State nixes mention of Cuo’s mom
Even Andrew Cuomo’s beloved 90-year-old mom Matilda has been canceled over her disgraced son’s behavior, sources told The Post.
State officials removed the matriarch’s name from the Web site of a mentoring program she founded and oversaw — after her ex-gubernatorial son’s humiliating departure from office in light of sex-harassment claims last year, sources said.
“It’s a sad day when politics has gotten so ugly that it would come down to removing the name of 90year-old former First Lady Matilda Cuomo,’’ raged a disgusted source close to the Cuomo family.
Matilda Raffa Cuomo founded the New York State Mentoring Program as first lady when her husband, three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo, was in office from 1987 to 1994.
The program was initially discontinued after Mario Cuomo lost his bid for a fourth term. His wife continued the effort privately under the name Mentoring USA.
Her son Andrew then revived the state program in 2015 when he was governor, naming his mother as its honorary chairperson.
The program provides one-onone mentoring to at-risk students. Matilda, a former teacher, personally mentored students herself.
But its Web site has virtually eliminated Matilda Cuomo’s presence on it, sources said.
‘Fix this mistake’
There is one group photo on the home page that includes Matilda Cuomo — but she is not identified by name. Her name also has been removed from the advisory board.
In “About the Mentoring Program,” a blurb mentions current Gov. Hochul, but not Matilda.
“In the 2021-22 school year, Governor Hochul put her full support behind the Mentoring Program by announcing a new Latina Mentoring Program Cohort to be launched in early 2022 in regions throughout the state!” the site says.
The Cuomo family source took a shot at Hochul, who served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor before replacing him when he resigned, saying she was “not graceful enough to recognize the contributions of a wonderful woman.”
Allen Cappelli, who worked for Mario Cuomo but butted heads with Andrew over the years, called Matilda Cuomo “an icon.”
“The work Matilda has done with all kinds of groups — the mentoring program in particular — is a fact,’’ Cappelli told The Post. “Matilda should be acknowledged for her contributions to the state. The state should fix this mistake.”
On the outs
Matilda Cuomo is just the latest person in Andrew Cuomo’s circle to be tinged by his scandal.
Andrew’s brother, Chris, was fired from his hosting gig at CNN for working with his brother’s staff to plot the response against his female accusers. CNN boss Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned as revelations surfaced about his having a romantic relationship with a top staffer, former Cuomo Communications Director Allison Gollust.
Former top Cuomo aide James Malatras was forced to resign as SUNY chancellor for making disparaging comments about Andrew accuser Lindsey Boylan.
Two former Cuomo aides — Richard Bamberger and Josh Vlasto — were eased out of a politically connected public-relations firm after it was revealed they participated in a smear campaign against Boylan, while former Cuomo counsel Alphonso David was removed from his job at the Human Rights Campaign for his role in the smear.
On Sunday night, the state Office of Children and Family Services claimed that it will fix the omission of Matilda Cuomo’s contribution to the program.