When you’re related to a public figure, you’ve got to be extra careful with your actions and words. Anything you do can reflect on your family member, especially if they’re in politics. That’s exactly what happened to Thomas Paladino, the son of Vickie Paladino, a member of the New York City Council. Thomas recently found himself in hot water after a video surfaced showing him threatening a New York resident.
In the clip, Thomas accuses the man behind the camera of yelling and cursing at him and his mother’s volunteers. The man denies it, but Thomas doesn’t seem interested in hearing him out. Instead, he immediately starts cursing back and warning that there would be “problems” if anyone messed with his mother’s campaign team. When the cameraman says he doesn’t understand what Thomas means, Thomas doubles down and swears at him again.
It wasn’t just the cameraman who was there either. According to reports, he was part of Ben Chou’s campaign team and was accompanied by several others, including a teenager. Subtitles on the video claim that Vickie and her son Thomas had been threatening Ben Chou’s supporters. One of them, the campaign manager’s fiancée, also said she was called “evil” and “despicable” for supporting Chou.
The tension between Vickie Paladino and Ben Chou isn’t new. The two have clashed before, including in a recent debate about expanding mobility options beyond just driving, something Chou supported and Vickie opposed.
After the video spread online, Reddit users didn’t hold back. Many criticized Thomas for his behavior, especially noticing how his hands were visibly shaking as he pointed and shouted. “Why’s bro shaking, lmao,” one user wrote.
Others took the chance to show support for Ben Chou and his campaign to improve Queens. “This district is super interesting. Hope Ben Chou wins. She’s crazy, and apparently it’s genetic,” one person commented.
Some users also called out the Paladinos’ apparent wealth and disconnect from their community. “Is that dude driving an Aston Martin? How many people in northeast Queens own a six-figure sports car? This family’s lifestyle doesn’t reflect the average resident of District 19,” one redditor said.
The video ends with Thomas driving away in the expensive car, leaving a bad impression behind. More commenters chimed in to criticize Vickie herself. “I’ve lived in her district for a long time. Her views have become awful in the past few years. Between her and Santos, Whitestone should lose voting privileges,” one user wrote.
