Emilia Clarke
Actress
Curtis Sliwa’s net worth is estimated at $500,000–$600,000 as of 2025. Despite decades of public prominence as the founder of the Guardian Angels, a radio talk show host, and a twice-failed New York City mayoral candidate, Sliwa has reported modest personal finances throughout his life — burdened by child support obligations, legal disputes, and an activist lifestyle that has never prioritized wealth accumulation. His primary income has been his radio hosting salary, reported at approximately $423,000 annually from WABC in 2024.
Updated March 2026: According to tax documents reported on social media and coverage by Yahoo Entertainment, Curtis Sliwa’s income in 2024 was approximately $423,000 from WABC radio. He resigned from WABC in October 2025 following an on-air confrontation with a colleague. As of early 2026, he is seeking new radio employment.
Curtis Anthony Sliwa was born on March 26, 1954, in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York, to Francesca (Italian-American) and Chester Sliwa (Polish-American, a merchant seaman). He grew up in a working-class Catholic household, attending St. Matthew’s Catholic School, P.S. 114, and Bildersee Junior High School. He was expelled from Brooklyn Prep for activism, ultimately graduating from Canarsie High School.
Sliwa worked as a paperboy as a teenager and won national recognition as Newsboy of the Year in 1979 after rescuing victims from a burning building while on his route. He also worked as a McDonald’s night manager in the South Bronx in the late 1970s, an experience that exposed him to the violent crime that would shape his founding of the Guardian Angels, according to Wikipedia.
Sliwa’s public career has spanned activism, media, and politics:
Curtis Sliwa married his current wife, Nancy Regula, in 2018. He has been married four times total. A previous long-term partner, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, had two sons with Sliwa via IVF — both had bar mitzvahs in 2021 and 2024. He has at least one other child, Anthony (born approximately 2004), from a prior marriage to Mary Paterson.
Sliwa has faced repeated child support disputes. In 2013, the New York Post reported he claimed he could not afford child support, and in 2023, he reportedly owed approximately $530,000 in arrears. He rents his apartment and does not own real estate.
Sliwa is known for his outspoken political commentary, his trademark red Guardian Angels beret, and his numerous felines — he has been a prominent cat rescue advocate and has spoken publicly about his large collection of cats in media appearances. He has been arrested over 77 times in the course of activism and protests throughout his career.
Curtis Sliwa’s net worth is estimated at approximately $500,000–$600,000 as of 2025–2026. Despite decades of public prominence and a radio salary of approximately $423,000 per year at WABC in 2024, his wealth is limited by substantial child support obligations (reportedly $530,000 in arrears as of 2023), multiple marriages, renting rather than owning his home, and an activist career that has not generated significant investable assets. He does not draw a salary from the Guardian Angels nonprofit.
Curtis Sliwa’s current wife is Nancy Regula, whom he married in 2018. He has been married four times total. His longest and most publicly documented non-marital relationship was with Melinda Katz, who became Queens District Attorney, with whom he had two sons via IVF. He was also previously married to Lisa Evers, a fellow radio personality and journalist.
Curtis Sliwa was born on March 26, 1954, making him 71 years old as of March 2026. He was born in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York, and has spent the majority of his life in New York City. At 71, he remains active in public life through the Guardian Angels and his ongoing search for new radio employment following his departure from WABC in late 2025.
In 2025, Curtis Sliwa ran for New York City mayor as the Republican nominee, receiving approximately 7% of the vote in November’s general election — finishing third behind Democratic winner Zohran Mamdani and others. He conceded the race per the New York Times. He also quit his WABC radio show in October 2025 following an on-air confrontation. He was accused by former campaign staff of not paying wages owed, a claim he disputed, per the New York Post.
Curtis Sliwa stands approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall (approximately 175 cm). He is immediately recognizable on the streets of New York for his signature red Guardian Angels beret, which he wears at virtually all public appearances regardless of context.
Curtis Sliwa has never won a major elected office. He ran for New York City mayor in 2021 as the Republican nominee and received approximately 27.8% of the vote, losing to Eric Adams — the best result for a Republican NYC mayoral candidate in many election cycles. In his second run in 2025, he finished third with approximately 7%, losing decisively to Zohran Mamdani. He has run for other positions and causes throughout his career but has not held elected office.