Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate for New York City mayor, said he's done with the station where he worked for years after coming under pressure to bow out of the mayor's race. 

You might say Sliwa finally blew his top, and his red beret. Not only did he quit his job, he blamed people at WABC radio for creating such a political frenzy that it's endangering his safety and that of his wife, Nancy.

Sliwa says his life, and that of his wife, are at risk

"My life is on the line here," Sliwa said. 

Sliwa was furious over demands from his WABC radio boss John Catsimatidis, along with others at the station where he has worked for years, that he quit the race in order to give former Gov. Andrew Cuomo a better chance at taking on Democrat frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. 

"Let me tell you, I'm talking to WABC now, I am hurt. I have armed guards now protecting my life and Nancy's life. I've been bribed by billionaires to drop out of here. If anything happens to me, or anything happens to my wife, because of the frenzy that I hear coming from some of your colleagues here at WABC, it's on you guys," Sliwa said. 

Sliwa got upset on the "Sid and Friends" radio show after host Sid Rosenberg and Catsimatidis said he should put ego aside and get out of the race for the good of the city. 

Sliwa running third in polls

Sliwa is running third in the polls behind Mamdani and Cuomo. A new AARP poll showed Democratic socialist Mamdani, the clear frontrunner in a three-way race, would be in a much tighter race with former Cuomo if Sliwa bowed out. 

In a three-way race, Mamdani is 14 points ahead of Cuomo, his nearest challenger. If Sliwa were to exit the race, the poll narrows to Mamdani 44.6% and Cuomo 40.7%. The poll has a 4-point margin of error. 

"Curtis should pull out right now," Catsimatidis said Monday. "We cannot take a chance. We cannot take a chance on Zohran winning and the fact is that every common sense New Yorker feels that way."   

Sliwa was upset that the station put Cuomo on to ask him to quit the race. Instead, Sliwa quit the station.

"You will never see me ever in the studios of WABC again, never," Sliwa said. 

"Curtis is always welcome"

In response, station executives pointed out that although Sliwa has been off the air during the campaign, he has a 30-year contract. 

"Curtis is always welcome," Catsimatidis said. "I have nothing against Curtis. I love the guy ... I have nothing against him. Did he have a tough morning? Yeah. It's easy to have a tough morning. It's easy to have a tough morning with Sid. They were yelling at each other. How do you say - crap happens ... people say a lot of thing when they're upset." 

The incident on WABC radio came just hours before the second and final general election debate Wednesday night. 

Early voting starts Saturday. Election Day is less than two weeks away, on Tuesday, Nov. 4.