Andy drops N-bomb Cuomo uses slur on the air while lamenting anti-Italian bias

ALBANY — Radio listeners were stunned Tuesday when Gov. Cuomo dropped the N-word during an on-air discussion about discrimination against Italian-Americans.

The governor, quoting a New York Times editorial about the racist language used to describe Italian immigrants in decades past, said they were often referred to as “n——r w—s.”

Pivoting away from a question about the state’s delayed Medicaid payments, Cuomo cited the Gray Lady’s use of the term and steered the conversation toward anti-Italian sentiments.

“The Times also said in an article the other day, apropos of nothing, they were talking about it,” the governor told WAMC host Alan Chartock. “Going back to the ItalianAmericans, because now you have me. They used an expression that southern Italians were called quote-unquote, and pardon my language, but I’m just quoting The Times, n——r w—s. N-word w—s as a derogatory comment.”

The Times published an op-ed titled “How Italians Became White” over the weekend analyzing discrimination faced by Italians in the past. The term was used in the piece as an illustration of racist insults southern Italians in particular faced.

Cuomo took heat for his use of the word with some of his fellow pols calling on him to apologize.

“That word is a stain on this country’s soul,” said Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell. “No white person should use it in any context, for any reason — least of all as an example of how he thinks he has been unfairly treated. Gov. Cuomo (inset) needs to apologize right now.”

Public Advocate Jumanne Williams said there was no excuse for using the term in any context.

“The flippant and unnecessary use of the word on live radio gives people further permission to use this racist term that remains a stain on this country,” he said. “The Governor should understand that regardless of what community he was referencing, the misguided use of the word still rings with hundreds of years of pain, and should apologize for that. But hey, at least it wasn’t Blackface.”

Others defended the governor.

“The governor was quoting a New York Times story and was using it for context,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx). “I didn’t take any offense at his comments.”

The remark comes a day after the governor celebrated his heritage and marched down Fifth Ave. in the Columbus Day parade. He also announced Monday that the state would be ponying up funds for a statue of Saint Frances Cabrini. The move came after a city program run by First Lady Chirlane McCray decided against dedicating a memorial to the Italianborn Cabrini despite her leading a public poll.

Cuomo called the shunning of the saint an “affront” to the Italian-American community.

Seven other women were chosen to get statues as part of the “She Built NYC” statue program even though Cabrini got “by far” the most votes out of 300 women, Cuomo said.

Cuomo on Saturday told the crowd at a gala for the Columbus Citizens Foundation that Italian-Americans must “stand up.”

“As Italian-Americans, we must also remember that we ourselves are not immune from attack. The ugliness of Italian-American stereotyping is still alive and well. Our battle is not over,” he said.

Cuomo defended his TV host brother Chris Cuomo over the summer after video went viral of the CNN anchor blowing up on a heckler who called him “Fredo.”