2 new statues of Mother Cabrini in New York City?

NEW YORK - In an exclusive interview at the New York City Columbus Day Parade, Mayor de Blasio opens up to FOX 5 News about the Italian-American experience and the Mother Cabrini statue controversy. 

Mayor de Blasio marched up Fifth Avenue with the Columbia Association of the Sanitation Department. FOX 5 News met up with him after he finished the Columbus Day Parade route.

"I feel very proud of my Italian heritage. My family came here two generations ago and lived out the American dream here in New York. And it really does exist," Mayor de Blasio said. "This is a day we celebrate what Italian-Americans have done for this country, and what this country has done for us. It's a beautiful day."

City parades often become lightning rods for political controversies. This time it was over a statue for a Roman Catholic saint, Mother Cabrini. The New York humanitarian was a top vote-getter in a city poll but didn't make the first-round cut.

Governor Andrew Cuomo took the opportunity to announce he will work with Italian-American organizations and the Brooklyn Archdiocese to build their own Mother Cabrini statue.

Gov. Cuomo said, "Everyone has to feel respected and included and that they have a seat at the table, and the Italian-American community felt disrespected."

Parade goer Anne Quartano expressed her opinion, "I think there should be a statue to Mother Cabrini, she won fair and square, and it should be built by the city."

Mother Cabrini was honored with a statue on a parade float.

"I think it's a manufactured controversy. It's very sad that some people have chosen to do this because, in the end, we had a first-round of statues, they represented people of all backgrounds, it was really about giving women representation who had been unrepresented for centuries in this city," De Blasio said.  "Now there's going to be a second round, and I've said I for one think Mother Cabrini should be one of them. She's amazing, an historical figure of such importance for this city." 

Asked about the governor saying his coalition will build its own statue, the mayor responded, "God bless him, but again, a lot of people out there with whatever agendas, playing games, it's not fair to people, not fair to Mother Cabrini." 

The mayor says instead of focusing on the controversy, we should be honoring the tremendous progress made by the Italian-American community, especially since it started from a very challenging immigrant experience.