Adam Levy, the son of television judge Judith “Judy” Sheindlin, has publicly backed a petition demanding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani be barred from the upcoming 9/11 anniversary memorial at Ground Zero.
Levy, 57, who stars in the forthcoming CBS courtroom series “Adam’s Law,” told The Post that Mamdani’s past support for figures with anti-American views should disqualify him from Friday morning’s ceremony. The Bronx native was working as a private-practice attorney on September 11, 2001, and said the attacks forever changed how he approaches his legal work.
“Don’t show up at this memorial when you’ve supported radical Islam in the past,” Levy raged to The Post about the mayor. “Stand up for what you believe in. Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth.”
The petition targeting Mamdani was launched by Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace, 29, was killed in the terrorist attack. Posted on Change.org, it has gathered nearly 110,000 signatures and counting. The document cites Mamdani’s reluctance to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his associations with controversial figures including his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented an al-Qaeda tanker-bombing pilot.
“For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony — it is a deeply personal day of mourning,” reads the Change.org call to action.
“The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain.”
Mamdani, 34, a democratic socialist who was sworn in on New Year’s Day, has nevertheless vowed to attend the 8:46 a.m. Commemoration. He previously stated he would “proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration.”
Grieving loved ones including Galante plan to completely “ignore” the mayor if he appears.
Levy’s criticism extended beyond Mamdani to include New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who is seeking a second full term. He characterized both officials as self-interested hypocrites.
“Mamdani’s going to do what benefits him, and Hochul is going to do what benefits her. They’re both hypocrites,” Levy said.
He continued his attack on Hochul with unusually blunt language for a television personality with a family-friendly brand.
“She’s got no business running the State of New York. Zero,” he seethed. “Do people feel safer walking down the street or taking the subway?
“They should open up mental health, psychiatric facilities in locations where these government officials live,” he insisted, “rather than letting criminals loose into communities the politicians couldn’t give a damn about.”
Levy’s harsh assessment of Mamdani’s policy agenda centered on the mayor’s swift reversal of his predecessor’s pro-Israel measures. On his first day in office, Mamdani retracted an executive order issued by former Mayor Eric Adams that barred city officials from boycotting or divesting from Israel. He also repealed an order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which Adams’ administration said included “demonizing Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism.”
The television judge called Mamdani’s anti-Israel positions “disgusting” and mocked his past career as an emcee under the name “Mr. Cardamom.”
“His policies are disgusting. He doesn’t have any business being mayor; he should go back to being a rapper,” Levy, 57, scoffed.
Levy’s specific grievance about Mamdani’s associations focused on Aber Kawas, a Democratic Socialists of America member and self-described “Muslim civil rights advocate” who once described 9/11 as a terror attack that a “couple people did.” Kawas clinched the Democratic nomination for a Queens state Senate seat in June after receiving Mamdani’s enthusiastic support and endorsement.
Protesters marched on City Hall Tuesday to present the petition to Kassem’s chief of staff, escalating a confrontation that has drawn national attention to the upcoming memorial.
Levy credited his mother Sheindlin, 83, with instilling the “do-the-right-thing” sensibility that he now brings to both his public statements and his television bench. His new courtroom series, which debuts Sept. 14, features cases ranging from romance scammers who fleeced targets of more than $14,000 to animal lovers defending pet kangaroos against biting claims.
But the attorney said his professional perspective was permanently altered by witnessing the towers fall from his Putnam County office, where he had been preparing for a trial scheduled that morning.
“I remember exactly where I was. I’d just arrived at my office in Putnam County, and began preparing for a trial scheduled for that day, when I saw that a plane had hit the first tower,” recalled Levy. “Watching the building go up in flames, then seeing the second tower hit and the building go down. It was surreal.”
He lamented that the unity he observed in the attack’s immediate aftermath has since dissolved into the polarization now surrounding the memorial itself.
“In the aftermath of 9/11, New Yorkers from every walk of life, every race, color, political affiliation, socioeconomic background, came together to rebuild this place we call home — and for the first week things were great, until they weren’t,” said Levy. “Now, 25 years later, we couldn’t be more polarized. We need to get back to a space where we’re doing good for one another, remembering that we all share the common goal of living in safety and harmony.”
“We need to remember how we all were on September 12, 2001,” said Levy, “and the legitimate love, respect and support we showed those in mourning.”
Levy’s “Adam’s Law” airs locally on WCBS-TV Channel 2 weekdays at 3:30 p.m.