Founder of prominent NYC bodega owners’ group resigns over Zohran Mamdani mayoral endorsement

It’s a bodega civil war.

Fernando Mateo, the colorful co-founder of the prominent United Bodegas of America, angrily resigned Wednesday over the group’s president endorsing Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor – calling it a “betrayal.”

Mateo plans to hold a news conference Thursday morning denouncing the endorsement by president Radhames Rodriguez, whom he contended illegally violated the bodega owners’ group’s non-profit status by publicly backing a political candidate.

“I did not agree with what was done today,” Mateo told The Post, adding that he was resigning “immediately.”

“This was a betrayal,” he seethed.

Rodriguez, who couldn’t be reached for comment, glowingly touted Mamdani as the champion of hardscrabble New Yorkers — despite his and the group’s skepticism over one of the socialist’s marquee policy proposals.

The United Bodegas of America raised alarms over the summer that Mamdani’s plan to launch five city-owned grocery stores in as many boroughs would put the small shopowners out of business.

But Rodriguez, during the endorsement event in The Bronx Wednesday morning, lauded Mamdani’s promise to cut “red tape” for bodegas – even as he maintained opposition to city-owned groceries.

“Mandani will cut fines and fees for small business in-house, allow business to get up and running faster,” he said. “He will speed up permit and make it online application easier.”

Mamdani said contrary to popular belief that he’s not running on an affordability agenda.

“I’m running on a BEC agenda,” he joked, referring to the iconic bacon, egg and cheese bodega sandwich.

“It’s not a bacon egg and cheese, it’s bringing economic change with some jalapenos on the side,” he added. “Now, you cannot deliver meaningful economic change without the support of the local businesses that millions of New Yorkers rely on every single day.”

Mateo, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in 2021’s mayoral race, claimed the endorsement sparked widespread outrage among some of the bodega owners.
“Hundreds of bodega owners already reached out expressing their discontent. I had to explain to them that I had nothing to do with it,” he said, adding he advised them to stay neutral.

“We are not in any position to endorse anyone. We are in a position to expose what our concerns are and what we feel like government should treat us,” he said. “Radhames Rodriguez violated not only the trust of every bodega owner that we respect but the trust of the organization and the leaders of that organization.”

The bodega group’s endorsement counted as an 11th-hour political boon for Mamdani, who is trying to maintain support among the city’s Latino voters.

Most polls had shown Mamdani leading among Hispanic voters, but a Suffolk University poll released this week found they backed his rival Andrew Cuomo by a razor-thin 39% to 38% margin.

– Additional reporting by Haley Brown