Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels and a perennial Republican candidate for New York City mayor, has lived a life in the public eye defined by his red beret and his outspoken views on crime. But away from the patrols and the political rallies, his personal life has been a complex tapestry of multiple marriages, high-profile relationships, and a modern family built in some of the most unconventional ways. From interracial dating in the 1970s to sperm donation agreements and a shared passion for rescuing cats, the story of Sliwa’s wives and children is as unpredictable as the man himself.
His marital history includes four wives and a long-term partnership that produced two kids, weaving a narrative that intersects with New York City’s political scene and his own very public persona. The women in his life have often been connected to his work, from fellow Guardian Angels to a prominent Queens District Attorney, creating a personal history that is deeply entwined with his professional endeavors.
A Detailed Look at His Marriages and Family
Curtis Sliwa has been married four times, with his relationships often making headlines for their unusual circumstances. His first marriage was to Koren Drayton in 1976, a union he has frequently described as being fraught with racial prejudice from both white and black communities in the 1970s. He was so smitten with Drayton, whom he said was the “spitting image” of activist Angela Davis, that he was willing to face the backlash. However, the marriage was short-lived, ending in divorce after about a year, and Sliwa has stated he has had no contact with her since.
Shortly after, he married Lisa Evers in 1981. Evers was the national director of the Guardian Angels and a model. Their partnership was both personal and professional, as they even co-hosted a radio show called “Angels in the Morning” starting in 1990. Sliwa has said that the constant death threats he received after criticizing mob boss John Gotti—which culminated in his being shot and kidnapped in 1992—put a severe strain on their marriage. The couple ultimately divorced in 1994.
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His third marriage was to Mary Galda (now Mary Paterson) in 2000. She served as the executive director of the Guardian Angels, continuing the pattern of Sliwa marrying women within his organization. This marriage produced a son named Anthony. The relationship ended in a contentious divorce in 2012 after Galda accused Sliwa of having an affair with his former girlfriend, Melinda Katz, and sued him for $1.4 million, alleging he swindled her out of money. A judge ultimately dismissed the lawsuit. In a surprising turn of events, his ex-wife, Mary, later married former New York Governor David Paterson, and Sliwa has spoken positively about their relationship, calling Paterson an “outstanding stepfather” to his son Anthony.
Sliwa found marital stability with his fourth wife, Nancy Regula, an attorney and animal rights activist whom he married in 2018. The couple met in 2015 while Sliwa was patrolling with the Guardian Angels and Regula was rescuing cats. She helped nurse him back to health during a period of illness, and he moved out of his radio station office and into her small Upper West Side apartment.
They share a passion for animal welfare and share their 325-square-foot studio with a fluctuating number of rescue cats, which has been reported to be as high as 16. Regula has been actively involved in his political campaigns, even starring in his first TV ad for the 2025 mayoral race.
His Children and Modern Family Dynamics
Beyond his four marriages, Curtis Sliwa has a significant chapter of his family life with Melinda Katz, the Queens District Attorney and a prominent Democratic politician. Their story is unique: after dating on and off in the mid-1990s, Katz asked Sliwa in 1998 for a sperm donation because she was worried about her fertility after a medical procedure. Sliwa agreed, and his sperm was frozen. A decade later, in 2008, Katz, then a single New York City Councilwoman, gave birth to their first son, Carter.
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In 2010, Katz gave birth to twins conceived from the same sperm donation. The pregnancy ended tragically with one stillborn child. The other boy, Hunter, was born extremely premature and fought for his life in the NICU. It was during this crisis that Sliwa and Katz reconnected. Sliwa spent weeks at the hospital with the struggling newborn, and the shared experience rekindled their relationship.
They began living together in Katz’s Forest Hills home with their two sons and planned to marry, though they ultimately separated in 2014. Despite their separation, Sliwa remains their biological father, and in a notable personal detail, the Catholic Sliwa has worn his red beret to synagogue and pledged to raise the boys in Katz’s Jewish faith.
Altogether, Curtis Sliwa is the biological father of three sons: Anthony with his third wife, Mary Galda, and Carter and Hunter with Melinda Katz. His family tree, much like his career, is a distinctive and very New York story of how personal and public lives can become forever intertwined.
