Former head of security for Rudy Giuliani during his mayoralty; self-described lifelong Republican.
Case
Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki, and some September 11 victims’ relatives opposed Zohran Mamdani attending the 2026 memorial, citing his rhetoric and associations. Mamdani said he would honor victims; other elected officials and a family group said excluding the sitting mayor would politicize the commemoration.
Role at the time: Former head of security for Rudy Giuliani
Response to this claim
A four-second video clip shows Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laughing inappropriately while the names of September 11 victims were being read.
“The videos of @NYCMayor and @AOC laughing are not true. I was standing next to them the whole time. The camera just caught her greeting him hello. Multiple other politicians were laughing and joking behind me. Republicans and Democrats.”
Ragusa, who says he stood next to Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez throughout, directly disputes the characterization of the clip as showing laughter during the name-reading, without addressing the broader dispute over Mamdani's attendance itself.
Statement dates: September 11, 2026
Statement dates: September 11, 2026
