Phillip Sideroglou was not surprised to see his former classmate, Zohran Mamdani, become the youngest mayor in New York City’s history. He remembers Mamdani from their teenage years at Bronx Science Public High School as “a kid who could unite everyone” and who even tried to learn traditional Greek dances.
“I remember him stepping into the circle and trying to learn Greek dances with the rest of the Greek classmates. We used to call him habibi, and he would call us malaka. We laughed a lot,” Sideroglou tells NEWS 24/7.
“He had that kind of connection with so many different groups. Seeing his transition now from New York State Assemblyman to Mayor, in hindsight, makes perfect sense to me.”
Fifteen years after their joint graduation from the prestigious Bronx Science public high school, Zohran Mamdani is making global headlines as New York’s youngest and most disruptive mayor. Phillip, however, knew him during their adolescence as a “cool kid with a lot of energy” who now leads a city of eight million people.
Another common thread between Zohran and Phillip is that both grew up as American citizens whose parents were immigrants to the United States. Mamdani’s parents were from Uganda and India; Sideroglou’s were from Thiva and Piraeus, who opened a business in New York in the 1980s and settled in Astoria.
Bronx Science, one of the best public high schools in America, is a melting pot, drawing students from immigrant families from every corner of the globe.
Zohran Mamdani’s Greek dances at school
“Admission to the school was based solely on a demanding test, so there were no other criteria,” Phillip recalls. “The way the school operated is the reason I have such great memories of Zohran because, like in every high school, there were many subcultures, sub-groups, and cliques. Zohran, though, always had the gift of bridging the gaps.”
The Greek community at the school was a dynamic presence. They had a club called the “Greek Club” and organized school festivals featuring Greek traditional dances. It was there that the then 18-year-old Zohran seemed to genuinely enjoy the Greek music and rhythm, laughing and naturally participating in the glenti (celebration) like a native, even holding the microphone—as seen in the video provided by Phillip Sideroglou to NEWS 24/7.
“He would dance zeibekiko with us and then immediately drag you over to play cricket. We had a lot of smart kids,” says Phillip. “You didn’t stand out just because you studied. You had to be creative, you had to bring different people together. That’s what Zohran did. And that’s why it all makes sense now.”
Phillip also remembers Zoran becoming politically engaged as early as high school. “When we were at Bronx Science, he was already interested in politics. He was on the school’s Student Council and took initiative.”
He described his old friend in two words: “Philoxenos and philotimos. I would introduce him to anyone as ‘your next friend’ because he genuinely cares about people. Even if he walked into a restaurant and I was sitting with people he didn’t know, he would come over, sit down, and fit right in.”
A lasting connection: The Haristeas tribute
The Mayor’s affection for his Greek heritage and friends is not just a high school memory; it has continued into his public life. It was March 25, 2021, when, wishing the Greeks well on the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, he posted on Twitter (now X):
“Happy Independence Day to my Greek brothers, sisters, families, and to Angelos Charisteas himself.” The video he chose to accompany the post was none other than Charisteas’s iconic golden goal in the Euro 2004 final against Portugal, cementing the Greek national team’s historic victory.
Happy #GreekIndependenceDay to all my Greek brothers, sisters, family beyond the binary, and Angelos Charisteas himself.#200Years 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/xOiIJuyOyj
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) March 25, 2021
This small but memorable public gesture perfectly encapsulates the spirit described by Phillip Sideroglou: Mamdani’s unique gift for connecting with and celebrating diverse communities, a trait he first honed in the halls of Bronx Science.
Related: Greek-American Billionaire Catsimatidis Threatens to Leave New York Over Mamdani’s Policies
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