Lady Gaga’s Dad Outraged by Illegal Migrants Shelter Upscale NY Neighborhood
Popstar Lady Gaga’s father, Joe Germanotta, is outraged that his once-quiet upscale neighborhood in New York City has become what he calls a “hotbed” for “hookers,” bike racing, and “catcalling,” due to the influx of illegal migrants being housed nearby.
Germanotta, 66, an Upper West Side home and restaurant owner, has created a list of complaints and concerns from other residents in the area that he intends to take to lawmakers and police, according to the New York Post.
The article notes that he has lived in “The Pythian building on West 70th Street for 35 years — it’s where he raised his two daughters, including [Lasy Gaga].” Germanotta told the Post, “If it was like this when my girls were growing up, I wouldn’t be living in New York.”
In his interview with the Post, Germanotta explained that all of the “mayhem began” when 500 migrants were newly sheltered at the nearby Stratford Arms Hotel. Since their arrival, there have been impromptu parties that run throughout all hours of the night, bike races, reckless driving, and prostitution. He told the Post that migrants had begun catcalling children as young as 14. Germanotta and his neighbors have also begun to see hypodermic needles lying in the streets.
“They’re guests in our neighborhood, and they have basically taken over,” Germanotta said.
“Hookers are coming and going. In the mornings, you see prostitutes coming out of the building,” he explained. “The worst part’s at night. The noise. It starts at about 10 o’clock, and it’ll go until 4 in the morning. Playing music and racing their motocross and motorbikes up and down the streets.”
To counter the invasion, Germanotta and local residents formed the West 70th Street Association to lobby City Hall to take action, and increase policing and supervision in the migrant community. The association has already met with officials from New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and plans to meet with the Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
“Most of the people in (my) building are owners. They feel that this situation has affected their property values,” Germanotta said. “Give us something back. Give us a tax rebate. They’re spending all this money, OK, give me some.”
New York City’s sanctuary status made the location a hotbed for illegal immigration alone, without accounting for the now thousands of migrants who were bussed to the Big Apple from overwhelmed border states.
There are nearly 1 million undocumented immigrants living in the state of New York, with a majority concentrated in the sanctuary city. NYC Mayor Eric Adams has started distributing fliers to migrants lining the city streets, asking them to consider relocating to other sanctuary cities in the U.S.
Despite the chaos, the depleted property value, and the lack of safety and privacy, Germanotta told the Post, “I don’t mind having them there. They’re gonna be there for three years. That was the contract, I understand.” He simply said that at a minimum, he wants city officials to “at least manage it. Put the proper security in place, have a police presence and a code of conduct.”
