New Yorkers flock to Mamdani lookalike competition as amateur actor is crowned mayor’s doppelganger… and reveals how he’ll spend his winnings

New York has seen its share of lookalike contests: from JFK Jr. to Timothee Chalamet.

On Sunday, however, the spotlight belonged to a group of men who looked suspiciously like Zohran Mamdani.

Amadeo Fusca, a part-time actor and seasoned Mamdani impersonator, emerged victorious from Sunday’s Zohran Mamdani lookalike contest. 

Fusca beat out a field of contenders who arrived in New York’s Washington Square Park armed with the hair, the smile and the eagerness to spend a Sunday afternoon pretending to be the city’s mayor.

The wannabe mayor took home $100 for his efforts, while the runner-up received $50.

And if anyone was expecting the winner to deliver a gracious, conventional acceptance speech, they clearly underestimated just how deep the Mamdani impression goes.

‘I wouldn’t say I won today. I’d say the city of New York won,’ Fusca told the Daily Mail.

It was a line so on-brand that, for a brief moment, it was unclear whether Fusca had won the contest or accidentally been sworn into office.

The resemblance is certainly there. But Fusca insists that winning a Mamdani lookalike contest requires considerably more than showing up with the correct hair.

‘It’s all about the persona,’ he said. ‘Mamdani loves attention, so to be able to portray that effortlessly takes more than just being a lookalike.’

And Fusca knows the persona all too well.

A part-time actor and comedian, he has appeared in NCIS, That Damn Michael Che, Marvel’s Daredevil, Boardwalk Empire and Mayor of Kingstown. 

He has also made a specialty of playing Mamdani, performing his stunts and bits often enough that Sunday’s contest was less an audition and more a home game.

For all the jokes, Fusca was also quick to give Mamdani credit for what he believes the mayor has done well for New York.

‘I just love the way he unites people in excitement for him, but also the lowering of rents, making childcare more affordable.’

He added ‘ I think the overall vibe of New York city is just more hopeful.’

Onlookers pointed to the administration’s focus on visible, everyday problems – including potholes and the city’s seemingly immortal scaffolding – as reasons for Mamdani’s popularity. 

Some said Mamdani’s down to earth appeal comes from concentrating on issues New Yorkers actually encounter on their way to work, their day to day lives, rather than problems that require a policy degree to understand.

Competitors took the assignment seriously.

For some, it was about the physical resemblance. For others, it was about nailing the expression, the cadence or the unmistakable enthusiasm of his ‘Knicks in five’ speech.

But there is a crucial difference between looking like Mamdani and behaving like Mamdani.

One gets you photographed. The other gets you the $100. Fusca has apparently mastered both. 

And what does one do with $100?

After securing his victory and the unofficial title of New York’s most high-profile political Doppelgänger – Fusca was asked what he planned to do with his winnings.

His answer contained significantly less public policy.

He said he planned to spend the money on sports gambling and a hefty lunch.

No manifesto, no press conference and no announcement of a new city initiative.

The real Mamdani may have the city.

For now, Fusca has the $100 and, presumably, a top tier lunch reservation.