Superstar singer Lady Gaga’s father was attacked as he stood outside his church in New York City, speaking with his pastor at 7:30 a.m. this morning.
Joe Germanotta spoke with Fox Business Channel’s Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. He started the interview by telling her that he was just attacked.
“It was 7:30 in the morning, and I don’t know whether he’s homeless, he was a little disturbed,” Germanotta detailed. “First, he pushed the pastor of the church. We were standing out in front, and then he came down the stairs coming after me.”
Then he said, “I can’t tell you what I did to him.” Heh. I like this guy.
Germanotta is an advocate for small businesses. He owns a restaurant in New York City and frequently advocates for small businesses. He talks about crime in the city, too. He has spoken out against the defund the police movement and the Summer of Love in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. He criticizes the rise in homeless illegal aliens.
Thank goodness he was not a victim of a knifing. There seems to be an increase in attacks with knives involved in NYC. “What’s been so unsafe is a lot of people running around, just hanging out on corners, loitering,” the restaurateur said.
He said there is chaos in New York now.
“There’s probably enough scooters and bicycles on the sidewalk to expand your delivery zone to Connecticut. They’re everywhere, and they’re buzzing around. You have to look both ways when you’re walking down the street, because most of the time they’re riding in both directions,” Germanotta expanded. “The city’s become unsafe in a couple of different ways, not just crime. Now there’s chaos.”
It’s not just crime and chaos that is taking a toll on small businesses. It is also inflation. He (rightly) pointed a finger at the Biden administration. Customers can’t afford to go out to eat as often as before and workers in the supply chain are hurt, too.
“I can tell you this, where we’re getting hurt most is the economy,” Germanotta said. “The customers that used to come in once a week, they come in once every three weeks… And you know who gets hurt? Not so much the restaurant or their payroll, but the workers and the salespeople.”
“Business was booming four years ago. I was going to have the best year ever,” he continued. “And it’s been a steady decline since this new administration and the mayor and the crime and the newcomers. And just every time you turn around, there’s a ‘gotcha’ there.”
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed that claimed that the crime rate is down in New York. It credited Mayor Adams and an increase in police presence on the streets, noting the defund the police movement was a failure.
New York City murder numbers dropped 12% in 2023 compared to the previous year while shootings fell 25%, according to numbers released by the New York City Police Department, with all five boroughs experiencing a decline in shootings.
It’s a start. There is much that needs to be done. A new president leading a revival of law and order across the country is needed. People deserve to feel safe in their city.