You are reading

Kew Gardens Homeowner Comes Under Fire For Hanging Banner Saying Biden Administration Marks the Beginning of Socialism

The sign at 82-28 Abingdon Rd. Sunday (Image by Aleda Gagarin)

Jan. 26, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A local candidate for city council has taken issue with a large banner hanging in front of a house in Kew Gardens that claims Joe Biden’s inauguration marked the beginning of socialism.

Aleda Gagarin, who is running as a progressive to represent District 29, came across the banner at 82-28 Abingdon Rd. Sunday and posted an image of the house and the sign to Twitter.

The banner reads: “January 20, 2021, Death of Democracy, The Beginning of Socialism.” The date marks the day Joe Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States.

The banner also features a hammer and sickle as well as an image of Lady Liberty crouched over with her hands in her face. The banner drapes between two flag poles in the middle of the front garden that each fly the USA flag.

“It’s just so silly, the person is clearly misunderstood,” Gagarin told the Queens Post. “Joe Biden is certainly not a socialist.”

Gagarin noted that Biden doesn’t even support universal healthcare.

“The sign also uses communist imagery that shows a clear lack of understanding,” she added.

Michael Ricatto, who owns the house and put up the banner, disputed Gagarin’s claims and said he knows exactly what he is talking about. Biden’s policies are socialist, he said, and all hardworking taxpayers will have to pay more due to his left-wing policies.

Furthermore, Ricatto added that there is little difference between socialism and communism and he considers socialism as communism’s “little brother.”

“We worked hard for years to amass what we have and I don’t like being forced to support someone else,” Ricatto said.

Ricatto believes that American democracy is under threat and claims that the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. He argues that the democratic process was upended.

“There were too many ambiguities that were never reported and most of the media lean left,” he claims. None were proven in court.

However, Gagarin says it was Trump who put democracy at risk.

“Trump was trying to kill democracy, he was trying to overthrow our actual government, that’s very clearly true,” she said, referring to the attacks on the Capitol on Jan 6.

Gagarin said that while she was offended by the sign she respects his right to free speech.

She said she was more offended by previous signs put up by Ricatto that expressed his outright support for Trump. She said that Trump’s policies targeted undocumented residents in Queens.

“I don’t agree with propping up a fascist whose policies terrified our immigrant brothers and sisters,” Gagarin said, referring to the rise in ICE arrests in Queens under Trump.

Trump’s wall, she added, was “a waste of money, stupid, childish and inherently racist.”

82-28 Abingdon Rd. (Image by Aleda Gagarin)

Ricatto has courted controversy relating to his signs in the past.

In 2016, his pro-Trump lawn signs were constantly stolen. In response, he stapled “wanted” signs on public trees in an effort to catch the people swiping them. The Parks Dept. fined him for damaging the trees.

Nevertheless, Ricatto said he will not let anyone deter him from exercising his right to free speech.

“They are not going to shut me up, they will never shut me up,” he said.

He also said that people are afraid to voice their opinions due to a fear of backlash from the left and that some people have thanked him for putting up his signs.

“There is a silent majority out there, not so much in Queens but there are enclaves of right-leaning people.”

Donald Trump saw his support in Queens rise in the 2020 election with 26.8 percent of citizens voting for him – up from 21.8 percent in 2016.

Ricatto said he has not received much trouble for putting up his signs but joked that a person has been sending him tissues in the post since Biden was elected. The tissues are for Ricatto to wipe his tears since Trump lost the election.

He said that while he disagrees with Biden’s position on a myriad of issues he wishes him well and is not hoping for him to fail.

“We are all one big airliner and Joe Biden is now pilot, I am not hoping for him to crash.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Shots fired as NYPD confronts suspected car theft crew at Flushing auto shop Friday morning

The NYPD opened fire on a car theft crew who were caught in the act of stealing vehicles in Flushing on Friday morning.

Police from the 109th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at around 5:30 a.m. at the Express Auto Repair shop at 134-02 33rd Ave. Officers encountered a group of ten men who were in possession of firearms in a parking area near the intersection of Prince Street and 33rd Avenue. As the officers approached on foot, the gunmen jumped into several vehicles and attempted to flee at a high rate of speed toward the officers, an NYPD spokesman said. One officer discharged his service weapon as the vehicles fled northbound on Miller Street toward 32nd Avenue.

Queens voters to decide key Civil Court races in 2025 primary and general elections

Jun. 6, 2025 By Athena Dawson & Czarinna Andres

Queens voters will head to the polls this year to decide a mix of contested and uncontested Civil Court races, including three competitive Democratic primaries and multiple general election matchups. The contests span countywide vacancies and judicial seats in four Municipal Court Districts. The primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 24, with the general election set for Tuesday, November 4.

Gotti grandsons charged in Howard Beach assault after home burglary by Gambino associate: NYPD

Two grandsons of the late Gambino mob boss John Gotti were arrested Monday for dishing out some street justice against an associate who allegedly robbed the Howard Beach home of the don’s namesake on Saturday.

Reputed Gambino associate Gino Gabrielli, 31, was arrested on Sunday, a day after he allegedly broke into the residence of 31-year-old John Gotti, at 94-19 157th Ave. in Howard Beach on the afternoon of Sunday, June 1, and stealing $3,500 in cash, a luxury wristwatch, a pair of earrings, a wallet and a jewelry box, according to the criminal complaint.