is from the area. Their new building at 400 Central Avenue has 301 condos, thousands of square feet of office space, retail space and two restaurants. FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers asked him where the people who work there would be able to live. Local perspective "You need affordable housing in St. Pete. You need an area to put up homes. If somebody's going to build a luxury building, let them contribute toward affordable building too." READ:'Beetlejuice' iconic home is now available on Airbnb Sowers also asked him if he was ready to do that. "If required to," he said. Catsimatidis is a partner in a minor league baseball team in New York, but would he get involved in the Tampa Bay Rays deal for a new stadium and surrounding development? "We haven't talked to anybody in at least 60 days," he said. "If it's a good deal, I always look at it." What's next He's planning his own amenity in his new building, a radio studio to talk to New Yorkers about politics and maybe what it's like to live in the tower he built high above St. Petersburg. He said the building is 3/4 sold and residents should be moving in by September. The Source The information in this story was gathered through an interview with the owner of Residences at 400 Central in St. Petersburg. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
